‘Un-Podcasting’ as Method: How Music and Running Podcasts Shaped a New Definition of Podcasting

This chapter presents an experimental, practice-based inquiry into podcasting as an evolving cultural form, culminating in a proposed new definition: “A podcast is an audio-focused cultural form that is constructed by social innovation in content production” (Boehm, EPOD 2025). Through the creation of CBDB Runs (a music-infused running podcast hosted on Mixcloud), the research explores how technological affordances, licensing constraints, and creative agency shape podcasting’s conceptual boundaries. The study positions podcasting within frameworks such as Sacco’s Culture 3.0 and Boehm’s University 3.0, emphasising participatory cultural practices and co-productive educational models. Section 1 examines the podcast practice itself, highlighting how music immersion and reflective narrative function as tools for embodied learning, personal development, and community engagement. Section 2 critically analyses the evolution of podcasting terminology and discourse, contextualising the integration of music within broader debates on authenticity, inclusivity, and innovation in educational podcasting. By tethering this practice to existing scholarship and EPOD discourses, the chapter argues that experimental approaches (such as “un-podcasting”) can challenge industry norms and expand podcasting’s role as a learning environment beyond traditional classrooms. This work contributes to ongoing discussions about how podcasts can remain flexible, socially innovative, and culturally significant in a rapidly shifting media landscape.