Podcasting
From UGS
Contents |
Podcasting
This is an introduction to Podcasting.
What is Podcasting?
In terms of technology and the internet Podcasting is a relatively new method of distributing multimedia files such as audio and video over the internet using RSS or Atom syndication. These multimedia files can then be played on mobile devices and personal computers.
The host or creator of the podcast is referred to as the podcaster. The majority of podcasts available on the internet have accompanying websites which offer users the ability to download the media or stream the media directly over their internet connection. Software is generally used to subscribe to podcast feeds and that software uses those feeds to download the media to the computer or portable media device.
It can also be argued that podcasting was the next logical step for bloggers seeking to get their message out to a larger audience using a relatively accessible medium.
Who invented Podcasting?
The concept of podcasting was created by Tristan Louis in October 2000 and implemented by Dave Winer a software developer and an author of the RSS format. The concept was also discussed with Adam Curry the same month.
Dave Winer included new functionality in the RSS 0.92 format by defining a new element called "enclosure" which would pass the address of the media file to the RSS aggregator / subscription software.
How do I get involved in Podcasting?
It is extremely easy to get involved in podcasting. You can begin podcasting with very little in the way of hardware, software and financial resources. All you need is some recording software, hardware and patience and willingness to learn.
What do I need to begin Podcasting?
The first thing you need to begin podcasting is something to podcast about. This can be something that you are passionate about, and idea that has come into your head all of a sudden. You could talk about your hobby or favourite television series. There are literally hundreds of thousands of podcasts available so it's always good to either use those for inspiration for your topic or try and come up with something completely original, which may prove harder.
You do need some basic software and hardware resources to get started but you don't need to invest huge amounts of money in professional recording equipment or overly expensive audio creation software.
Hardware
The bear minimum hardware requirements for creating your podcast are as follows...
- A headset or earphones
- A microphone
- A portable voice / audio recorder
Software
You will need some software for producing your podcast. The two most popular are Audacity and GarageBand.
Audacity is a freely available audio tool and is available for the Mac, Linux and PC platform. Garageband is a commercially available product created by Apple and is only available for the Apple Mac platform.
Both are extremely popular and perfect tools for those looking to start their first podcast, well capable of producing professional results for those on a budget. If you choose to go with Audacity you will need to download and install the LAME mp3 encoder which will allow you to convert your masterpiece into the mp3 format which is the popular format for podcasting.
If you wanted you could use the standard audio recording software that comes with your computer but it won't give you the same level of control as some of the dedicated software packages available on the net.
How do I get my Podcast out to the masses?
Once you have your final completed masterpiece you'll want to get it out onto the internet so that other people can download it and listen.
The easiest thing to do is either upload the mp3 file to your web server. If you do not have access to your own web server you will need to find a hosting company that can host mp3 files for you. There are services that'll charge you a monthly fee and include unlimited bandwidth, there are others that are free but they reserve the right to remove mp3 files containing content they find unsuitable or which violates their usage agreements.
Once you have your podcast on the internet you'll need to create an RSS feed which people will use to subscribe to your podcasts.
The feed is a file that contains information about your podcast. Information such as...
- Description
- Link to the mp3 file
- podcast / podcaster name
- website address
and any other relevant information.
You can create your feed manually although you will need some XML editing knowledge, but today alot of services that host podcasts will also offer a tool to create your feed for you, so you don't have to worry about learning XML. Libsyn is a service that does all the hard work for you and pretty much guides you through the whole process of uploading your podcast and creating your feed.
If you decide to create your feed manually you can use any number of RSS validation services that'll check your feed to make sure there are no mistakes in your coding.
A great way of attracting people to your podcast is to then submit your feed to various directories on the internet such as Apple's own iTunes, Podcast Alley or iPodder.
Links to further information
- The Podcast Network
- Live Music Archive
- Podcast.net The Podcast Directory
- Indie Podder
- Podcasting-Tools.com
- Ragnarok Radio - Scottish Heavy Metal Podcast
--Kj 18:53, 16 June 2006 (GMT)
