What is Podcasting
Podcasting is quickly becoming a buzz word among the techie
crowd. So what is podcasting, anyway? Podcasting is online audio
content that is delivered via an RSS feed. Many people liken
podcasting to radio on demand. However, in reality, podcasting gives
far more options in terms of content and programming than radio
does. In addition, with Podcasting, listeners can determine the time
and the place, meaning they decide what programming they want to
receive and when they want to listen to it.
Listeners can retain audio archives to listen to at
their leisure. While blogs have turned many bloggers into
journalists, podcasting has the potential to turn podcasters into
radio personalities.
Podcasting can be used for:
1. Self-Guided Walking Tours -
Informational content.
2. Music - Band promotional clips and interviews.
3. Talk Shows - Industry or organizational news,
investor news, sportscasts, news coverage and commentaries.
4. Training - Instructional
informational materials.
5. Story - Story telling for children
or the visually-impaired.
Podcasting is the syndication of audio files using
RSS. Podcasting works the same as a standard RSS feed reader or news
aggregator, the only difference is that the feed you subscribe to
contains an audio file in it. Instead of reading content in your RSS
feed reader or aggregator, you can listen to the contents of your
feed using a reader or aggregator that supports podcasting, or you
can listen to them on an iPod or similar device. While podcasting
was named for the iPod, you do not have to have an iPod to listen to
a podcast. Podcasts can be displayed on websites with clickable
links to audio files and many of the standard RSS readers, like
FeedDemon's latest beta, have begun supporting audio enclosures.
The audio file that makes the feed a podcast rather
than a standard RSS feed is contained in the 'enclosure' tag. The
easiest way to think of this is as an e-mail attachment.
Although the "enclosure" tag is not new to RSS feeds
and has been included in the RSS v2.0 specification for about four
years, podcasting has only really been around since August of 2004.
Webmasters are finding creative ways to provide
media-rich content. The syndication aspect and potential increase in
audience size are an attractive lure. Listeners benefit from
podcasting because, like RSS, podcasting is a means to publish
content that ultimately gives the recipient the control over the
information they want to see or hear.
Podcasting Resources -
Podcasting Tools -
http://www.podcasting-tools.com
Podcast Alley -
http://www.podcastalley.com
PodcastBunker -
http://www.podcastbunker.com
Podcasting News -
http://www.podcastingnews.com
It will be interesting to see how this publishing
medium develops. Currently, only the technical crowd has endorsed
podcasting as a new audio medium, but the potential is real and the
process is not overly complex. With a little time I think this field
will develop and prosper.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll
http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts.
In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage
http://www.notepage.net a
wireless text messaging software company.
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