Podcasts

Podcasts are media files (usually audio or video) distributed online. Their location is made known via a standard RSS (or Atom) feed, which makes it possible to subscribe to particular podcasts and receive updates automatically. Apart from downloading and then listening to them on user's PC or media device, you can access them as audio/video streams directly from the server that is hosting them.

Podcasts appeared on the scene in 2000, when Tristan Louis proposed using enclosures in RSS feeds. They rapidly gained popularity due to the fact that they could be used for many different purposes. The uses of podcast include (but are not limited to) education, entertainment, advertising, delivering information and a lot more. By using the World Wide Web and podcasts to deliver information to their audience, journalists enjoy a lot more freedom and independence than when they work through radio, TV and other media.

Podcasts usually contain a series of files dedicated to one specific topic. Traditional podcasts comprise works by the same author, but with a new form of podcasting - so-called "social podcasting" - they can now contain the collective work of a group of contributors. Once you have found the podcast you are interested in, you can subscribe to it using special software called a podcast aggregator. It will automatically start when you turn on your computer, search for updates among all the podcasts you are subscribed to and download them. You can listen to them when it is most convenient to you. It is even possible to copy the podcasts in the same automated mode to your portable media player.

Podcasts can easily be found using podcast directories, where they are grouped by theme.

To create a simple audio podcast, all you need is a microphone and any kind of recording software capable of creating MP3 files. Once an audio file has been created and processed to improve the quality (if necessary), it is uploaded to a web server and made available at a certain URL. The URL can then be added to a valid RSS file using RSS generating software. Once the RSS file is updated online, the task is completed. Of course, if you have a website, you can link to both the podcast itself and the RSS file with a standard hyperlink.

At the same time, their value for marketing your business online cannot be overestimated. If you regularly update your podcast with new files of genuine interest to your target audience, the number of subscribers will grow with time and they will spread the word about your venture. Of course, if you care about the reputation of your business, you will need to hire a professional writer to prepare your podcasts, a professional voice talent to record them and a specialist to take care of the technical aspects.

Podcasts are an integral part of what is commonly referred to as Web 2.0, play an important role in online social networking and their popularity is sure to grow with time, as the technology progresses.