{"id":827094,"date":"2025-02-15T07:13:14","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T13:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/15\/what-is-a-podcast-how-podcasts-work-and-how-to-get-started\/"},"modified":"2025-02-15T07:13:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-15T13:13:14","slug":"what-is-a-podcast-how-podcasts-work-and-how-to-get-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/15\/what-is-a-podcast-how-podcasts-work-and-how-to-get-started\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Podcast? How Podcasts Work and How to Get Started"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

New to the world of podcasting? You might be wondering, well, what is<\/em> a podcast? And how do they work? In this article I\u2019ll cover what a podcast is, what they\u2019re used for, and how to get started as a podcast listener or creator. <\/p>\n

What is a podcast and how do they work?<\/h2>\n

A podcast is a digital audio \u201cshow\u201d or program that you can download or stream from the internet on your smartphone, computer, or tablet and listen when it\u2019s convenient for you.<\/p>\n

A podcast \u201cepisode\u201d is a single instance of a podcast, much like the episode of a TV show.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example\u2014an episode of our very own SPI Podcast<\/em>, which has been running since 2010:<\/p>\n

For beautiful, easy-to-embed podcast players like the above, look no further than <\/em>Fusebox<\/em><\/a> \u2014 the official podcast player of SPI! [Note: I am a compensated affiliate for Fusebox.]<\/em><\/p>\n

Podcasts are an extremely popular form of media that\u2019s growing quickly. The first podcasts were produced by individuals, but now they\u2019re also made by companies, news outlets, and other organizations. Podcasting has become big business, with companies like Apple, Spotify, iHeartMedia, SiriusXM heavily invested in podcasting.<\/p>\n

For the listener, podcasts are a versatile medium! The audio-only format of podcasts makes them easy to consume in various settings, such as while commuting, cooking, traveling, or working.<\/p>\n

You can think of podcasts as \u201cbackground\u201d content, but you can also give them your full attention if you like.<\/p>\n

Speaking of content, podcast topics<\/a> can cover a huge range, from true crime to business strategies to parenting tips to comedy or kids\u2019 content. If you have a topic in mind, there\u2019s probably a podcast out there for it! And if there isn\u2019t, that might mean an opportunity for you to start your own podcast<\/a> on that topic!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"woman
Podcasts are a versatile medium that can be consumed and enjoyed while engaged with other activities, like working, walking, or traveling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Podcasts are typically available either in seasons with a set number of episodes or in an ongoing series. Our podcast Flops<\/em><\/a> came out with an eight-episode season in 2021, while other SPI Media shows<\/a> like AskPat 2.0<\/em><\/a> and The Community Experience<\/em><\/a> were released weekly (until being sunsetted last year). The Smart Passive Income Podcast<\/em><\/a> is still released every week on an ongoing basis.<\/p>\n

\n

Ready to learn podcasting the smart way?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

The All-Access Pass has the resources you need.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

How podcasts started (a brief history of podcasting)<\/h2>\n

Podcasts have their roots back in the 1980s, but they didn\u2019t take off until the early 2000s. In September 2000, the company i2Go introduced a digital audio news and entertainment service called MyAudio2Go.com that allowed users to download news, sports, entertainment, weather, and music in episodic audio format. The following month, tech entrepreneur Tristan Louis proposed attaching sound and video files in RSS feeds (see below). This idea built steam over the next few years, and in 2004 the term \u201cpodcasting\u201d emerged to describe this new way of distributing audio content. In 2005, Apple added a podcast subscription feature to iTunes 4.9 and launched a podcast directory in the iTunes Music Store.<\/p>\n

Since then, the sky has been the limit for podcasting, with somewhere between 3 and 5 million podcasts in the world right now!<\/p>\n

What are podcasts used for?<\/h2>\n

So what\u2019s the point or purpose of a podcast? What are they good for? A whole lot!<\/p>\n

For the listener, a podcast is a great way to learn about a given topic\u2014and\/or be entertained!\u2014in a way that\u2019s convenient to them. Podcasts are free (for the most part) and easy to find, and given their growing popularity, cover a wider and deeper range of topics than ever before.<\/p>\n

For the podcaster, the uses and benefits of a podcast can be enormous. Podcasts are a great way to build and serve an audience by entertaining and\/or educating listeners on a given topic.<\/p>\n

One of the key advantages of a podcast for the podcaster is that you get to speak directly to people, using your voice. Your podcast episode may be heard by thousands or even millions of people, but for each listener, it\u2019s just you and them.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been said that podcasting is the best way to scale intimacy<\/em> and make a direct connection with each of your listeners.<\/p>\n

What is a podcast host and why do you need one? (How an RSS feed works)<\/h2>\n

Podcasts are made available to listeners via a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.<\/p>\n

An RSS feed allows content creators to publish notifications of new content such as blog posts or, of course, podcasts.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how that works. The podcast creator submits their podcast\u2019s RSS feed to a directory, which makes it available to listeners via a podcast app or the creator\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

A podcast listener can receive new installments or episodes of a podcast automatically by subscribing to the podcast\u2019s RSS feed in their chosen podcast app.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But how do you create your podcast\u2019s RSS feed?\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where a podcast hosting platform (or podcast host for short) comes in.<\/p>\n

A podcast host is a service that provides a place to store and distribute your podcast\u2019s audio files via an RSS feed. The podcast host automatically generates the RSS feed for your podcast, and then submits it to podcast directories, such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and others.<\/p>\n

\"three
Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, is the format used to organize the data for all your podcast episodes into a single feed that can be read by podcast players.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You might be thinking, Do I have to use a podcast host? Can I host my podcast on my website?<\/em> The short answer is yes\u2014but hear me out.<\/p>\n

There are several benefits to using a podcast host instead of DIYing it. A podcast host can:<\/p>\n