PODCAST

Podcasts refer to an episodic series of spoken words that can either be listened to online or could easily be downloaded to a personal portable audio device. 

Podcasts have dramatically changed the way we consume information these days. From offering greater accessibility to the information we need to making the content fun and engaging by providing it in an audio format, the�podcast has it all. This is precisely why they have gained acceptance around the globe. Podcasts offer a great variety of information that can be easily accessed by a mere touch of your finger and can be heard anywhere, anytime as long as you have a device handy.�

According to Wikipedia, the history of podcasts could be traced back to 1980s when it was known as audio blogging. However, how we consume podcasts nowadays did not start until the 2000s when portable audio devices started gaining popularity. A couple of years later, the term podcast was coined by combining two words, POD from �iPod� which made the audio blogging as we know it popular, and CAST from the word broadcast. Podcasts then became popular for both listeners and content producers for the convenience it offered.�

The primary reason why Podcast gained the popularity it has was that it allowed the users to multitask while listening to their favourite show or the channel. A study revealed that most people listen to podcasts while working out in the gym, doing a chore in their homes or while driving in a car. Another reason why podcasts become so popular was that people started turning to them for their daily dose of news. Big News houses such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, Vox, The Guardian, The Economist etc. made Podcasts a new source of news that was both easy and fun to listen to.

In addition to learning new things and finding out the news, people also choose podcasts when they want to entertain themselves. Music, food, sports, thriller, and hobbies are among the most popular podcast categories. Besides, podcasts are also entertaining because of the diversity of formats they have. There are interviews, conversations, late-night shows, fiction and non-fiction storytelling, as well as video and live podcasts.