Podcasts

From a technical perspective, podcasts are digital audio files that can be accessed via an internet connection using apps, websites or audio platforms (streaming) or downloaded to digital devices such as smartphones or tablets for later use (downloads)^[6]. Podcasts are characterised by a self-sufficient mode of reception for listeners: In contrast to traditional broadcast media, recipients can use the various content independently of linear broadcast times and geographical limitations, which enables individualised, flexible media use.

As a rule, podcasts have a serial structure: many podcasts consist of several seasons or episodes that are made available to listeners at certain intervals, for example weekly or monthly^[4]. The programme covers a wide range of genres and topics and can contain informative, entertaining or narrative elements^[7]. Formats in the areas of “politics and society”, “science and technology” and “leisure, hobbies and games” are particularly popular^[11]. The “news podcast” is an important component of everyday information dissemination and political decision-making, especially for younger user groups^[8].

The use of podcasts is currently stagnating at a high level^[9]. 45.9 per cent of 14- to 29-year-olds, 39.5 per cent of 30- to 49-year-olds and 17.4 per cent of over-50s listen to podcasts at least occasionally^[11]. A total of 11 per cent of the German population use podcasts once or several times a week. 24.9 per cent of them listen to podcasts at least once a month. In the group of 14 to 29-year-olds, this figure is as high as 39.7 per cent. The audio platforms Spotify, YouTube and Google Podcast are particularly popular for accessing the programmes. Spotify is the preferred access option for 14 to 49-year-olds. The over 50s mainly use audio libraries and websites.

The reception of podcasts is associated with a high degree of intimacy for listeners^[3]. This is because users often access the audio formats on their smartphones and via headphones and many podcasters speak directly and personally to their listeners, often in a familiar tone of voice. As a result, ongoing use often creates a close and personal connection between the podcasters and their audience, which can lead to a parasocial relationship^[12]. Many audio platforms for podcasts provide interactive features such as comment functions, rating options and community forums where recipients can get in touch with the hosts and listeners can also exchange ideas with each other. Numerous formats have dedicated fan communities that also engage in dialogue with each other at live events, for example.

Development

The development of podcasts gained momentum from 2000 onwards with the so-called first wave^[4]. The first podcasts were published in this early phase of the medium^[2]. Various basic internet technologies were central to the genesis of the medium, including RSS functionality in particular, but MP3 files and mobile playback devices such as the iPod also contributed to its development. The second wave in the history of the medium’s development began in 2014. This “second age” or “golden age” of podcasts found expression in the rising reception figures^[1]. The new dynamic was favoured by the spread of smartphones and smart speakers, lower costs for mobile internet on these devices and the establishment of other streaming platforms. The coronavirus pandemic generated a significant impetus for further development from 2020: the increased demand for digital entertainment and information during the lockdowns not only led to an increase in audio offerings, but also to a rapid increase in recipients^[9]. Since then, the reception dynamics of podcasts have remained at a stable level.

Comparability with analogue phenomena

Podcasts are an independent medium with a specific combination of characteristics. They complement traditional broadcast media and extend them in numerous aspects.

A central characteristic of podcasts is their detachment from the linear distribution logic. While radio programmes are broadcast at fixed times and listeners have to tune in at the time of broadcast, the reception of podcasts is independent of time. Radio is classified as a secondary or accompanying medium. Podcasts, on the other hand, are characterised by active, conscious use. Podcasts are also characterised as a “push-pull technology”^[13]. Users initially select and subscribe to the content in a targeted manner, with new episodes then being made available to them automatically.

Radio is an established mass medium that is part of the traditional media canon. It addresses a broad target group and reaches a large audience. The programme design is therefore geared towards mass appeal, which is why there is a wide range of radio formats. Although podcasts are becoming increasingly established in the media repertoire, they are still considered more of a niche medium as they cover specific audiences and interests. Nevertheless, podcasts also take up familiar forms of presentation from traditional broadcast media, including common forms such as the interview, the discussion with colleagues, the reportage or the magazine format. However, with their characteristic synthesis of authenticity and storytelling, podcasts also utilise new, innovative formats of audio storytelling.

There are also significant differences in terms of monetisation. Private radio is primarily financed by advertising, while public radio is financed by licence fees. In contrast, podcasts rely on various monetisation models, including advertising (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll), sponsorship, subscription or membership models, crowdfunding, affiliate marketing or the sale of merchandise.

Social relevance

Due to their low production costs and low-threshold access, podcasts have been considered a participatory medium since their pioneering years, enabling a heterogeneous demographic to share their own narratives with a broad public. This not only contributes to a diversification of perspectives in the media landscape, but also enables the inclusion and visibility of marginalised voices that are underrepresented in the traditional media context. Through this integrative function, podcasts not only promote a democratisation of content creation, but also a pluralistic culture of discourse. However, the increasing professionalisation of podcasts, the commercialisation by large media production companies and the recommendation and discoverability algorithms on the large audio platforms threaten this potential.

Podcasts have revolutionised the fundamental paradigms of media production and reception. The podcast production environment offers creative professionals from all social groups an experimental space in which they can test and establish innovative formats and narrative techniques, including long interviews, narrative formats and sound collages. By creating new narrative structures and auditory aesthetics, podcasts expand traditional media forms with additional creative modes of expression and contribute to the transformation of the media landscape. Podcasts must therefore be seen as catalysers of media information diversity and innovation.

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