Podcasting 101 eCourse
Monday, May 16th 2011 @ 4:51 PM (not yet rated)
Introduction
In this lesson you'll learn what podcasting is and where it came from. By the end of the lesson you'll have the rudimentary knowledge you need to get through the rest of course AND know what you're talking about in a conversation.
What is podcasting?
The term "podcasting" can be confusing to some people, because it draws its origin from the combination of the word "iPod" and the word "broadcast." While you do not need an iPod to enjoy podcasting, the term probably caught on for convenience, and its audible similarity to the word "broadcast."
Although we'll get into the technical terms later, podcasting is an audio file that you can listen to on your computer or on a portable device. Note that it does not have to be an iPod, but can be almost any kind of portable audio device, also referred to as an MP3 player. An MP3 player, though, is also a misnomer because these devices will often play more than just MP3 files.
How can I understand podcasting?
If you were to ask someone on the street what podcasting is, most of them will not have any idea what you are talking about. They will ask if you said "broadcasting." You might explain to them that it is a special audio file that you can listen to on your MP3 player. But even then you would not be doing it justice. Here are some other ways of understanding what podcasting is.
In the introduction section you were probably reminded of your childhood when the people in your household fought over the sections of the newspaper that had been delivered to your door. If you can imagine that same newspaper, rather than being delivered in one section to your front door, but being packaged up in individual sections for each member of your family, with the sections that are not read left out completely.
That is one way to think of podcasting: the information that you are interested in delivered to you, without the stuff you don't want. Some people have called podcasting TiVo radio.
Another way to think of podcasting is like a radio program that is only about your specific interests and when you click the link or synchronize your MP3 player with your computer, it gets downloaded to you automatically.
It's like you're the owner of the radio station. You tell the DJ what you want to hear and they'll play it for you. All news? All sports? Regular updates on the financial markets? Entertainment news? Information on your industry? No problem, it's all at your personal DJ's fingertips and in moments it's playing in your ears.
And a third way to think of podcasting is a targeted audio program for businesses to add value to their customers and prospects, and for organizations to pass information on to their users.
However you think of podcasting, other people will still give you a funny look because it is still in its infancy. In fact, the term "podcasting" was only coined in 2004! It won't be long, though, and everyone will be talking about it.
How does it work?
Essentially, podcasting allows you to select the things you'd like to listen to, subscribe to them, have them downloaded to your computer or portable audio device, and listen to them when you want to. Once you've subscribed, they will update automatically for you, like a magazine you don't think about until the subscription arrives in your mailbox every month.
What is the advantage of a podcast over other types of broadcasting? Podcasts assimilate radio, portable CD players, and satellite radio, into one convenient format, and allow new uses not previously available. So what is it that you can listen to? What kinds of podcasting are available? The answer to those questions is this: everything you can possibly imagine! You will be amazed at the volume and variety of podcasts out there and the possibilities that exist.
Just as the Internet has allowed pretty much anybody to create visual files of information and entertainment, called web pages, podcasting has allowed virtually anybody to create audio files of information and entertainment. While the technical details are not important here, all someone needs in order to become a podcaster is a computer and an Internet hook-up. You don't even need a microphone to create your first podcast. (You may want to get one later, but you don't need one now). In fact, if you have a telephone and can browse the Internet, you will be able to listen to podcasts and even create your first podcast by the end of an upcoming lesson!
Who can podcast? Anyone can podcast! We'll go into much greater detail later about who might want to podcast, but generally speaking, there are several reasons why everyone would want to podcast:
· Organizations like churches and nonprofits will podcast to keep people up to date with what's going on, providing news, seminars and speeches, meeting transcriptions, etc.
· Businesses will podcast to maintain their name in the marketplace, offer information on products or strategies, and position themselves as the expert in their industry.
· Individuals will podcast if they have something to say to the world. Opinions, rants, and artistic offerings are all fair game in podcasting.
Podcasting formats are as varied as the types of podcasts available. Some podcasts are like monologues where one person simply shares their ideas into a microphone for the listener to hear. Other podcasts are a dialogue between two or more people and may or may not follow format. Some podcasts are unscripted while others seem to be very scripted. Podcasting contain music, interviews, and while audio podcasts are quite popular now, audio/video podcasts are slowly gaining popularity as well.
All the history you need to know
The history of podcasting is well chronicled. The idea of sending files of sound over the Internet is not new. It was just a matter of taking existing elements, like MP3 and RSS, and reworking them to allow technological visionaries to create a new form of communication.
Personal web journals called web logs, or "blogs" have been around for a while so people could voice opinions and provide information to others. People use these blogs as a personal platform so it was only natural to add files of sound to their textual offering.
RSS was a file format for sending sound but was not extensively used. It was developed into RSS-with-enclosures, allowing someone to attach MP3 files.
When attached to an RSS file, these sound files could be sent automatically to subscribers, people who were interested in hearing what the person had to say, and downloaded to be heard at their convenience.
The term "podcasting" was coined in 2004 and in just a few months it went from being an unknown concept and an uninvented word to a Google-search result in the millions! Podcasts are springing up nearly every day.
Start Podcasting Now
Summary
Podcasting can be difficult to understand at first, until you think of it like an audio magazine subscription. Although it may be slightly confusing to you now, by the end of the ecourse, you will be an expert podcaster.
