Why Podcasts?

Chapter 1 Why Podcasts? his report is about curating and recommend- Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines a podcast: “A ing podcasts for your library users. Helping our program (as of music or talk) made available in digi- Tusers find the best podcasts is a great opportu- tal format for automatic download over the Internet.”2 nity for libraries because understanding podcasts is Those with technical knowledge understand podcasts an important part of today’s digital literacies. Librar- as audio or video files attached to an RSS feed. ians can curate the best podcasts for different types What’s more helpful to understand is the follow- of users—people of all ages, backgrounds, and abili- ing. The word podcast came about by combining the ties—in all types of libraries by providing handouts, word broadcast with iPod. The term began to be used web guides, and workshops. in 2004, when iPods were popular.3 At that time, tech- Podcasts are flourishing these days, and we’ll look nology was developed to make it possible to subscribe at how and why they are becoming more popular. I’ll to a feed with links to audio files you could download. discuss where and why people listen, how podcasts That way you wouldn’t have to remember to visit par- are being used in educational settings, and the advan- ticular websites and blogs that offered your favorite ReportsLibrary Technology tages of audio podcasts for people with visual disabili- audio shows. Instead you could use software to “sub- ties. I’ll offer lists of recommended podcasts for differ- scribe” and automatically be notified when new epi- ent age levels and diverse audiences. We’ll also look at sodes were available. Since bandwidth for most peo- some of the best podcast directories and tips for find- ple was limited, downloading the files to listen to ing new podcasts. offline was (and still is) especially useful. Podcasts can be in either audio or video format, Because podcasts aren’t restricted by traditional and in this report, we’ll focus on audio podcasts. broadcast regulations, there is a huge variety of pro- That’s because there are many more audio podcasts gramming. It’s fairly easy to acquire and learn the available, and people can use them in many situations tools for creating a podcast. So a wide variety of pro- alatechsource.org where video is not convenient. In addition, there are gramming is available, both by established media out- other resources for finding and using educational vid- lets and by individuals and organizations of all sizes. eos,1 but not as much has been written on audio. Here are a few other things to know about podcasts: I’ll also recommend some of the best podcast listening apps and discuss which kinds of features are • Most podcasts are free (and many are ad-sup- most useful in these apps. ported). You can listen on any device that plays February/March 2017 MP3 files (and other audio formats)—desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, Podcasts Defined smart earbuds, and some smart TVs.4 • You can choose to stream or to download the files Most people know that podcasts are audio programs in advance—useful when you are offline or have that you can listen to on your smartphone or tablet. low bandwidth. But many don’t know some of the interesting details • If you subscribe to a podcast, you will be notified that make podcasts a unique format. automatically when new episodes are available. 5 Podcast Literacy: Educational, Accessible, and Diverse Podcasts for Library Users Nicole Hennig You can either auto-download each episode or it’s still a minority of Americans who actively listen to download just those episodes that interest you. them, the number is growing steadily, from 9 percent • You don’t have to subscribe to a podcast to listen in 2008 to 21 percent in 2013.20 to an individual episode. Most episodes are avail- When it comes to people who have ever listened to able on the website of their creators, and you can a podcast, the numbers have doubled since 2008—it’s stream the episode from there. now 36 percent of Americans.21 The number of people • Instead of waiting for your favorite show to broad- who say they are familiar with the term podcasting cast (as with radio), you can pick and choose has increased from 22 percent in 2006 to 49 percent shows that interest you and listen to them when- in 2015.22 ever it’s convenient. The number of podcasts produced has also grown • You can use various apps on either desktop com- in the past few years, from 69,860 in 2009 to 91,794 puters or mobile devices to subscribe to, organize, in 2013 (the most recent survey year).23 and download your podcasts. Recent statistics show that more people listen on • One thing to keep in mind is that many podcasts mobile devices than desktop computers, 69 percent offer only a few episodes and then stop publish- versus 31 percent24—not surprising, given