Artifacts: Stories from the Emotional History of the Internet

Artifacts is a storytelling podcast about the technology, media, and digital culture we've left behind, and the feelings that remain. Each episode begins with a familiar artifact - a burned CD, a dial-up modem, a movie rental store, a family computer, a paper map - and unfolds into a story about memory, identity, creativity, belonging, curiosity, and the experiences we still carry with us today. This isn't just a show about old technology. It's about the people who grew up alongside it. Hosted by award-winning podcaster Danny Brown, Artifacts blends personal storytelling, cultural history, and thoughtful reflection to explore why some of the most ordinary objects became the milestones of our lives. Because sometimes the objects fade, but the feeling doesn't.

  1. 3d ago ·  Bonus

    Bonus: This Week in Fandom History

    Enjoying the show? Support it here. I recently discovered This Week in Fandom History, a podcast exploring the history of fandom, internet culture and the communities that grow around the things people love. It felt like such a natural fit for the Artifacts audience that I wanted to introduce you to the show properly. For this bonus episode, they've put together a special 10-minute cut of one of their recent episodes. A quick heads-up: this episode contains some adult language, which is natural to This Week in Fandom History but a little different from what you'll normally hear on Artifacts. If you enjoy it, be sure to check out the full show and its back catalogue. Mentioned in this episode: This Week In Fandom History | Discover Fandom Stories — Listen Now Get InvolvedIf you enjoy Artifacts, you can support it with either a one-off tip, or become a monthly Archivist. No commitment - just a simple way to say thanks. Show your support here. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! And please let your friends know they can listen for free on Apple Podcasts or their preferred podcast app, or online at Artifacts Podcast. The ArchiveThe sister newsletter to the Artifacts podcast, sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode, a forgotten corner of the internet I've stumbled across, or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away. Get the Artifacts Newsletter Products I Use for ArtifactsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link. My equipment: RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesElgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile Recommended resources: Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationHindenburg Pro recording and editingAuphonic mastering tool for audio post productionBeehiiv email marketing

  2. Sep 25 ·  Bonus

    What Season 2 Taught Me About Artifacts

    Enjoying the show? Support it here. Season 2 of Artifacts was an experiment. After a first season built around the objects and technology we remember, I wanted to try something different, starting with the experiences technology changed rather than the artifacts themselves. Looking back, I'm glad I did. Not because I think every experiment worked perfectly, but because it helped me understand what makes Artifacts feel like Artifacts. In this bonus episode, I look back at Season 2, the things I learned along the way, the one-star shareware review that reminded me to keep questioning my research, and why Season 3 is going back to the things themselves. Get InvolvedIf you enjoy Artifacts, you can support it with either a one-off tip, or become a monthly Archivist. No commitment - just a simple way to say thanks. Show your support here. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! And please let your friends know they can listen for free on Apple Podcasts or their preferred podcast app, or online at Artifacts Podcast. The ArchiveThe sister newsletter to the Artifacts podcast, sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode, a forgotten corner of the internet I've stumbled across, or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away. Get the Artifacts Newsletter Products I Use for ArtifactsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link. My equipment: RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesElgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile Recommended resources: Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationHindenburg Pro recording and editingAuphonic mastering tool for audio post productionBeehiiv email marketing

  3. Sep 18

    The Memory Cards We Couldn't Bear to Lose

    Enjoying the show? Support it here. There was a time when saving a game meant writing down a password, carefully copying a code from the screen, or trusting a little piece of plastic not to lose your progress. In this episode of Artifacts, I look at how memory cards changed the way we played and what happened when our game saves became something we could carry with us, from the early days of dedicated memory cards to the wonderfully weird Dreamcast VMU. And why, years later, those tiny cards can still take us straight back to the people and places we were when we used them. Get InvolvedIf you enjoy Artifacts, you can support it with either a one-off tip, or become a monthly Archivist. No commitment - just a simple way to say thanks. Show your support here. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! And please let your friends know they can listen for free on Apple Podcasts or their preferred podcast app, or online at Artifacts Podcast. The ArchiveThe sister newsletter to the Artifacts podcast, sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode, a forgotten corner of the internet I've stumbled across, or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away. Get the Artifacts Newsletter Products I Use for ArtifactsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link. My equipment: RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesElgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile Recommended resources: Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationHindenburg Pro recording and editingAuphonic mastering tool for audio post productionBeehiiv email marketing

  4. Sep 11

    Gopher: The Internet We Almost Had

    Enjoying the show? Support it here. Before the Web became the Internet as we know it, there were other ways of finding your way around. Gopher was one of them - a menu-driven system that made it easier to explore information across the early Internet. For a while, Gopher was a genuine competitor to the World Wide Web. Then the Web became free, Mosaic arrived, and the Internet took a very different path. In this episode of Artifacts, I look at Gopher, what it was like to explore the early Internet through menus and directories, and what its disappearance tells us about the futures technology leaves behind. Mentioned in this episode: Networking & The Web | Timeline of Computer History | Computer History MuseumRFC 1436 - The Internet Gopher Protocol (a distributed document search and retrieval protocol)Internet Gopher — NSFNETThe Cutting Edge: Computing / Technology / Innovation : POSTCARDS FROM CYBERSPACE : Exploring the Depths of the Internet - Los Angeles Times Get InvolvedIf you enjoy Artifacts, you can support it with either a one-off tip, or become a monthly Archivist. No commitment - just a simple way to say thanks. Show your support here. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! And please let your friends know they can listen for free on Apple Podcasts or their preferred podcast app, or online at Artifacts Podcast. The ArchiveThe sister newsletter to the Artifacts podcast, sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode, a forgotten corner of the internet I've stumbled across, or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away. Get the Artifacts Newsletter Products I Use for ArtifactsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link. My equipment: RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesElgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile Recommended resources: Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationHindenburg Pro recording and editingAuphonic mastering tool for audio post productionBeehiiv email marketing

