They're called "Podcasts" | The Vergecast

The Early Days of Podcasting

• The episode focuses on the early days of podcasting, exploring the origins and evolution of the term "podcast" and its significance since 2004. (10s)
• The year 2004 was pivotal in technology, marking events such as Google's public offering, the creation of Gmail, the launch of Facebook and Digg, the emergence of the Firefox browser, and Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, which impacted streaming and television. (24s)
• Many early podcasters recorded in their cars due to the favorable acoustics, despite the lack of visual appeal. (1m10s)
• The episode aims to discuss the past, present, and future of podcasts, offering a meta perspective on the medium. (1m47s)
• The Vergecast episode includes a segment on the support from Batman Arkham Shadow, a VR game available on Meta Quest 3 and 3s, highlighting its release and features. (2m12s)
• The discussion touches on the widespread recognition of podcasts, noting that for many, the introduction to podcasts came with the release of "Serial" in 2014 or Steve Jobs' mention of podcasts at WWDC in 2005. (3m30s)
• The term "podcast" is a combination of "iPod" and "broadcasting," and it refers to downloadable radio shows that can be listened to on computers or portable devices like iPods. (3m53s)
• Podcasts allow anyone to create and distribute their own radio shows globally with minimal investment, similar to a "Wayne's World for radio." (4m17s)
• In 2005, there were about 8,000 podcasts available, a number that has since grown to between three and five million. Steve Jobs is credited with popularizing the term and concept of podcasts. (4m35s)
• "Podcast" was the Oxford Dictionary's word of the year in 2005, beating out terms like "bird flu" and "life hack." (4m59s)
• The concept of podcasting is similar to traditional radio, but the modern form of podcasts began around 2003 with Chris Lydon and Dave Winer. (5m18s)
• Chris Lydon, after leaving a job in public radio, collaborated with Dave Winer, a pioneer in blogging and RSS technology, to create a new form of digital audio content. (5m32s)
• Dave Winer suggested creating an MP3 file that could be distributed worldwide, leading to the development of the podcast format. (6m41s)
• Lydon and Winer published their first podcast conversation in July 2003, marking a significant moment in the history of podcasting. (7m3s)
• The concept of blogging began as a simple experiment where individuals were amazed by the ability to write and share content online, evolving into a form of communication and recognition among users. (7m32s)
• Initially, these audio recordings were not called podcasts but were referred to as audio blogs, characterized by informal discussions and varying sound quality. (8m15s)
• The term "podcasting" was first introduced by Ben Hammersley in a 2004 article for The Guardian titled "Audible Revolution," which discussed the emerging trend of online audio content and its potential to democratize media. (9m38s)

The Invention of the Term "Podcast"

