When I was a little girl, I remember being addicted to RED FM. I knew all the RJs, their favorite songs, and even their everyday slangs. I would listen to it while practicing mathematical sums while eating and right before bed. However, advancement in technology made me shift to apps. These applications changed the way I consumed content. Visuals became equally important and the magic of FM was gone.
But then Adam Curry had this fabulous idea of developing a code that enabled him to download Internet radio broadcasts and that is how, my friends, the humble podcast was developed.
The podcast is a broadcast of an audio or audio/video file that is uploaded on the Internet for the world to hear or hear and see. It can be educational or entertaining. Podcasts can be scripted or can include hosts making things up as they go. They can also be used by content creators to sell their stuff.
Podcasting is easy, can be done anywhere, and requires minimum investment. You can use it to advertise your products, build a connection with your audience, or just to narrate some funny stories. They are highly engaging.
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In this day and age, when everyone is glued to their screens, podcasting can help people take a break, thus making the content very digestible. Furthermore, if your podcast gets a large audience, it can be just another way to earn a few bucks on the side. It builds your influence and makes you more credible. Podcasts also generate traffic, attract publicity, can help you connect with influential people.
Why You Should Listen to Podcasts?
Multitasking
Perhaps the biggest advantage that podcasts have over traditional audio/visual content is that they allow you to multitask. So, you can just put on your headphones and listen to one while gardening, cooking, bathing, or cleaning. What’s more? Since many podcasts are theme-based, you can listen to a podcast to increase your pool of knowledge about the activity, while doing it.
Low Cost
While most of the podcasts are free, others can be purchased with a minimum fee. So, they are accessible to everyone who has an Internet connection.
Deeper Connection with the Host
Podcasts allow you to connect with the hosts on a deeper level. Some improvised podcasts give you a glimpse in a celebrity’s life, thus removing the veil of glamour and making them sound more human. The pitch of the speaker, modulations, and personalized slangs make us feel more connected to her/him.
Educational
Podcasts can be used to learn a variety of things. They, thus, also help you in improving your knowledge.
Easy Availability
Platforms like YouTube are becoming saturated, which is why the market for podcasts is emerging. There are podcasts for everything and everyone. They are also mobile-friendly, thus ensuring easy availability.
Fun Facts about Podcasts
The word “podcast” is a combination of “iPod” and “broadcast” and was actually coined by journalist Hammersly in an article for The Guardian.
Microsoft was not too keen on the word “podcast”, as iPods didn’t use Microsoft’s Window Media Player.
According to We Edit Podcasts, a “female-founded podcasting company”, 88% of podcast subscribers listen to every episode. The same company also claimed that yearly podcasts doubled between 2012 and 2014, and is increasing at a similar rate.
If that doesn’t convince you to start your own podcast right away, I don’t know what will.
Five Podcasts to Beat the Pandemic Blues
This pandemic has been an emotional roller-coaster for all of us. Whether it is the infodemic, increased work-from-home, being cooped up in our houses for months, or even something as small as not being able to eat the roadside golgappe, the minuscule virus has created many nuisances, thus making us feel anxious every now and then.
Since podcasts all the rage, here are five fun podcasts that can help you in your gloomy days:
Why Won’t You Date Me
Hosted by Nicole Byer, this podcast is cheeky, relatable, and hilarious. Byer talks about herself and her dating life and based on that the guests tell her if they will date her or not.
Ordinary Girl
Youtuber Courtney Raine and her roommate talk about pop culture, boyfriends, and their craziest experiences. Hop on this fun ride with your evening cuppas.
You Made It Weird
Pete Holmes and his guests share their weird and quirky habits while delving into some deeper topics and layering them with heaps of comedy.
My Favorite Murder
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark narrate true crime stories. The best part? They are not only horrific but narrated in a style that makes them entertaining.
Comedy Bang! Bang!
Popularly known as Humanity’s Podcast, this is a weekly audio podcast. It is hosted by Scott Aukerman. Comedy songs, funny conversations, game segments, Aukerman does it all.
"Most people that I know are interested in on-demand stuff; podcasts are essentially audio Netflix", tweeted Jordan Harbinger.
And like Netflix shows, podcasts are being consumed like hotcakes. There's no denying that spoken words have immense power, even more so than written content, which is why everyone is doing it.
Do you want to learn how to be rich? There is a podcast for that. Want to learn about cooking or gaming, or just hear the experiences of Michelle Obama? Fret not, there are podcasts about that too. So, listen to one right after reading this article, or better yet start hosting one yourself. And if you are a podcaster, then you can tell us here.
Edited by Annanya Chaturvedi
