Podcasting is a relatively recent form of digital audio distribution, yet its roots go back several decades. The development of portable audio, RSS technology, and online content creation gradually shaped what we now recognize as podcasting.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, the idea of audio diaries and internet radio began to take shape.
Online creators experimented with sharing downloadable audio files on personal websites.
The term "audio blogging" was used long before the word “podcast” existed.
The breakthrough came when software developer Dave Winer added audio-enclosure support to RSS feeds.
This innovation allowed audio files to be delivered automatically to users, the core mechanism of podcasting today.
In 2003, former MTV host Adam Curry collaborated with Winer to develop the first podcast-specific application: iPodder.
Journalist Ben Hammersley coined the word "podcast" in an article for The Guardian (2004), combining:
iPod (the dominant portable media player at the time)
broadcast
The term quickly entered mainstream vocabulary.
Apple added podcast support to iTunes in 2005, dramatically increasing visibility.
Universities, radio stations, and news outlets began producing serialised online audio.
Podcast directories, early analytics, and amateur tools helped the medium grow.
The success of Serial (2014) marked a turning point, proving that podcasts could reach global audiences.
Platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and SoundCloud expanded access.
Podcasting became a major form of storytelling, journalism, and educational outreach.
Podcasting is now a billion-dollar industry, a research communication tool, and a widely accessible form of digital storytelling. It continues to evolve alongside smart speakers, mobile apps, and AI-powered transcription tools.
💡 Did you know?
The first use of the word podcast appeared in The Guardian in 2004.