What is a podcast?
播客的定義是什麼？
When I first started 時事英文 back in 2021, podcasts were mostly audio.
I recall having the following conversation with many family members and friends (以下簡稱 FF):
FF: What have you been up to lately?最近在幹嘛？
Han: Oh, I run a podcast.
我在經營 podcast。
FF: Podcast? What's that?
Podcast 是什麼？
Han: Imagine a YouTube video but without visuals, just audio.
想像一個 YouTube 影片但沒有圖像只有聲音。
🎧 🎧 🎧
Fast forward to 2026, a crucial question the podcast industry has been debating for quite some time is:
Can a podcast be video?
播客可以是影片形式的嗎？
Firstory (時事英文的託管平台) recently released a Podcast 2026 年度趨勢報告, and in it they share an article from Amplifi Media (這是一個博客顧問公司的名字). According to the article:
Podcasting is not audio or video ... it's both
播客既不是純音檔也不是純影片 … 它兩者兼具。
Which means my quick "just audio" explanation, used to appease so many family members and friends, doesn't really work anymore!
😅😅😅
But if podcast is no longer an audio format, then what is it? Feels kinda confusing right?
Amplifi Media explains,
A podcast isn't really a format anymore — it's a form. It's a style of storytelling.
播客不再只是一種 format (格式；傳播內容的格式)，而是一種 form (形式)。它是一種 storytelling (講故事；用故事來溝通或敘述事情) 的方式。
The article doesn't really go into detail on what this specific storytelling style entails, but here's how I view it.
Podcasts are all about connection
播客的重點在於聽眾與主持人的聯結
Podcast 就是一種 content (內容)，但比起其他內容，podcast 更注重聽眾與主持人的之間的聯結。一種距離更近的感覺？
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Does this all mean I need to start thinking about video more?
Maybe.
But I'll leave that for the future.
I know I'm not ready to spend time on video. That's not where my brain wants to go at the moment.
For now, when I think of:
What makes a good podcast?
好的播客需要具備哪些要素？
My answer is:
❤️ Content that makes people think and feel.
能引發人們思考和感受的內容。
❤️ Content that touch hearts and leave a mark.
觸動人心、給人留下深刻印象的內容。
So for now, I guess I will just let my curiosity continue to lead the way. Creating content about topics that I'm curious about, telling stories that interest me...
And along the way, hopefully touch some hearts :)
PS: 這個 From Han 系列既然定義為心裡話系列我就希望隨意一些，不需要太多修飾。但！我有點擔心都沒有附上中文翻譯，你是否覺得可以接受？還是希望下一篇包含更多中文翻譯呢？歡迎留言告訴我 💕
