Podcasting Betsy Aoki Program Manager Microsoft Australia Developer Evangelism Team Cabana B
Agenda What is a podcast? How do I get one? Why listen to a podcast? How do I make one and why? Whither podcasting?
Podcasting Definitions vary – some people favor only certain types of multimedia files (audio vs. video) as true “podcasts” While Apple has made iTunes a platform for collecting and subscribing to media files, you don’t need an iPod to do it Essentially – if you can subscribe via RSS to download these files, is podcasting for this discussion
What’s Involved A Web site that serves up tyour multimedia files (streaming or download) “Podcatcher” software – ipodder, nimiq, iTunes – anything that recognizes RSS enclosures and will download the file Media player software – that is, having on your desktop the ability to play audio or video files once downloaded
Web site example (From the makers of Acid a sound authoring program)
Media Player Software
Podcatcher Download Example Ipodder, a multiple platform podcatcher software
Channel 9 – Video Blogging Example
How do people find podcasts? Web search engines Blogs (podcasting is very strongly linked to bloggers) Podcast directory sites A podcatcher software itself might refer you to an online repository (ipodder does)
Internet Radio – the old way Have to be there to play the electronica, can’t multi-task easily
Subscriber driven podcast site
Why do your customers want podcasts? Keep up with intriniscally audio-visual info (latest mixes from DJs, news from NPR, political commentary) on portable media devices Audio /video blogging –podcasting gives a blog a new dimension when it can be listened to on a phone, or watch its demos Like all new sexy things – a fad that eats up bandwidth, appeals to techies
Making a podcast Need a recording setup for audio or AV files Need an editing setup – for sound/AV quality and to get files into the smallest format Need tweak your RSS file to support enclosures – some blog software does, and some doesn’t Need promotional mechanism
RSS Enclosure from AcidPlanet.com
Why Podcast your info Captures early technical adopters Convenient format for mobile devices, PDAs Yet another way to reach your customer Leverages presentation possibilities not found in text blogs
Rocketboom and Channel 9 Rocketboom creator recently interviewed as saying it costs him $25 a day to produce Could make over half million dollars a year if he put an ad in it Channel 9 invested in low-end video equipment, gave up on everything but the microphones on the cameras Channel 9 customers love the fact it’s “real” and obviously real
Get 48% MSDN Discount on MSDN Universal Now! For a limited time purchase a 12 month MSDN Universal Subscription for $3565+GST (RRP). Will receive updates as they are released for SQL Serer, BizTalk, Visual Studio, Exchange Server and Windows Server. Receive early access to beta products such as Windows Vista and Office 12. Get in now so that when Visual Studio Team System Ships you get upgraded at no cost to one the new top tier subscriptions: Visual Studio 2005 Team Developer Edition Visual Studio 2005 Team Architect Edition Visual Studio 2005 Team Test Edition For more details and to find your local reseller visit:
We invite you to participate in our online evaluation on CommNet, accessible Friday only If you choose to complete the evaluation online, there is no need to complete the paper evaluation Your Feedback is Important!
© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.