Aural entertainment media have always been far more ephemeral than their visual counterparts, and 'Making Podcast Physical' is a design project that recognizes how podcasts are the most immaterial of all. Theoretically, music is just as transient, but music has a history of tactility in the (newly resurgent) form of vinyl records, whereas podcast have always been a purely digital form of entertainment. Making Podcast Physical conjectures as to what podcasts might look like if they had tangible avatars.
Making Podcast Physical takes a number of popular podcasts, such as 'Serial' and 'It's Your Universe', and puts them into common containers. For example, serial is reimagined as an elegantly bound book, while It's Your Universe is placed into small paint cans. Each of the podcasts is indeed found inside its casing, though the project isn't planning on releasing those tactile products to the public.
Physical Podcast Manifestations
'Making Podcast Physical' Imagines Podcasts in Different Vessels
Trend Themes
1. Tangible Podcast Experiences - Exploring the potential for podcasts to have physical manifestations opens up opportunities for creating unique and immersive listening experiences.
2. Podcast Merchandising - Reimagining podcasts as tangible objects presents opportunities for podcast creators to expand their merchandise offerings and engage with fans in new ways.
3. Blending Physical and Digital Media - Combining physical containers with digital content allows for innovative storytelling possibilities and bridges the gap between traditional and digital media formats.
Industry Implications
1. Publishing - The publishing industry could explore partnerships with podcast creators to develop physical form factors for popular podcasts, providing a new revenue stream and attracting a broader audience.
2. Entertainment Merchandise - The entertainment merchandise industry can tap into the growing popularity of podcasts by creating unique and collectible physical items that represent podcast content and appeal to fans.
3. Augmented Reality - The augmented reality industry can leverage the concept of physical podcast manifestations to create interactive experiences that blur the boundaries between virtual and physical content.