They were too clunky to download. The topics were sometimes a little too obscure. And they didn’t really make any money.

Podcasts, the short-form audio files that entered the mainstream with the original Apple iPod, have been around for more than a decade. But while Apple this year discontinued the classic version of its iconic device, the podcast is resurgent, drawing hard-core fans who want to listen to other people talk about, well, pretty much everything.

An average of 1.5 million listeners a month download “99% Invisible,” a program produced on a shoestring on the theme of design. Sports are such a popular topic that when ESPN suspended Bill Simmons for his podcast tirade against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, fans of his “B.S. Report” helped make #FreeSimmons a top trending term on Twitter. A new series from “This American Life” producer Alex Blumberg — about starting a podcast business — has quickly become one of the top 10 most-downloaded programs in the country.

And, importantly, podcasts are finally profitable.

“It’s sort of a renaissance. Podcasts are in vogue,” said Todd Cochrane, chief executive of RawVoice, a podcast data research firm.

Read the Full Article: Source – Washingtons Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/podcasts-are-back–and-making-money/2014/09/25/54abc628-39c9-11e4-9c9f-ebb47272e40e_story.html

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