The Development of Podcasts

                                                                        Image Credit: Creator: CH. HORZ | Credit: Christian Horz - stock.adobe.com

                                                                                    Copyright: ©Christian Horz - stock.adobe.com

Podcasting has been around for almost two decades but has recently received traction. This broadcasting strategy is a way for media students to break into an industry that is thought to be different but is very much the same as other jobs in the production world.

Software developer, Dave Winer, and MTV video jockey, Adam Currey, came up with the idea for people to download their favorite radio shows offline with the ability to listen to the show anywhere without the physical radio.

Podcasts were created in 2004 but the production saw little attention a year later. In 2005, podcasts started to gain interest and pick up in popularity. With interest increasing this resulted in Apple adding the podcast platform to its iTunes store. This Apple Podcasts platform would then later become an app on the Apple Store.

Over the past 15-plus years, podcasts have continued to grow. Now, podcasts receive over 100 million monthly listeners, across various platforms, in just the United States alone. These platforms or websites can include Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube, and many more. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020, people were forced to quarantine and isolate themselves from friends, jobs, and their everyday "normal" lives. People had to find a way to stay productive due to many jobs shutting down. 
Podcasting hit a surge with the ability to be viewed online and created through video chats like Zoom and Skype. People found a way to make money by talking to others through video and still having the ability to record it.

Companies like CNN, True Crime Daily, and even Barstool Sports hopped on the train by finding ways (podcasting) to branch out even more. News stations like CNN can now produce and publish their content on a different platform other than their website to people who may not want to read the information.