The Rise of Podcasts
Who knew that a form of audio media could become so popular in such a highly technological world? At first, radio was the form of media that was constantly utilized by everyone, as it gained popularity in the early 2000s. However, a new type of audio media is now taking over, and that media is podcasts.
As discussed in class, a podcast is a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series.
Although having very popular podcasts within the streaming app has increased Spotify's success, the element of podcasting has also led Spotify to become a part of a scandal.
Although podcasting may seem like a very recent and up-and-coming form of media, it actually first emerged in 2004. According to an article on onefineplay.com by James Bishop, the term "podcasting" was created by a journalist named Ben Hammersley, as he made up the word and included it in his article called "Audible Revolution". This article was about the potential in audio blogging, arguing that we have everything we need to create a new form of media called podcasts.
The first instance of podcasting itself was developed in 2004 when Adam Curry, former MTV video jockey, and software developer Dave Winer, coded a program known as iPodder, which enabled them to download Internet radio broadcasts to their iPods.
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| Dave Winer (left) and Adam Curry (right) |
iPodder was the first successful platform that was created around the idea of Podcasts. The platform enables you to select and download audio files from anywhere on the Internet to your desktop or iPod. Soon after iPodder was created, podcasts became recognized as a new form of media. In fact, according to a voices.com article written by Oliver Skinner, the New Oxford American Dictionary named ‘podcast’ the Word of the Year in 2005.
The same year in June, Apple updated iTunes to support Podcasts. After such a significant company updated their application to accommodate Podcasts, the new form of media became much more popular, and other companies wanted to utilize podcasting to enable success.
For instance, the first DIY guide to podcasting, entitled Podcasting: Do-It-Yourself Guide, was published by Todd Cochrane in 2005. Cochrane is a broadcast producer who founded the business Podcast Connect Inc.
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| The Photo Cover of Todd Cochrane's DIY Guide |
Additionally, the article by Oliver Skinner also states that the company Yahoo! released a podcast search site in 2005, and the medium’s first huge deal took place. The deal was because of a podcast series called MommyCast, which was hosted by two Northern Virginia moms discussing topics like health and nutrition. They eventually signed with tableware brand Dixie Consumer Products, which was a million-dollar deal.
The most recent significant news when it comes to podcasting platforms is about the extremely popular music streaming service, Spotify. In 2019, Spotify acquired Gimlet and Anchor for 230 million dollars, which was a firm that owned several popular podcasts.
Spotify now has the most famous podcasts, such as Call Her Daddy, The Daily, and Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain.
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| The Podcast Cover for Emma Chamberlain's Podcast on Spotify |
One of the podcasts that are offered on Spotify is The Joe Rogan Experience, which is a podcast hosted by Joe Rogan where he talks to guests about current topics and many other subjects. He is known for having very strong political opinions, and he has said unfavorable comments in the past.
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| Photo of Podcast Host Joe Rogan |
Within this podcast, misinformation about the current pandemic was included, according to a New York Times article by Kevin Roose, the CEO of Spotify responded with a statement about freedom of speech. This caused the public to become more angered towards the situation, but the podcast is still offered on the streaming service.
Even though Spotify was called out for this controversy, it will continue to be the biggest podcast streaming platform. The public backlash will most likely ensure that Joe Rogan and Spotify will not make the same mistake again, but unfortunately, Rogan will not suffer any significant consequences for his actions.
Besides controversies such as Spotify's, the concept of podcasting has led to a lot of success, as people find it therapeutic to listen to people talk. Podcasting will continue to grow as more and more series gain popularity, and as more celebrities create their own podcasts. Although people never saw it coming, audio media is making a comeback in our society through podcasting, and its current popularity reveals that this form of audio blogging is not going anywhere.
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