International Podcast Day - Monday, September 30, 2024

Radio is so twentieth-century. The world has long moved on from the world of radio and into the world of podcasting. A forced marriage between “iPod” and “broadcasting” lead to the creation of the word, and while the iPod has long gone extinct, its namesake form of media is here to stay. Podcasts have fundamentally changed the way people consume audio, and for that reason, we celebrate on September 30: here’s to International Podcast Day!

The internet has changed almost everything it’s touched since it came into existence, and how we send and receive information, from written to video, has been one of the mediums most changed. Even radio has not been immune to this, with streaming radio being increasingly popular, and ‘local radio’ taking on a whole new meaning. Out of this shifting of paradigms has come a new imagining of an old idea, radio broadcasts and most specifically radio talk shows/dramas. International Podcast Day celebrates this innovation and all the wonderful things that have come from it.

History of International Podcast Day

Let’s start off with explaining what a podcast is, shall we? A podcast is essentially a serialized show that is very much like a radio show. It’s released in a downloadable or streamable format through various sites, and apps, available anywhere you have internet access. There are thousands or even millions of available podcasts in every conceivable genre, with more showing up with every passing day, and unlike radio broadcasts, they can be accessed by anyone, anywhere. Podcasts tend to have a smaller following than most big radio stations, but its worth mentioning that the podcasts themselves are very targetted to a specific audience.

You want a horror podcast? You can enjoy things like “The Black Tapes” or “Tanis”, there are science fiction broadcasts, Zombie broadcasts (“We’re alive!” is a personal favorite of ours), even broadcasts talking about mythology (“Lore”). There are podcasts for everything you can imagine, gardening, car repair, hunting, computer programming, and just plain news on recent events and goings on. That’s the glory of the podcast, the ability to create content targeting a specific interest group. There’s even a significant amount of money to be made, popular broadcasts are often able to pair with companies like Audible to get paid advertising done on their show.

How to celebrate International Podcast Day

International Podcast Day is your opportunity to reach into the great big world of podcasts and see what they have to offer. Dig around and find your favorite genres from movies, radio, and TV, and you’ll find something in the podcast community that fits your interest. There’s just no limit, and if you find that you enjoy what you’re listening to and get a creative bug, then you can even jump into the great big world of podcasting and start one of your very own! Who knows, you could be the next big name on the web!