We have all heard of the adaptations of books into movies or web series. The latest trend is to adapt successful and interesting podcasts into shows or films. Some of the recent popular shows – ‘The Dropout’, ‘WeCrashed’ or ‘The thing about Pam’, have been adapted from reported podcasts of the same name. Podcasts have become a rage and buzz, influencing the entertainment world and sculpting pop culture. The audience for podcasts is across demographics, but the core listeners are the young.

As with all things new in this century, first the technology arrived. Dutch MTV video jockey Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer collaborated in 2003 to develop a technology that allowed download of audio files automatically from the internet as they became available. ‘Open Source’ (2003) – a show on politics and culture hosted by the journalist Christopher Lydon is widely considered the first ever podcast. The term “podcasting” was coined by Ben Hammersley in February 2004. In 2005, Steve Jobs spotting the possibilities of this medium announced that iTunes would support podcasts on their platform. There has been no looking back, and today there are podcasts on any and every topic. Celebrities, journalists, influencers, entrepreneurs run podcasts, appear on them and they are projected as a great medium to build a brand.

What makes the medium so popular – it is audio on demand on any topic or area of interest that you want to hear about. Much like radio it can be accessed and absorbed while doing other chores – like cooking, driving, gardening etc. On the production side it is cheaper to make, and has fewer entry barriers compared to traditional films and TV. All you need is a mike, a sound proof room, an interesting topic and you can be a podcaster.

As per reports, the podcast industry’s global revenue reached an estimated $7.3 billion in 2024, with forecasts suggesting market sizes reaching $30 billion to over $130 billion by 2030, fuelled by increasing listener adoption, especially in markets like India, and greater advertiser investment. Podcasts in India had nearly 105 million listeners in 2024 and grew to over 200 million in 2025. With the spread of smart phone users and a rich oral tradition in the country, the market is expected to expand exponentially. The Golden Globe 2026 bestowed the inaugural award for best podcast to ‘Good Hang’, heralding the arrival of this medium.

However, the video has come in to snatch some of the market of the podcast. ‘Vodcasts’ as they are called, are slowly becoming the rage. Vodcasts on YouTube have begun to replace podcasts in popularity. Streaming platforms like Netflix are also now showing vodcasts. Meanwhile Youtube has developed AI tools for video creation for podcasts, and Spotify also streams vodcasts.

In this unending war for attention will there be a winner finally? Or will we see newer formats emerging to engage listener/viewers/consumers at frequent intervals.

Published in Lokmat Times in January 2026