So… what counts as a podcast now?

You probably think you know what a podcast is.

 

Someone talks into a microphone. You put your headphones on. You walk to Tesco, pretend you’re listening attentively in your seminar, or cook dinner while nodding along to people you have never met.

 

Simple.

 

So… what actually counts as a podcast now?

Except now you can watch that same conversation on YouTube, catch a 45-second clip on TikTok, stream it on your television, buy a ticket to see the hosts live and, in some cases, pay for bonus episodes.

 

So… what actually counts as a podcast now?

 

audio programmes are increasingly being accompanied by video

A new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism suggests that podcasting is going through something of an identity crisis. As podcasting has grown, audio programmes are increasingly being accompanied by video, while personality-led conversations are pushing traditional formats to rethink what a “podcast” even is.

 

And you have probably noticed it without realising.

 

Take The Rest Is Politics as an example. You can listen to Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell argue about politics while walking across campus, or you can sit down and watch them do it. The conversation is essentially the same. You just get to see the people behind the voices now.

You don’t necessarily have to choose between listening and watching anymore

And that flexibility is part of what makes the shift interesting. You don’t necessarily have to choose between listening and watching anymore. Audio still makes sense when you’re walking to a lecture or cooking dinner. Video makes sense when you’re sitting down and actually want to see the people having the conversation.

Which makes sense. I don’t particularly fancy watching a podcast while crossing the road.

But perhaps the bigger change is not the screen. It’s the people on it.

The Reuters report points to the rise of personality-led conversational podcasts, with shows such as The News Agents built as much around their hosts as the subjects they cover. Their chemistry, opinions and arguments are part of the reason you come back. Occasionally, so is their ability to go spectacularly off-topic.

 

There is a practical reason for this too. A conversational show can also be produced more regularly than a highly researched documentary series, without the same level of production involved. If something major happens on a Tuesday morning, a personality-led show can be talking about it that afternoon. No six-part production schedule required.

 

And then there is the word that keeps appearing in the report: shows.

 

That feels increasingly accurate. Companies such as Goalhanger are building around talent and audiences rather than treating podcasts as isolated audio products. A successful show can stretch into video, newsletters, memberships, merchandise and live events.

 

Suddenly, “podcast” feels like a slightly inadequate word for all of this

Suddenly, “podcast” feels like a slightly inadequate word for all of this.

 

Maybe that is the point. We don’t necessarily care whether something was technically born as an audio programme anymore. We care about whether we like the people, the conversation and how we can fit it into our lives.

 

Listen to it on the bus. Watch it on the sofa. Scroll past it on TikTok. Go see it live.

 

The podcast isn’t going anywhere. We’re just stretching the definition of what one can be.