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live.pirillo.com – What is podcasting? Where did it come from? How do you manage podcasts? Why use the term ‘podcast?’

Question by manuel_romero10: What is an easy way to produce a “podcast”?
I would like to know what kind of equipment, software tools and any other not-very-expensive resources I need to pridce podcasts between me and my students.

Best answer:

Answer by somgrl8
Not sure if you’ve heard of a channel on DirectTV called Current TV its on channel 366. You should definitely check them out…and check them out on the web http://currenttv.com/ they have instructions on how to make a podcast and the do’s and don’ts so when you’re all done you can send it into them and perhaps they’ll air it just be sure not to use anyone’s copyrighted material.

Good Luck!

Give your answer to this question below!

If you have a business, podcasting has many applications that allow you to get in front of your customers, get your name out there, and ultimately make you more money. It’s a great way to boost your business with a very small investment of money and time.
If you are not ready to make the leap to full time podcaster, there are other ideas. For example, you can podcast on an area of the industry you currently work in as an employee.
Show yourself to be interested in learning more about the business and you could find yourself considered as an up-and-comer when the next round of promotions happens at your office.
Alternatively, you can moonlight outside of your job as a podcaster. You can do this on a free basis as a hobby or in the capacity of an entrepreneur looking to eventually build your part-time business into a full-time career.
Palmcasting is a similar concept to podcasting, except it applies to PDA devices which can receive and play podcasts. Punchcasting is a way of receiving podcasts in your smartphone without having to sync it onto your computer first. It requires that you have a smartphone with RSS.
The future of podcasting is wide open right now because it is still a fledgling industry without a regulatory body. While podcasting is just catching on and only a couple years old, people are already talking about zencasting or vidcasting which is similar to podcasting but contains video as well.
But it doesn’t stop there. Visionaries will see beyond podcasting and even though it is exciting and new, technology advances so rapidly that it will get old very quickly. What is around the corner and how will podcasting influence it?
Soon, we may find highly interactive vidcasts that are automatically made available to us without us having to subscribe to them.
Based simply on our browsing or online buying habits and the technology will be streamlined enough that computers will automatically come with the programs that go out and catch the podcasts without having to download additional programs.
If you are really excited about the opportunity to podcast, then take a moment to select two or three topics and start brainstorming some subtopics that might be interesting to podcast on.
You can probably already see some opportunities for you to start a business or increase your current business through podcasting. You may want to create some subtopics under each heading to start thinking about specific podcasts that you can do.
If you want to make the leap from hobbyist to professional, to either boost current business or start a new business, you can. You’ll need a couple extra programs to create a quality sound. Here are some recommendations to get you started.
While technically, you can get started with the microphone that probably came with your computer, you’ll want to likely invest in a slightly better microphone or if you have more than one person speaking in your podcast, you’ll need to get more than one microphone.
A good place to start without having to rob a bank is to buy a USB microphone at an office supply store. They are affordably priced and unless you are planning studio quality production, they will do an excellent job for you.
It is quite easy to podcast; I’m sure you’re surprised at how easy it is. It’s quite another thing though, to maintain a podcast on an ongoing basis. A lot has been discussed about the regularity of podcasts and exactly how frequent a podcast needs to be.
While it is true that the frequency of a podcast does depend largely on the material that is covered, it is also true that subscribers may not be able to listen as frequently as you want to podcast.
If you have a lot of material and are looking to make a daily podcast you might want to consider a very short podcast of two to five minutes.
Like e-mail that gets stacked up in your inbox, podcasts that don’t get listen to compile a very quickly if a subscriber doesn’t get a chance to heara few of them in a row. Often what happens after that is a delete the whole batch, figure they’ve missed too much vital information, and unsubscribe.
On the other hand, too infrequent of a podcast will mean that people do not feel the same ownership in listening as they would from something a little more regular.
When it’s all said and done, you need to know what material you need to cover and how much time you have to spend on podcasts in order to determine how frequently you are going to podcast. This is the length to width ratio: the length of your podcast in relation to the width of the material.
Look at other podcasts to see what kind of material may cover and the relationship that has to the frequency they produce these podcasts. CNN, for example, can produce a daily podcast that is very short because of the nature of its headline style material.
Their podcasts are very short. A podcast covering the world of baseball, might be better off podcasting every week since they will be able to talk about a couple of the games is well is some news

The internet has always been a dicey proposition for videographers looking to distribute their content. The disciplines that lend themselves to producing the best looking and most engaging content in conventional delivery channels (DVD, television, etc) do not lend themselves to the internet.

The problems are multifold. First and foremost is the issue of bandwidth – or the lack of it. High quality video generally means huge files, and consequently more time required to download the files to be played on the client’s computer. While the state of internet bandwidth is nowhere near as abysmal as it was just a few years ago – however even with current advances in bandwidth – the delivery of a file several hundred megabytes can be trying to even the most patient of potential viewers.

