> What is actually different in 2014 that makes podcasts successful?

Podcasting is no longer the domain of amateurs and the tech savvy. Talk radio is a professional business and the talent from that industry are beginning to start their own podcasts, and sometimes totally leaving FM/AM/satelitte radio behind.

In addition to pro radio hosts, nearly every comedian is also starting their own podcasts. Bill Burr runs one of the best. Hollywood is also adopting podcasts. Kevin Pollack runs a super popular show and is getting big interviews guests such as celebrities like Tom Hanks.

Podcasting is merging with the traditional entertainment industry and branching out from purely simple niche topics. Advertising is paying a lot of attention to podcasting. I heard one radio host gets paid $2 million/yr and he's not even the top podcast on iTunes.

So the difference is it's becoming a general, mainstream entertainment platform.

But WHY? You're just describing what happens when a medium takes off.

Why are all of these pros suddenly starting their own? Why is it becoming mainstream now instead of in 2004? Certainly there are some trailblazers in there that through luck or foresight were doing it early, but a lot are doing it because they've seen that the audience is there and it won't be a waste of time.

I agree with the article because it fits my personal experience. I bought a car a year ago with a Bluetooth enabled sound system and almost immediately starting devouring podcasts because of how easy it was.

Podcasting is more accessible, and the fact that it is far better than the mundane competition (traditional radio) means people are happy to jump to the alternative of choosing their own programming.

Sure, the iPod made it easier, but beyond connected cars, which the article suggests, capable software and Wi-Fi (or 3G/4G) on every device means it costs almost no effort. When I first got into podcasting, I had to plug in my iPod to a computer every night to let iTunes handle the transfer, and sometimes even then it didn't work and I would be stuck the whole day without my programming. Now, you can just pick a podcast aggregator and download the latest five episodes of any podcast in a matter of minutes. The fact that it has become so easy is what drives people to switch from listening to their local talk shows to listening what they actually want to hear.

I believe a parallel can be drawn to the threat felt by cable TV now that HBO is offering content to subscribers independent of their cable subscriptions.

> was the world of radio so different 8 years ago?

Absolutely. Ad rates have fallen and the number of outlets that you can listen to radio in are fading away. Clock radios are being replaced by smartphones, and kitchen radios are something your mother had 15 years ago. Go to Target... Clock radios had 16ft of shelf space in 2004. Today, there are like 8 choices on a single shelf sandwiched between Bluetooth speakers and cordless phones.

AM radio cannot afford local talent or local news. So it's mostly devolved into the crazy political stuff and infomercial style programming. The few stations that make an effort to have local content are often pushing mobile apps for listening more heavily.

Podcasting is growing because we've saturated the population with smartphones, and people are figuring out how to produce a professional sounding show cheap.