What is a Podcast? |Definition and Meaning of Podcast [updated] - Podcast Hero ™ - High Converting Podcasts (2024)

Podcasting has come a long way in the last few years. It wasn’t that long ago that I had to explain what podcasting means when I talked about my show(s). These days the average person has at least heard of podcasting and understands the concept. And almost 40% of people listen to podcasts every month! However, there is still a lot of confusion and misconceptions about the meaning of podcasting.

Definition / Meaning of Podcast:

from Wikipedia:

Apodcastis adigital mediumconsisting of an episodic series ofaudio,video,PDF, orePubfilessubscribed to anddownloadedthroughweb syndicationor streamed online to a computer or mobile device. The word is aneologismandportmanteauderived from “broadcast” and “pod” from the success of theiPod, as audio podcasts are often listened to onportable media players.

Why is a podcast called a podcast?

Where did the word Podcast come from?

The word podcast is derived from a combination of two words. iPod and Broadcast.

When the term was coined most people were using Apple’s iPod to listen to podcasts. So when Ben Hammersleysuggested the word podcasting to describe the new method of delivering content the term stuck.

He suggested a few options in a post in The Guardian in 2004 :

“But what to call it? Audioblogging? Podcasting? GuerillaMedia?”

Too bad… to think I could have been a GuerillaMediaer!

Should podcasting change its name?

Is the term “podcast” confusing people?

A number of people have tried to change the name from podcasting to something else. The argument is that the term podcast implies that you have to have an iPod in order to listen to podcasts which of course is not true. Any device that is capable of playing an MP3 file can play an audio podcast.

Leo Laporte from This Week in Tech (TWIT) was a proponent of changing the name. He calls himself a podcaster but refers to all the shows on his network as netcasts. He prefers the word netcast and believes it is a more descriptive term for the technology.

Every couple of years someone resurfaces the idea of changing the name but it looks like the term is here to stay.

In 2005, podcasting was declared the Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary. This gave the term some credibility and cemented the term as the official word for online syndicated episodic media.

History of Podcasting

Podcasting was invented in 2004 by Adam Curry and Dave Winer. One of the first podcasts was The Daily Source Code by Adam Curry.

A quick Google search will reveal that there are different versions of podcasting history. Even Wikipeda’s article on the history of podcasting minimizes the importance of the RSS Feed in podcasting.

Todd Cochrane from RAW Voice / Blubrry has a great article on the history of podcasting and if you are interested in this topic it is an accurate account (IMHO) of the real history of podcasting.

https://create.blubrry.com/manual/about-podcasting/history-of-podcasting-new/

Adam Currey and John C. Dvorak did a segment on the No Agenda Show that they called the definitive history of podcasting. This video was made from that segment.

It is worth watching.

The Alternative View of Podcasting History

The argument is that an audio player on the internet is a podcast (even without the RSS Feed).

Audio Blogging was definitely around before podcasting but is audio on a webpage a podcast? By the original definition, it is not.

But I’ve also noticed in places like dictionary.com the RSS Feed has been removed from their definition.

So the definition may be relaxing a little. But really… a podcast is distributed on a FEED.

Radio Survivor Episode > Alternative Histories of Podcasting

This is a good podcast episode that takes the position that podcasting pre-dates the RSS Feed.

They argue that audio-blogging and podcasting are the same things and that radio stations were doing it long before RSS media enclosures were invented.

But what is a podcast exactly?

Describing a podcast to someone who has never been exposed to podcasting can be challenging. You can say that it is like a blog but instead of subscribing to the blog posts you subscribeandreceive a media file. If they don’t know what an RSS Feed is then it can beespecially difficult.

A lot of podcasters use the term Internet Radio Show when describing podcastingto newbies because everyone understands what a radio show is. Combining the concept of a radio show with the internet is easy to understand. But there is more to podcasting than “internet radio”.

There are internet radio shows that are NOT podcasts. You can listen to streaming content on the internet that is not syndicated over the internet via an RSS Feed.

A podcast is only a podcast if it is delivered via RSS Feed.

What is episodic media?

Podcasting is by definition episodic media. Therefore there have to be at least two episodes to qualify as a podcast. 😉

Episodic media can beaudio, video, or pdf /ePUB content that is produced in a series.

A TV show is an example of episodic media but a standalone movie is not (unless it is part of a trilogy, for example).

Some podcasters also adopt the concept ofseasons which is borrowed from television programming.

Why does a podcast have to be delivered via RSS in order to be a podcast?

Adam Curry (The Podfather) and Dave Winer were early developers of the technology. They were working on a method of distributing audio content that could be subscribed to and distributed online.

The main point here (and what makes podcasting so powerful) is that you subscribe once and from that point on receive new episodes in the series until you either unsubscribe or the show podfades or intentionally comes to an end.

It is this syndication that makes a podcast a podcast.

Are there differenttypes of podcasts?

Audio Podcasts

Most people associate podcasts with audio even though a podcast doesn’t have to be audio. Audio is the most popular form of podcasting for three reasons. It is easier to produce audio because you don’t need cameras, lighting, and video editing software in addition to audio skills and equipment. Audio is more portable which makes it easier to consume. Also, the hosting costs of video are prohibitive for hobbyist podcasters.

Video Podcasts

Video podcasts are becoming more popular. Many podcast networks like TWIT produce audio and video versions of their shows simultaneously. Web TV shows are sometimes distributed as video podcasts.

Enhanced Podcasts

Enhanced Podcasts are podcasts that have chapter marks and can display images, artwork, and hyperlinks along with the audio, and are playable only on iOS devices. They make a podcast seem more like a presentation. Garage Band removed support for producing enhanced podcasts in its recent update.