• Hammersley mentioned the convergence of MP3 players, audio production software, and web logging as factors contributing to a new wave of amateur radio, suggesting names like "audio blogging" and "podcasting." (10m29s)
• The article was written under the pressure of a print deadline, and Hammersley did not initially realize the significance of coining the term "podcasting." (11m5s)
• An editor requested an additional sentence to fill space in a publication, leading to the creation of the term "podcasting." (11m32s)
• The term "podcasting" is a portmanteau of "iPod" and "broadcast," although its creator, Ben, does not recall how he came up with it. (12m16s)
• Ben was contacted by the Oxford English Dictionary for the origin of the word, as they could not find an earlier citation than his piece. (12m38s)
• The term "podcasting" was eventually recognized as the word of the year and adopted by Apple for their app, becoming widely known. (13m8s)
• Ben clarified that he did not invent the concept of podcasts and does not claim credit for their evolution, but he appreciates the word's utility and phonetic appeal. (13m20s)
• The word "podcasting" contains context clues that were easily understood by the general public, especially given the popularity of the iPod at the time. (13m43s)
• Initially, transferring podcasts to iPods was complicated, but software improvements and Apple's integration into iTunes simplified the process. (13m58s)
• Podcasts were likened to radio for personal MP3 players, a concept that became more accessible to people beyond early tech adopters. (14m13s)
• Over time, podcasts evolved into professionally produced content, taking advantage of the flexibility in format and length, allowing creators to explore new possibilities. (14m55s)
• The term "podcast" is widely attributed to Ben, but Danny Gregar, a software engineer, also played a significant role by using the term in an email related to the app iPodder. (15m40s)
• iPodder was an application that could automatically transfer recorded audio to an iPod, and it was initiated by Adam Curry, who had an audio blog called Daily Source Code. (15m54s)
• Adam Curry, a former radio personality and MTV VJ, was an early internet entrepreneur who collaborated with Dave Winer and others on integrating audio files with RSS feeds. (16m9s)
• In late 2003, Adam Curry was inspired by the iPod, which reminded him of a transistor radio, and he envisioned it as a digital radio receiver. He began experimenting with AppleScript to connect it with RSS feeds. (16m42s)
• Kevin Marks, a Silicon Valley professional, provided Curry with a script that enabled the automatic downloading and syncing of audio files to an iPod, which was essentially the first podcasting app. (17m21s)
• Adam Curry's show, Daily Source Code, served both as entertainment and as a beta test for podcasting technology, engaging software developers by providing daily content related to programming. (18m23s)
• A daily source code was created to test podcast developments, focusing on aspects like show notes and subscription models. (19m1s)
• The process involved discussing the previous day's developments and testing new features, creating a feedback loop between content creators and listeners. (19m12s)
• Programmers were actively involved in creating and listening to podcasts, which helped improve software for podcasting. (20m5s)
• Much of the discussion about podcast development took place on the iPodder dev email list. (20m20s)
• In September 2004, Danny Gregoire suggested the concept of subscribing to audio programs and accessing older content, coining the term "podcast." (20m25s)
• Although there is debate over who invented the term "podcast," Danny Gregoire is credited with popularizing it, with support from Dave Winer and Adam Curry. (21m10s)
• The term "podcast" quickly gained traction after Gregoire's email, with Dave Slusher's Evil Genius Chronicles being one of the first to refer to itself as a podcast. (22m2s)
• The term "podcasting" was coined and quickly adopted, with individuals registering domains like podcasting.net and using "podcaster" as a user agent. (22m39s)
• The concept of podcasting involves broadcasting to portable media devices, such as iPods and MP3 players, and the term became widely accepted shortly after being introduced. (24m5s)
• The Dawn and Drew Show, a podcast from September 2004, illustrates early adopters experimenting with the term "podcasting" and discussing its implications. (23m53s)
• Within days of the term "podcast" being introduced to a mailing list, it became the standard term for this type of media distribution. (24m52s)

The Current State and Future of Podcasting

• The video transitions to discussing the current state and future of podcasts, indicating a shift from the historical context to contemporary analysis. (25m12s)
• An advertisement for the virtual reality game "Batman Arkham Shadow" is included, highlighting its immersive experience on the Meta Quest platform. (25m22s)
• The discussion highlights the growth of podcasts over the past 20 years, noting that podcasts have become more popular than ever, with entire companies built around them and a larger audience than before. However, podcasts have not replaced radio or become the future of media as some predicted. (26m49s)
• There is uncertainty about the future of the podcast industry, including its size and importance, as many aspects remain unresolved even after two decades. (27m24s)
• James Kidin from podcastnews.net, who has extensive experience in the podcast industry, is invited to discuss the current state and future of podcasts. (27m31s)
• Between 2019 and 2022, a significant influx of new money, originally intended for TV, entered the podcasting world. This was due to TV executives viewing podcasting as an easy win, despite not fully understanding the audio medium. (28m42s)
• The attempt to apply TV strategies to podcasting led to failures, as audio content requires a different approach, with habitual listening patterns that differ from TV. This misunderstanding resulted in layoffs and challenges in the industry by the end of 2022 and early 2023. (29m40s)
• The current state of podcasting is compared to the period before the success of the podcast "Serial," suggesting a return to earlier dynamics in the industry. (30m4s)
• The discussion suggests that the podcasting industry may be transitioning from a peak era, similar to the television industry's shift from peak TV to more traditional formats like sitcoms and reality TV. (30m15s)
• Podcasting consists of two main sectors: high-budget productions with large teams, such as serials, and low-cost shows typically produced by a few individuals. The latter constitutes about 80-90% of all podcasts and has remained resilient due to lower production costs. (30m32s)
• The open nature of podcasting, allowing anyone to create content, is highlighted as a significant advantage, contributing to its success over the years. (31m28s)
• Despite fluctuations in advertising revenue for the top 10% of podcasts, the fundamental nature of podcasting has not changed significantly in the past 20 years. (31m41s)
• The definition of a podcast in 2024 is debated, with some suggesting it is anything the audience perceives it to be, though this is seen as a vague answer. A more specific definition is on-demand, audio-first content. (32m0s)
• Technical aspects like RSS feeds and enclosures are considered less critical to defining a podcast than the audience's perception. (33m0s)
• Podcasts that are open and available on all platforms are considered true podcasts, whereas those exclusive to platforms like Audible or Wondery Plus are not typically recognized as such. (33m29s)
• Many people consider YouTube as their favorite podcast app, even though it does not meet the technical criteria of a podcast, such as being an audio file available for download via RSS. (34m13s)
• The trend of non-open, platform-exclusive podcasts seems to be fading, as companies like Spotify and Audible initially aimed to create exclusive audio libraries but are now moving away from this model. (34m43s)
• Some creators have found that exclusivity deals, such as those with Spotify, can reduce their audience and influence, as seen with an author whose book sales declined when her show was exclusive to Spotify. (35m57s)
• While some broadcasters, like the BBC, are still pursuing exclusivity for certain shows on their own apps, the overall trend is towards valuing reach and influence over exclusivity. (36m36s)
• The podcast industry has not followed the same path as streaming TV and movies, which have multiple competitive platforms with exclusive libraries. Companies like Luminary attempted this model but did not achieve widespread success. (37m20s)
• The traditional model of having all podcasts available in one place is preferred, as exclusivity deals like Joe Rogan's with Spotify are not generally beneficial for most shows. (37m56s)
• The exclusivity model, similar to strategies used by TV executives with platforms like Hulu and Max, was a mistake during the podcast boom from 2019 to 2022. (39m21s)
• YouTube is both not a typical platform for podcasts and yet a very interesting one, as many people claim to listen to podcasts there despite it not being the primary source of plays and listens. (39m43s)
• YouTube's algorithm is effective at surfacing new content, which presents a significant opportunity for podcast discovery, addressing a common issue in the podcasting world. (41m4s)
• From a creator's perspective, YouTube offers a potential revenue stream, as seen with successful YouTubers, making it an attractive platform for monetization. (41m31s)
• The increasing focus on video content is deterring some creators, as it requires additional skills in video editing, cameras, and lighting, which are more complex than audio editing. (41m45s)
• The definition of a podcast is debated, with an emphasis on audio-first content that can be enjoyed without visual engagement, highlighting the unique benefit of podcasts. (42m1s)
• There is skepticism about YouTube's long-term commitment to podcasting, given Google's history of losing interest in projects, and the lack of innovation in YouTube Music. (42m27s)
• The distinction between podcasts and other audio-visual content is becoming blurred, as people use YouTube Premium to listen to videos in the background, similar to podcasts. (42m50s)
• YouTube's recent feature allowing TV shows to be listened to with the screen off further blurs the line between TV shows and podcasts. (43m11s)
• YouTube is recognized as an excellent content discovery platform, which is a challenge for podcasts that are harder to find and engage with. However, YouTube's algorithm favors video content, pressuring creators to produce video-first or video-level shows. (43m37s)

