Podcasting – Share with the world!

Most people think podcasting is a radio show on the Internet, but there’s more to it. The true definition of a podcast is a series of broadcasts that the listener can subscribe to over the Internet. Students are the fastest adopters of podcasting. A full 21% of students ages 12-17 have listened to a podcast. SUBSCRIBING IS THE KEY Listeners can subscribe to a podcast in the same way they subscribe to a magazine. The difference being that the podcast is delivered to the computer.  Once you establish the subscription, the next episode of the podcast will be automatically delivered when you log in. You can then transfer the downloaded files to any portable media player (IPod or MP3).

What do I need? Microphone—you have to record. Pocket-sized voice recorders are great for sounds in the field. A desktop microphone makes it easy to record directly into the computer.  Audio editing software—once you record the raw audio, you want to delete the “ums”, and cracks or add music. This software makes it easier  Podcasting software—let’s you setup podcast, edit script, record and edit audio. It can also write the RSS feed for you.  Audio file—MP3, WAV and AIFF will also work as podcast files besides the original audio.  RSS feed—this is the “subscription” that publishes your podcast. The podcasting software will automatically write this for you.  Computer—  Internet connection

Because podcast are mostly free, podcasting has become an inexpensive way for people around the world to share information, thoughts, and opinions Anatomy of a podcast Hosted Server—the place on the internet where your podcast is stored. Can also be hosted on any commercial web server or school-based server. Podcatcher or aggregator software ITunes is the most popular podcatcher. It fetches a podcast from the Internet and allows listeners to sub scribe, download, listen or transfer podcast to a portable MP3 player. MP3 (optional) Only 40% of podcast listeners actually transfer their podcast to their MP3 players.

IN THE BEGINNING Long before the days of digital media, everyone used tape players to record their own narration and music. The walkman was the standard for portable audio and people had large tape or CD players strapped to their belts. These initial technologies helped give birth to new audio devices such as MP3 players and digital voice recorders.  Podcasting began around 2000 when the first application of an RSS feed was applied to an audio file. RSS actually means “Really Simple Syndication”, RSS feed is nothing more than a few lines of computer programming code that allow listeners to “subscribe” to a podcast. The RSS feed is what turns a simple audio file, into a podcast. Dave Winer was the first author of the RSS feed.  In October 2003 at an organized conference Winer met Adam Curry and the birth of podcasting began. In June 2005 Apple coined the term podcasting by adding a podcasting directory to its ITunes music software.

Podcasting Today Vodcasts—video IPod, users can now view photos and video along with the narration and music. Podcasting in politics John Edwards (presidential candidate) was the first American politician to have his own podcast. As of now it is an intricate part of election campaign strategies. MySpace People use this to stay informed on topics that spark their interest. New Tools of business Modern businesses can no longer sustain themselves without high speed Internet access, email system, and new forms of advertising. There are new tools of communication called webinars, Skype, RSS feeds, and instant messaging.

Look Who’s Podcasting The education world has embraced podcasting throughout the curriculum. Students are listening to podcast as part of their daily courses and creating their own. Lawyers Posting information on known legal issues for public outreach. Courtroom verdicts discussions Nuances of the law Businesses Online marketing is now a standard. Marketing budgets are being redirected from print media to the Internet. Transcription The medical profession has embraced podcasting for transcription and communication. Doctors record patient care histories on a portable voice recorder, then save it as a podcast, and upload it to the Internet A transcriptionist can then access the recordings from any internet connection globally and transcribe the information into the patient’s records. Research Medical professionals are reporting their research as podcasts.

Listening to Podcasts Podcasts are available from many web sites know as podcast directories Basic search engines for podcasts News and sports, Radio, Pod camps An organized conference where everyone is invited to attend, usually free of charge The Future Technology is no longer a choice; it’s becoming an assumption in both the workplace and the classroom. EX: Keith and the Girl Follows the daily life of a young couple, which can be simplistic and bizarre. They are making a living by selling CD’s, t-shirts, and hats based on their podcasting brand. What about Twitter?