The second problem is the lack of an accepted video standard and assurance that your client has the proper software required to view the video in the format you’ve chosen to present it. For example – Quicktime is a wonderful technology and is embraced by most video producers due to it’s basis in Mac/Final Cut – however there’s a good percentage of Windows machines out there that don’t have Quicktime installed. Windows Media Player is dicey, and unless you install a few third party plugins cannot be viewed on the Macintosh. Flash video is a godsend for cross platform acceptance – especially with the advent of Flash 8 video and the most recent codecs – but there are sacrifices in quality.

…then you have to develop your web presence.

It’s easy to see why so many talented video producers have such bad web presences, with videos that work sporadically, or don’t work on a good percentage of client’s computers. Trying to account for all of the variables in content delivery usually falls well outside of their realm of expertise.

About a year ago, I was facing this dilemma, when I found what I believe to be the perfect solution. I found podcasting, or vidcasting (video podcasting) to be a perfect solution to the bulk of these problems. Podcasting enabled me to simplify how I delivered my content through the utilization of iTunes as a delivery vehicle, ensured that anyone viewing my content had the appropriate software, allowed me to keep the quality of my content high by utilizing the most current codecs, and also enabled me to keep my viewers notified of the newest additions to my library via subscriptions!

By simply placing a link within my website, and emails, pointing to my Podcast inside of the apple iTunes store, I could very easily utilize well established distribution channels to get my work out there. Millions of people have iTunes, and access to the music store. By default, they have everything they need to see my content. It’s just a matter of creating the content and pointing them in the right direction! It couldn’t be easier.

From this point, it was simply a matter of learning how to podcast.

The hardest part of getting the podcast up and running was understanding exactly how a podcast works, and getting everything properly prepared. I hope to help you through that learning curve, by explaining everything in simple language. The concept isn’t difficult whatsoever.

First, let’s define what a podcast is.

A podcast is a text file located on the internet that points to a group of media files. This text file is called a newsfeed (or an RSS feed), and acts like a roadmap to media files that are also located on the internet. When someone views a podcast, what they are actually doing is reading this text file, and being pointed to the appropriate media files.

The program that reads the text file (newsfeed) is called an aggregator. The aggregator reads the text file, and grabs the media files that it is being pointed to. All of this is done in the background, giving you the illusion of “single” show that has multiple episodes. In reality, however, it’s just a bunch of files located on the internet tied together via this text file.

This text file must follow a certain format, in order to assure compatibility across the range of aggregators out there (e.g., iTunes). The structure of the text file defines the details of the show (the show’s title, description, etc), and where to find the show’s episodes. It’s done in a pretty straightforward manner.

For an example of how a newsfeed looks, check out Apple’s technical document on podcast structure.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html#_Toc526931673

“Channel” defines the shows, and “item” defines the episodes. Once you have the file created, to add more episodes, you simply add another “item” pointing to a new file.

That’s how a podcast is structured.

Next, we’re going to tell you what you need to get your podcast up and running. There are two options. The first is what you will need if you want to do it all yourself. The second (and our preference) is the simpler route, which is to get a podcast host. These instructions presume that you already have your video converted into M4V format and ready to go.

To set up a podcast by yourself, you will need to do the following:

1: Find web space available for you to upload your media files to.

There are plenty of web hosts available for you to choose from. From Google, do a search for “Web Hosting”. I recommend getting a Linux/PHP based host – because they are simpler to configure than Microsoft based hosting. As a general rule, try to find the most web space available, with the greatest amount of traffic allotted for your site. As your podcast grows in popularity – you don’t want to get sacked with extra traffic fees.

Before settling for a host, it also is in your best interests to do a little research to make sure they have a decent reputation. Lots of hosts over-sell their plans in order to get more business. There are lots of horror stories I’ve read of people that found their websites censured for excessive traffic when they were nowhere near the limits their plan advertised. A little research can help you avoid falling victim to an unscrupulous host.

2: Upload your media files (mp3 files, pictures and video files) to your new host.

You will most likely transfer your media files to your host through what’s called FTP. FTP is “File Transfer Protocol”. On Windows, I like “Wise FTP” by AceBit the best. On Macintosh, my favorite is Cyberduck. You can find both on Google.

One thing to keep in mind is whether or not your media files are supported by your web hosting company. If you’re simply podcasting your audio sermons, MP3 is pretty much universally supported. If you’re podcasting video files (M4V or MP4), you might need to configure your server to recognize those files. This is done via what’s called a “mime type” and is set up in a file called .htaccess on your web server.

To find out more information, if you need it, google “.htaccess mime types” for a detailed explanation.

