Why It’s Time to Retire the Word ‘Podcast’
▼ Summary
– The author argues that the term “podcast” has become meaningless as it now broadly encompasses video-driven content like late-night TV clips and celebrity interviews, blurring its original definition.
– A shift in nomenclature is occurring within the industry, with creators and companies increasingly preferring the more marketable term “show” over “podcast” for advertising and distribution.
– Distribution is becoming more centralized on major platforms like YouTube and Netflix, which are developing and hosting these shows, mirroring traditional television models.
– Despite the video shift, audio-only programming will persist, particularly for independent creators and listeners in situations like driving, though it is no longer the priority for major media companies.
– The author concludes that the era of the term “podcast” is ending, predicting it will fade from common use as these formats fully integrate into the broader landscape of digital “shows.”
The term “podcast” has lost its distinct meaning in today’s media landscape. What began as a niche format for downloadable audio shows has exploded into a vast category encompassing everything from video essays to late-night talk show clips. The original definition, tied to portable media players and episodic audio content, no longer captures the reality of what these productions have become. As video becomes standard and distribution shifts to major streaming platforms, the word itself feels increasingly outdated and restrictive for creators and audiences alike.
According to YouTube’s 2025 Recap feature, the podcast I consumed the most on its platform was Seth Meyers’ recurring segment “A Closer Look” on his show Late Night. Just a year ago, I would have insisted this wasn’t a podcast at all, but simply a clip from a television broadcast. Now, with nearly every major podcast incorporating a video component, the lines have completely blurred. A decades-old TV talk show format is virtually indistinguishable from top-charting programs like Good Hang with Amy Poehler or Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe. They all compete directly for the same audience on the same platforms.
Scrolling through dedicated podcast tabs on platforms like YouTube reveals a content mix far removed from the narrative audio journalism and roundtable discussions the term once described. Suggestions are dominated by late-night interviews, host-driven video essays, and cable news segments. This dilution suggests that in 2026, rather than struggling to redefine “podcast,” we should consider retiring the word entirely. It risks becoming an internet relic, similar to the now-faded phrase “web series.”
This evolution is driving a need for new nomenclature. The industry is already adapting, not by inventing a new word, but by repurposing an old one: “show.” At industry events, executives from companies behind major programs explicitly state they no longer call their productions “podcasts.” This shift is echoed internally at media companies, where “show” is seen as a more marketable and expansive term for advertising. Pitching a “show” to advertisers suggests broader reach and a definitive platform, whereas “podcast” can sound limiting and niche. Creators are chasing the budgets and audience engagement traditionally associated with television.
This linguistic change is trickling down to hosts and their audiences. On programs like The Adam Friedland Show, calling the production a “podcast” is actively corrected, it’s a talk show. The familiar sign-off, “find us wherever you get your podcasts,” is being replaced by the video-centric “like and subscribe.” These audio-video hybrids now share digital space with unambiguously video-first series like Hot Ones or Chicken Shop Date, making a term historically linked to the iPod seem unnecessarily confining.
This consolidation also signals a move away from the open, decentralized distribution that once defined podcasting. The landscape is becoming more centralized on dominant platforms like YouTube and Netflix. YouTube reports over a billion people watch podcasts on its service monthly, while Netflix is moving to develop and host its own audio-video shows. YouTube’s talk-show-style podcasts are increasingly seen as the new generation of late-night TV, especially as traditional networks scale back investments in that genre. Soon, you might not recommend a favorite new podcast, but rather a show you “watched on TV.”
What does this mean for traditional, audio-only programming? It will certainly persist. People still commute, exercise, and perform tasks where screen viewing isn’t practical, and most podcast listening still occurs at home. However, the pure audio format will likely become the domain of more independent creators. Major media companies will continue to release audio versions of their video shows for podcast apps, but these audio tracks are often a secondary output, not the primary product.
Consequently, the era of the “podcast” as a defining category is reaching its end. The question is no longer “What is a podcast?” but is quickly becoming “What was a podcast?” as the industry fully embraces its future as simply compelling, on-demand shows.
(Source: The Verge)
