What’s a Podcast?
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1. An audio file usually in .mp3 format (for file size reasons)
2. Which contains a radio show, portions of one, or any audio someone offers
3. That you generally download using a news aggregator (web-based or stand alone program) which is created to receive something called RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
4. In order to listen to it at your convenience on your own iPod or .mp3 player.
Why would you want to? There are so many reasons:
- 1. Many commercial radio shows are now offering favorite segments to those who may not be able to listen at a particular time.
2. Enthusiasts and hobbyists are creating their own shows to share their experiences and advice with others who share their passion.
3. Free audio books & other literature are being made available.
4. Free original music is being offered by aspiring musicians and independent artists.
5. Business information for consumers and seminars for improving yourself are being created.
The Podcasting world is exploding with people providing audio and listeners seeking it.
News Aggregators
So, how do you begin to take advantage of all this free content? There are two basic ways: either through your web browser or through a 3rd party stand-alone program.
A "news aggregator" collects news (and audio) from various “feeds” that originate at websites around the world. Generally, you create an account and then subscribe to these feeds. The News Aggregator automatically collects updates for the feeds you select.
Some free News Aggregators include:
- NewsGator (Web-based or Windows Outlook)
NewsIsFree (Web-based)
FeedReader (Windows)
Bloglines (Web-based)
SharpReader (Windows)
iPodder (Windows, Mac, Linux, and more)
Additionally, My Yahoo!, a free web-based customized news service, let's you easily subscribe to a podcast when the My Yahoo! button is displayed at various websites. The same goes for My MSN and NewsGator (above).
Some commercial products include:
- FeedDemon (Windows) ($29.95)
Radio Userland is a web blog tool and aggregator (39.95 per year complete with site hosting and 40 megabytes of storage)
NetNewsWire (Mac OS X) ($39.95 — Single-User License)
iPodderX – (Mac OS X 10.3.5) (19.95)
By using a news aggregator, whether it is web-based or a stand-alone program, you can search for feeds of any interest and easily add them to your collection of automatically collected news, information, audio and even video. When your audio arrives, you can simply play it directly through your computer or upload it for later listening into an iPod or any MP3 player like you would upload any other audio.
Every aggregator listed above has HELP available so you can easily get going. Most of the commercial products also have free trial periods so you can see if the program fits to your liking.
Subscribing to feeds is no more difficult than signing up for an emailed newsletter. You can subscribe - you can unsubscribe.
Getting Started - Directories
My advice is to start with a free service or program. Get used to what they can do for you. Once you have a little experience, you may want to experiment with other free services or paid ones. For some a list of Podcasting directories where you can find feeds, start here.
Becoming A Podcaster
Over the past year, many websites and tools have come into being which allow anyone to create their own Podcasts with no knowlege of recording or programming needed.
For a listing of more options for easy Podcast creation, please see this section or the website: Online Tools and Software For Creating Podcasts.
