Podcasting - Its Beginnings, Significance, and Future Direction

If you have ever listened to a podcast, then you would know that podcasts are an easy way to get news, information and entertainment. Podcasts can be on any topic imaginable and are provided by individuals and organizations worldwide.

Today we will explore the beginnings of podcasting, how it has grown throughout the years and what it may look like in the future. We will also talk about how significant podcasts are today and what they mean for people who want to provide information or entertainment through this medium.

The Birth of Podcasting

Podcasting began in the 1990s when people started to get Audiobooks on CDs and then MP3 files. These audiobooks were provided by people delivering content specifically for audiobook listeners. People would buy these CDs and transfer the MP3 files onto their iPods or other MP3 players and listen whenever they wanted. This gave birth to the idea that someone could make podcasts specifically for podcast listeners such as those who had specific interests in mind, like technology, business, sports, music or politics.

Another way podcasting became popular was either through organizations or individuals creating a website with video for viewers to watch online or through streaming video sites like YouTube. This created an opportunity for organizations and individuals to create podcasts that they could deliver online and people somewhere could listen to the podcast. The invention of smartphones, then mp3 players in the 2000s opened up the whole world to podcast listeners, as there was a device available at every person's fingertip.

As technology grew and smartphones became more popular, people began to take their audio and video content on their phones with them everywhere they went. For those who listened to podcasts, podcasts were an easy way to get information or entertainment while on the go. In 2010 podcasting caught fire when Apple started their iTunes Preview website which provided access from iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Mac users. Apple increased the popularity of podcasts exponentially, which allowed users to download free and paid podcasts onto their devices.

Podcasting Today

In June of 2012, it was reported that there were over 175 million unique listeners per month. That number has continued to grow as smartphones have taken off and the podcast trend has stayed on a steady incline. Podcasts still continue to grow in number and popularity. In 2015 it was reported that there are over 325,000 podcasts out there! For those who haven't heard of a podcast before, think of it as a radio show which you can download or stream online from your computer or smartphone wherever you are in the world (as long as you have an internet connection).

The number of podcasts has been growing every year and there are even more to come in the future. It is estimated that by 2018, there will be over 500,000 podcasts available to listeners online! It was also reported that as of 2015, Apple surpassed 1 billion podcast downloads per month. That means Apple gets 1 billion podcast downloads a month, which is more than they had at the end of 2014!

Just as the internet opened up a world to us in terms of businesses and entertainment portals we could visit on our computers, smartphones and other handheld devices, podcasts have become an outlet for us to listen to information or entertainment when we want. As the popularity of podcasts continues to grow, there is a lot of room left for new podcasts to be launched on all types of topics.

Where Are Podcasts Headed?

With the ever growing number of people using smartphones and other handheld devices, along with the increased usage of Internet bandwidth, podcasting has found a big market in which it can thrive. This means that there is still a big future for podcasts and there will be plenty more podcast listeners after you!

It is expected that Google Play Music will begin to offer podcasts as well in 2016. This may mean that the most popular podcasts will be able to reach an even wider audience as more people begin to use Android devices.

Conclusion

Podcasts have come a long way since their creation and people are listening to them more than ever. Podcasts have become a significant source of news, information and entertainment for those who want to get it on the go. As long as technology grows, podcasts will remain popular as people can listen to a wide variety of topics on their handheld devices with ease. It is predicted that podcasts will be around for years to come and there will be plenty more listeners than there are now!

If you are interested in listening to podcasts or getting your own podcast started, then you can visit our site https://www.podcastgenie.com/ for more information!

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