Podcasting = iPod + Broadcasting.
In Spain, podcasting focuses on audio, rather than video. In the United States, podcasting refers to both audio and video. Podcasting requires the use of an RSS for people who have subscribed.
There is a lot of history behind the creation of podcasts. Thanks to the collaborative work from a variety of people, it was able to successfully advance the world of written blogs to audio blogs. First, Dave Winer created a special language that allowed audio files to be enclosed in blogs, also known as the enclosure tag. Then, Adam Curry figured out how to download audio files to digital devices. In Spain, José Antonio Gelado made the first podcast in 2004.
Winer invented a software program called RadioUserland that helps users build a weblog with functions like RSS, coding, and an enclosure tag. He and Curry used this software to upload audio files. They introduced this new idea of downloading audio files from one place to another. They were able to download files from RadioUserland to iTunes and other applications. This shifted the idea of traditional blogs to podcasts.
So, what are the benefits of podcasting?
1. Web Syndication
Web syndication allows content from one website to be published on others, usually in the form of a summary. It automatically sends information to users who have subscribed to a blog. Users can choose their filter for specific accounts they want to listen to. This offers greater convenience to the podcast listeners.
With that, broadcasting syndication does not require the use of an official network for broadcasting television and radio programs to the public.
2. Podcasting is Portable
Producing a podcast can be done anywhere. It can be published to many different websites. For example, SoundCloud is an extremely popular website for millennials to listen to music. However, it can also be used as a platform for podcasts.
Once a podcast is published, people can listen to it anywhere as long as they have a portable device. Podcasts can be downloaded to portable devices, such as an iPhone, and can be listened to on the go. For example, podcasts can be burned to a CD and listened to in the car.
3. Receiver to Transmitter
Anyone with a microphone and specific software can participate in podcasting. Podcasts can easily be uploaded to iTunes and made accessible for anyone to listen to.
Podcasting introduces a new channel of communication between the speaker and listener.
There are four different websites that can be used for creating and publishing podcasts.
I created my own podcast on Soundcloud, where I listed a few reasons about why people often begin podcasts. I collected this information from what I have learned about podcasting in class.