WebProNews

Among all the popular blogs and online video clips, podcasts tend to get forgotten.  Or so we figured, anyway; new stats from Wizzard Media claim that around 1 billion podcasts were downloaded from it alone in 2007.

According to Wizzard Media, this means an increase in download requests of nearly 300 percent occurred between 2006 and 2007.  That's not at all bad for something that rarely gets discussed.  Also, lest anyone write the information off as self-promotional exaggerations, Marshall Kirkpatrick voiced his support for the idea of growth.

"While online media consumption numbers are notoriously hard to verify, Wizzard's have some serious merit," he wrote.  Kirkpatrick also noted, "Wizzard raised $7.5 million in funding this summer," so other people also have faith in both the company and podcasting.

Look for the growth trend to continue in 2008 - as the writers' strike drags on, all types of Web content are likely to become more popular.  Also, the online ad market has been identified as one of the safer financial bets available, so money will likely continue to flow, as well.

Want some tips on how to start (or continue) podcasting?  Kara Ratliff covered the topic earlier this week.