The WePod Knowledge Repository

This article considers the 2014 podcast Serial within a context of technical change and podcast histories. Building on previous work, the author argues that Serial is a significant moment in the history of podcasting. Recent trends have shifted podcasts from iPods to networked screen-based mobile devices in smartphones and connected dashboards, locations where global brands enjoy a significant advantage. It is in this context that the author places Serial as cultural object.

This study examines true crime podcasts with a critical/cultural lens to explore how podcasts are impacting the true crime genre, public opinion and the criminal justice system. Four in-depth qualitative interviews with true crime podcast producers offer insight into both the political economy of podcasts and effective audience engagement. Ultimately, this study argues that true crime podcasts are impacting the criminal justice system in unprecedented ways and that the future of this emerging media could challenge both criminal justice and media reform. Practical implications for genre-specific media are also discussed.

This article will attempt to analyze the history of podcasting as a cultural practice of producing and consuming digital sound content. After a review of previous studies examining this technology, the case will be made that podcasting has entered a new phase of its evolution, one where it is beginning to generate a market that is no longer simply complementary to radio, but an alternative; one that is moving towards the professionalisation of production and the normalisation of consumption. This phase, which I will call “the second age of podcasting”, is distinguished by the transformation of podcasting into a commercial productive practice and a medium for mass consumption, and began in the United States in 2012, with the launch of the first business models that were able to support the independent production and consumption of sound content distributed through podcasting.

Il volume mette in luce l’identità originale del podcast, raccontandone l’evoluzione, le caratteristiche dell’industria e dei modelli di business fin qui sperimentati, i generi più popolari, le culture e le pratiche d’ascolto. Offre ad ascoltatori e produttori una mappa per essere maggiormente consapevoli delle potenzialità e dei limiti del mezzo. Allo stesso tempo, è utile agli studiosi dei media digitali, fornendo una serie di temi di discussione da cui possano emergere future linee di ricerca. Una guida per coltivare una conoscenza più approfondita del medium che sta cambiando il modo in cui ascoltiamo e raccontiamo storie.

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Audio and podcasting fact sheet

The fifth instalment of the Spoken Word Audio Report delves into listening locations and spoken word audio consumption, examining habits of home, work, in-car, and other locations. 

The fifth instalment of the Spoken Word Audio Report delves into listening locations and spoken word audio consumption, examining habits of home, work, in-car, and other locations. 

This study explores the novel task of using audio embeddings for automated, topically coherent segmentation of radio shows.

The Kids Podcast Listener Report utilizes three data sources: A national online survey of parents of kids ages 6-12, a national online survey of kid monthly podcast listeners ages 6-12 that was administered by their parents, and in-home interviews with parents and their child monthly podcast listeners.  

The aim of this research is to detect the factors that influence engagement in podcasting.

Audio entertainment formats—including podcasts, streaming music, radio, and audiobooks—are hitting high notes with consumers, but increasing profits remains challenging for some providers.

The Spring 2024 Report highlights trends from prior studies and examines topics such as co-listening, platform preference, content trends, perceptions of brand safety and content appropriateness, and more.