the growth ing (for various reasons). Older podcast episodes of mobile computing and the convenience of listening still have value, depending on the topic, and it’s on the go. possible to download and listen to older episodes anytime.5 Who Creates Podcasts? All of these characteristics make podcasts an Many news organizations are starting to invest in interesting and useful format. podcasting, partly because business models are evolv- ing to better translate them into sources of revenue (ad-supported). Another reason is that podcasts can Types of Podcasts be a new avenue for growing audiences, especially younger audiences. There are many types of podcast programming. Just There is an interesting article about the future about anything that can be listened to in audio can be of National Public Radio that discusses the con- made into a series of podcast episodes. Here are some flict between the traditional ways of reporting used examples: in radio shows like Morning Edition (with its mainly older audiences) and innovative reporting styles used • interviews6 in podcasts like Invisibilia, Code Switch, Embedded, • conversations7 and Planet Money (listened to by younger audiences). • how to8 According to the article, “Listeners want audio • recordings of entire seminars or lectures9 programming that makes them feel as though they’re • historical recordings10 getting to know a person or a topic intimately, • found footage11 whether through the familiar banter of beloved pan- • music performances12 elists or through lovingly produced works of story- • improv comedy13 telling. Successful podcasts, such as Reply All, • audio drama14 Criminal, and You Must Remember This, have paved February/March 2017 • storytelling15 the way for something else entirely: meticulously • scary stories16 crafted feature journalism that, in Alex Blumberg’s • scripted or nonscripted material17 words, feels less like a collection of radio segments • a series of episodes meant to be listened to in and more like ‘narrative-driven, textured, sound-rich order (serialized)18 documentaries.’”25 There are many established media organizations alatechsource.org There is something for everyone in the world of that have been investing significant resources in pod- podcasts. casting during the past few years. Some examples are the New York Times, public radio station WNYC, the Wall Street Journal, and local newspapers, such as the The Increasing Popularity Des Moines Register. of Podcasts Newer media and startups are also getting more involved in podcasting—some examples are Slate, Listening to Podcasts BuzzFeed, Radiotopia, and Gimlet Media (a podcast network).26 Library Technology ReportsLibrary Technology Podcasts are increasing in popularity, with steady And with the rise of popular podcasts like Serial (a growth in the last few years (2008–2016).19 Though spin-off of the popular radio show This American Life, 6 Podcast Literacy: Educational, Accessible, and Diverse Podcasts for Library Users Nicole Hennig which tells a true story in episodes released over the • During boring jobs course of a season), more and more people are finding • During a subway, train, or bus commute ways to use podcasts for educational purposes as well • During jobs that involve driving as entertainment. • During a road trip • While running, exercising, or going for a walk • During their morning routine: showering, getting Serial dressed https://serialpodcast.org • While cleaning the house • While doing yard work • During a bath For example, some schools have been using epi- • While waking the dog sodic podcasts like Serial in the classroom, with good • While preparing dinner results.27 “Meanwhile, high-school teachers in Cali- • At the gym during strength training fornia, Connecticut, Chicago, and a handful of other • In bed, before sleep states have been using Radiolab, This American Life, • While working as a security guard StoryCorps, and, overwhelmingly, Serial. The English teacher and Atlantic contributing writer Michael God- One thing people most appreciate is the ability to sey’s 10th- and 11th-graders were so enthralled by learn something or be entertained during bits of time Koenig’s investigative podcast that they began skip- where it’s not as convenient to watch videos or read. ping other classes to listen to it.”28 Later in this report, we’ll look at examples of how podcasts are being used in school classrooms and Podcasts Created by Local Communities and higher education and for people who are blind or have Individuals low vision. I’ll also discuss how libraries are making podcast recommendations to their communities, with Media outlets large and small aren’t the only ones cre- ideas and examples. ating podcasts. There is also an explosion of podcasts created by individuals and local communities.29 Some interesting examples include Notes 1.

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