Both locally and around the world, podcasts are popping.<\/p>\n
According to Pew Research <\/a>Center<\/a>, more than half of adults in the United States have listened to a podcast in the last year, with a full two-thirds of those aged 18-29 tuning in.<\/p>\n The digital listening world is only trending up.<\/p>\n Think of a podcast like talk radio for the digital era \u2014 episodic content created for digital download, taking its name first from the iPod, the audio listening device that popularized the medium in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n They can be on any topic, from news to comedy to even their own versions of \u201cradio dramas.\u201d On Apple <\/a>Podcasts<\/a>, the chart-topping shows include true crime show \u201cCrime Junkie,\u201d news programs such as \u201cThe Daily\u201d and \u201cDateline NBC,\u201d and celebrity-hosted interview podcasts such as \u201cThe Joe Rogan Experience\u201d and \u201cGood Hang with Amy Poehler.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s been more than two decades since podcasts were made available on iTunes, and the audio medium has boomed around the world \u2014 but also here in Pittsburgh. From chatfests about movies and pop culture to audio game shows to podcasts about Pittsburgh, the local scene is flourishing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe scene is growing, it\u2019s getting more robust. I\u2019m seeing a lot of the same faces come out to meetups, so there\u2019s a little bit more stability,\u201d said Jeff Rivella, longtime Pittsburgh-based podcast host and owner of Poduty Podcast Theater in Tarentum.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for something new to listen to on your commute, tune in for one of these local podcasts.<\/p>\n Yinz Are Good<\/p>\n We could all use a little good news in our lives, and \u201cYinz Are Good\u201d<\/a> creator and host Tressa Glover is here to provide a weekly dose of good old-fashioned Pittsburgh niceness.<\/p>\n Now 212 episodes in, Glover has found a calling in brightening the local community. \u201cI thought, \u2018What if I do a podcast that shows the good news going on?\u2019 \u201d Glover said.<\/p>\n Episodes typically range from 40-60 minutes and involve interviews with individuals, institutions and nonprofits with good news and deeds to share.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a woman reach out and say, \u2018My 12-year-old son is doing something in our neighborhood for folks in need; I\u2019d love it if you\u2019d talk to him,\u2019 and I was like, \u2018I absolutely will!\u2019 \u201d Glover said.<\/p>\n She also has segments that include \u201cName That Neighborhood,\u201d where she asks someone else \u2014 usually her husband, Don \u2014 to take a little quiz.<\/p>\n \u201cI give him two Pittsburgh neighborhoods and then I give a fact and he has to guess which one I\u2019m talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n From the germ of an idea in late 2019 to a hundreds-episode-strong show that\u2019s been heard in 98 countries, \u201cYinz Are Good\u201d has been a positive force for its listeners and for Glover herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI found my calling for this chapter of my life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Trivia with Jeff<\/p>\n Jeff Revilla is both an old hand and a jack-of-all-trades at podcasting at this point. Not only has he been hosting a variety of pods since 2011, but he also organizes monthly local podcaster meetups in addition to running Poduty Live Podcast Theater.<\/p>\n That theater is the venue where he records \u201cTrivia with Jeff,\u201d<\/a> his latest foray into the world of podcasts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like \u2018Who Wants to Be a Millionaire\u2019 meets \u2018Let\u2019s Make aDeal.\u2019 There\u2019s some chaos and it\u2019s a lot of fun,\u201d Revilla said.<\/p>\n The podcast is a function of his belief that the next frontier for podcasts will go beyond audio and into video.<\/p>\n \u201cTrivia with Jeff\u201d is recorded with a live, interactive audience and then is posted to audio and video platforms. He said that he\u2019s already gotten more than 10,000 views on the first four episodes.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a brand new show, I\u2019m really excited about that,\u201d Revilla said.<\/p>\n The podcast theater is a project he\u2019s been running for about two years now, with the purpose of bringing in other shows to tape interactive podcast episodes.<\/p>\n \u201cI see the future for smaller independent podcasters as live performances, the same way comedians perform at comedy clubs.\u201d<\/p>\n The theater also allows for virtual ticketing, so live podcast episodes can be attended by a seemingly infinite number of people and then posted online for audio\/video consumption later.<\/p>\n \u201cI joke that my little 40-seat theater in Tarentum has the same capacity as Madison Square Garden,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n YaJagoff!<\/p>\n