Podcasts are digital audio content distributed over the internet using a podcast hosting service. These services store all podcast episodes in one location and automate the generation of RSS feeds. These feeds list all the podcaster's episodes. They can also automatically submit the RSS feed to podcast directories, where listeners can access them.
How much should it cost to produce a podcast?
They should be able to help with everything from concept, to branding, to production, and promotion. Expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000+ for an episode depending on the type of podcast you are producing (interview-based, narrative or story-driven, or a mixture of the two).
What is a podcast and how do they work?
- Free
- On-demand
- Niche
- Talk radio
What makes a good podcast?
- have a genuine interest in how people are ‘going’ as a starting point in any conversation
- talk less and ask more – be a coach!
- look to build on individual strengths and provide encouragement as opposed to focussing on things that didn’t go well
How do you start a podcast?
Way before you ever get into the actual production and technical work, figure out what your podcast will be about. Also, choose an appropriate title, topic, and format right at the start. Each episode of your show will be a separate audio file that can be made available in various formats.

What are podcasts and are they free?
Podcasting is a largely free service that allows internet users to pull audio files (typically MP3s) from a podcasting website to listen to on their computers, smartphones or personal digital audio players. The term comes from a combination of the words iPod and broadcasting.
Are podcasts free or paid?
Music fans who are used to purchasing songs through iTunes may be accustomed to paying a dollar or more per song, but podcasts are almost always completely free. In some cases, while you may be able to receive the newest editions of podcasts for free after you subscribe, the previous editions of shows may cost money.
What is the purpose of a podcast?
A podcast can have many purposes, but the main one is to entertain its audience. Podcast listeners might have one of several reasons to subscribe to a podcast, such as to: Hear updates and breakdowns of current events. Learn about a new topic or industry.
What is an example of a podcast?
A radio program distributed exclusively over the Internet and listened to on people's iPods is an example of a podcast. (iPOD broadCAST) An audio broadcast for playback in the computer or mobile device.
How do I listen to a podcast?
Download the Google Podcasts app. Ask your Google Assistant to play a specific podcast. Search for a podcast in your Google app. or on google.com....Add a podcast by RSS feedOn your Android phone or tablet, open Google Podcasts .At the bottom, tap Activity. Subscriptions.Tap More. ... Enter the feed URL.Tap Subscribe.
How do you start listening to podcasts?
The most popular examples are iTunes and Spotify. If you have either app on your computer, then navigate to the podcast section, browse around and hit play. Even better, if you use the Spotify app to listen on your phone, then the subscription carries right over to that platform.
What are 3 reasons podcasts are so popular?
Why are podcasts so popular now?Podcasts allow for multitasking.Listening to a podcast is an easy way to catch up on the latest news and events.Podcast are entertaining.Podcast adaptations will grow in numbers.Smart speakers will push the boundaries of podcasting.More items...•
What are the disadvantages of podcasts?
The list of the disadvantages of podcasting is time consuming, not searchable, accessibility problems and limited audience. Podcast consumes a lot of time especially if the file is larger. It is not usually easy to search in podcasting.
How can I listen to podcasts for free?
So, let's look at some of the best places to find and consume podcasts for free.Spotify. Let's start with the obvious—Spotify. ... Google Podcasts. Google Podcasts is among the best podcast-specific services. ... Amazon Music. ... Stitcher. ... PlayerFM. ... Castbox. ... Pocket Casts. ... YouTube.More items...•
What are the 3 types of podcasts?
Panel. Nonfiction narrative story-telling. Fictional story-telling. Hybrid.
How do I download podcasts?
Download PodcastsOn your Android phone or tablet, open Google Podcasts .At the bottom, tap Home .At the top right, tap your Profile picture or initial. Podcast settings.Under “Downloads,” tap Auto downloading.Turn on Auto download new episodes.Under “Your subscriptions,” turn on podcasts you want to auto download.
How do podcasts make money?
