What is Podcasting and Why Should You Start One?
Have you been thinking about starting a podcast but aren’t sure where to start? In this post, you’ll learn exactly what podcasting is, and why you should start one.
What is Podcasting?
A podcast is a type of media that is typically audio-only and can be downloaded and listened to on a computer, smartphone, or other smart device such as a tablet, car sound system, or smartspeaker (i.e. Alexa/Google Home). They are usually episodic, with new episodes released on a regular basis.
The release schedule for podcasts may look like this:
- Once a week
- Bi-weekly
- Once a month
- Daily
- Seasonally (with many weeks or months between new episodes)
- Binge style (aka Netflix drop style) with multiple episodes released all at once
Most shows tend to opt for a weekly release. However, podcast hosts can release episodes as often as they would like too.
Why Should You Start a Podcast?
There are a number of reasons why you should start a podcast. Here are three of the most popular reasons to launch one:
- Podcasts provide an opportunity to reach a large audience with your content and can be a great way to build relationships with listeners
- They can also be an effective marketing tool for your business
- A podcast can be fun to make and share as a hobby about subjects you care about
And, podcasting is growing!
According to Statista, podcasting popularity is only expected to grow. An estimated 120 million podcast listeners existed in 2021, and this number is anticipated to break the 160 million mark by 2023.
As more and more people learn about and tune into the medium, especially with the rise in popularity of video podcasting, these numbers could grow even higher than currently projected.
What Genres or Topics are Best for Podcasting?
Nearly any topic or niche can benefit from podcasting. While the most popular genres are comedy, news, and true crime, there are dozens of podcast genres including:
- Education/How-to
- Health and Fitness
- Music
- Sports
- Technology
- Business
- History
- Religion & Spirituality
- Fiction and more
Want to Start Your Own Podcast?
Whatever the reason – be it seeking fame, friendship, or just another way to promote your business, podcasting can help you do it. There’s also never been a better time to launch.
As Alberto Betella, the founder of Podcast Generator so aptly put it, “podcasting is almost commoditized, meaning it’s easy to start, it’s cheap. So now it’s a perfect moment just because it’s simple. And so there’s no effort there…the friction is small.”
All you need to get started is a microphone, a computer, editing software (which you can get for free!), and a podcast host. That’s it. Click here to learn more about how to start a podcast of your own.
