What is a podcast, and how do they work? A podcast is a collection or series of digital audio recordings downloaded or streamed over the Internet.
An episode is a collection of audio recordings. People who conduct a discussion, tell stories, or report current events are usually presented.
In a word, it is an audio program similar to Talk Radio that you can subscribe to and listen to anytime you want on your smartphone.
Please continue reading to find out how they work!
What Is A Podcast And How Do They Work?
We’ll go over all you need to know about podcasts below, including what they are, who they’re for, and some examples of popular formats.
What Is A Podcast?
A podcast is a set of digital audio recordings that allows downloading and playing over the Internet. An episode is a grouping of audio files.
They have become a prevalent type of audio entertainment in recent years. Each program is a series made by a host and then broadcast online episode by episode, with members able to download and listen to each episode as it becomes available.
They are presently unregulated, so you don’t need a broadcasting license to publish them. Anyone with minimal podcasting equipment, such as a microphone, recording software, and a hosting platform subscription, may start their program.
Because of corporate sponsorships, affiliate marketing, subscriptions, and premium content, monetizing a podcast is becoming a reliable method to create a side or full-time income.
What Is The Purpose Of A Podcast?
The listeners may subscribe to a podcast for a variety of purposes, including:
- Get the latest news and analysis on what’s going on worldwide.
- Discover something new about a subject or industry.
- Laugh at the riffing and jokes of the cohosts.
- Listen in on interviews with well-known or well-known guests.
- Listen to an audio play or listen to a tale.
However, each of these motivations stems from needs and preferences. Listeners want to enjoy the experience of listening to a podcast, whether they want to learn something new or have something to keep their minds off of a tedious activity.
How Does A Podcast Work?
The process of generating and releasing a podcast is quite simple. After they’ve finished recording and editing a few episodes, they’ll need to publish them to their preferred provider.
How Do I Listen To A Podcast?
You may subscribe to podcasts online via an RSS feed or listen to episodes using an app.
Subscribe to your favorite series to receive an alert when a new episode is released. Most smartphones, including iPhones and Android phones, will have a media player that lets you subscribe to podcasts and stream or download episodes.
To listen to them, you’ll need:
- Spotify: Spotify leads the podcasting business with over 2.2 million episodes.
- Apple Podcasts: iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV users may listen to Apple Podcasts. You can also access it using iTunes if you have a Windows computer.
- Google Podcasts: Google Podcasts is a relatively recent app, but it is still quite popular.
- Pandora: You may find Pandora on iOS and Android smartphones, as well as Google Home, Amazon Fire, Xbox One, and pandora.com. It has both a free and premium version.
What Is An Example Of A Podcast?
There are almost as many genres as you can imagine: news and education, health and fitness, comedy, and even fiction are just a few of the most popular.
However, most of them fall into four categories: conversational, narrative nonfiction, scripted fiction, and reused material.
Conversational Podcasts
This format is the most popular. These are usually the most laid-back, from single hosting to a roundtable discussion.
Many of these episodes are interviews and conversations between one or more presenters and their guests, frequently delving into their background or specialist expertise on a subject.
A prominent example of a conversational podcast is Stuff You Should Know. In every episode, host Chuck and Josh educate each other on a subject of broad interest.
Here is an example of a conversational podcast with The Daily Talk Show:
Narrative Nonfiction
The long-form narrative is another pattern that works well with podcasting. Anything that tells a story about a forthcoming event or issue, from poetic, topic-based human tales like This American Life to deep dives into esoteric mysteries like Wind of Change to the ever-popular true-crime podcast S-Town, may become a topic for narrative nonfiction.
Scripted Fiction
Most people associate fictional entertainment with television or movies, but written series are becoming more popular.
Fiction works well in podcast form, just as the episodic format for long-form factual narratives.
Subscribers can expect new episodes of anything from experimental sci-fi fantasies like Girl in Space to historical fiction comedy like Edith! every week.
