Aural Parasocial Relations: Host–Listener Relationships in Podcasts

ABSTRACT Podcasts have been on the rise recently with both audience numbers and advertising revenue increasing. Scholars have been scrutinizing the medium for quite some time. However, empirical research into the effects of podcast in general and their hosts in particular have been rare. Against the backdrop of the parasocial relations (PSR) approach, we therefore conducted an exploratory online survey of German podcast listeners (n = 804) asking which characteristics of a podcast host promote ties with listeners and whether these have persuasive effects. The study showed that audio media are capable of fostering PSR that can have an impact on listeners’ attitudes and behaviors.