On Podcasts

and how it became a global media phenomenon.

What is a podcast?

A podcast is a digital audio program available for download or streaming on the internet.

Typically, it's a series of episodes, each focusing on a specific topic or theme. You can listen to podcasts on various devices (phones, tablets, computers) and through dedicated apps (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube).

Podcasts are popular around the world because they offer a flexible, intimate, and on-demand way to consume stories, information, and conversations in virtually any language or topic.

I listen to podcasts while traveling, while cooking, while exercising or while napping. Sometimes I put on a podcast while I am completing a cumbersome task at work. People can listen to podcasts while doing other tasks, making podcasts uniquely accessible.

They foster a sense of personal connection between hosts and listeners, often exploring niche interests and underrepresented voices that traditional media overlooks.

What are the types of podcasts?

There are several types of podcasts formats¹. Here are some popular podcast formats. This data was collected and organized using ChatGPT.

There are several types of podcasts genres². Here are some common podcast genres. This data was collected and organized using ChatGPT.

There are several platforms to host and distribute your podcasts. Here are some recommendations for the same. This data was collected and organized using ChatGPT.

There are several platforms to listen to your favourite podcasts for free on the Internet using your phone, tablet or computer. Here are some recommendations for the same that can be used by listeners around the world. This data was collected and organized using ChatGPT.

As a podcaster, I use Spotify for Podcasters to host and distribute my podcast. I also added the RSS feed for my podcast to platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts and Jio Saavn. As a listener I use Spotify or Apply Podcasts to listen to and archive my podcast experience.

A short history of podcasting

Podcasting is a relatively new. The term “podcast” comes from two words: iPod and broadcast. Given how the medium got its start, the name makes sense³. Here is a short timeline of its birth and evolution since the early 2000s. This data was collected and organized using ChatGPT.

A personal connection to podcasts

I started a podcast in 2021. It was called Learning Stories. Here is the show description and a link to the audio archives.

This is an audio and video show where we interview learners from a diverse set of careers, industries and backgrounds. Each guest profiled has a story to share about how they acquired a set of skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner. In the process we hope to uncover a new understanding of learning as conceptualized, narrated, and imagined by our guests.

Here is a link to a few episodes of the podcast.

Podcasting has changed my life for the better. It has helped me meet new people, challenge my views and expand my understanding of the world. Before becoming a podcaster I was a podcast listener and fan myself. I spent a lot of my free time listening to podcast episodes and discovering new podcasters.

Podcast Recommendations

Here are my top three podcasts with my some recommendation notes, a link to the archives and a show description.

Armchair Expert by Dax Shepherd and Monica Padman

Dax and Monica do a great job exploring the messy side of being human. They interview artists and academics through long form interviews. They ask imperfect questions to break down life experiences and projects that mattered to the guests. Here is the show description and a link to the audio archives

Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.

Seen and Unseen by Amit Varma

Amit Varma is an expert on the long long form podcast. Episodes last between 2 to 4 hours and delve into topics like public policy, economics, psychology, history and more. More recently he has ventured into long form profiles of the careers of his guests. Here is the show description and a link to the audio archives.

All public policies -- indeed, all actions by humans -- have two kinds of effects: the effects that are intended, and visible; and unintended consequences, which are invisible. The Seen and the Unseen is a podcast that aims to examine both the seen and the unseen effects of our actions. Presented by Amit Varma (a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, and winner of the prestigious Bastiat Prize for journalism in 2007 and 2015 -- the only person to win it twice), the show takes on a specific public policy in every episode, and dissects its seen and unseen effects. For example: the ban on surge pricing by Uber in Delhi. What is seen is that Uber no longer costs so much; what is unseen is that you cannot get an Uber at all, because of the scarcity that is a direct result of the price control. The host explains the economic reasoning at work, and talks to an expert who breaks it down further. The host will have a panel of experts at his disposal, from a variety of disciplines, and will speak to a relevant expert in every episode. Subjects covered will range from broad ones like the state of education in India, to narrower ones like the banning of 'victimless crimes' like prostitution and gambling.

