Why Everyone Stopped Asking 'What's a Podcast?'

Tonight on The New Media Show Live at 6pm EST/3pm PST, we’re calling it: the “What’s a podcast?” The era is over. For years, the industry debated definitions while audiences quietly changed how they consume content. They moved across platforms, screens, and formats without asking permission. This conversation is not about redefining podcasting. It’s about accepting how people actually use content today. Rob Greenlee is joined live by Cliff Ravenscraft, the Podcast AnswerMan, who is returning to his long-running podcast after stepping away for several years. Why did Cliff walk away? Why come back now? And what changed in both his life and the podcasting market to make this the right moment? We break down the Zero plus Four Eras of Podcasting, from the early audio and video days through the MeUndies era, the experimentation and acquisition rush, the identity-crisis years, and into today’s Liquid Content Era. We discuss how audiences have already decided that podcasting is audio and video, why YouTube has become the default platform for listening and watching, and what creators misunderstand about audience behavior. The episode closes with practical guidance on what liquid content really means, who should expand formats and who shouldn’t, and why the future of podcasting is about flow, not format. Want to create live audio and video show streams like this? Support Trust Factor Lab by checking out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5606177711325184