Newsletter #98 Podcasting: What The Heck Is It?

Created on 17/08/05

A special hello to all new subscribers. This article is on the Web at this address.

Our last newsletter (22nd June, 2005) was "The BBC Revolutionises Content".
This article is based on one that appeared in the August edition of Business to Business.

Podcasting is a way of describing the method of pushing audio content, normally in MP3 format, from Websites to consumers who typically listen to it on their iPods. The word podcasting is a blend of the words iPod and broadcasting. Also see the Wikipedia definiti on.

Podcasting uses an XML-based technology called RSS - Really Simple Syndication. Content publishers describe new content in an XML RSS file which includes content descriptors, and links to the MP3 files. This auto-generated file is called an RSS feed.

What makes podcasting interesting is the ability for individuals to publish (podcast) audio shows that subscribers can download and listen to at their leisure. It should also be noted that this technology can be used to publish updates, videos and images.

Apple is fully supportive of podcasting of course and in their latest version of iTunes (4.9), Apple has made it easier to find, subscribe to, manage, and listen to podcasts. You can even publish your podcast to iTunes so that it's available to millions.

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It is fairly easy to produce your own podcast; basically all you need to be able to do is record your own audio file and upload it to the Web. The steps are:

1. You need a microphone to capture your audio
2. You also need sound-editing software to be able to store this audio and edit it on your computer. Most new Macs come with GarageBand software already installed that allows users to create their own podcasts. For Windows users the free Audacity software at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ seems to be recommended by many. Make the recording and save as an MP3 file.
3. Once you have your podcast you need to upload it to the Web. As noted above podcasts are delivered via RSS, which can be added to an existing Website if you have the technical know-how. For most it is best to use a service that automates this for you. One such service is Liberated Syndication at http://www.libsyn.com/ which starts at US$5 per month.
4. Of course if you haven't already, you need a podcast receiver or client if you want to subscribe or listen to podcasts. If you already have an iPod it's just a matter of updating to iTunes 4.9, otherwise you can use a well known free RSS news aggregator like Newsgator http://www.newsgator.com.

So why would you bother creating a podcast?

1. You are a speaker and you want to sell a multi-part audio seminar but don’t want to create CDs and send them out.
2. You have a radio show and you want to make segments available throughout the world to expand your reach.
3. You are a school principal and you want to create your own weekly message to students.
4. You are in tourism and want to create a self-guided walking tour - perhaps even a video version. Think Alcatraz.
5. You are a musician and want to build up or satisfy a fan base by providing some of your music for free.
6. You offer training courses or ongoing education and need to offer audio updates.

In most situations a podcast would be an extension to how you already market a product or service. It is not going to suit every situation but as we move into an increasingly digital age it is worth considering whether it offers opportunities for you.

Newbies

BCC means Blind Carbon Copy and has the effect that email receivers will not know who else has been sent the message. Just enter the addresses as normal in the BCC section and put your own email address in the “To” box. You will receive a copy of the email sent. This is very useful for sending out email to more than one address where the receivers do not necessarily know each other. In fact it is possible that in certain cases, not using the BCC option may be contrary to privacy law in your country!

Power Users

A worthwhile old trick: An easy way to determine why Windows may be failing to boot properly is to, during the reboot, press F8 to call up the Windows StartUp menu and select the Logged (\Bootlog.txt) option. This records each step Windows takes during the reboot process. Then, reboot (use the Safe mode if it is necessary) and locate the bootlog.txt file in the root directory. Use a text editor such as WordPad to open that file and look for any steps reported as "failed" for a clue as to the culprit.

For previous tips visit the Power Hot Tips page.

I don't read many blogs but am hooked on Eventful Woman - the odyssey of Eventful Woman and her husband who take a classic Land Rover around the world. Written in a highly readable style it tells how they raised the money, what happened along the way and who they met. A tip: start in the July Archives at the bottom of the page and then click on Current Posts on the left hand side. http://eventfulwoman.blogspot.com/

Flickr is known as perhaps the best photo management and file sharing site around. Some of its features are: You get your own page to show off your photos. People can leave comments on every photo. You can makes many photo sizes, such as thumbnail, medium and large and rotate them. You can set privacy levels on each photo and decide who can see them and comment on them and post photos to just about any blog. A basic account is free. http://www.flickr.com/

An oldie but a goodie, and one that is perhaps even truer today:
“Hyperlinks subvert hierarchy.” Cluetrain Manifesto

You can see our other Quick Quotes on the front page of www.netinsites.com; just refresh the page to see another one randomly selected from our database. Great for presentations or times when you want to appear to be a techno-dude(ss)!

To access previous newsletters visit our newsletter archive.

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Best wishes

Alex Garden

Internet Strategy | Website Design | Website Promotion | Web Text Messaging | Email Newsletters | Online Sports Games | Content Management