This is a memory from the midwinters of a few years ago at my aunt’s place a day after Christmas Eve. The cosy yet bright and love filled family gathering with delectable food (and my uncle’s experimental mulled wine). It was at this gathering when I was introduced to a gentleman who was at my aunt’s place. I shall not name this gentleman but let us call him Mr. Podcast for now.
I instantly noticed his voice – one those perfect radio voices that your ear picks up and immediately registers.
The bigmouth that I am, I asked him straight up almost abruptly if he was a radio jockey. He laughed and with an empathetic smile and said he gets that a lot, but no. He worked with a media company that was working on building the future of delivering content to the masses.
He was engaged in developing a Podcast.
WHAT?
A PODCAST!
We all have heard this word several times now but exactly is it about this new revolution of the media world that is picking up such buzz?
First thing FIRST – What is a Podcast after all?
I asked Mr Podcast what this buzz word was. He started by asking me simple questions like, “Do you like to read but don’t always have the time or interest? Do you wish you someone could read whole story books to you? Ever felt like you could listen to interviews and series on the go?”
I knew what a Podcast was, but the questions were rhetorical and almost opened my definition of how huge the scope of Podcasting is.
Podcasts are audios of your favourite books, discussions, interviews, series of audio stories.
Some podcasts also contain just informative audio about your favourite study subject etc.
So, imagine the next time someone said you must read all eight books of Harry Potter, but you cringe at the thought of so much reading. There is a podcast for the books you can listen to while running on the treadmill at the gym.
Yes!
Bonus: THEY’RE ALL FREE!! Just download them and you have your favourite show or series a touch away.
While talking more to Mr Podcast and gathering the remnants of my awe which was blown away, I gained a lot more insight to the world of Podcasts. They have been around for over a decade, but it is only in the twenty-first century that they got a lot more limelight.
Technology has paved a great way for Podcasts to be introduced into our lives. With almost the entire human species being equipped with internet connected cell phones, tech companies placed Podcasts in our hands through a support media. For example, if you’re an apple user then your device has a built-in app called “Podcast”, if you’re a younger generation Android user you can access over twenty million podcasts on plethora of podcast hosting platforms available.
The bigger picture obviously holds how Podcasts alone generate millions of dollars globally each year especially with companies paying money for advertisements during a Podcast it becomes a far more great and interconnected economic chain in the world of social media business.
So, Mr Podcast then asked me, if I was going to look more into it.
I nodded my head in affirmation but immediately thought to myself, “Where do I start?” There is so much out there and so much to listen to!!
Celebrities, the talk show hosts, influencers, authors, you name it and believe it that almost everyone has a Podcast.
You can do it too!
And as easy as it may sound, it is almost a revolution as it gives individuals the freedom and power to host themselves without the pain of approvals or mediators.
While they are many more REVOLUTIONS still in the making, Podcasts is certainly a revolutionary communication platform to today.
Wonderful