3: Once you have uploaded the files, and thereby know where the files are located, it’s time to create the newsfeed.

Make sure that your newsfeed mimics the format we showed you earlier. If you follow that format, you should be good to go. Create your channel, and add all of your items.

Once you have created your newsfeed file, upload it to your server as well. Test it out by going to feedvalidator.org. If your feed comes back invalid, it will give suggestions as to how to fix your feed. If it comes back saying the feed is valid, then you’re good to go! Start submitting it to channels like yahoo, and the iTunes music store.

Those are all of the steps required to get a podcast up and running, if you wish to do it all yourself!

The other alternative is to get what is called a podcast host.

Podcast hosts take care of all of the hosting, newsfeed creation and testing for you. When you contract a podcast host, you don’t need to worry about file types, ensuring that your feed is valid, or finding web space. They take care of all of that for you. With a podcast host, you simply upload the media file, give it a name and a description, and you’re done. This is the easiest way to make a podcast.

After a few months of maintaining our podcast and constantly updating the feed to reflect new additions to our podcast, this is the direction we chose to go. It really simplified the production process, and actually ended up costing us less per month than what we were paying before. This is an excellent option to consider for someone who doesn’t want to bother with the tech side of podcasting.

There are a lot of podcast hosts out there offering different packages. When determining which one to contract – look at the following things:

1. How much do they charge vs. how much space do you get for your podcasts?

2. Do they limit your bandwidth? (This is particularly important. One host we went with charged for bandwidth beyond a certain point, and it cost us a pretty penny.) It’s best to get a podcast host with “unmetered bandwidth”. This means they don’t charge you extra if your podcast becomes popular.

3. Do they support transferring of the podcasts to another domain? This is also very important. If you, for whatever reason, become dis-satisfied with the service or want to transfer it to another location, will they facilitate this for you? We had to recreate two of our podcasts from scratch because one host wouldn’t give us the ability to redirect our existing podcast to our new host.

4. Do they have good technical support for questions you may have?

My favorite podcast host is AvMyPodcast.com. They have unmetered bandwidth and great plans available for very reasonable charges. AvMyPodcast is especially great for it’s technical support, and includes automatic iTunes and Yahoo submissions. They even offer instructional pages to teach you how to podcast.

Whether you decide to go it yourself, or contract a podcast host, it’s definitely worth getting into vidcasting. It has been a godsend for streamlining the distribution of my videos to clients.

Good luck, and happy podcasting!

A podcast is a collection of digital media distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players (such as iPods) and personal computers. Believe it or not, you can make a successful internet business out of podcasting. In order to do so, your podcast has to be innovative and informative in order to rise above the competition. You may also be able to get sponsorship for your podcast.

One of the newest forms of internet business is podcasting. Podcasting for profit involves making and distributing podcasts in order to generate revenue. Podcast profits can be made through actually selling the podcast, but they are more likely to be generated through donations, sponsorship and networking.

It is possible to make money through podcasts, but you need to think about how it will generate revenue. Podcasts that cost money to download usually only do well if they contain information that is popular, relevant, and insightful. Podcasts that people have to pay for face serious competition from all the free podcasts available. This doesn’t mean that podcasting isn’t a good way to make money; you just usually need to find other ways of generating revenue besides just selling the podcast.

One popular way of making money through podcasts is by providing a way of allowing people to make donations. Although many may not be willing to pay for a podcast, they may be willing to make a donation in order to keep your podcast alive. In order to receive money from donations, you will need to provide a link on your website where people can easily make a donation. Paypal is a reputable service that offers a donation button you can put on your site.

People are not going to donate money to a service that does not provide a quality podcast. In order to make money from donations, you will need to provide a podcast that people think is worth contributing to. Donations are a great way to generate revenue for newer podcasts that have not yet built up a steady listening base.

Commercial sponsorship is another good way for your podcast to generate revenue. It is not unknown for sponsors to approach podcasters that have a large base of listeners, but usually you have to approach the sponsors. Before approaching companies to try and persuade them to sponsor your podcast, you should have a good idea of the type of sponsors you want and the type of sponsors that would benefit from sponsoring your podcast. You should also have accrued a good listening base and show a good understanding of the business.

You can also profit from your podcast through the revenue generated by your website. Your podcast can direct people to your website, which will have its own ways of generating revenue. In order to generate revenue through the website, it is essential to have a quality website that provides pertinent and engaging information.

The information on the website should tie in with the subject of the podcast and provide information about it. A blog is one way to keep people coming back to your website on a frequent basis, in order to see any new updates. A newsletter can also direct people to specific items on the website and inform them of any new happenings regarding the podcast.

Another good way to get the word out about your podcast and attract listeners is to create an Apple iTunes account and submit your podcast to the iTunes directory. This is a very simple process that will allow a large number of people to find and listen to your podcast.

