Podcast

A podcast is a form of digital media that consists of an episodic series of audio, video, digital radio, PDF, or ePub files subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication or streamed online to a computer or mobile device. The word is a portmanteau of "(i)Pod" and "broadcast."

The Merriam Webster Tenth International Collegiate defines "podcast" as: a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet.

A podcast's distributor maintains a list of audio or video files in a series on a server as a web feed, and the listener or viewer uses special client application software, known as a podcatcher, to access this web feed, check it for updates, and download any new files in the series. This process can be automated so that new files are downloaded automatically, which may seem to the user as if the content is being broadcast or "pushed" to them. Files are stored locally on the user's computer or other device, ready for offline use. Podcasting contrasts with webcasting (Internet streaming), which generally isn't designed for offline listening to user-selected content.