Podcasting in Digital Media: Global Context and Trends in Kazakhstan

Abstract

The rapid development of digital media has transformed the ways in which information is produced, distributed, and consumed, contributing to the emergence of podcasting as an independent media format within journalism. While podcasting in the global media environment has developed sustainable mechanisms of professionalization, monetization, and audience engagement, its institutional, technological, and content-related characteristics in Kazakhstan still require systematic investigation. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to analyze the development of podcasting in digital media based on international experience and to identify the specific features of its formation and key trends in Kazakhstan.

The study employed descriptive, comparative-analytical, and systematization methods. The historical development of podcasting, as well as its functional and genre-specific characteristics, was examined on the basis of scholarly literature. International and Kazakhstani podcast projects were compared in terms of content, audience, distribution channels, monetization mechanisms, and level of professionalization. In addition, statistical data from open sources and indicators from digital platforms were used to identify the socio-cultural, technological, and legal factors influencing the development of podcasting in Kazakhstan.

The findings show that, in international practice, podcasting has become established as an independent media product, with developed models of professional production, monetization, and sustained audience engagement. In Kazakhstan, the development of podcasting is facilitated by the accessibility of the internet and mobile technologies, the activity of younger audiences, and the growth of Kazakh-language digital content. At the same time, domestic podcasting is characterized by insufficiently developed sustainable monetization mechanisms, uneven levels of professional production, as well as limited institutional support and weak legal regulation. The findings make it possible to systematize the current directions of podcasting development in Kazakhstan and to assess its potential within the country’s digital journalism.