  5. Sep 4

    The Shareware Games That Asked Us to Trust Them

    Enjoying the show? Support it here. Before app stores, digital storefronts and endless in-game purchases, there was shareware. You could get a game for free, play it, and decide whether it was worth sending money to the person who made it. In this episode of Artifacts, I look back at shareware games, registration cards, and the surprisingly personal relationship between creators and players, and how that compares with today's world of DLC, premium editions, and paying to unlock more of what you've already bought. Get InvolvedIf you enjoy Artifacts, you can support it with either a one-off tip, or become a monthly Archivist. No commitment - just a simple way to say thanks. Show your support here. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! And please let your friends know they can listen for free on Apple Podcasts or their preferred podcast app, or online at Artifacts Podcast. The ArchiveThe sister newsletter to the Artifacts podcast, sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode, a forgotten corner of the internet I've stumbled across, or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away. Get the Artifacts Newsletter Products I Use for ArtifactsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link. My equipment: RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesElgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile Recommended resources: Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationHindenburg Pro recording and editingAuphonic mastering tool for audio post productionBeehiiv email marketing

  6. Aug 28

    The Home Videos We Never Meant to Keep

    Enjoying the show? Support it here. There was a time when recording video felt like an event. Then cameras got smaller, digital storage made recording easier, and suddenly we were capturing the ordinary moments too - family dinners, holidays, kids playing, conversations and afternoons that didn't seem important at the time. In this episode of Artifacts, Danny Brown looks at how home video changed what we chose to remember, and why those imperfect recordings can become some of the most meaningful artifacts we have. Get InvolvedIf you enjoy Artifacts, you can support it with either a one-off tip, or become a monthly Archivist. No commitment - just a simple way to say thanks. Show your support here. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! And please let your friends know they can listen for free on Apple Podcasts or their preferred podcast app, or online at Artifacts Podcast. The ArchiveThe sister newsletter to the Artifacts podcast, sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode, a forgotten corner of the internet I've stumbled across, or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away. Get the Artifacts Newsletter Products I Use for ArtifactsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link. My equipment: RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesElgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile Recommended resources: Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationHindenburg Pro recording and editingAuphonic mastering tool for audio post productionBeehiiv email marketing

  7. Aug 21

    Why Owning Software Used to Feel Different

    Enjoying the show? Support it here. Do you remember when software came in boxes? Before downloads, cloud accounts, and subscriptions, buying software meant bringing something home. A box. A disc. A manual. Maybe a registration card. And somewhere inside was that tiny product key you absolutely couldn't afford to lose. You installed the software, put the box on a shelf, and knew that you owned it. In this episode of Artifacts, Danny Brown explores the old world of boxed software and the sense of permanence that came with it. From enormous cardboard packages and installation discs to product keys tucked safely away, these weren't just things we used. They were physical evidence of something we'd bought and made part of our lives. Get InvolvedIf you enjoy Artifacts, you can support it with either a one-off tip, or become a monthly Archivist. No commitment - just a simple way to say thanks. Show your support here. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! And please let your friends know they can listen for free on Apple Podcasts or their preferred podcast app, or online at Artifacts Podcast. The ArchiveThe sister newsletter to the Artifacts podcast, sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode, a forgotten corner of the internet I've stumbled across, or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away. Get the Artifacts Newsletter Products I Use for ArtifactsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link. My equipment: RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesElgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile Recommended resources: Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationHindenburg Pro recording and editingAuphonic mastering tool for audio post productionBeehiiv email marketing

  8. Aug 14

    The Magic of Encarta

    Enjoying the show? Support it here. What did it feel like to discover an entire world inside a CD-ROM? A time before Google, Wikipedia, and instant answers, when there was a different way to explore knowledge. CD-ROM encyclopedias like Microsoft Encarta turned the family computer into a doorway to somewhere much bigger. You could look up the Roman Empire, discover dinosaurs, explore a map, watch a video, and somehow end up learning about something you never intended to find. In this episode of Artifacts, Danny Brown explores the likes of Encarta and the sense of wonder they created. Not simply because they contained an enormous amount of information, but because they encouraged us to wander through it. Because finding an answer is one thing. Discovering something is another. Get InvolvedIf you enjoy Artifacts, you can support it with either a one-off tip, or become a monthly Archivist. No commitment - just a simple way to say thanks. Show your support here. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! And please let your friends know they can listen for free on Apple Podcasts or their preferred podcast app, or online at Artifacts Podcast. The ArchiveThe sister newsletter to the Artifacts podcast, sharing a story that didn't quite fit into an episode, a forgotten corner of the internet I've stumbled across, or a memory that deserves preserving before it quietly fades away. Get the Artifacts Newsletter Products I Use for ArtifactsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link. My equipment: RODE NT1-A large diaphragm condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesElgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile Recommended resources: Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationHindenburg Pro recording and editingAuphonic mastering tool for audio post productionBeehiiv email marketing

Trailers

2.9
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

Artifacts is a storytelling podcast about the technology, media, and digital culture we've left behind, and the feelings that remain. Each episode begins with a familiar artifact - a burned CD, a dial-up modem, a movie rental store, a family computer, a paper map - and unfolds into a story about memory, identity, creativity, belonging, curiosity, and the experiences we still carry with us today. This isn't just a show about old technology. It's about the people who grew up alongside it. Hosted by award-winning podcaster Danny Brown, Artifacts blends personal storytelling, cultural history, and thoughtful reflection to explore why some of the most ordinary objects became the milestones of our lives. Because sometimes the objects fade, but the feeling doesn't.

More From DB Media

You Might Also Like