What is Podcasting ?

Podcasting is the distribution of audio or video files, such as radio programs or music videos, over the internet using either RSS or Atom syndication for listening on mobile devices and personal computers. A podcast is a web feed of audio or video files placed on the Internet for anyone to download or subscribe to, and also the content of that feed. Podcasters' websites also may offer direct download of their files, but the subscription feed of automatically delivered new content is what distinguishes a podcast from a simple download or real-time streaming (see below). Usually, the podcast features one type of "show" with new episodes either sporadically or at planned intervals such as daily, weekly, etc. Besides that there are podcast networks that feature multiple shows on the same feed.

Podcasting's essence is about creating content (audio or video) for an audience that wants to listen when they want, where they want, and how they want.

Subscribing to podcasts allows a user to collect programs from a variety of sources for listening or viewing off-line, whenever and wherever is convenient. In contrast, traditional broadcasting provides only one source at a time, and the time is broadcaster-specified. While podcasts are gaining ground on personal sites and blogs, they are not yet widespread. One easy way to find podcasts is to use the Podcast Directory in iTunes; these automatically-updated podcasts can then be synchronised to a portable multimedia device, such as an MP3 player, for off-line listening.

"Streaming" files from the Internet can remove the specified-time restriction, but still offers only one source at a time, and requires the user to be connected to the Internet while playing the files. The ability to "aggregate" programs from multiple sources is a major part of the attraction of podcast-listening.

Unlike podcasts, streaming also can be used to broadcast live events over the Internet at the moment they occur.

Although streamed programs, like broadcast radio signals, can be recorded or captured by the receiver, their transient nature distinguishes them from podcast episodes, which arrive already in archived form. (This difference may make a podcast legally distinct from a webcast or streamed media file.)

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia material "Podcasting" 
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Latest Podcasting News

05/16/2008 07:51 AM

FlyTunes Brings Streaming Audio, Video Podcasts To iPhone

Mobile broadcast network FlyTunes has added video and audio podcasts to its offerings, in addition to a new user interface and a customizable channel guide. The new video and audio channels cover a wide range of topics, including news, entertainment, politics, kids & family, health, comedy, business and technology. FlyTunes now offers users over 350 channels [...]

05/15/2008 04:47 PM

YouTube Updates Video Analytics Tool

YouTube has updated YouTube Insight, a free tool that lets anyone with a YouTube account view detailed statistics about the videos that they upload to the site. Included in the update: One is a new demographics tab that displays view count information broken down by age group (such as ages 18-24), gender, or a combination of the [...]

05/15/2008 02:47 PM

LonelyGirl15 Creators Sign CBS Deal

EQAL, the studio behind faux-vlog shows LonelyGirl15 & KateModern, has signed a deal with CBS to create online content. The two companies will work on producing multi-platform content, including online and mobile, around CBS programming. EQAL will work on a non-exclusive basis with CBS at consulting, producing and scripting. “This partnering signals CBS’s attention to the web [...]

05/15/2008 02:31 PM

Podiobooks.com Moves To LibsynPro 2, Joins Wizzard Media Network

Wizzard Media announced today that Podiobooks.com, a free audiobook podcast network, is now using LibsynPRO 2.0 podcast hosting and will make their library of shows available on the Wizzard Media Network for advertising opportunities. “Libsyn has always been a valued partner for Podiobooks.com and one that is always willing to work with us, as our needs [...]

05/15/2008 02:16 PM

WIll Apple Bring Back DRM’d Music?

According to the Guardian’s Tim Anderson, DRM’d music is going to stage a comeback, and Apple’s going to be the one making it happen. The music industry wants to sell new services, like music subscriptions, and DRM’s is central to making these services viable. To succeed, though, subscription music services need to work with iPods and [...]

05/15/2008 10:03 AM

Can The Amazon Kindle Become An iPod-Like Hit?

Citi analyst Mark Mahaney says the Amazon Kindle could be an iPod-like hit within two years, contributing 3% (750 millsion) to Amazon’s revenue. Here are Mahaney’s reasons: The Kindle doesn’t suck. Mahaney likes the Kinde’s automatic downloading feature and slightly lower-price books ($9.99 vs. $18 for the physical books). The current Kindle is a 1.0 product and future [...]

05/15/2008 08:58 AM

Singapore Airlines Offers First Airline iPod Support

Singapore Airlines (SIA) claims that it’s the first airline to offer passengers the ability to connect their iPods to an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. The first flight to allow passengers iPod integration with the Panasonic Avionics IFE system was operated out of Singapore earlier this month. The Airbus A340-500 is operating to Newark in the USA. A [...]

05/15/2008 08:05 AM

Will Screen Actors Strike Over Web Clips?

It’s starting to look like members of the Screen Actors Guild may be heading for a strike like the recent Writers’ strike. Studios have suspended talks with the Screen Actors Guild after three weeks of negotiations. One of the main reasons for the breakdown in talks is that actors balked at a studio proposal that would [...]