Blog was the word of 2004, according to the US dictionary publisher, Merriam-Webster, and Podcast could well be on the way to being the word of 2005. Already it is the fashionable thing to have on your website.
A podcast is, basically, an audio file, that can be download from a website, and, if you wish, transfered to a portable audio player, such as the Apple iPod. The idea being that you can then listen to the audio file anytime, anywhere. The name, of course, comes from “cast” as in broadcast, and “pod” as in iPod.
Podcasts resemble radio broadcasts, in that each podcast is one show. The content of the show is determined by the producer of the podcast. They can be right-wing diatribes supporting US foreign policy, or left-wing diatribes decrying US foreign policy, there are comedy shows, or people creating audio journals of their life, there are music shows of every genre from A to Z, in fact just about anything, and everything you can think of.
Adam Curry, an ex MTV host, is the man who has been credited with the development of the podcast. Curry wrote the initial podcasting script, which he admits was pretty rough, and released it on the Internet asking for help to spruce it up. It didn’t take long for the code to be cleaned up by enthusiastic supporters. Dave Weiner, who wrote the specifications for RSS 2.0, updated them to allow for audio files, and voila – it is now possible to download audio files, in the same manner as you can download your RSS feeds.
Despite these efforts, building your own podcast can be a daunting task, for the novice. There are three basic, and separate, steps that need to be taken. You start by creating your audio file, then you upload the audio file to your website host, the last step is creating a blog entry that will become the RSS feed. An excellent explanation exists at howtopodcast.org.
If you want to listen to podcasts you will need to download some software, called a podcatcher. iPodder is the most recommend, although there is quite a choice out there. The right podcatcher will, over night, download the podcasts you are interested in, and, if you have one, transfer them to your iPod for your listening pleasure on the way to work. You don’t need to have an iPod, or other MP3 player, you can just download the podcast to your PC, and use Winamp, or other MP3 software to play it.
Finding worthwhile podcasts to listen to is difficult, but already directories are springing up on the Internet to assist in the search. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). The podcast already has broadcaster’s approval, with WYNC, a National Public Radio (Sort of an American BBC) station in New York, podcasting one of its shows called “On The Media“. Listen, and enjoy.
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