STACK #179 Sept 2019

TECH

FEATURE

What is a podcast?

Basically, podcasts are internet talks covering a varied range of subjects that users can download or stream to a device.

STATS

Source ABC Podcast Research 2018

The gender listening demographic is 40 per cent male to 60 per cent female.

Howto listen to a podcast? You can find podcasts via

websites or directly through a podcast app compatible with your device. If using a podcast app, use the search function to zero in on a subject of interest or choose from the top ten charts. If you find you like a particular podcast, hit subscribe.

74 percent of all podcasts are listened to on a smartphone.

An average of 79 per cent of podcasts are listened through to the end. At home appears to be the preference for listening to podcasts. Younger people tend to be the most avid listeners, clocking up ten-plus hours a week, while people over 55 around three hours per week on average.

How MuchTime Will I Need?

Podcasts can vary in length from anywhere between 10 minutes to 180 minutes or more. But podcasts can be enjoyed whilst commuting, cleaning the house, walking the dog, or at the gym; the possibilities are endless and consumption is totally dependent upon your available spare time. If you’re going mobile, all you need is a smartphone and a pair of headphones.

1 in 5 people listen to podcasts together.

87 per cent of new podcast suggestions are spread by word of mouth. A podcast’s description remains the prominent reason for listeners to try a new podcast.

data, I figured out that in 2019, Australians will download 780 million podcast episodes, and that’s a conservative number,” says creative director of Mushroom Group’s podcast division, Courtney Carthy. The majority of podcasts are free on release and there are over 750,000 currently available, covering an expansive range of topics. Whatever your interests are – whether niche or mainstream – there’s one for you. Podcasts offer complete freedom through selection, and part of the appeal lies in identifying what to listen to next. “Narrative stories work so well on podcasts,” Carthy says. ‘You can hear the voices and sounds of the story and build the pictures in your head. “And the content can wash over you without having to read, sit still or do anything other than keep your phone on and your headphones in. The hosts of my favourite podcasts are companions, friends, insiders, entertainers and people to argue with.” Haven’t listened to a podcast yet? What are you waiting for?

Are All Podcasts Free? Most new podcasts are free (users can choose to donate should they wish). However, some podcasters can lock older content behind a paywall.

So,youthinkyou’re readyto hostyour own podcast?

You’ve searched the internet high and low for a podcast that deals specifically with a niche subject that interests you, without success. Or maybe you believe you’ve cultivated an angle for a podcast that's truly unique? Well, the good news is it’s relatively cheap and easy to create your own home podcast set-up if hiring a studio and a producer is beyond the budget.

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