podcast

A free, downloadable audio file that can be listened to on your computer--where you can burn it to a compact disc or stream it on an MP3 player or smartphone to listen to on planes, trains and automobiles.

Historical perspective: Podcasts were originally thought of as amateurish audio versions of blogs, but no longer; ESPN, NPR, the BBC, Newsweek, news commentators and other highly respected people have podcasts readily available.

In 2017, podcast ad sales in the U.S. totaled $314 million and is expected to grow to $659 million by 2020 according to PwC. According to AdAge, about 55% of podcast listeners are men, who listen an average 7.6 hours per week. Female listeners spend about 5.5 hours per week listening.