You don’t even have to be listed in the Apple iTunes directory to make money from your podcast, as there are other podcast directories that can direct people to your podcast. Your website alone may be enough to gain listeners to the podcast, but the iTunes directory will net you more listeners and subscribers, and is worth considering if you really want to make money podcasting.

Podcast profits don’t just happen, they need to be planned. You can’t create a podcast and expect the profits to just start rolling in. If you want to profit from your podcast, you need to spend some time thinking about how it will generate revenue. Proper planning and marketing strategy will provide a positive image of your podcast that people will want to experience. As a result, they will pay to watch it and you will profit from your internet business ideas!

Home party companies place many restrictions on their home party consultants and direct sales reps. when it comes to marketing!  When one considers the competition that is out there relative to party plan companies, it is a wonder that home party consultants are still going strong.  At the end of the day in order to qualify for that commission check you must  make direct sales, which translate to individual volume and personal volume.  So what is a direct sales consultant to do?  May I recommend podcasting?

What Is A Podcast?Podcasts definitions being what they are, can get the newbie confused.  Think of a  podcast as home made advertorials.  There are both audio podcasts and video podcasts.Podcasts are a series of audio or video digital-media files, which can and should be distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers. Podcasts stand out and are distinguishable  from other digital-media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added.  Podcasting is having your own personal TV show or radio show, featuring you!  So its Oprah being heard and watched in over 70 countries! The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.Apple, the company has revolutionized this method of media dissemination through ipods and more recently with its uber popular iPhone! Educational podcasts tend to be one of the best podcasts out on the marketing.So How does one create a podcast?

You must first decide whether you will be requiring an audio podcast?  Perhaps you are more inclined to video podcasts, you are also welcome to a combination of the two.Then you need to decide what outlets you will use to dissemeninate your podcasts.  There can be found on the web a listing of podcast directories that you can submit your podcast to, the most popular one being iTunes!  Also be aware that there may be those who do not use itunes, so offer some options.   One of the better known podcast directory for podcast distribution services is podcast alley.  A podcast blog is highly recommended because people can read and hear the content right from your won blog and as such create a lot of traffic for you!  (Do I hear free, qualified direct sales leads?)Of course as with any endeavor, you will want to decide on a target audience.  My target is women, between the ages of 25-50 who are involved in direct sales, direct selling, home party plans, or home based business!

Then you want to decide what the focus of your podcast.  Will you be sharing storied, interviews, tips, marketing lessons?  How to and educational podcasts a staple.  Writing podcasts is highly recommended,  always create outlines so that you do not ramble on for hours on end!  You will need an introduction, body and conclusion to your podcast!How to Make A PodcastNow this where things get exciting.  What type of computer do you have?  Mac come with inbuilt software throught garage band that makes it very easy to record and covert your mp3 podcasts.  This the the file format that makes it easy to download podcasts.Garage Band for MacsAudacity for PC’s (they also have audacity for macs)MicrophoneEditing AbilityIntro & Outro MusicPicturesRSS Feed Creator!Podcatchers e.g, itunesAn Internet connection!Alright now armed with your tools and knowledge, be on your merry way and create a podcast!

Have an iPhone? Got iTunes?  I have a special treat for you.  Every Wednesday I share a 15 minutes Home Party & Direct Selling Marketing Strategies Guaranteed To Boost Home Party Sales! Here is to your success,Party Plan PatDirect Sales Coach & ConsultantEVERYONE IS PODCASTING, DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND ?!!!

Copywrite 2006 Tim Keelan, StoryQuest Inc.

What do Duke University, IBM, Capital One, Newsweek and Barenaked Ladies all have in common?

Answer: they are all reaching out to staff, students, and customers with a new and powerful tool – podcasting. You may have heard about podcasting from your kids or on the news, but podcasting is much more than some phenomenon started by the rock and roll or techy crowd. Podcasting is a powerful communication tool being used to reach global and mobile audiences, save people time and, most importantly, really connect with their audiences in news ways – in today’s communication/message glut. But let’s take a look at what podcasting is, who is using and why it is so effective for both business and individuals.

First, we’ll look at the size and scale of the podcasting phenomenon…

– A recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that more than 22 million American adults own Ipods or and MP3 player and 29% of them have downloaded podcasts or listened to podcast that have been “pushed” to them. That equates to 6 million people listening to podcasts. Market researchers and analysts continue to buoy up podcasting’s future with latest figures suggesting a US audience alone of 56 million by 2010.

– Jupiter Research recently predicted that US digital music player sales would grow to 56 million by 2010, up from 16.2 million in 2004 and by 2010, three-quarters of all people who own portable digital music players will listen to podcasts, a growth from less than 15% last year.

