Podcast
Digital episodic audio/video content distributed via RSS feeds.
A podcast is a digital program distributed over the internet for download or streaming. Though the term—a blend of "iPod" and "broadcast" coined in 2004—reflects its origins as an audio medium, video podcasts became popular by the mid-2020s. By 2025, Bloomberg reported that one billion people watched podcasts monthly on YouTube, a shift that can create problems when visual elements are not described for audio-only listeners.
Most podcast series have one or more regular hosts who discuss a specific topic or current event. Content ranges from tightly scripted productions to freeform conversations, combining artistic sound design with themes from scientific research to everyday journalism. Many series include a website with show notes, links, guest biographies, transcripts, additional resources, and sometimes a community forum.
Podcasts are generally low-cost or free for listeners. Some are funded by corporate sponsors or advertisements, while others operate as businesses through subscriptions, advertising, or post-sale products. Because much content is free, podcasting is often seen as a disruptive medium that challenges traditional revenue models.
Podcasting involves preparing and distributing audio or video files via RSS feeds to subscribers. A podcaster typically pays a hosting company like SoundCloud or Libsyn, which then sends the files to directories and streaming services such as Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Users access these on smartphones, digital music players, multimedia devices, or smart TVs. As of 2024, there were over three million podcasts with nearly 200 million episodes.
**Etymology** "Podcast" combines "iPod" and "broadcast." The earliest use of "podcasting" is credited to Ben Hammersley, a Guardian columnist and BBC journalist, who coined it in a February 2004 article. Danny Gregoire introduced the term to the audioblogging community in September 2004 on the iPodder-dev mailing list, from which podcaster Adam Curry adopted it. Despite the name, content can be played on any computer or media-capable device. The term predates Apple's addition of podcast features to the iPod and iTunes.
**History** In 1965, Frank Siedel's scriptwriting firm Storycraft created Salespoint, a sales training program for Westinghouse using Philips compact cassette recorders—then a new portable dictation technology. Salespeople listened to 60-minute audio programs in their cars; the program ran for at least ten years, making it an early ancestor of the modern podcast.
In September 2000, MP3 player maker i2Go launched MyAudio2Go.com, a service for downloading news stories to PCs or MP3 players. It lasted about a year until i2Go's 2001 closure. That October, Tristan Louis proposed attaching sound and video files to RSS feeds, and Dave Winer implemented the idea.
In August 2004, Adam Curry launched *Daily Source Code*, a show about his daily life, news, and podcasting's development. He promoted emerging internet audio shows to build interest in the format. Initially aimed at developers, the show inspired them to create their own projects, forming a pioneer podcasting community. The first GUI podcast application, iPodderX, was released in September 2004 by August Trometer, building on work by Ray Slakinski.
In June 2005, Apple released iTunes 4.9 with formal podcast support, eliminating the need for separate software to download and transfer podcasts to mobile devices. Apple also sent cease-and-desist orders to developers using "iPod" or "Pod" in their product names.
In February 2006, London radio station LBC launched LBC Plus, the first premium podcasting platform, signaling commercial potential. Comedian Ricky Gervais's *The Ricky Gervais Show* became a major hit; its first season was freely distributed by the Positive Internet Company and marketed through *The Guardian*'s website. It became the world's most successful podcast for several years, eventually exceeding 300 million unique downloads by March 2011.
- coined_by
- popularized by Ben Hammersley
Lore & Background
The term 'podcast' itself was used in Hammersley's article as part of 'podcasting', making 'podcast' a derivative.
Reader's Guide
Podcasting is significant as a disruptive medium, often free to consumers and adverse to traditional revenue models. It is underwritten by corporations, sponsors, or paid subscriptions. The cost to start is low, requiring only a microphone, computer, and editing software. The term 'podcast' predates Apple's addition of podcasting features to the iPod and iTunes. In June 2005, Apple released iTunes 4.9 with formal podcast support, and issued cease-and-desist orders to developers using 'iPod' or 'Pod' in product names.
Did You Know?
- The first major podcast to charge consumers was the second series of The Ricky Gervais Show, priced at around £1.50 or $1.95 per half-hour episode.
Naming & Early Roots
The word "podcast" is a blend of "iPod" and "broadcast," yet its origin story is more layered than the branding suggests. Importantly, the term existed before Apple ever built podcasting functionality into the iPod or iTunes software, meaning the name was not a corporate invention but a grassroots one. Despite the "iPod" embedded in the word, the medium has always been device-agnostic—any computer or player capable of handling media files can consume podcast content. This early, community-driven naming reflects a broader pattern in podcasting's history: the format was shaped as much by independent creators and small software projects as by any single technology company.
From Cassette Tapes to RSS Feeds
The roots of podcasting stretch further back than most listeners realize. In 1965, Frank Siedel and his scriptwriting firm Storycraft produced sixty-minute audio training programs on Philips compact cassette recorders for Westinghouse Electric's sales force. The program, called Salespoint, let employees listen in their cars and ran for at least a decade—its portability and direct delivery to listeners making it a clear ancestor of today's podcast. That same year, Tristan Louis drafted a proposal to attach audio and video files to RSS feeds, an idea software developer Dave Winer went on to implement. His audience of developers was inspired to build their own shows, and a pioneer community formed almost overnight.
The Commercial Wake-Up Call
London radio station LBC launched LBC Plus, the first premium-podcasting platform, and the industry quickly recognized the format's revenue potential. The breakthrough moment, however, belonged to UK comedian Ricky Gervais. His first series of The Ricky Gervais Show was distributed for free by the Positive Internet Company and promoted through The Guardian's website. When the second series moved to audible.co.uk, it became the first major podcast to charge listeners—ninety-five pence per half-hour episode—yet it remained the most-downloaded show on iTunes. The Adam Carolla Show later claimed a Guinness World Record for approaching sixty million total downloads, but Guinness notably failed to acknowledge that Gervais's podcast had racked up more than five times that figure. Beyond individual hits, the era established the economic templates that still define the medium: corporate sponsorship, paid subscriptions, and advertising all became viable paths for sustaining a show.
The Video Turn & a Billion-Eye Audience
Yet the most dramatic shift of the mid-2020s has been the rise of video podcasts, either embedded directly in the feed or offered as a companion to the audio track. Listeners now consume shows on smartphones, digital multimedia players, and smart televisions alike. This visual expansion, however, introduces a genuine tension: when a host shows something on screen, the audio-only experience can suffer because what is displayed is invisible to listeners who never see the video. The format that began as a purely auditory, download-based medium has become a multi-platform, multi-sensory phenomenon, and the question of how to serve both ears and eyes simultaneously is now central to podcast production.
More in Communication & Media 1-19
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record