History of Podcast in Timeline

A podcast is a digital program available for download or streaming over the Internet, typically consisting of episodic series of audio files. While primarily an audio medium, podcasts can also be distributed in video format, with YouTube playing a significant role in popularizing video podcasts. Bloomberg reported that a billion people are watching podcasts on YouTube every month by 2025.

1996: Personal Audio claimed invention of podcasting

In 1996, Personal Audio claimed invention of podcasting, which led to filing a patent on podcasting in 2009 and later lawsuits for royalties.

September 2000: i2Go launches MyAudio2Go.com

In September 2000, early MP3 player manufacturer i2Go offered a service called MyAudio2Go.com, enabling users to download news stories for listening on a PC or MP3 player.

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October 2000: Tristan Louis proposes attaching files in RSS feeds

In October 2000, Tristan Louis proposed the concept of attaching sound and video files in RSS feeds, which was later implemented by Dave Winer, a software developer and an author of the RSS format.

2001: i2Go service shuts down

In 2001, i2Go's MyAudio2Go.com service which allowed users to download news stories for listening on a PC or MP3 player was discontinued due to i2Go's demise.

October 31, 2003: Dead End Days video podcast released

On October 31, 2003, Dead End Days, a serialized dark comedy about zombies, was released as a video podcast, commonly believed to be the first of its kind.

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February 2004: Ben Hammersley coins "podcasting"

In early February 2004, The Guardian columnist and BBC journalist Ben Hammersley coined the term "podcasting" while writing an article for The Guardian newspaper.

August 2004: Adam Curry launches Daily Source Code

In August 2004, Adam Curry launched his show Daily Source Code, focused on chronicling his everyday life, delivering news, and discussions about the development of podcasting. It aimed to promote new audio shows and foster a community of pioneer podcasters.

September 2004: Danny Gregoire introduces "podcast" to audioblogging community

In September 2004, Danny Gregoire introduced the term "podcast" in a message to the iPodder-dev mailing list, where it was then adopted by podcaster Adam Curry, marking its first usage in the audioblogging community.

September 2004: iPodderX released

In September 2004, iPodderX was released by August Trometer, marking the first GUI application for podcasts. It was based on earlier work by Ray Slakinski.

September 26, 2004: Apple cracks down on "POD" usage in company names

On September 26, 2004, Apple Inc. started cracking down on businesses using the string "POD" in product and company names, sending a cease-and-desist letter to Podcast Ready, Inc. over its application "myPodder".

2004: Dead End Days video podcast continued

Throughout 2004, Dead End Days, a serialized dark comedy about zombies, continued its release as a video podcast.

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June 2005: Apple releases iTunes 4.9 with podcast support

In June 2005, Apple released iTunes 4.9, which added formal support for podcasts, eliminating the need for separate programs to download and transfer podcasts to mobile devices. Apple also issued cease-and-desist orders for using "iPod" or "Pod" in product names.

September 9, 2005: USPTO rejects trademark application for "podcast"

On September 9, 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected Shae Spencer Management, LLC's trademark application to register the term "podcast", citing Wikipedia's entry on "Podcast" as describing the history of the term.

March 2006: USPTO rejects amended trademark application for "podcast"

In March 2006, the USPTO rejected Shae Spencer Management, LLC's amended trademark application for "podcast" as not sufficiently differentiated from the original rejected application.

November 2006: Trademark application for "podcast" abandoned

In November 2006, Shae Spencer Management, LLC's trademark application to register the term "podcast" for an "online pre-recorded radio program over the internet" was marked as abandoned.

November 16, 2006: Apple clarifies podcast trademark policy

On November 16, 2006, the Apple Trademark Department stated that Apple does not object to third-party usage of the generic term 'podcast' to accurately refer to podcasting services and that Apple does not license the term.

2006: Enhanced podcasts first used

In 2006, enhanced podcasts, which combine audio with a slideshow presentation, were first used. Enhanced podcasts incorporate graphics and chapters.

2007: Audio podcasts replace radio broadcasts

By 2007, audio podcasts had started to functionally replace radio broadcasts, offering similar talk shows and news programs due to advancements in internet capabilities and accessible audio recording hardware and software.

2009: Personal Audio files patent on podcasting

In 2009, Personal Audio, described as a "patent troll," filed a patent on podcasting, claiming an invention dating back to 1996.

2012: iTunes patents Audio Hyperlinking

In 2012, iTunes developed an enhanced podcast feature called "Audio Hyperlinking" and patented it.

February 2013: Personal Audio sues podcasters for royalties

In February 2013, Personal Audio began suing high-profile podcasters, including The Adam Carolla Show and the HowStuffWorks podcasts, for royalties related to its podcasting patent.

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October 2013: EFF petitions to invalidate Personal Audio patent

In October 2013, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a petition with the US Trademark Office to invalidate Personal Audio's podcasting patent.

August 18, 2014: Adam Carolla settles with Personal Audio

On August 18, 2014, the EFF announced that Adam Carolla had settled with Personal Audio regarding the podcasting patent lawsuit.

April 10, 2015: USPTO invalidates Personal Audio's podcasting patent

On April 10, 2015, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office invalidated five provisions of Personal Audio's podcasting patent.

January 2019: 90 million Americans listened to podcasts

In January 2019, Edison Research estimated that 90 million people in the U.S. had listened to a podcast, though the podcasting industry still generated little revenue at the time.

March 2020: Podcast listener decrease due to COVID-19 pandemic

Due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of unique podcast listeners in the US decreased by 15% in the last three weeks of March 2020.

2020: Podcast listening statistics in multiple countries

In 2020, 58% of South Korea's population and 40% of Spain's population had listened to a podcast in the last month; 12.5% of the UK population had listened in the last week; and 22% of the US population listened weekly. Low overhead costs for creators was also noted.

2021: India will have 95 million Podcast monthly active users

According to The Free Press Journal, in 2021 "India will have 95 million Podcast monthly active users", which is thirty-four percent more than the previous year.

2023: Chinese podcast listeners exceed 220 million

In 2023, the number of Chinese podcast listeners exceeded 220 million, marking China as a leading podcast market.

June 2024: Podcast Statistics

As of June 2024, there are at least 3,369,942 podcasts and 199,483,500 episodes.

2025: Bloomberg reports a billion people watch podcasts on YouTube every month

In 2025, Bloomberg reported that a billion people are watching podcasts on YouTube every month, highlighting the medium's growing popularity on video platforms.