Wikipedia defines podcasting as "the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio
programs or music videos, over the Internet using either the RSS or Atom syndication formats,
for playback on mobile devices and personal computers."
Podcasting is, at its heart, a communications technology. The essence of podcasting is creating
audio-visual content for an audience to listen to or watch when they want, where they want,
and how they want.
The word “podcasting” is a portmanteau of the words “iPod” and “broadcasting”, though at no point in the
process is an iPod required to create or listen to podcasts. Podcasting starts with someone recording audio or
video and posting it to the web. Listeners and viewers then subscribe to the podcast, so that they are notified every time a
new recording has been posted. After subscribing, the recording is downloaded automatically and can be
listened to or watched on the computer, or on portable devices like the iPod.
Even though we call it "podcasting", you might be familiar with other terms like vlogging, audioblogging,
vodcasting, or blogcasting, and there are probably many more we haven't listed here. As far as we're concerned,
they are all names for the same thing!
Whether you're podcasting or audioblogging or vlogging, you're creating audio/video content to share with someone
else (and usually they can choose to subscribe). Call it whatever you like - we're just happy to help you create
and share your content.
Podcasting fills a great void in communication technologies. Communication can happen in a real-time manner,
such as a phone conversation or videoconference in which there is very little or no delay between messages, or
in a time-shifted manner, such as email where there may be significant delay between messages. Usually, these
messages are either text-based, audio-visual based, or a combination of both. Email, instant messaging,
videoconferencing, telephony, and other similar technologies have enabled effective communication for many
years, but none of these technologies has allowed time-shifted communication of audio and video. As
demonstrated by the diagram below, podcasting completes the real-time/time-shifted communications puzzle for
text and audio/video.
Podcasting is useful in a variety of different situations because of some basic properties of the technology. Due
to its time-shifted nature, podcasting allows conversations to take place across very different time zones and
vast distances. Moreover, unlike email, listeners can decide exactly what kind of content they want to receive,
eliminating problems like spam. Being audio-visual based, podcasting allowing a richness to conversations that
text simply does not provide. Emotion, persuasion, and expression can all be communicated naturally with audio
and video. And unlike videoconferencing or the telephone, which are limited to one or very few parties at a time,
podcasting is great for communicating with large numbers of people.
Some useful applications of podcasting include:
- Staying in touch with friends and family over long distances
- Keeping employees up-to-date on the latest company news
- Advertising products and services
- Distributing news, tutorials, and other information
- Sharing music and videos
- Amateur movies or radio shows
- And much more! You're limited only by your imagination and creativity...