What is podcasting?

Whether you describe it as the greatest communication tool since email, or as an RSS feed for audio, podcasting is a way to “push” audio content to subscribers for virtually zero cost. Podcasting allows anyone (me, you, IBM, or NBC) to post audio content that gets pushed to any subscriber’s desktop and then directly to their iPod or MP3 player. This is global. Anyone, anywhere can “tune in” to your podcast and learn what you have to offer or say. You don’t need to be NBC with a global distribution infrastructure. Now people can “subscribe” to a podcast and have new content “pushed” out to them without them having to surf the web, download MP3s or burn CD’s.

Ideas/Stories/Voices -to- Audio/MP3′s -to- Internet -to- PC -to- MP3 players

Notice: all the arrows go in one direction! Once someone has subscribe to your podcast, your content get “pushed” out to them. There is no turning in to stations with podcasting. You don’t have to visit a website to find streaming podcasting. Podcasts show up (pushed) when new content is produced. If you are a subscriber, you get the podcast right then. All you need is an Ipod or MP3 player of any kind for listening, thus the word podcasting.

The term “Podcasting” is derived from the iPod (Apple Computer’s popular device for playing compressed audio files) and “broadcasting.” Podcasting allows for audio files that would have been previously downloaded and played on a personal computer to be automatically downloaded and listened to on portable music playing devices (such as the iPod and other MP3 players).

Having originated in the world of blogging, some have even referred to podcasting as “audio blogging.” For many, podcasting is a logical next step from blogging. As Business Week Senior Writer Stephen Baker observes, “The heart of the podcasting movement is in the world of blogs, those millions of personal Web pages that have become a global sensation. In a blogosphere that has grown largely on the written word, podcasts add a soundtrack.”

Now that you know what a podcast is, let’s look at where they come from: who is producing the “pushed audio content.”

Who is producing podcasts?

The answer is wide ranging. Teenagers, techies and rock musicians were early adopters. Today you see the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Business Week, ESPN and news programs of all types producing, distribution and marketing podcasts. The number of podcasts available is growing at a very rapid pace. In late 2004, there were close to 500 podcasts available. Today there are over 10,000 different podcasts to choose from.

Now that podcasting has becoming more mainstream, corporate and non-corporate organizations are getting into the act, using podcasting to connect with customers, students, staff and partners. Here are some examples:

– Duke University handed out iPods to their entire 2005 freshman class so they could receive podcasts that included university news, class work and social content.

– Capital One University has handed out over 3000 iPods to support corporate training and communications. This includes, leadership training, sales, customer service and other topics.

– IBM has created podcasts to show their thought leadership to customers investors and prospects.

– Keane Inc. has handed out over 100 ipods to their global sales force to share training, customers’ stories and organizational content.

Why have these and other organizations gotten into podcasting? They have gotten into it because they know their audience (whether internal or external) is inundated with text-based content: emails, articles, the web portals, and marketing messages. Podcasting allows them a unique medium to reach and connect with their audience.

iPods will be part of Duke University’s new Duke Digital Initiative (DDI). “We’ve been focusing on iPods and other mobile computing, but our wider goal is to integrate technology broadly into the teaching and learning process,” said Peter Lange, Peter Lange, the university’s provost and senior academic officer. “The iPods have helped jump-start this process, and we plan to keep pushing ahead.”

Listeners love podcasting because it delivers rich content directly to them, in a form that allows them to save time, control what they hear and listen to while commuting, working or whenever it works for them. No longer is learning tied to a book, PC screen or web portal.

Content is still king in any communication, especially recorded podcasts. Podcasting is the delivery tool. Compelling content ensures continuous listening and not a flip of the power switch or turn of the dial.

Should you podcast?

Podcasting is not answer to all your learning and communication problems. As great as audio is, like any medium, it has its limits. While audio allows users to multi task, it is not easily scanned – which means you consider the listeners needs very carefully. You must provide value.

Corporate podcasting is different that individuals or media podcasting. The standard for a corporate podcast is much higher than for individual or media. Your staff and customers expect certain from your communication with them. You can’t just offer long-winded rants, self serving commercials or cute content. It is all about value. When producing that value, ask yourself; who and how will you produce your podcast? Who will review it and how? Will you get it transcribed? There are legal issues to consider as well.

Despite these issues podcasting can be simple. Once you have determined your format and established a process the whole process gets much easier. Still podcasting takes a proactive effort, a planned approach, creative development and the courage to try new things. But if you have the courage, and are willing to put the front-end work into it podcasting and mobile audio can provide huge benefits. If you would like to:

– Reach a global audience
– Connect with that audience in a new and effective ways
– Save your audience time
– Share the passion, experience and stories of your business

…try podcasting – it works!