Sponsorships are the most common way podcasters make money. This is when the podcast promotes the sponsor during the show. You probably hear your favorite shows plug their advertisers a few times in every episode. How much you earn from a sponsor depends on the number of downloads your episodes earn.
What Is a Podcast?
A podcast is the streaming age’s answer to radio. It’s a form of media content that was developed in 2004, when former MTV video jockey Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer coded the “iPodder.” The iPodder was a program that let a user download internet radio broadcasts to their Apple iPod.
Different Types of Podcasts with Examples
Podcasts are as varied as people’s imaginations can make them, and there are about as many genres as you can think of; news and education, health and fitness, comedy, and even fiction podcasts are just a few of the most popular kinds.
How Podcasts Work and How to Listen to Podcasts
For podcasters, the process of creating and publishing a podcast is relatively easy. Once they’ve recorded and edited a few episodes, they need to upload them to their podcast host of choice.
Podcast FAQS
The word “podcast” refers to the show in its entirety, while a podcast episode is a single chapter of that show.
How does a podcast generator work?
A podcast generator maintains a central list of the files on a server as a web feed that one can access through the Internet. The listener or viewer uses special client application software on a computer or media player, known as a podcatcher, which accesses this web feed , checks it for updates , and downloads any new files in the series. This process can be automated to download new files automatically, so it may seem to listeners as though podcasters broadcast or "push" new episodes to them. Files are stored locally on the user's device, ready for offline use.
How do podcasts get support?
They can also garner support from listeners through crowdfunding websites like Patreon, which provides special extras and content to listeners for a fee. Podcasting is very much a horizontal media form— producers are consumers, consumers may become producers, and both can engage in conversations with each other.
What is a podcast?
A podcast is an episodic series of spoken word digital audio files that a user can download to a personal device for easy listening. Streaming applications and podcasting services provide a convenient and integrated way to manage a personal consumption queue across many podcast sources ...
What is daily source code?
Daily Source Code started at a grassroots level of production and was initially directed at podcast developers. As its audience became interested in the format, these developers were inspired to create and produce their own projects and, as a result, they improved the code used to create podcasts.
What is podcast series?
A podcast series usually features one or more recurring hosts engaged in a discussion about a particular topic or current event. Discussion and content within a podcast can range from carefully scripted to completely improvised.
What are some examples of scripted podcasts?
Examples of scripted podcasts include The Bright Sessions, Homecoming, and Wolverine: The Long Night .
What was the first podcast?
Despite a lack of a commonly accepted identifying name for the medium at the time of its creation, The Backstage Pass which became known as Matt Schichter Interviews is commonly believed to be the first podcast to be published online. In August 2004, Adam Curry launched his show Daily Source Code.
What is nonfiction storytelling?
Nonfiction narrative storytelling is another popular podcasting format, although it’s not easy to master. These podcasts entail retelling stories using audio clips from the interviewee and editing them to make them more intriguing. Or you can build an engaging narrative around your subject and present it in a storytelling format.
What is repurposing content?
Repurposing content is a great way to assemble your podcast. You can repurpose your blog posts, seminars, workshops, or interviews into podcasts to summarize everything briefly and personally for your audience. They can really enhance the experience of the listeners.
Why do podcasts help?
Since podcasts help you deliver content verbally to your audience and in a somewhat informal setting, the information becomes more intimate than reading it from a blog or an email.
Why is podcasting so popular?
Podcasting has quickly become immensely sought-after and a lucrative way to promote your brand and broadcast your content. The good thing is that your audience can consume your content anywhere they want.
How does podcasting work?
Podcasting works as your own media platform to present your views to your target audience and showcase your skills. This visibility also helps you stand out if you’re promoting a brand or when you make a sales pitch.
What is hybrid podcast?
The hybrid podcast format is basically a mix of all types of podcasts. For example, you can have a single host in your podcast and later decide to invite a co-host or a guest.
When did podcasts become popular?
Back in the 1980s, podcasts were also called audio-blogging. However, it got popular only in the early 2000s after the evolution of broadband internet and the launch of portable audio devices like MP3 players and iPods.
