Paying for Podcasts

A 2018 study noted there are an estimated 73 million podcast listeners in the USA. By 2022, the number is estimated to grow to 132 million.

Podcasting can be traced back to Dave Winer and Adam Curry in 2000 when they discussed the distribution of automated media.

• In the summer of 2004, Adam Curry decided to program and develop the first podcatcher application using Apple scripts. The program was able to read through the RSS and download the audio. It would use the iTunes API to add the files to the playlist.
• George W. Bush became the first President of America to create a podcast when the RSS 2.0 feed was uploaded on the White House website.
• As more people became aware of the meaning of podcasting, the numbers continued to grow. In 2015, there were 100,000,000 searches from people across the globe.
• One year after the founding of the first podcast directory, Apple joined the ranks by setting up its directory to iTunes. Steve Jobs referenced podcasts to becoming the future of audio.
• The entry of Apple into the market increased the accessibility of podcasts all over the world.

The name podcasts were the combination of 'iPod' and 'broadcast.' The name is the result of the process of getting music into your iPod.

At first, you had to download music or audio to your computer, then move it to your iPod. The iPod needed an internet connection to function. But technology today is not the same. The development in iPhones and 4G network strength makes it easier to stream and listen to podcasts.

Marketers are beginning to embrace newer trends, especially in the digital space. One method is podcasts. In 2017, the podcast ad revenue was $314 million.

Since podcasts consist of audio, the listeners tend to trust and rely on every word. Therefore, advertisers can use podcasts to reach more people.

The Chinese podcast market relies on paid subscriptions. The government estimated the paid podcasts in 2017 to be $7.3 billion.

In the west, advertising is used. Consumers would avoid audio ads by paying a subscription fee. Ads force people to pay for a premium package to get rid of the advertisement. However, many companies are not worth paying the subscription fee.

Podcasting is changing the digital era. Any individual or business can reap benefits from a podcast.

With the change in the wireless network, the device that can help in podcasting will also change. Instead of a two-step download process of the files you want, you can now do it with one step. The old technology still holds historical value and makes us think about what lies ahead for the future.