It is much easier for search engines to index text blogs than podcasts or videoblogs. At present, search engines are using link text and the text surrounding the links to podcasts and videoblogs as a means to index their contents. The situation is admittedly a far cry from the ideal but the great strides being seen in the development of technologies towards the indexing of these mediacasts are very encouraging.
Podcasting in Relation to Search Engines
Podcasting is the method of distributing multi-media files over the Internet using either the RSS or atom-syndication formats, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. This may include, but is not limited to, audio programs and music videos. Podcast can mean both the content and method of delivery while a podcaster is the host or author of a podcast.
The websites of podcasters may offer direct download or streaming of their files. A podcast usually features a single type of show with new episodes introduced regularly or sporadically, although there are podcast networks that feature multiple shows on the same feed. It can be downloaded automatically using software capable of reading RSS or atom feeds.
The term podcasting is technically a misnomer as it combines two words: iPod and broadcasting. It does not require an iPod or over-the-air broadcasting. The “pod” name association stemmed from the popularity of the iPod digital audio player during the time that podcasting began. A lot of other terms have been suggested for use but the term stuck and remained as such.
Like any other regular websites that aim to be found by searchers, search engines have much to contribute towards this end including podcasts. Podcast optimization can be achieved by promoting only one feed. Many podcasters commit the mistake of creating a podcast and then moving over to a different management system which entails promoting a new RSS feed. This usually results to a lot of different feeds for every podcast which may be disadvantageous in the long run.
Another way to get the most out of podcasts is by optimizing the audio file. The findability gap should be closed since a lot of people listen to a podcast on their computers as well as their MP3 players. A landing page can be optimized for each episode of the show as well as the category page. Subscription information that is very visible on the landing page is highly recommended.
Podcasters should also look into building correct and valid feeds with feed validation tools. Since iTunes do not redistribute, a separate feed must be built for it. Doing three separate feeds – a 2.0 feed, a media feed and an iTunes feed is ideal.
The inclusion of a transcript or summary depending on the podcast’s time span is needed. A landing page usually requires just a summary which is a well optimized page covering the podcast’s high points. Some search engines use speech-recognition to determine the relevancy of the podcast.
Quality podcasts may not be easy to find. This is especially true if the desired site is one that has already done the lifting for its searchers including podcast search engines, directories and round up sites. A huge variety of podcasts are available in a wide variety of genres.
The Podcasting Search Engines
Generally, major search engines are not indexing podcasts in a format that is easy to find. However, some podcast-specific search engines seem to have solved some of the problems. Podscope searches for the spoken words within the podcasts themselves. Yahoo! Podcasts is very user friendly and is one of the more consistent and useful in finding good podcasts. Singing Fish provides a whole ream of results by just typing in podcast or bring back audio results only when specified with the use of drop-down menus on the top left. Other worthy research engines includes Podzinger, Blinkx, BlogDigger and Lycos Audio Search.
Aside from search engines, podcast directories are virtual goldmines for finding good podcasts. The Podcast http://Alley.com includes the very useful Top Ten Podcasts of the Month as voted by listeners. The NPR Podcast Directory contains quality podcasts in a subject directory format. The http://Podcast.net categorizes podcasts of various subjects by tags which are available for free download. Podcast Bunker is likewise one of the best places to find quality podcasts on the web.
Search engines have become very useful especially to those who don’t particularly enjoy the search process. http://Podzinger.com allows the user to search podcasts in the same way as searching for anything else in the web. A word or phrase typed in will find relevant broadcasts and highlights the segment of the audio in which they occurred. It is not perfect but it serves the user’s need at this time. It works with a speech-recognition software which transforms audio into words. http://Podscope.com and Blinkx are sites that work in a similar way.
Podzinger and Blinkx are search engines that scour audio content for keywords by translating the audio into text and creating an index for quick searching. This is a step ahead of traditional search engines that can only identify keywords in a podcast’s Meta data such as the headline and introductory notes which describes the audio file’s general content.
Podzinger has officially ended its beta and lets users jump to the spot in a podcast where their search term appears. This is a welcome option to being forced to scan an entire program for pertinent parts such as with Blinkx. The design results to an uncluttered search page similar to those of Google. Podcasters can also link to a searchable index of their content in order to sell sponsored links to text in the index provided by Podzinger.
Both Podzinger and Blinkx include information about the source of the podcast as well as excerpts of text translated from the podcast. This comes with the added convenience of having relevant search terms highlighted. In this regard, Podzinger’s information is more extensive while allowing users to hear excerpts and determine its relevancy before downloading the entire podcast.
Podscope searches podcasts but scans only for sounds of syllable rather than full words. It has operated a keyword search engine for video and radio broadcast since 1999. By far, the Blinkx service is a bit more extensive as it scours thousands of podcast and offers search for 1 million hours of TV news video and the content of academic lectures.
The problem at hand for podcast search is the difficulty in finding what is really needed in podcasts. Relevant results cannot be attained without words thus the heavy reliance on speech recognition software that would help the public search for on-line video and radio content. Podcasts are a priority at this time due to popularity boom it is currently experiencing. The aim is to make the spoken word as searchable as the printed word.

