A historical retrospective onthe development ofpodcasting

Abstract

Introduction. Understanding the reasons why podcasting has become a global phenomenon requires an examination of the historical foundations of its emergence and development.

Relevance and purpose. The relevance of the study is determined, on the one hand, by the need for a deeper understanding of the factors that stimulated the evolution and contributed to the mainstreaming of podcasting and, on the other hand, by the absence of scholarly research that systematically presents the stages of its development. The purpose of the study is to outline the specific features of the stages of podcasting development, substantiating their chronological boundaries and titles.

Methodology. The main research method is the historical-genetic method, the application of which made it possible to reconstruct the prerequisites for the emergence of podcasting and the specific features of its development throughout the entire period of its existence. The periodiza-tion was based on changes to such criteria as changes in the technological capabilities of creating, distributing, and consuming podcasts, as well as the degree of integration of podcasting into the media market.The method of analyzing scholarly works and all available Internet sources was actively employed. The methods of generalization and systematization were used at the stages of writing the literature review and formulating the study’s conclusions.

Results. Factual information regarding the chronological sequence of events and the cause-and-effect relationships that stimulated qualitative and quantitative changes in podcasting at all stages of its development has been specified. It is argued that the division of the history of pod­casting development into stages is subordinated to the technological progress of society and the market integration of the format, which is manifested in the quantitative indicators of podcast production and podcast consumption, as well as advertiser involvement, all of which are influ-enced by technological, economic, and social factors whose consistent interaction determined the vectors of its development.

Conclusions. It has been established that four stages should be distinguished in the histo­ry of podcasting: the formation of technological prerequisites for the emergence of podcasting (1990–2003); introduction to the media market (2004–2011); formation of the commercial pod­cast market (2012–2019); platformization and scaling of the podcast market (2020–present).