Four steps in innovative radio broadcasting: From QuickTime to podcasting

Is podcasting the future of radio? Is podcasting that missing link connecting radio and the Net that Internet radio stations were not able to establish? Is podcasting a revolutionary or a transitory cultural trend? Furthermore, is podcasting a way towards a more democratic audio media system or is it rather a new tool in the hands of the multinational recording industry? This article will explore these questions, providing an historical framework to the introduction of digital sound (from 1991 to 2007) and related social practices, distinguishing four main phases: the birth of the popular use of digital music; Web radio; Music for free; the iPod and podcasting.