In recent years, podcasting has become quite a phenomenon. Who hasn’t heard of iPods or Apple iPods – small portable and trendy media players? Originally intended for users to listen to music even while on the go, podcasting is now used by companies as a marketing tool to communicate with their target audience and grow their businesses. Media, fashion, technology and the consumer markets have especially benefited from podcasting as present day consumers become more tech-savvy.
Podcasting Defined
Podcasting is shortened for iPod and broadcasting. Tech experts refer to it as personal on demand casting. In plain language, podcasting is simply a method of making radio-quality audio files from the Internet available for download through an RSS feed to a computer, iPod, MP3 player or other portable audio devices. An RSS feed is an XML file format that provides web content or summaries of web content together with links to the full versions of the content and other metadata. Listeners need to subscribe to a podcast only once. They can subscribe to podcast feeds with Yahoo, iTunes or any desktop podcast RSS feed reader software application. Fresh content is then delivered automatically to them as it becomes available without them having to do anything. Listeners can also download and listen to any programming of their choice whenever and wherever they want. With podcasting, listeners have full discretion over what they listen to and when they want to.
Podcasting is just like radio broadcasting with a difference. Broadcasting happens at a set time and place. If a listener wants to avail of the broadcast, he has to be in front of the computer at the exact time. Even if a radio broadcast can be recorded for listening later, it still requires manual work. On the other hand, it is possible to listen to podcasts from diverse sources at a listener’s convenience. Podcasts are available online or from any mobile audio device. Podcasts eliminate time and content constraints. Listeners also have access to the audio archives of the programs they like.
Podcasting’s popularity is simple enough to understand. At length, it is an inexpensive way to receive and discover information and communicate with others. It is, therefore, no surprise that podcasting is becoming a mainstream communication medium for businesses wanting to touch base with potential customers globally.
Business Benefits Gained
Business blogging is an effective marketing tool in creating online visibility, extending brand awareness and reaching out to a larger targeted audience. Adding podcasting to blogging and other marketing channels can bring beneficial impact on any business.
Podcasting is an innovative way to promote business. It is not just text or images on a blog page but listening to someone talking. It is a human voice speaking to listeners. This is definitely a more effective way to gain customers and potential clients’ loyalty.
There are various ways to put podcasts to good use. For one, you can offer your listeners short audio messages just like an e-mail course. It has a much better effect than e-mail messages or newsletters in the box. If you have a podcast, listeners can stream the audio and let it play while doing other tasks. You can also record seminars live or interesting excerpts as sound files and upload to a blog where listeners who have subscription can listen to the podcast. You can also provide company news and updates thru podcast. You simply create an audio message and post it in your podcast. There are other different ways
Having a properly executed podcast that delivers honest, timely and relevant content can increase visibility. The whole concept behind blogs and podcasting is to give users information that is difficult to find. Podcast is about credible content that people will want to listen to. Delivering significant content to targeted audience yields high return on investment as compared to any direct marketing campaign. Coupled with this, search engines will index these podcast feeds. Blog and podcast directories will list them too and targeted audience will subscribe to the podcast feeds. A quality podcast can also be listed in the iTunes podcast directory which boasts of over 40 million listeners.
Businesses are also using podcast to promote their products and services. They publish podcast shows regularly to allow prospective customers to be exposed to their products. This, in turn, will create interest in their product or service and subsequently drive sales and increase brand perception.
Another benefit of podcasting is interviews with guests in your particular niche who the audience can learn from will establish your business as a leader or expert in your industry. Internal communication is another area where podcasting can be of good use. Instead of sending out periodic newsletters, conducting training, business podcasting is a cost-effective method of distributing and sharing information. Company staff can simply download updates to catch up on corporate developments and listen whenever and wherever they want to.
The possibilities for businesses to use podcasting for its benefits are immense. Businesses that create podcasts can have direct communication with a focused audience. Podcasting adds a human voice and a distinct personality that builds listener loyalty.
Podcasting Process Summarized
Realizing the limitless benefits of podcasting, the logical question that comes to mind is how to create and deliver podcast. First, create your audio content. This can be spoken commentary, interviews, presentations and updates. You can use a digital voice recorder with plug-in microphone or the microphone that comes with a computer to record your audio content. Save the audio content in the form of an audio file or MP3 file.
The MP3 file is uploaded or published to a blog from where listeners with subscriptions from that blog can download and listen to the podcast. The MP3 file is referred to as RSS feed. The RSS feed shows up on the blog as a list of descriptions of one or more episodes of the podcast available to the listener. The description contains the date of publication of the feed, title, brief description of the feed or of the series that the feed is part of, author or presenter. The listener enters the feed URL into a software application called podcatcher. The podcatcher downloads podcasts (free or paid) and regularly checks for new additional feeds and downloads the new feeds automatically for the listener. This can be downloaded to either a mobile audio device or personal computer depending on the application that the listener is using.
Listeners can then enjoy listening to their podcast of choice any time and any place they want to. As long as you listen to podcasts in your computer only, you can use the audio player like Windows Media Player, RealPlayer that comes bundled with the operating system of your computer. If you want to subscribe to a podcast feed, you have to install a podcatcher software, the most popular of which is iTunes, available as a free download.
Simply put, podcasting is inexpensive, easy to create and convenient. However, it is important to touch base with customers and prospects using various marketing channels. Podcasts should in no way replace newsletters, direct mail campaigns, teleseminars and the like. Podcasting is a complimentary marketing tool that can be added to the marketing mix to maximize business benefits online. So, start podcasting and leverage this new technology to give your business a marketing edge.