What is podcasting on a phone?
Simply put: a podcast is an audio programme, just like Talk Radio, but you subscribe to it on your smartphone and listen to it whenever you like. How do they work and how do you listen to them, though?
What is a podcast?
In a little more detail, a podcast is a series of spoken word, audio episodes, all focused on a particular topic or theme, like cycling or startups. You can subscribe to the show with an app on your phone and listen to episodes whenever you like on your headphones, in the car or through speakers. Or some shortcuts, if you know what you're looking ...
What is a podcast episode?
A podcast is a series of episodes, and refers to the programme as a whole. Then, a podcast episode is just one recording from that entire Podcast. It's just like TV, really. A TV show is made up of a whole series of episodes. So, think of ‘Friends’ as the series and ‘The One where they Got Married’ as the episode.
What is podcasting background content?
That means something that can entertain you, educate you or inspire you in the background of other boring or rote activities. For example, one of the most common ways people listen is in the car.
Is a podcast the same as an audio file?
The most simple explanation is that an audio file and a podcast episode are technically the same . If you've downloaded a Podcast episode from a Podcast site, you've already discovered the fact that you're just downloading an audio file. The difference comes when you add the option to subscribe to that series of audio files.
Does Spotify keep track of podcasts?
So, when you use Apple Podcasts (an app built into every iPhone), Google Podcasts (built into Android Phones), Spotify, or any other good podcast listening app, it'll keep track of all of your subscriptions via each Podcasts' RSS feed, and it'll automatically download new episodes as they're available.
What is a podcast?
A podcast is an audio file which users can download or stream on their smartphone, tablet, or computer. They are a medium that nearly everyone has free access to, which automatically sets them apart, considering how many other media platforms slap hidden fees onto much of their content. Similar to TV shows, podcasts are often released by seasons ...
Can I subscribe to a podcast?
After listening to a certain podcast, if you like it and want more of it, you can subscribe to it. By subscribing, just like signing up to get the Sunday paper every week, new episodes of the podcast will be read ily available to you as soon as they are released .
What is a podcast?
Podcasting for Beginners. A podcast is essentially a talk radio series, but on demand. This means that listeners don't need to turn up and tune in live, but can listen any time (and pretty much anywhere) they like. Podcasts tend to be focused on a theme or topic.
What is the difference between radio and podcast?
Podcast listeners are able to decide exactly what they'd like to listen to, whereas radio listeners have a lot less control as their options are broader and less targeted. Podcasts have been described as “narrowcasting”, which stands apart from the “BROAD-casting” of traditional media.
How to make podcasts efficient?
For example, if you have little time, but a bit of money to spend on your show, then you outsource the more laborious tasks, such as editing. You can also batch produce your episodes to cut down on set-up and tidy-up times.
What is the most important thing to know about podcasting?
One of the most important concepts when looking at podcasting for beginners is to realise that some of the most successful shows around have pretty average sized audiences. But, those audiences are hyper-engaged. They absolutely LOVE the host, and the content they create.
What are the most popular podcasts?
There are a core of numerically popular podcasts that you'll always see “featured” on the front page of listening apps. Shows such as: 1 Serial 2 This American Life 3 The Joe Rogan Experience, 4 WTF with Marc Maron 5 Radiolab 6 The Daily 7 99% Invisible 8 Stuff your Should Know 9 How I Built This
Do podcasts have radio?
So a lot of the most numerically popular podcasts have more in common with well-made radio shows than they do with the rest of the medium. These shows are still great products. But they arguably don't give an overall view of how podcasting looks and sounds as a whole.
Can you listen to podcasts while walking the dog?
So with podcasts, you don't have to worry about the visuals , but there's just as much variety in the types of shows you can listen to.
What Is a Podcast and How Do They Work?
A podcast is a digital audio “show” or program that you can download or stream from the internet on your smartphone, computer, or tablet and listen when it’s convenient for you.
What Are Podcasts Used For?
