September 30 marks International Podcast Day. It’s a day to celebrate the power of the audio platforms and the communities they build.
It began in the United States in 2014 as National Podcast Day then was rebranded as ‘International’ the following year.
Here at USC, students listen to a plethora of podcasts. Legal studies major and sophomore Jordan Clarke ticked off his favorites: “Either ‘Anything Goes’ by Emma Chamberlain and ‘Emergency Intercom.’”
And when does he listen?
“Car rides, studying, and if you’re on an airplane, because normally plane rides are a long time, and podcasts go for like, two three hours,” Clarke said.
Health and human sciences major and sophomore Brooklyn Davis names this favorite.
“I like Bobbi (Althoff),” Davis said. “She interviews rappers and stuff. She’s pretty funny. I think my favorite podcasts are the ones that are funny.”
Pew Research Center reported in 2023 that about half of Americans had listened to a podcast in the past year. But what makes a successful podcast?
Jordan Clarke, the Emergency Intercom fan, describes a good podcast like this:
“They not only have good hosts, but they have ways of tying it to the viewer, where it’s a universal experience,” he said. “It’s not tailored from one audience to another, or, specifically, giving an experience that only certain people have. It’s for everyone, for sure.”
Broadcast radio listenership has declined somewhat in recent years, according to Pew Research. At the same time, the share of Americans who listen to podcasts has increased. Which means podcasts could just be the future.