Become a Podmaster™ S3E1 Is It Time to Redefine Podcasting?

Become a Podmaster™ - The Podcast

Become a Podmaster™ – Season 3
Is It Time to Redefine Podcasting?
Welcome to the third season of Become a Podmaster™, the podcast that tackles the most pressing questions facing creators today. In this season opener, we dive deep into one deceptively simple question: What is a podcast, really?
Hosted by Hendrik and Ethan, this episode features insights from members of the South African Podcasters Guild and industry leaders from Solid Gold Podcasts and Audiobooks. Together, they unpack the history, evolution, and shifting definitions of podcasting—from its audio-only, RSS-based roots to today’s video-first, multi-platform landscape.
Is a YouTube talk show a podcast? What about a radio show repackaged for streaming? And how does the listener’s experience shape the answer? With humour, clarity, and expertise, Become a Podmaster explores how podcasts have grown from a niche medium to a powerful signal of independent content creation.
Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just getting started, this series offers practical advice, historical context, and future-facing insights to help you navigate an ever-evolving audio (and visual) world.
Powered by Baird Media and supported by the South African Podcasters Guild. South African Podcasters Guild · Solid Gold Podcasts and Audiobooks · Hendrik on LinkedIn · Ethan on LinkedIn · Baird Media on LinkedIn · Become a Podmaster Startup Program · PodMasterclass · Baird Media - The Podcast People · Read the book

Chapters

1. Cold Open: Digital media vs radio in podcasting (00:00:00)

2. Intro: Welcome to Season 3 (00:00:43)

3. Today's Big Question: What is a podcast? (00:01:04)

4. Why Definitions Matter: Strategy, audience & monetization (00:01:54)

5. Let’s Start at the Beginning: The history of podcasting (00:02:55)

6. Personal Reflections: First iPods & early experiences (00:04:10)

7. The Podcast Boom: From Serial to Spotify (00:05:09)

8. AI and The Future: Editing, voices & automation (00:06:24)

9. Official Definitions: Dictionaries & RSS standards (00:06:59)

10. Industry Voices: Solid Gold's Shannon & Gavin on evolving definitions (00:07:42)

11. SAPG Perspectives: Paulo & Jonathan on audio-first vs YouTube (00:10:25)

12. Origins: Radio roots vs digital transformation (00:13:09)

13. Radio vs Podcast: Are recorded breakfast shows podcasts? (00:14:51)

14. SAPG Membership Promo (00:16:52)

15. Wrap-Up: Summary & new podcast definition (00:17:35)

16. Final Thoughts & Masterclass Invite (00:19:37)

17. Teaser: Next episode preview – the power of niche (00:20:12)