Podcasting technology overview

Podcasting has really taken off; with the ability to listen to radio broadcasts or shows literally whenever you want to or are able.The internet has made it possible to just that.If you are new to podcasting or just want to know a little more about them then this article will give you a podcasting technology overview and help you get more acquainted with this new piece of technology.

The term podcasting came from the iPod (a popular device used for playing compressed audio files) and broadcasting.Thus the term "podcasting."Podcasting allows you to take audio files that have been previously downloaded and played on a computer to automatically be downloaded and listened to on a portable music playing device like an MP3 player or an iPod.

The actually technological mindset behind podcasting originates from the world of blogging.It has often times been referred to as an audio blog.It was from the RSS that podcasting was even made possible.Its intent was to update blog postings, news headlines, or other internet content on local computers.This would allow users to find exactly what they were looking for without having to search for updates from the source sites.

Podcasting software was then developed next.A man by the name of Curry saw the potential it had and wanted to provide greater flexibility in finding and downloading audio files which eventually could be listened to on an iPod.With the sales of MP3 players and iPods increasing daily the idea of podcasting was sure to catch on quickly; and it did indeed.

Podcasting technology and its applications
In order to create a podcast you need a little technical understanding, however it seems that technology keeps improving more user friendly software so this may not be the case in the near future.As far as tools needed to create your podcast they are relatively inexpensive and most can be obtained at no cost through different shareware programs.For a basic podcast you will need some basic tools:

• Audio capturing tools


• Audio editing tools


• File transfer software


• Web space (the amount differs and will usually come as part of an internet connection package.


• RSS enclosures


• RSS News Reader


• Content Management software


• Digital music player

In order to create your own podcast there are a few steps that you will need to follow:

1. Create/ capture and edit the content of your podcast.


2. Publishing the content of your podcast on the world wide web.This is usually done by using a blog.


3. If you're lucky enough to get listeners they will subscribe to the content on your page using a RSS News Reader.


4. Download into content management software


5. Play the content on download or CMS with a portable media player

The major key technological advantage that podcasting has brought is time-shifting; the ability to listen to audio material whenever you choose to.Whereas with a traditional radio the listener really has no choice when they can listen or to what they can listen to.As lives get more and more hectic podcasting has given us the opportunity to listen to our favorite radio shows or talk shows when we have the time to do so.It offers its listeners convenience.

So there you have it; a podcasting technology overview.Hopefully you've learned a little more about podcasting and will even think about doing one yourself.