Which two words form the portmanteau "podcast"?

The portmanteau “podcast” combines “iPod” and “broadcast.” The name emerged in 2004, when downloadable audio programs were beginning to combine portable MP3 players, weblogs, and internet distribution.

The “pod” portion referred to Apple’s iPod, then the best-known portable digital music player. The “cast” portion shortened “broadcast,” linking the new format to radio while emphasizing that episodes could be downloaded and heard later. The term was coined before Apple itself added official podcast tools to iTunes.

The name is historical rather than technically limiting. Podcasts can be played on phones, computers, smart speakers, and many non-Apple devices; an iPod is not required. Early podcasting depended on RSS feeds, which allowed software to detect new episodes and download them automatically. That subscription model distinguished podcasts from ordinary audio files posted online.