What a Podcast is - and everything you need to know about Podcasting
Michael Jordan
December 26, 2007
Podcasting is the ability to deliver audio content to iPods and other portable media players on demand, so that it can be listened to at the user's convenience. The main benefit of podcasting is that listeners can sync content to their media player and take it with them to listen whenever they want to. A podcast can also be defined as a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. The term, like "radio", can refer either to the content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.
The future of podcasting will bring even more exciting innovations. Some universities have already begun issuing all incoming students MP3 players and voice recorders and have found that this makes a significant difference in learning. A new development in this technology is the ability to podcast video — imagine students being able to download instructional videos or short “talking chalkboard” tutorials. Future podcasts may even include embedded interactivities so that learners can practice what they're learning, create an end product, or assess their learning. The term "podcast" is a portmanteau of the words "iPod" and "broadcast", the Apple iPod being the brand of portable media player for which the first podcasting scripts were developed (see history of podcasting). These scripts allow podcasts to be automatically transferred to a mobile device after they are downloaded.
There are three kinds of podcasts. Audio podcasts are usually an MP3 file and are the most common types of podcasts. Enhanced podcasts can have images to go along with the audio. They can also have chapter markers, making it easier to skip to different portions of an episode. Enhanced podcasts are an AAC file and are not supported by all devices. Video podcasts are movies, complete with sound. Video podcasts can be in a variety of formats, but MPEG-4 is the most popular. Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.
Receiving and using podcasts
To make full use of podcasts' syndication features appropriate software, often referred to as a podcatching client. The most dominant podcatching client is Apple's iTunes player. However, there are other alternatives, including Juice (multiplatform) and Doppler (Windows). Some established audio players, such as AmaroK, Winamp and Mediamonkey also offer (sometimes limited) podcatching functionality.
Podcast listeners can listen in one of two ways: through a specialized hardware device called an MP3 player or on a computer using media player software.
Jordan Michael writes informative articles on various subjects including Podcasting. Visit: http://thepodcastingguidesite.blogspot.com For detailed information about Podcasts
The future of podcasting will bring even more exciting innovations. Some universities have already begun issuing all incoming students MP3 players and voice recorders and have found that this makes a significant difference in learning. A new development in this technology is the ability to podcast video — imagine students being able to download instructional videos or short “talking chalkboard” tutorials. Future podcasts may even include embedded interactivities so that learners can practice what they're learning, create an end product, or assess their learning. The term "podcast" is a portmanteau of the words "iPod" and "broadcast", the Apple iPod being the brand of portable media player for which the first podcasting scripts were developed (see history of podcasting). These scripts allow podcasts to be automatically transferred to a mobile device after they are downloaded.
There are three kinds of podcasts. Audio podcasts are usually an MP3 file and are the most common types of podcasts. Enhanced podcasts can have images to go along with the audio. They can also have chapter markers, making it easier to skip to different portions of an episode. Enhanced podcasts are an AAC file and are not supported by all devices. Video podcasts are movies, complete with sound. Video podcasts can be in a variety of formats, but MPEG-4 is the most popular. Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.
Receiving and using podcasts
To make full use of podcasts' syndication features appropriate software, often referred to as a podcatching client. The most dominant podcatching client is Apple's iTunes player. However, there are other alternatives, including Juice (multiplatform) and Doppler (Windows). Some established audio players, such as AmaroK, Winamp and Mediamonkey also offer (sometimes limited) podcatching functionality.
Podcast listeners can listen in one of two ways: through a specialized hardware device called an MP3 player or on a computer using media player software.
Jordan Michael writes informative articles on various subjects including Podcasting. Visit: http://thepodcastingguidesite.blogspot.com For detailed information about Podcasts
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