Ongoing History of New Music

Ongoing History Daily: The history of the word “podcast”

Podcasts are a very big deal now, but it took almost 20 years for this new type of broadcasting to catch on. When people started using RSS feeds to distribute audio as far back as the late 90s, what was this practice called? It didn’t really have a name for years.

Some suggested “pode” or “sode” and even “soliloquies” for reasons that escape me.

It took until 2004 when Dave Winer, a champion of the new format, was talking to a colleague named Dannie Gregoire It was Dannie who, in September 2004, came up with “podcasting.”

Then again, it’s also possible that a writer from The Guardian named Ben Hammersly had used it in print in February 2004. Early pioneers picked up on the term and by the end of 2004, “podcast” was in widespread use.

And when Apple embraced the concept with iTunes, the name was sealed.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39679 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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