What is a podcast and where does the word come from?
A podcast is a program episode made available in digital format for download over the Internet, primarily an audio medium. The word is a portmanteau of "iPod" and "broadcast", coined in 2004.
Questions about Podcast
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who coined the term podcasting?
Guardian columnist and BBC journalist Ben Hammersley is credited with the earliest use of "podcasting", coined in early February 2004 while writing an article for The Guardian. The term was first used in the audioblogging community in September 2004 when Danny Gregoire introduced it on the iPodder-dev mailing list.
When did Apple add podcast support to iTunes?
Apple released iTunes 4.9 in June 2005, adding formal support for podcasts. This removed the need for a separate program to download episodes and transfer them to a mobile device.
What was the Personal Audio podcasting patent lawsuit?
Personal Audio, called a "patent troll" by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, filed a patent on podcasting in 2009 for a claimed 1996 invention and began suing podcasters for royalties in February 2013. On the 10th of April 2015, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office invalidated five provisions of the patent.
Which was the most successful early podcast?
The Ricky Gervais Show was the world's most successful podcast for several years, eventually gaining more than 300 million unique downloads by March 2011. Its second series, distributed through audible.co.uk, was the first major podcast to charge consumers, at 95 pence per half-hour episode.
How many people listen to podcasts around the world?
In 2025, Bloomberg reported that a billion people watch podcasts on YouTube every month. Chinese podcast listeners exceeded 220 million in 2023, and India has emerged as the third-largest market after China and the US with over 57.6 million listeners.
What are the main types of podcasts?
Types include video podcasts, enhanced podcasts or slidecasts that pair audio with a slide show, fiction podcasts or audio dramas, podcast novels, and live podcasts. Notable fiction podcasts include Welcome to Night Vale from 2012, The Bright Sessions from 2015, and Homecoming from 2016.