Podcasts as an emerging register of computer-mediated communication

Abstract Podcasts, a relatively recent audio medium, have risen in popularity since their initial appearance in the mid-2000s. Yet, little is known about their lexico-grammatical characteristics and their relation to other computer-mediated and traditional registers. Addressing this gap, we apply Biber-style multidimensional analysis (MDA) to a representative sample of Spotify podcast transcripts and selected computer-mediated registers (e.g., informational blog, interview) as well as traditional spoken registers (e.g., broadcast, conversation). We compare their lexico-grammatical characteristics to those of other registers along the emerging dimensions. We find that, while podcasts share some linguistic characteristics with traditional spoken registers such as broadcast discussion and scripted speech, they are unlike any of the analyzed registers. In fact, their most striking characteristic is their considerable internal variability, likely related to their versatility but also due to their mixing of features and very diverse nature. In short, podcasts are an emerging register of computer-mediated communication.