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Podcasting: What Is It and Why Is It Hot Podcasting is the recent technology in distributing multimedia files – audio and video files – over the internet. The term podcast or podcasting has only been used in 2004 but its concept – the method of distribution – has been known since 2000. The term is a combination of two words related to audio: “iPod” and “broadcast” or “broadcasting.”
RSS Feeds
Podcasting is different from the traditional method of downloading multimedia files directly from a URL or FTP site. With podcasting, the files are automatically downloaded onto the computer of the subscriber of a podcast without having to directly request it from the source. This is made possible with the use of the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) web feed format.
Podcasting Terms
The file or content being distributed is called the podcast. The author or host of a podcast is known as the podcaster while a podcatcher is the term coined for an RSS aggregator which can also transfer the files to a hardware or software media player. Though the terms seem to be related to the popular Apple product which is the iPod, listening to podcasts do not require this device. Podcasts can be played through any computer with media player software.
Podcasting is much related to the so-called push technology in which subscribers can choose from a wide selection of feed channels where different files chosen by the information providers are being offered. When there are new files offered in a feed, these will automatically be downloaded to the computers of those subscribed to that particular feed.
Automated Delivery
Podcasting is fully automatic. Podcasters make their files or podcasts available on a known URI or Uniform Resource Identifier. Once the file is already available on the internet, podcasters then acknowledge the files’ existence by referencing it to a feed. A feed contains the list of URIs where the podcasts can be accessed. The feeds are then posted to a webserver (the location is called feed URL) to be available for the subscribers.
Subscribing to a Podcast
A user who wants to subscribe to a specific feed or channel needs to enter the feed URL to the RSS aggregator or the so-called podcatcher. This is the program that processes the information on the feed and retrieves the file or the podcast. An aggregator is a program that runs on the background once the computer is turned on. Once the aggregator detects that there is a new file or podcast, it automatically downloads it to the computer of the subscriber. There are some podcatchers such as the iTunes which makes the new file readily available to the portable media player of the subscriber.
Who Can Benefit
Podcasts are not restricted to just music files, though music is the most common application of podcasting. This technology can be of great benefit to different sectors such as education, businesses, health, society, family, religion and many more. This can be used as a marketing strategy of businesses to promote their products and services to millions of people around the world. Distance educators can use podcasting to post lessons and materials for the students to access. Spreading of messages of faith is now easy for churches through podcasting. There are indeed tons of applications possible with podcasting.
Empowering
What makes it really hot is the fact that one song, video, or any file can easily be distributed to millions of people around the globe. And it does not require a professional just to be able to create a podcast and have it published. Any individual who has some basic knowledge of the internet can possibly get a podcast available to the global network.
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