Exploring Podcast Genres and Formats: An Integrated Analysis of Thai Podcast Content Distribution
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This research aims to study podcast genres and formats regarding Thai audio media on podcast platforms, and investigate how Thai podcasters distribute content in podcast shows. This study employs a mixed method, including qualitative content analysis and quantitative data, to highlight podcast trends during the selected sampling period. Primary data were collected through purposive sampling from the popular channels on audio podcast platforms, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, focused on podcast charts from 2018 to 2021. Meanwhile, secondary data were gathered from relevant sources on Thai podcasts. Then, the researcher used thematic and summative content analytic integration to examine the data, primarily in podcast content distribution. According to the research findings, 26,628 episodes were produced and published by 476 shows from the sampling channels. It was discovered that most moderators had only one host per show. A popular podcast's running duration lasts between 16 and 30 minutes. The findings contain seven presentation formats--the most popular type of podcast presentation is the conversation program. According to the research on podcast categories by content classification, it was discovered that the 26,628 published episodes have twelve different content-based genres--the most common type of content was business and management. Additionally, it was found that the podcast channel was a viable alternative platform for delivering content as part of a multi-platform media distribution strategy.
Article Details
References
Achariyakul, N. (1998). Radio broadcast programming. In Teaching material for Introduction to Radio and Television. Nonthaburi, Thailand: Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.
Armstrong, D., Gosling, A., Weinman, J., & Marteau, T. (1997). The place of inter-rater reliability in qualitative research: An empirical study. Sociology, 31(3), 597-606. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038597031003015
Askehave, I., & Ellerup Nielsen, A. (2005). Digital genres: A challenge to traditional genre theory. Information Technology & People, 18(2), 120-141. https://doi.org/10.1108/09593840510601504
Berg, F. S. (2021). Independent podcasts on the Apple Podcast platform in the streaming era. MedieKultur: Journal of Media and Communication Research, 37, 110–130. https://doi.org/10.7146/mediekultur.v37i70.122390
Berry, R. (2016). Podcasting: Considering the evolution of the medium and its association with the word ‘radio’. The Radio Journal--International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 14(1), 7-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/09593840510601504.
Bezbaruah, S. & Brahmbhatt, K. (2023). Are Podcast advertisements effective? An emerging economy perspective, Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 35(2), 215-233, https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2022.2085222
Blubrry. (2017, June 14). Podcast Statistics 2017: Will Android Continue to Gain Market Share while Apple Slips? https://blubrry.com/podcast-insider/2017/06/14/podcast-statistics-ns-2017/
Bonini, T. (2015). The “Second Age” of podcasting: Reframing podcasting as a new digital mass medium. Quaderns del CAC, 21-30.
Bottomley, A. J. (2015). Podcasting, Welcome to Night Vale, and the revival of radio drama. Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 22(2), 179–189.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Bruce, M. O. (1977). Regulating diversity: The case of radio formats. Journal of Broadcasting, 21(3), 305-319. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838157709363840
C.B. (2017, October 12). The rise of the podcast adaptation. https://www.economist.com/prospero/2017/10/12/the-rise-of-the-podcast-adaptation
Chambers, T. (2003). Radio programming diversity in the era of consolidation. Journal of Radio Studies, 10(1), 33–45. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15506843jrs1001_5
Chu, A., Arunasalam, A., Ozmen, M.O., & Celik, Z.B. (2022). Behind the tube: Exploitative monetization of content on YouTube. USENIX Security Symposium.
Crowston, K. (1997). Reproduced and emergent genres of communication on the World-Wide-Web. Proceedings of the Thirtieth Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. 6, pp. 30-39. Wailea, HI, USA: IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.1997.665482
Data Reportal. (2021). Digital 2020 Thailand. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2020-Thailand
Doyle, B. (2019, September 7). The first Podcast. https://www.thetilt.com/content/the-first-podcast
Drew, C. (2017). Educational podcasts: A genre analysis. E-Learning and Digital Media, 14(4), 201-211. https://doi.org/10.1177/204275301773617.