Podcast Novels

A podcast novel is also referred to as a serialized audiobookorpodcast audiobook.It combines an audiobook with a podcast and the novel is distributed in episodes via RSS Feed.

PDF / ePub Podcasts

Technically, any media filethat isdistributed via RSS Feed is a podcast. You can publish a podcast that distributes PDFs or ePub documents if that tickles your fancy. Although there are PDF and ePub podcasts, I’ve never utilized podcasting in this way and don’t have any experience with it.

What is NOT a podcast?

• An audio file that is playable from your website (but not enclosed in an RSS Feed) is NOT a podcast.
• YouTube videos are NOT podcasts. (unless they are also separately set up as video podcasts)
• Live streaming audio is NOT a podcast
• An email newsletter with a media file attached is NOT a podcast.
• An iPod attached to the end of a fishing line is NOT a podcast either.

How can you tell if a web show is a podcast?

A good test to determine if a web show is a podcast is to check and see if it is in iTunes. If it is in iTunes or other podcatchers then it is a podcast. If it isn’t in iTunes (or the others) it still could be a podcast but it has to be capable of being added to the iTunes directory if it is to be correctly called a podcast.

What makes podcasting so attractive?

– Time Shifted Media Consumption

The RSS Feed allows your media content to be time-shifted.

Just like a PVR/DVR allows you to record content from your TV and watch it whenever you want, podcasts allow you to fit your consumption into your own schedule. You can subscribe to programming and listen, watch, or read it at your convenience. You don’t have to be present when it is recorded live or when it is released as you do with Radio or live television programming.

There are many different ways to consume a podcast. You can push the play button on a website and listen from your desktop computer, Tablet, or Smartphone. You can use an app like the iOS podcast app or Pocket Casts to download the podcast and listen to it later. These apps also allow you to stream the podcast which downloads the file while you listen to it. Some people still consume podcasts the old-school way which involves downloading the file through iTunes or Zune and then syncing the shows with their iPod, iPhone, iPad, or MP3 Player.

So for the podcast, consumer podcasting offers them something they have never had before. A convenient way to get the niche content they want. Because podcasts are produced by individuals who are talking about their true passions, there is content for almost every niche. Some of these subjects are too narrow to appeal to radio stations because they need to attract a broad audience in order to sell advertising.

For content creators (and marketers) podcasting is an incredibly powerful tool. You can create very specific niche programming and attract subscribers that are most likely to consume your content and buy your products/services.

But Steve Jobs called podcasting amateur hour!

Are podcasts really worth listening to?

There are tens of thousands of podcasts (series not just episodes) available in iTunes and other directories. You havea ton of options when it comes to podcast content in almost every niche. But is the quality of the content professional?

There are a lot of hobbyist podcasters who are podcasting just for fun and who don’t take the production values of their show too seriously. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is part of what makes podcasting great.

As a result, a lot of podcasts are far belowbroadcast quality – the quality people are used to hearing when they listen to the radio.

Why is thequality of the average podcast so poor?

A lot of podcasts have poor audio quality which can be caused by a number of factors.

• Recordingwith the built-in microphone on their computers.
• Recording in environments not suitable for quality recording.
• Not doing post-production, audio processing, or editing.
• Using platforms like Blog Talk Radio which encodes your audio in less than AM quality.
• Equipment set up that causes hums or hissing sounds.
• Poor microphone techniques (popping and sibilance).
• and many other possible reasons.

And some podcasts may have poor content.

• lack of enthusiasm by the podcaster
• no structure or organization
• no show notes or research (winging it)
• bad interview techniques
• unprofessional behavior or conduct
• explicit language or content (without proper explicit label)
• lack of focus on the topic

Are there great podcasts? Absolutely!

There are many podcasts that rival major broadcast networks in quality. Both in the content and the production value.

iTunes and Stitcher do a good job of featuring well-produced shows with greatcontent in their directories.

You can also check out some of the podcast networks which generally take podcasting seriously and produce great podcasts.

Some podcastnetworks to check out:

NPR

ABC

TWIT

Gonna Geek

GIMLET

5by5

ESPN

c|net

Smodcast

BBC Radio

The Verge

Revision 3

Radiotopia

Noodle.mx

Nerdist

WONDERY

MamaMia

The Ringer

The Guardian

RelayFM

Panopoly

podcast one

Forbes

Carolla Digital

WNYC

VOX

MAXIMUM FUN

BBC World Service

Quick and Dirty Tips

What is the meaning of podcaster?

We know the meaning of the word podcast now. But what is the definition of a podcaster?

A podcaster is one who podcasts. Someone who hosts and produces podcasts.

This is how I define podcaster anyway…

Is anyone who participates in the production of a podcast a podcaster?

Is a podcast editor a podcaster if they don’t host a show? What about a podcast producer or promoter? There are so many things that podcasters do when creating their shows that are not ‘on the mic’. Or if you only show up and record the show and someone else handles the scheduling, editing, processing, publishing, promoting and monetizing are you a podcaster?

Interesting question…

What is the meaning of podcasting?

And the next question is what is the definition of podcasting?

Podcasting is the art of presenting, producing, promoting, and profiting from a podcast.

That is how I see it anyway!

Are you going to start your own podcast?

If you have been thinking of starting a podcast don’t be discouraged by the high percentage of showsthat have poor audio quality, lousy content, or both. Your podcast doesn’t have to have poor audio or bad content.

You havean opportunity to rise above the masses by taking a little extra care and investing ina better-quality show.

Take a little time to learn the technical side of podcasting and you’ll avoid making common podcasting mistakes. And invest in some inexpensive podcasting equipment, software, and media hosting that will make you sound great without breaking the bank.

It doesn’t take much to stand out from the crowd.

References: Check out these sites