How Podcasting is Used
By S. Housley
Although podcasting is new, it is well on its way to
becoming a mainstream communication medium. Podcasting, simply put,
is audio files that are delivered via RSS. Many people believe that
podcasting is solely for the distribution of music files, but
really, nothing could be further from the truth. This emerging
method of audio file distribution has opened an array of marketing
and communication opportunities to businesses. Currently, most who
are familiar with podcasting are technically savvy, but it is clear
that podcasting will be more than a passing fad as many businesses
are adopting podcasting and employing it in unusual yet powerful
ways. Podcasting can be used for talk shows, tutorials, music demos,
educational training, stories, comedy clips, debates or even foreign
language tutorials.
While RSS has had the capacity to include audio
files for a few years, only recently have entrepreneurs made the
conceptual leap, taking advantage of the new power held within this
communication medium. In reality, podcasters cover the gamut; some
are professional broadcasters, while others are obvious amateurs.
Podcasts are usually published with associated meta
information that includes descriptive data about each specific audio
file. This allows listeners to make a determination of which audio
items are of interest. If listeners are using a news aggregator that
supports podcasting, they will automatically receive updates in
their feed reader or news aggregation software when a new podcast
exists for a feed that they have subscribed to.
Why is podcasting so beneficial to the
subscriber?
Unlike traditional radio, with podcasting the subscriber decides
what content he/she receives. Podcasting is extremely useful to the
subscriber because the user can easily receive information he/she
would like, and listen to it when they want. The material, once
downloaded, can be listened to and viewed on wireless handhelds,
allowing subscribers to utilize time on the road.
Topic-specific radio talk shows with commentaries,
interviews and debates can now be heard at a time and place of the
listener's choosing. Consider the benefit of educational tutorials
and foreign language instruction; lessons could be listened to
during a work commute. Supplementary class lectures, step by step
tutorials or walking guides are all possible using podcasting. An
unlimited collection of books read aloud for elderly or
visually-impaired listeners only scratch the surface of what is
possible in the future of podcasting.
The fate of podcasting is in the hands of the
subscribers. The subscriber can easily delete podcast feeds that do
not satisfy their needs with the single tap of a button. Ultimately,
the subscriber maintains control and determines what podcasts are
deemed successful. This intrinsically builds in a quality control
level and will ensure that the more innovative instructional and
interesting podcast feeds survive.
The technology is fresh and, like the Internet, is
opening doors to entrepreneurs. As podcasting evolves, users will
find more creative kinds of audio content to deliver. The low
barrier to entry has forced this new medium to the forefront, as
businesses and individuals have really little to lose in adding
podcasting as a communication channel.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll
http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing and publishing RSS feeds and NotePage,
Inc. http://www.notepage.net a
wireless messaging software company.
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