Dubber, A. (2013). Radio in the digital age. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Edison Research and Triton Digital. (2020, March 19). The infinite dial 2020. https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-infinite-dial-2020/
Einhorn, M. (2022, January 6). Long tail or bottleneck: What's next for Spotify? https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3967457
Electronic Transactions Development Agency. (2021). ETDA annual report 2020 thrive in the new normal & go digital with ETDA. https://www.etda.or.th/th/Useful-Resource/publications/ETDA-Annual-Report-2020.aspx
Gallego Pérez, J. I. (2012). Podcasting in Spain: A new business model or a reflection of traditional radio? Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 10(1), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.1386/rjao.10.1.23_1
García-Estévez, N., & Cartes-Barroso, M. J. (2022). The branded podcast as a new brand content strategy. Analysis, trends and classification proposal. Profesional De La información, 31(5), https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2022.sep.23
Hamilton, C., & Barber, S. (2022). Exploring listener motivations for engagement with music podcasts. Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 20 (Podcast and Popular Music), 17-32. https://doi.org/10.1386/rjao_00053_1
Hill, T. (2010). The ‘Library Café’: Distributing and archiving local culture through a podcast library interview program. Art Libraries Journal, 35(3), 40-44.
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S.E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277-1288.
Ireland, R. (2007). Planning your podcast. In M. W. Geoghegan (Ed.), Podcast Academy: The Business Podcasting Book (pp. 99-125). New York: Routledge.
James, T. L., Lawrence, M. J., & Carol, E. S. (1978). Audiences for contemporary radio formats. Journal of Broadcasting, 22(4), 439-453. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838157809363902.
Johnson, L. A., & Grayden, S. K. (2006). Podcasts--An emerging form of digital publishing. International Journal of Computerized Dentistry, 9(3), 205-218.
Kaewthep, K. (2009). Media Analysis: Concepts and Techniques. Bangkok, Thailand: Phapphim.
Kotaeva, A. (2019). Genre and format: Difference of notions. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 1752-1759). https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2019.12.04.237
Lindgren, M. (2016). Personal narrative journalism and podcasting. Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 14(1), 23-41. https://doi.org/10.1386/rjao.14.1.23_1
Lindgren, M., & McHugh, S. (2013). Not dead yet: Emerging trends in radio documentary forms in Australia and the US. Australian Journalism Review, 35(2), 101–113. https://doi.org/10.3316/informit.843778026005543
MacKenzie, L. E. (2019). Science podcasts: Analysis of global production and output from 2004 to 2018. Royal Society Open Science,6(1), https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180932
Madsen, V. (2009). Voices-cast: A report on the new audiosphere of podcasting with specific insights for public broadcasting. ANZCA09 Conference 35 Proceedings, ‘Communication, Creativity and Global Citizenship’ (pp. 1191–1210). Brisbane, Asutralia: Queensland University of Technology.
Markman, K. (2015). Considerations--Reflections and future research. Everything old is new again: Podcasting as radio’s revival. Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 22(2), 240–243.
Markman, K. M., & Sawyer, C. E. (2014). Why Pod? Further explorations of the motivations for independent podcasting. Journal of Radio and Audio Media, 21(1), 20-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/19376529.2014.891211
Markman, K.M. (2012). Doing radio, making friends, and having fun: Exploring the motivations of independent audio podcasters. New Media & Society, 14(4), 547-565.
McClung, S. R., & Johnson, K. (2010). Examining the motives of Podcast users. Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 17(1), 82-95.
McFadden, A. C. (2008). Podcasting and Really Simple Syndication (RSS). In S. Kelsey, & K. St.Amant (Eds.), Handbook of research on computer mediated communication (pp. 815-830). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
McHugh, S. (2022). 10 Podcasting: What next? In The power of Podcasting: Telling stories through sound. New York: Columbia University Press.
