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And now for the podcast
IN the recent past, there has been a great deal of hype about podcasting. Podcasting in simple words means delivering online audio content to computers and other portable media players. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a podcast is “a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar programme made available on the internet for downloading to a personal audio player.”
Although it is quite similar to “radio on demand”, podcasting is equipped with extra options concerning the content, its way of delivery and its user controlled scenario. Listeners have complete control over it; that is, they decide what programming they want to receive and when they want to listen to it. They can download and retain these audio archives to their portable MP3 players, iPods and personal computers and listen at leisure. This removes time, use and content restraints. Playing these files is quite easy, because they are usually in MP3 formats and easily compatible with most software.
Anyone can make podcasts; all you need is a computer, a microphone and an internet connection. Most people think that making podcasts is all about music but that is not really true. In fact, podcasts can be made on subjects ranging from movies to technology, music, politics and whatever else you can think of. Podcasting allows you to set up your own syndicated online talk shows, personalised radio programme and target a focused audience; create your own collection of favourite songs and play them on the internet and keep the content of your own choice.
The term podcasting came into existence in an article in a Guardian article titled “Audible revolution” (February 2004) and was referred as a short form of iPod and broadcasting. However, the pioneers of this technology are Adam Curry (a former MTV VJ) and Dave Winer (creator of RSS feeds). The combination of Curry's Applescript – iPodder and Winer’s RSS technology brought about a revolution in the art of casting audio contents on the internet.
Podcasting is operated on the internet using web feeds (RSS feeds). A web feed is a document (XML-based) employed for serving surfers/publishers constantly updated contents. Common sources include updated blogs and latest news, but feeds are also incorporated to convey information like new forum posts, weather reports, top songs and celebrities, etc. The contents of a web feed are often links to other webpages and digital media. Publishers and content allotters syndicate a web feed for subscription, permitting a group of feeds available at one location on the web. The two main web feed formats are RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and Atom.
Podcatchers or aggregators are software used to subscribe and receive podcasts. The podcatcher regularly checks the feed for new content that has been posted. Whenever a new audio content is detected, it is automatically downloaded. The next time you connect your MP3 player to your PC, new podcast shows are automatically synced by your media player just like iTunes.
The mechanism involved in podcasting is automated whereby multimedia archives are transmitted from servers to users. Apart from audio files, these could also include text, images, PDF and videos as well.
How to make podcasts?
The podcaster first creates an audio file using a digital-voice recorders, plug-ins, microphones or services like Audioblog or Audlink and saves it in a digital file format, compatible with most digital audio devices. For that reason the most popular file format is the MP3. But such alternatives provide low audio quality and the professional podcasters use specialised auditory equipment and various software for mixing and editing the audio records. Technically, even then the entry to this mode is minimal if compared with the most effective and widely used distribution medium – the radio transmission.
Once the file has been compressed, formatted and edited, it is attached to a blog posting and then uploaded onto a server. Surfers are informed about the upload of a new audio file in your blog, through your web feeds/podcast directories. Those interested would visit the blog and download the audio file to their computers to listen in the kitchen, gym, car or wherever and whenever at leisure.
An iPod, iPodder software or portable MP3 players are not the absolute requirements to download and listen to podcasts; they can be easily downloaded to your computers. What you definitely need is an internet connection and software supporting the required format. Apart from that you are all set in the podcasting world.
The podcasting sphere holds many interesting and beneficial uses. It is crucial to news agencies, educational institutions, new singers and music bands, etc. It could also be used for recaps of important news and top stories, interviews of celebrities, audio coverage and commentary, etc. Overall, podcasting could be employed in many different ways in future.
There are other advantages as well. Those who use podcasts are not flooded with podcast spam. There is no such thing as podcast spam, because users only receive podcasts after subscription and you will not receive any unsubscribed podcast. Then, there is no limit to subscription; you can subscribe to as many podcasts as you want. And most of all, users have the liberty of using it.
Podcasting is becoming more and more popular because people are using it in different ways. It is being used commercially in businesses and for spreading awareness. It is also playing a role in providing a new channel of communication. At the moment, however, Podcasting is still evolving. In future, the range of applications of podcasting will, in all likelihood, be endless.
The writer is an A-level student and a freelance contributor. Email: rahatx1@gmail.com
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