So what’s the point or purpose of a podcast? What are they good for? A whole lot!
What Is a Podcast Host and Why Do You Need One?
Podcasts are made available to listeners via a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.
Types of Podcasts and Podcast Examples
As a medium for entertaining and sharing information, podcasts can take many different forms! Here are some of the most common podcast formats, along with examples.
How to Listen to a Podcast
How easy is it to listen to a podcast? Pretty darn easy! Here’s what you’ll need:
How to Start a Podcast
If you’re interested in how to start a podcast, you’re in the right place! At SPI, we have a ton of resources for first-time podcasters (and more advanced podcasters too, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves…).
What Is a Podcast FAQ
Here are some commonly asked questions about podcasts, and our answers!
What is podcasting?
Podcasting is the preparation and distribution of audio files using RSS feeds to the computers of subscribed users. These files may then be uploaded to streaming services, which users can listen to on their smartphones or digital music and multimedia players, like an iPod. A podcast can easily be created from a digital audio file.
How does podcasting work?
Podcasts are digital audio content distributed over the internet using a podcast hosting service. These services store all podcast episodes in a central location and automate the generation of RSS feeds. These feeds list all the podcaster's episodes.
How to create a podcast
A podcast is simply an audio file. There are many ways to create one. The components needed to record an audio file are the following:
Podcast examples
There are at least a couple million podcasts on the internet today, according to Podcast Insights. Topics can range from broad subject areas, such as art, science, politics and comedy, to specific topics, like true crime.
The history of podcasting
Podcasting has existed since the 1980s. In its earliest form, it was called audio blogging. People would record their pieces and share the audio content over the internet, like auditory blog posts. In 2004, Ben Hammersly first used the term podcast to describe this content. The term was a combination of the words iPod and broadcast.

Overview
Types of podcasts
An enhanced podcast, also known as a slidecast, is a type of podcast that combines audio with a slide show presentation. It is similar to a video podcast in that it combines dynamically-generated imagery with audio synchronization, but it is different in that it uses presentation software to create the imagery and the sequence of display separately from the time of the original audio podcast recording. The Free Dictionary, YourDictionary, and PC Magazine define an enhanced podcast as "…
Production and listening
A podcast generator maintains a central list of the files on a server as a web feed that one can access through the Internet. The listener or viewer uses special client application software on a computer or media player, known as a podcast client, which accesses this web feed, checks it for updates, and downloads any new files in the series. This process can be automated to download new files …
Etymology
"Podcast" is a portmanteau of "iPod" and "broadcast". The earliest use of "podcasting" was traced to The Guardian columnist and BBC journalist Ben Hammersley, who coined it in early February 2004 while writing an article for The Guardian newspaper. The term was first used in the audioblogging community in September 2004, when Danny Gregoire introduced it in a message to the iPodder-dev mailing list, from where it was adopted by podcaster Adam Curry. Despite the etymology, th…
History
In October 2000, the concept of attaching sound and video files in RSS feeds was proposed in a draft by Tristan Louis. The idea was implemented by Dave Winer, a software developer and an author of the RSS format.
Podcasting, once an obscure method of spreading audio information, has become a recognized medium for distributing audio content, whether for corp…
Technology
Podcast episodes are widely stored and encoded in the mp3 digital audio format and then hosted on dedicated or shared webserver space. Syndication of podcasts' episodes across various websites and platforms is based on RSS feeds, an XML-formatted file citing information about the episode and the podcast itself.
The most basic equipment for a podcast is a computer and a microphone. It is helpful to have a s…
See also
• List of podcast clients
• List of podcasting companies
• MP3 blog
• User-generated content
• Uses of podcasting
Further reading
• Geoghegan, Michael W.; Klass, Dan (August 16, 2005). Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting. Apress. ISBN 9781430200543.
• Meinzer, Kristen (August 6, 2019). So You Want to Start a Podcast: Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story, and Building a Community That Will Listen. William Morrow. ISBN 9780062936684.