How I Built This by Guy Raz

Guy is an excellent host. He is a patient listener and does a great bringing out rare and unique stories that helped his guests become entrepreneurs and creators. Many of them were trying to solve a problem they faced. Many of them were at a crossroads in their life. All of them wanted to make life better for other humans. This is definitely one of the best interview podcasts on the internet. Here is the show description and a link to the audio archives.

Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.

Why podcasts are here to stay?

I think humans are born story tellers. We use various mediums to tell stories about our lived and imagined lives. Stories take many forms. We have books, films, music, dance, paintings, sculpture and more. They are all effective and powerful in their own ways and for their own reasons.

Audio stories needed technology to help it grow and this happened in the early 2000s. For a long time music was the primary mode to tell audio stories. Podcasts emerged in the early 2000s as a new way to tell stories through audio technology. From the early 2000s to the mid 2010s podcasts were primarily an audio medium. In the early 2020s most podcasters gradually shifted to audio and video podcasts because platforms like Spotify and Youtube began to allow podcasters to upload and share audio and video podcasts for free. For a long time the internet was based on sharing links to text heavy web pages like blogs and news websites. The birth of social media tools like Instagram (founded in 2010), Spotify (founded in 2006) and Youtube (founded in 2005) helped shift the focus from text to images, audio and video as well.

Post the global pandemic from 2020 to 2022, the proliferation of podcasts in the audio and video form has allowed multiple voices on the margins to come through in popular media. People were stuck in their homes and turned to short and long podcasts to keep them company in this difficult time. The low productions costs, cheap hosting tools and wide distribution platforms gave creators around the world a platform to record and publish podcasts from their bedrooms. Media is not controlled by a few powerful media giants in most countries anymore. Podcasts in local languages have changed the media narrative and have become popular in different parts of the world. You don’t have to be an influencer to start a podcast. Accountants, engineers, scientists, designers, writers are starting field specific podcasts in very niche subjects areas. These podcast have found their own community of listeners around the world.

There are many reasons I love podcasts. As a podcast listener and podcast creator I am really bullish on podcasts as a media platform based on my own experience as a creator and based on close observation of podcasts and podcasters all around the world. I believe that this is a medium that will continue to grow in the near future.

And…

I think podcasts are here to stay because they offer a flexible, intimate, and on-demand way to consume stories, information, and conversations in virtually any language or topic.

Building a platform to archive/recommend podcasts

There is still a long way to go for podcasting as a medium. The listening experience still has its limitations based on the platform you use to access your podcast. Films and books have their sub communities like Goodreads and Letterboxd. Podcasts are still not widely reviewed and discussed. Most podcasters still cannot make a living of their podcast because they do not own their audience.

As a podcast listener, I find it hard to discover new podcasts based on reviews of specific podcast episodes as most podcast reviews give you a general overview of the entire podcast and not an understanding of the nuance of discussion in each episode.

As a podcast listener, I also find it challenging to share my podcast listening experience with friends and family because I have no way to archive and share my thoughts on all the podcast episodes I have listened to in the last few years.

I want to try and solve this problem. I started Podshare as an online community for podcast lovers, that aims to become a platform for people to discover new podcast episodes, review old podcast episodes and archive their podcast listening experience.

Some current viable solutions to address this problem include Goodpods, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. These platforms still focus on the entire podcast and not individual episodes. It also does not give you the right tools to review and share notes on specific podcast episodes. Most listeners leave reviews for the entire show rather than a specific podcast episode. It is like asking a reader to leave a review on the author rather than a specific book by the author. I think there is an opportunity to build a technology tool to address these problems for podcast listeners.

If you face the same problems and want to help me build Podshare you can follow this LinkedIn page, this Instagram Page or reach out to me at abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com.

What is your favourite podcast? Who is your favourite podcaster? What is your favourite podcast episode? How do you archive and share your favourite podcast episodes?

Leave a comment in this post and let us share and grow this love for this world of podcasts.

Until next time,

Keep Learning

Abhishek

Notes

1. On podcast formats. Review this article for a detailed breakdown - https://www.salesforce.com/in/marketing/engagement/what-is-a-podcast/

2. On podcast genres. Review this article for a detailed breakdown - https://www.masterclass.com/articles/types-of-podcasts-explained

3. On the history of podcasts. Review this article for a detailed breakdown - https://riverside.fm/blog/podcasts