The Debate on the Definition of a Podcast

• The integration of video into podcasting is changing the nature of content creation, as creators must consider visual elements, which can alter the type of content produced. (44m22s)
• The success of audio-only podcasts like "Serial" might not have been possible if video production was required, as video demands more resources and time. (44m43s)
• Simple interview podcasts can easily incorporate video, but producing more complex content with video is significantly more challenging. (45m2s)
• There is concern among creators that the push towards video content is deterring them from the audio industry, which allows for unique storytelling through sound and imagination without the need for visuals. (45m24s)
• Platforms like Spotify are emphasizing video content, with video remaining exclusive on their platform, despite the availability of video in podcast RSS feeds. (46m15s)
• Data from Spotify indicates that people tend to listen to audio during the day and watch video content in the evening, highlighting different consumption patterns. (46m33s)
• There is a worry among audio enthusiasts that video might overshadow audio content because it is easier to monetize, although both mediums have unique advantages. (46m57s)
• The prevalence of devices with high-quality color screens, including car dashboards, is contributing to the blending of audio and video content. (47m24s)
• There is a significant opportunity for audio content, especially when visual attention is occupied, such as during activities like walking, doing chores, or driving. (48m2s)
• Maintaining the audio-first nature of podcasts is important to preserve their unique value, rather than converting them into video content for monetization purposes. (48m20s)
• The ability to sell ads effectively is a key aspect of podcasting. (49m9s)
• The user experience of podcast listeners is still largely based on RSS feeds with enclosures, a technology that has not changed significantly in 20 years. (49m20s)
• Recent developments in podcast apps include the addition of transcripts, with Apple providing transcripts for all podcasts. Creators can also add their own transcripts to the RSS feed, which apps can then display. (49m39s)
• There is a misconception, particularly promoted by Spotify, that new features desired by audiences cannot be integrated into RSS, which is not true. RSS is extensible and can incorporate new features like thumbnails and categories. (50m14s)
• The Podcasting 2.0 initiative, led by Adam Curry and others, is introducing new namespaces with features such as micro payments, location tags, and cast lists, enhancing the podcasting experience. (51m3s)
• The term "podcast" is considered useful as it differentiates from broadcasting and emphasizes portability, reflecting the mobile nature of podcast consumption. (52m2s)

