Podcasting

The Serial podcast being played through the Pocket Casts app on an iPhone

Podcasting is a way to share information as digital audio files. People often subscribe, download, and share podcasts using a computer and listen to them on an MP3 player.

Many podcasts are similar to broadcast radio news or discussion programs. Some use other formats such as a continuing story, comedy show, lecture, or audiobook.

As of 7 August 2022, there are at least 2,864,367 podcasts and 135,736,875 episodes.^[1]

Different types

Podcasts can be found for almost anything. Radio shows, do-it-yourself projects, special interest groups, religious sermons, comedy sketches, cartoons, and just about anything else can be found. A podcast can be found using a podcast search engine. Once a podcast is found, it can be subscribed to, like a magazine or newspaper, and streamed or downloaded. Podcasting services are used to stream or download podcasts and listen to them.

Podcasting has become so popular that many people who write for magazines or report news on television have also been putting out their own podcasts. Anyone can start a podcast and share their knowledge with the world with the help of different platforms that are currently available online.