Grabbing sound waves. Reflections on the contemporary status of podcasting in the mediated world

Abstract

In this essay we reflect upon the contemporary status of podcasts, both as media artifacts and a form of mediation / social practice, at the intersection of culture, economy, technology and society. While the similarities between podcasting and traditional broadcasting are widely known, we argue that both forms of mediation are closely related to traditional orality and older forms of social structuring through shared symbols, narratives and discourses. Even though podcasting and audio consumption are usually considered an isolated and individual experience, this contemporary form of mediation hides a very significant social substratum.The rise of platforms and platformized mediation brought new relevance to audio, both in the production and consumption spheres with podcasting taking a central role in the new audio mediation processes and renewed forms of social appropriation through sound.