Podcasting 2.0 and the Future of the Medium

• Podcasting is more about niche casting rather than reaching a broad audience, which distinguishes it from traditional broadcasting. (52m21s)
• The term "podcast" is considered useful despite the evolution of media and the fact that iPods are no longer available for purchase. The word's origin is debated, with possible inventors being Ben Hammersley or Danny J. Greguar. (53m13s)
• There is a brief discussion about the nostalgia for the iPod, particularly the iPod Shuffle, and a suggestion that it should be brought back. (54m0s)
• A segment introduces a sponsorship message for the game "Batman Arkham Shadow," which is available exclusively on Meta Quest 3 and 3S. The game is described as a 10 to 15-hour AAA campaign with advanced graphics and acoustics, set in the early timeline of Batman's story. (54m20s)
• Listeners are encouraged to submit questions related to the year 2004, with a specific interest in topics like repurposing old iPods or retrieving files from old hard drives. (55m44s)
• A listener inquires about the potential of the iPad Mini 7 with an ARM chip to compete with gaming devices like the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, questioning the current state of gaming on iPads. (56m33s)
• There is anticipation for a new set of iPads, including a new iPad Mini, which might be released soon, potentially by early November. (57m1s)
• The iPad Mini is considered to be the right size for a portable gaming device, similar to a Nintendo Switch. (57m23s)
• The discussion explores whether ARM compatibility could enhance the iPad's utility as a gaming machine, with the conclusion that while it might help, it is not the main issue. (57m42s)
• The M series chips in iPads are ARM chips and are significantly more powerful than the chips in the Nintendo Switch, as evidenced by benchmark scores. (58m12s)
• The primary issue with iPads as gaming devices is the availability of games, not processing power. (59m15s)
• Apple has historically restricted gaming emulators and game streaming services in the App Store, and has had legal disputes over game availability, such as with Epic Games over Fortnite. (59m21s)
• Despite Apple's interest in games, the games available on the App Store, especially for iPhones, are not the ones most people want to play, and Apple has not focused on making the iPad a great gaming machine. (59m42s)
• There is potential for the iPad to become a better gaming platform as gaming emulators and streaming services grow, but it requires significant effort to make games available on new platforms. (1h0m6s)
• Game developers are hesitant to support new platforms like the iPad or Mac without substantial evidence of a profitable market, which Apple products have not yet provided. (1h0m43s)
• Apple's management of the App Store and in-game transactions is evolving, potentially making Apple products, especially the iPad, more appealing as gaming platforms. (1h1m3s)
• The iPad Mini lacks a dedicated controller, which is a significant factor in its gaming experience compared to devices like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch that have specific controllers. (1h1m22s)
• Most iPad users do not use controllers, even though the iPad's technical support for controllers, such as PlayStation and Xbox controllers, has improved. (1h2m13s)
• Game developers cannot assume iPad users have controllers, leading to games designed for touchscreens, which differ from those designed for controller-based systems. (1h2m38s)
• The popularity of products like the Backbone on the iPhone is helping to grow the gaming ecosystem by providing a default controller option. (1h3m16s)
• If Apple were to create its own controller, it could standardize the gaming experience on its devices, similar to how Nintendo developers target the Switch's control set. (1h3m38s)
• The idea of Apple creating a gaming handheld with detachable controllers, akin to an iPad with joycons, is appealing but unlikely to happen soon. (1h4m6s)
• There is potential for the iPad to be a great gaming device, but the lack of a dedicated gaming ecosystem has hindered its development. (1h4m26s)

The iPad Mini as a Gaming Device

• There is a discussion about the potential of the iPad as a gaming console, with interest in hearing about effective gaming setups for the device, such as wired controllers or accessories that enhance the gaming experience. (1h4m36s)

Conclusion and Call to Action

• The Vergecast episode concludes with gratitude expressed to participants and listeners, and a mention of additional resources and stories available on theverge.com, including a focus on the year 2004. (1h5m18s)
• Listeners are encouraged to share their thoughts, questions, or suggestions for old podcasts via email or a hotline, with an interest in the concept of call-in podcasts. (1h6m3s)
• The Vergecast is produced by Liam James, Will P, and Eric Gomez, and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network, with upcoming discussions on Tesla, gadgets, and Apple news. (1h6m24s)
• Support for the Vergecast comes from the game "Batman Arkham Shadow," available exclusively on Meta Quest 3 and 3s, with a release date of October 22nd, 2024. (1h6m52s)