Podcasting

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Podcasting

Broadcast-on-demand

We have come a long way since medieval minstrels broadcasting news and stories. Newspapers have been around for two centuries and radio broadcasting will celebrate its first century about the year 2020.

Things move much faster on the web. The Internet allowed audio to be distributed over the web without a broadcast licence. So instead of sending out radio waves using the highly regulated radio spectrum programmes were streamed over the web.

Around 2003, a new epoch began. Instead of users having to synchronise their listening habit with the schedule of the web-radio, podcasts could be downloaded and listened to at the time that suited the listener.

The technical standards are rushing to keep up and it is a compliment to the internet community how quickly new standards are developed and adopted. In a matter of a few years news aggregators have emerged to make it easy for people to find what they are looking for. 'Stations' normally dedicate themselves to a specific subject.

'Podcasting' is the process of making audio files available on the internet using an RSS feed. These can be radio broadcasts, private broadcasts or radio plays.

In the US, the Diffusion Group have modelled the growth of portable players and estimate that the US might have an audience of 57 million before 2010.

An episode of audio is no different from a music track. The listener has control of the listening experience. The consumer is completely independent of traditional radio reception. And because almost anyone can produce a podcast, the variety reflects society. There are almost no barriers to entry.

For the moment, almost all podcasts are free but this model cannot last and advertising or subscription will develop as the market matures.

Defining terms

Audio streaming lets you listen as the material is sent to you. You need to be online to listen and the audio is not stored on your computer.

Downloading mp3s allows you to keep the recording which you can listen via your computer on a portable mp3 player.

Podcasting is simply an automated form of mp3 downloading. You subscribe to podcasts and the software downloads new files as soon as they become available.