podcast

thumb|An episode of a podcast playing on a smartphone A podcast is a program episode made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Podcasts are primarily an audio medium, which is reflected in the term itself, a portmanteau of "iPod" and "broadcast" coined in 2004. The term used to refer to an episodic series of digital audio files that users can download to a personal device or stream to listen to at a time of their choosing. In the mid-2020s, however, video podcasts, either as primary content included in the feed, or as an external supplement to audio, have been popularized. In 2025, Bloomberg reported that a billion people are watching podcasts on video platform YouTube every month. This can cause issues where the audio-only experience suffers when something is shown to viewers in a manner which isn't apparent to audio listeners.

A podcast series usually features one or more recurring hosts engaged in a discussion about a particular topic or current event. Discussion and content within a podcast can range from carefully scripted to completely improvised. Podcasts combine elaborate and artistic sound production with thematic concerns ranging from scientific research to slice-of-life journalism. Many podcast series provide an associated website or page with links and show notes, guest biographies, transcripts, additional resources, commentary, and occasionally a community forum dedicated to discussing the show's content.