A quick search for podcast on Wikipedia brings up this definition:”A podcast is a digital media file, or a series of such files, that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. A podcast is a specific type of webcast which, like ‘radio’, can mean either the content itself or the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. The term “podcast” is a portmanteau of the name of Apple’s portable music player, the iPod, and broadcast[1]; a “pod” refers to the iPod, and “cast” to the idea of broadcasting.”

Put simply, a podcast is a way to publish regular audio and/or video files over the Internet. People can use iTunes (the most popular podcasting software) to subscribe to your podcast and automatically download it onto their iPods. You can add new audio/video files to your podcast using special podcasting software and iTunes will automatically copy the new files onto your iPod for you, keeping your copy of the podcast up to date. In this week’s newsletter I’m going to show you how we’ve just setup our first podcast. I’ll show you everything we did and I’ll also give you some reasons why you should consider setting up a podcast for your business.

A Sample Podcast If you have an iPod then open up iTunes and click the Advanced menu. Choose the “Subscribe to Podcast…” option and copy the URL below:

http://www.interspire.com/email_marketing_podcast/podcast.xml

This is the URL to our new email marketing podcast that I’m going to talk about in this newsletter. If you subscribe to our podcast it will appear in iTunes like so:

Our podcast is all about email marketing and includes 6 tracks totalling 30 minutes in length. You can subscribe to our podcast, download it to your iPod and listen to it in the car or when you exercise, just like you can with all podcasts.

I’ve submitted our podcast to iTunes (Australia), so it will appear under the Business -> Management and Marketing category within a few days. Enough about our podcast. Here’s how and why you should create your own.

Why Start a Podcast? The main reason to start a podcast is to position yourself as an expert in your area of interest. A podcast is a great way to build trust and show potential customers you know what you’re talking about. At the end of the day a podcast is a great marketing tool, with the ultimate goal being more customers for you.

It doesn’t matter which industry you’re in – you can use a podcast to educate and inform your customers and prospects about topics relating to your industry. For example, if you’re a web designer you could start a podcast where you talk about the factors involved in building a usable or profitable web site. If you’re a marketer you could start a podcast to share marketing tips.

How to Start Your Own PodcastIn reality a podcast is nothing more than one or more audio tracks that you’ve recorded attached to a specially formatted RSS feed. Here are the steps to create your own podcast:

1. Come up with one or more topics for your podcast that you could write/speak about with authority.

2. Buy a microphone for your computer. Any type will do.

3. Download Audacity (a free audio recording tool) if you want to record your own voice for your podcast.

4. If you’d rather have someone else voiceover your podcast or you’re short on time then you can find someone on Voices.com.I chose to use an Australian voice-over specialist from Voices.com to record our podcast. His name is Justin and he did a great job.

5. Record your podcast and save it as an MP3 file, or send the script of your podcast to your voice-over specialist.

6. Now you need to create the RSS feed for your podcast. The RSS feed for a podcast is similar to a blog’s RSS feed – it’s a simple way to list the details of your podcast in a single XML file.

Apple has created the ultimate guide to creating an RSS feed for your podcast, which you can read here. If you’re stuck you can see what the XML content of our podcast’s RSS feed here.

7. Upload your RSS feed and MP3 files to a public folder on your web site.

8. Go to the podcasts section in iTunes and click the “Submit a Podcast” link. Type in the URL to your podcast’s RSS file and follow the instructions.

As you can see there’s a few hours of work involved in creating a podcast using the method I’ve described above, however it’s well worth it in the end.