Repurposed Content
From companies to blogs to TV programs, many content providers produce podcasts. The Daily Show With Trevor Noah: Ears Edition allows listeners to hear highlights from their favorite late-night comedy core show.
Those interested in learning may also listen to TED Talks Daily, a podcast that combines TED Talks from across the world into easy-to-digest audio for the commute.
What Is The Difference Between A Podcast And Youtube?
YouTube is without a question one of the most popular social media platforms on the Internet, and it has transformed our lives in every manner – from how we watch videos to how we interact and promote.
But whether you should start a podcast or a YouTube channel is the issue. Which one is the best fit for you? Let’s compare and contrast the two.
Power
YouTube is a video-sharing community and one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, allowing nearly anybody to share and publish videos. The video gets viral overnight, and it accommodates all types of videos, regardless of genre.
On the other hand, a podcast is an audio or video recording that consumers may download and listen to on their mobile devices and is frequently centered on a single subject or topic. Audio is the most potent aspect of this platform.
Accessibility
One of the most appealing aspects of podcasting is its accessibility. Anyone with a decent pair of headphones, laptops, and a sound-proof box may create and distribute their series.
Because podcasting requires easy-to-carry equipment, there isn’t much you can do at home with it. If you want to get professional with YouTube, you’ll need a DSLR, sound and video recording equipment, and a lot of other things.
Convenience
When it comes to convenience, podcasts have an advantage over YouTube. It is because generating a professional-quality audio recording is far simpler than creating a professional-quality video.
There’s a lot that goes into making and editing high-quality videos, and there’s a lot that can go wrong, such as a lousy screenplay or poor production, which might negatively impact your content.
Podcasts are topic-specific recordings that don’t need fancy editing or professional-level pictures to communicate your message; a basic audio recording will do.
The Verdict
In a nutshell, videos are the most efficient and successful approach to reaching out to your target audience and gaining their trust since they will hear and see you, making it easier for you to communicate your message.
Because they cannot see your face, podcasts are not the quickest method to approach your audience and gain their trust, but at the end of the day, it gets the job done just well, if not in the most efficient manner imaginable.
Podcasts are focused on a single topic, so they are brief and to the point. On the contrary, YouTube provides you with all types of videos, and the variety of things you can do on the site makes it so popular.
If you want immediate results, it’s worth creating a YouTube channel. If you don’t have a computer, you may want to consider podcasting.
What’s the Difference Between a Podcast and an Audio File?
The simplest explanation is that an audio file and a podcast episode are both audio files. If you’ve ever downloaded a Podcast episode from a website, you’re already aware that you’re just getting an audio file.
When you add the ability to subscribe to that sequence of audio recordings, things start to become interesting. Besides, if you put that audio file on a website and enable others to subscribe to it through an RSS feed, it becomes a Podcast.
FAQs
While researching this topic, we compiled a list of commonly asked questions. We hope you find them all to be helpful.
Why Have Podcasts Become So Popular?
These episodes are a great on-the-go choice for student listeners due to the ease with which you can download them on applications like Spotify.
It also helps that the genre has grown in diversity, appealing to listeners with a wide range of interests and inclinations.
Do you need an app to listen to podcasts?
Install Pocketcasts or Castbox and begin listening right now. You may also receive your podcasts on Spotify if you already use them for music.
Does it cost money to listen to podcasts?
They are virtually free.
Who can make a podcast?
Perhaps you’ve heard of people who make six figures a month through podcasting. The good news is that creating a podcast has a low entrance barrier.
Almost anybody can create it, even if they don’t have any technological abilities.
Final Thoughts
Podcasts are great if you like selected radio programs, documentaries, or Youtube videos. They are a terrific way to broaden your thinking, amuse yourself, learn about the world, and develop new skills while having fun.
The nice part is that podcasts are adaptable. You may listen to them online or offline, on your computer or phone, and from any location.
We hope this beginner’s introduction to podcasting cleared up some of your questions and perhaps motivated you to listen to a couple. If you do, you’re about to go on a trip through some of the world’s most important and most fascinating stuff.
