rajivrocks
Broken In
The editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary declared "podcasting" the 2005 word of the year in December, defining the term as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player".
*static.howstuffworks.com/gif/podcasting-2.jpg
What is Podcasting?
Podcasting is a free service that allows Internet users to pull audio files (typically MP3s) from a podcasting Web site to listen to on their computer or personal digital audio player. The name comes from a combination of the words iPod (a personal digital audio player made by Apple) and broadcasting. Even though the name is derived from the iPod, you don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast. You can use virtually any MP3 player or your computer.
Unlike with Internet radio, users don't have to "tune in" to a particular broadcast; instead, they subscribe to a podcast, and the audio files are automatically downloaded to their computer via RSS feed as often as they request. The technology is similar to that used by TiVo, a personal video recorder that lets users set which programs they'd like to record and then automatically records those programs for later viewing.
Podcasting was developed in 2004 by former MTV video jockey Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer. Curry wrote a program, called iPodder, that enabled him to automatically download Internet radio broadcasts to his iPod. Several developers improved upon his idea, and podcasting was officially born. Curry now hosts a show called The Daily Source Code, one of the most popular podcasts on the Internet.
How Podcasting Works
Virtually anyone with a computer and recording capabilities can create his or her own podcast. Podcasts may include music, comedy, sports, philosophy -- even people's rants and raves.
Here's how the process works.
To record a podcast:
Right now, podcasting is primarily an amateur medium. But several companies are trying to turn it into a profitable business. Podcasting aggregators such as PodcastAlley.com and Podcast.net are including advertising on their sites. The Podcast Network, based in Australia, runs commercials and sponsorships during its audio broadcasts. Some television networks are even starting to get into the action. National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the BBC have begun podcasting some of their shows. Corporations such as Heineken and General Motors have created their own podcasts to attract consumers.
Right now, podcasting is free from government regulation. Podcasters don't need to buy a license to broadcast their programming, as radio stations do, and they don't need to conform to the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) broadcast decency regulations. That means anything goes -- from four-letter words to sexually explicit content.
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*static.howstuffworks.com/gif/podcasting-2.jpg
What is Podcasting?
Podcasting is a free service that allows Internet users to pull audio files (typically MP3s) from a podcasting Web site to listen to on their computer or personal digital audio player. The name comes from a combination of the words iPod (a personal digital audio player made by Apple) and broadcasting. Even though the name is derived from the iPod, you don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast. You can use virtually any MP3 player or your computer.
Unlike with Internet radio, users don't have to "tune in" to a particular broadcast; instead, they subscribe to a podcast, and the audio files are automatically downloaded to their computer via RSS feed as often as they request. The technology is similar to that used by TiVo, a personal video recorder that lets users set which programs they'd like to record and then automatically records those programs for later viewing.
Podcasting was developed in 2004 by former MTV video jockey Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer. Curry wrote a program, called iPodder, that enabled him to automatically download Internet radio broadcasts to his iPod. Several developers improved upon his idea, and podcasting was officially born. Curry now hosts a show called The Daily Source Code, one of the most popular podcasts on the Internet.
How Podcasting Works
Virtually anyone with a computer and recording capabilities can create his or her own podcast. Podcasts may include music, comedy, sports, philosophy -- even people's rants and raves.
Here's how the process works.
To record a podcast:
- Plug a USB headset with a microphone into your computer.
- Install an MP3 recorder for Windows, Mac or Linux.
- Create an audio file by making a recording (you can talk, sing or record music) and saving it as an MP3 file.
- Finally, upload the MP3 audio file to one of the podcasting sites.
- Go to a podcasting site and download the free software.
- Click on the hyperlink for each podcast you want. You can listen right away on your computer (both Windows and Mac support podcasting) or download the podcast to your MP3 player.
- You can also subscribe to one or more RSS feeds. Your podcasting software will check the RSS feeds regularly and automatically pull content that matches your playlist. When you dock your MP3 player to your computer, it automatically updates with the latest content.
Right now, podcasting is primarily an amateur medium. But several companies are trying to turn it into a profitable business. Podcasting aggregators such as PodcastAlley.com and Podcast.net are including advertising on their sites. The Podcast Network, based in Australia, runs commercials and sponsorships during its audio broadcasts. Some television networks are even starting to get into the action. National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the BBC have begun podcasting some of their shows. Corporations such as Heineken and General Motors have created their own podcasts to attract consumers.
Right now, podcasting is free from government regulation. Podcasters don't need to buy a license to broadcast their programming, as radio stations do, and they don't need to conform to the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) broadcast decency regulations. That means anything goes -- from four-letter words to sexually explicit content.
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