McHugh, S. (2016). How podcasting is changing the audio storytelling genre. Radio Journal--International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 14(1), 65-82. https://doi.org/10.1386/rjao.14.1.65_1
Misener, D. (2018, July 5). Podcasters, have you looked at your secondary categories lately? https://blog.pacificcontent.com/podcasters-have-you-looked-at-your-secondary-categories-lately-7f9b978650aa
Morris, J. W. (2021). Infrastructures of discovery: Examining podcast ratings and rankings. Cultural Studies, 35(4-5), 728-749. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2021.1895246
Nee, R. C., & Santana, A. D. (2022). Podcasting the pandemic: Exploring storytelling formats and shifting journalistic norms in news podcasts related to the coronavirus. Journalism Practice, 16(8), 1559-1577. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1882874
Özel, S. (2022). Spotify effect in new podcast markets. Combined model proposal for analysis of increasing interest in podcasting: The case of Turkey. Profesional De La información, 31(5), https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2022.sep.01
Pensute, C. (2018). Podcast: Alternative media: a comparative case study between the United States and Thailand. NBTC Journal, 2(3), 272–289.
Perez, S. (2021, March 2). Spotify podcast listeners to top Apple’s for the first time in 2021, forecast claims. https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/02/spotify-podcast-listeners-to-top-apples-for-the-first-time-in-2021-forecast-claims/
Pérez-Alaejos, M., Terol-Bolinches, R., & Barrios-Rubio, A. (2022). Podcast production and marketing strategies on the main platforms in Europe, North America, and Latin America. Situation and perspectives. Profesional De La información, 31(5), https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2022.sep.22
Podcast Insights. (2018). Top 3 Podcast hosts. https://bit.ly/2GVuJsw
Prasertkul, T., Chanthamas, A., & Putthitarn, L. (2016). Using Podcast and the show ‘WiTcast’ to disseminate and promote the public understanding of research. https://elibrary.trf.or.th/project_content.asp?PJID=RUG5990002
Riemer, K., & Filius, S. (2009). Contextualising media choice using genre analysis. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 1,164–176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-008-0015-2
Rompho, N., Boon-itt, S., & Puvaratmeta watchara, N. (2022). Podcasting in Thailand: Factors of users’ satisfaction and behaviors. Panyapiwat Journal, 14(1), https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/pimjournal/article/view/248840
Russell, J. (2019, February 15). Spotify says it paid $340M to buy Gimlet and Anchor. https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/14/spotify-gimlet-anchor-340-million/
Scriven, R. (2019). Podcasts as a tool to engage broader audiences. Learning Connections 2019: Spaces, People, Practice (pp. 192-195). Cork, Ireland: University College Cork.
Shamburg, C. (2020). Cases of successful independent educationally oriented podcasters. E-Learning and Digital Media, 17(6), 505-520. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753020946281
Sichen, A. X. (2020). Genre analysis in the digital era: Developments and challenges. ESP Today, 8(1), 141-159.
Statistics Newsletter. (2008). http://service.nso.go.th/nso/nsopublish/pubs/sns/5008.pdf
Sullivan, J. L. (2019). The platforms of Podcasting: Past and present. Social Media + Society, 5(4), https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119880002.
Tarmawan, I., Rusdiyana, R., Salim, A., & Ulpah, A. (2021). The role of podcasts as an alternative media for learning and distribution of audio based content. International Journal of Research and Applied Technology (INJURATECH), 1(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.34010/injuratech.v1i1.5453
Thomas, G., & Shaw, M. (2019). Power of Podcasts (Editorial). The Sport and Exercise Scientist, 59, 10.
Tsagkias, M., Larson, M., Weerkamp, W., & de Rijke, M. (2008). PodCred: A framework for analyzing podcast preference. Proceedings of the 2Nd ACM Workshop on Information Credibility on the Web (pp. 67-74). New York: Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/1458527.1458545.
Watson, S., & Pollete, C. (2021). How Podcasting works. https://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/podcasting.htm
Winn, R. (2020). List of iTunes Podcast categories (Podcast Connect Categories). https://www.podcastinsights.com/itunes-podcast-categories/