Podcasting has been a part of web multimedia for some time now. Chronologically, it evolved from blogs, and instead of written words, you download mp3 files to listen to a broadcast using a digital audio player. Another relation between blogs and podcasts is that the technology was derived from rich site summary or RSS feeds, a subscription format that helps readers get updated whenever there is new content in a certain blog or website they are following.
The term ‘podcast’ came from the amalgamation of the words iPod and broadcast. Although podcasts can be listened using any audio player, it somehow got associated with the iPod being one of the most popular mp3 players around.
Podcast came into being when former MTV VJ Adam Curry and David Winer teamed up to create a way to spread audio content more conveniently online.
Topics discussed in podcasts vary from movie reviews, upcoming bands and musical artists, sports analyses, technology updates, and political opinions. Since they are not regulated, you can pretty much talk about anything.
To listen to a podcast, all you need to do is subscribe to the feed and a software program called a podcatcher or a podcast aggregator will download new content for you. Once downloaded, you can do anything with the file. You can listen to it immediately, store it for later, scan through it, or delete it.
Podcasts has several benefits compared to other forms of multimedia content online. Since it is downloadable, you can copy the file to a portable player and listen while on the go. Unlike streaming or internet radio, you have to have to stay put beside a computer to listen to the broadcast and you should have a stable internet connection so that the stream would not need to buffer every now and then.
Podcasts also has an advantage over traditional radio. With podcasts, you choose what kind of topic you want to listen to. Similar to TiVo, you can also listen anytime you want at your own convenience.
What makes podcasting popular is that it is easy to do. The basic necessities you need are a computer, a microphone, an internet connection, and a topic to talk about. Since podcasting is easy to do, anyone can be a podcaster. You can become a celebrity in our own niche or you can promote your business or leverage yourself to become an expert in your field. Whatever purpose it is, you can do anything with podcasts.
Even mainstream media, such as BBC and CBS, has caught up on podcasts as they have some of their programs for download.
Finally, most podcasts are free and you can subscribe to as many as you want. The only thing that would limit you is your time to listen to all the podcasts and probably your disk space.