YouTubers, TikTok stars, and many more are starting to jump on the podcast bandwagon. Why have they gotten so popular and are they taking over the entertainment industry? 

Starting in 2004, when the first iPod came out, Dave Winer devised a plan that would make it so people could download online radio broadcasts from the internet to the iPod. Ben Hammersley, a journalist published an article providing titles for this newfound way of online broadcasting. He provided the term “Podcast” which was a combination of “iPod” and “broadcast”, this name was slowly catching on. From there on, podcasts started to thrive in ways we are familiar with today.  

 Influencer’s podcasts 

TikTok and YouTube stars have been a huge part of the popularity of podcasts among Gen-Z. Popular Influencers like Emma Chamberlain, Josh Richards, Alex Cooper, The D’Amelio sisters, Logan Paul, and many others have their own podcasts which have blown up tremendously.  

Many wonder why TikTok stars who post sixty-second videos are so invested into making these long audio recordings. In an interview with Forbes, Oren Rosenbaum, the head of emerging platforms at United Talent Agency who has helped TikTok stars into making the switch of platforms, argues that they should have podcasts.  

“TikTok content is finite in length. It’s really meant for a moment in time.” … “TikTok stars have personalities, experiences, friends, and topics they want to expand on. I think that’s been the catalyst for converting into audio,”, said Oren Rosenbaum.  

A famous podcaster that many teens may know of is Alex cooper with her “Call Her Daddy” podcast that covers mature topics and has interviews with famous celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Hailey Bieber, and Tiffany Haddish. Her podcast is a great way for celebrities to get interviewed rather than interviews in a traditional article.  

PHS podcast 

As many Patriot High School students know, last year we had a podcast called “Aidan, Aidan, Hayden.” This had a few episodes and inspired more of the Charge staff to do podcasts. 

Some of The Charge writers have come together to create a new podcast called “The Charge Unhinged” which will be coming out in November. It will cover topics about Patriot student life, sports, controversial topics, and advice based on student submissions. Keep an eye out for when the first episode launches as we hope it will be entertaining for the students.