A podcast is an audio show, and increasingly a video one too, published in episodes online that you can listen to whenever you like. It differs from radio in that it has no schedule: the listener picks the episode and the moment. In the United States, the most measured market, more than half the population listens to one each month.
What a podcast is and how it differs from radio
| Podcast | Radio | |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Whenever the listener wants | Live, at a fixed time |
| Where you listen | Apps, YouTube, websites | Dial or online stream |
| Length | Free | Tied to the programme schedule |
| Who can make one | Anyone with a microphone | Whoever has a frequency or station |
Where the word podcast comes from
It blends “pod”, from the iPod, Apple's player, and “cast”, from “broadcast”. It was suggested by British journalist Ben Hammersley in February 2004, in a column in The Guardian asking what to call amateur online radio. Some credit other pioneers with the name, as the specialist site Podnews recounts.
How many people listen to podcasts
The most cited measurement is the Infinite Dial study by Edison Research, carried out in the United States. These are its 2026 results, according to Radio Online:
| Indicator (aged 12 and over, United States) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Listened to or watched a podcast in the last month | 58% (about 167 million people) |
| Did so in the last week | 45% (about 130 million) |
| Has ever done so | 80% (about 230 million) |
These are figures for one country and cannot be applied to the rest of the world. They give a sense of scale: in two decades it went from a hobbyists' pastime to a mass medium.
How to listen to a podcast
- Open an app such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
- Search for a topic or a show by name.
- Pick an episode and play it, or download it to listen offline.
- If you like it, follow the show: new episodes will appear automatically.
If you like technology explained simply, see also what a prompt is.
Frequently asked questions
What is a podcast?
An audio or video show in episodes that you listen to online whenever you want.
Is listening to a podcast free?
Most are. Some have episodes for subscribers only.
Who coined the word podcast?
It is credited to British journalist Ben Hammersley, who suggested it in 2004.
