Tech Corner Post: Podcasts

Written by Julia Richardson         

                                                                  Podcasts

The new millennium created the technology for podcasting. The term “podcast” was formed in 2004 in an article written proposing possible names for a video broadcast. It wasn’t until five years later when Apple added podcasting to the available downloads for iTunes 4.9 that podcasting really began to take off as a new technology.

            Podcasting is a media program downloaded from a website and played back to the listener over a computer or music listening device such as an iPod. In short it is basically another channel for web videos .

            Creating a podcast is simple. Anyone can make a podcast on any topic and post it on the internet for the public to view <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJa6K_cdjtQ>.

A podcast can run hours in length depending on the subjects, but they can also be done in only minutes. Podcast episodes can be created in an audio recording, video, or even a text document.

After creating the podcast you have to post the file on a server with byte-range support enabled and a publically accessible URL which allows users to stream your podcast.

Many companies and organizations create podcasts to serve as a channel of communication with the public. Individual podcasts appear as episodes, and are updated weekly or daily on the website. Viewers can subscribe to these podcasts and receive automatic updates.

 Podcasting is a great public relations tool because of the easy communication to the public. Organizations and companies can create engaging videos allowing a personal connection to the community they are trying to reach.

            National Public Radio (NPR) is one of the biggest podcasters in the world. NPR podcasts are available to download for free on iTunes. They are a great way for listeners to catch programs on the run if they cannot listen to the live broadcast on the radio.

NPRalso sells sponsorships for their podcasts to advertisers who want to reach their listeners. Not only is podcasting a good way for companies and organizations to connect with their customers, it is also another median for advertisers to reach listeners.

Podcasts are a huge asset for companies to use as well as an engaging way to learn. Podcast topics can cover anything from programming to dancing. There is a podcast out there for anyone.