Podcasting: What, How, and Why? Kate Wenger Andrew Whitis OLC: Children’s and Young Adult Services Conference August 16, 2006

Background Podcasting for about a year Use existing tools (meaning free) Learned from past mistakes and plan to share best practices with you

Who… has heard of podcasting? podcasts? owns an iPod or other MP3 player?

Overview What Why How Publicize and Evaluate Challenges Beyond

What is podcasting? Distribution of audio automatically through a subscribed web feed No iPod necessary!

What is a web feed? RSS=Really Simple Syndication Atom Written in XML to describe data Subscription and automatic delivery

Why podcast? Easy Inexpensive Motivation and engagement –Worldwide audience –Development of skills Content when and where the user wants it Popularity of iPods/MP3 players

Podcast Statistics MP3 Player Ownership¹ –54% of teens (age 12-17) –24% of males (age 12 +) –16% of females (age 12+) Podcast Listeners² –21% of teens (age 12-17) have listened –21% of podcast listeners are teens ¹ Ipsos Study 2006: ² Arbitron/Edison Internet & Multimedia Study 2006:

Brainstorming podcast ideas

Podcast ideas Author/book talks Books not under copyright Essays Foreign language lessons Group work Interviews Library instruction Local news Music recitals Pep assemblies Professional development Readings of tricky poems or literary passages Reviews Story-time Teasers for future programs Walking tours What’s new Youth research Youth writings

How to create a podcast Identify the source or create the content Record the content Edit the audio (if necessary) Encode the audio file Upload the MP3 to a web server Distribute your podcast

Create the content Choose a format (or not) –Format or theme –Envision your ideal listener Decide on a duration Block out the show –Opening and Closing –Transitions –Teaser for future podcasts

Record the content Computer –Plug in or built-in mic –Capture audio with a program like Audacity, Audition, Audio Hijack, or GarageBand MP3 Player –Built-in or plug in mic –Player’s native format

Edit the audio (if necessary) Beginning or end noise Long periods of silence Split long recordings or splice smaller recordings Use podcast safe [legal] music

Encode the audio file Recorded audio files are large Best practice to convert file into a compressed format (MP3, QuickTime, or WMA) MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer 3) most common lossy-compression format Save/Export the audio file to MP3

Upload the MP3 to a web server Podcasts must be stored on a web server –Library or consortia web server (free?) –Web hosting company ($$$) –Podcast hosting service ($$$) –Odeo Studio (free with a catch) –Ourmedia/Internet Archives (free!)

Choosing a web host Bandwidth –Uploading limits –Downloading limits Storage space Bundled services Price Support

Distribute your podcast Publish the file or link to it in a blog –Blogger (free) –Odeo (free with a catch) –WordPress, Movable Type (free or $$$) –Liberated Syndication ($$$)

Blogger

WordPress

Liberated Syndication

Odeo Studio

Distribute your podcast Have a podcast friendly web feed –Must create media enclosures –FeedBurner’s SmartCast™ will do this for you –Enable FeedBurner’s Browser Friendly/Clear Feed Podcast theme

Our podcasting toolset Laptop with plug-in mic Audacity Ourmedia/Internet Archives Blogger FeedBurner StatCounter

Recapping the how to… Create the content Record it Edit it Encode it Upload it to your web server Distribute it through a web feed

Listening to a podcast Find with search engines or directories –iTunes –Podcast Alley –Podcast.net –Podzinger –PodNova

Listening to a podcast Subscribing with podcatchers –iTunes –Juice (formerly iPodder) –Doppler –FireAnt

Listening to a podcast Bloglines or other RSS readers

Publicize your podcast Add feed to your web site Newsletter or mention during programs Add your feed to podcast directories and search engines Enable FeedBurner’s PingShot service

Evaluating your service Statistics (Quantitative) –FeedBurner’s Feed Stats Dashboard –Web site/blog statistics Feedback (Qualitative) –Ask if they are listening –Ask what they like/don’t like –Ask if they want to create content

Challenges to podcasting Technology –Storage space/archiving –Bandwidth –Initial creation of the RSS feed Human resources Identifying content Time commitment

Challenges to podcasting Legal issues –Copyright –Music Privacy –Posting of youth’s work –Parent approval

Beyond podcasting Vodcast from Manchester Public Library –3 min –29 MB

Beyond podcasting Vodcast from Westerville Public Library –28 min –101 MB

Beyond podcasting Screencasts –1 min 30 sec –816KB

Questions? Podcasting: What, How, and Why wiki Kate Wenger IM askwenger Andrew Whitis IM askwhitis