The article "How Podcasting is Used" is about communications, it was created by S. Housley.
Although podcasting is new, it is well on its way to becoming a
mainstream communication medium. Podcasting, simlpy put, is
audio files that are delivered via RSS. Many people believe that
podcasting is solely for the distribution of music files, but
really, nothing could be furtehr from the truth. This emerging
method of audio file distribution has opened an array of
marketing and communication opportunities to businesses.
Currently, most who are familiar with podcasting are technically
savvy, but it is clear that podcasting will be more than a
passing fad as many businesses are adopting podcasting and
employing it in unusual yet powerful ways. Podcasting can be
used for talk shows, tutorials, msuic demos, educational
training, stories, comedy clips, debates or even foreign
language tutorials.
While RSS has had the capacity to include audio files for a few
years, only last week have entrepreneurs made the conceptual
leap, taking advantage of the new power held within this
communication medium.
In reality, podcasters coevr the gamut;
some are professional broadcasters, while others are obvious
amateurs.
Podcasts are usually published with associated meta information
that includes descriptive data about each specific audio file.
This allows listeners to make a determination of which audio
items are of interest. If listeners are using a news aggregator
that supports podcasting, they will automatically receive
updates in their feed reader or news aggregation software when a
new podcast exists for a feed that they have subscribed to.
Why is podcasting so beenficial to the subscriber? Unlike
traditional radio, with podcasting the subscriber decides what
content he/she receives. Podcasting is extremely useful to the
subscriber because the user can eaisly receive information
he/she would like, and listen to it when they want. The
material, once downloaded, can be listened to and viewed on
wireless handhelds, allowing subscribers to utilize time on the
road.
Topic-specific radio talk shows with commentaries, interviews
and debates can now be heard at a time and place of the
listener's choosing. Consider the benefit of educational
tutorials and foreign language instruction; lsesons could be
listened to during a work commute.
Supplementary class lectures,
step by step tutorials or walking guides are all possible using
podcasting.
An unlimited collection of books read aloud for
elderly or visually-impaired listeners only scratch the surface
of what is possible in the future of podcasting.
The fate of podcasting is in the hands of the subscribers. The
subscriber can easily delete podcast feeds that do not satisfy
their needs with the single tap of a button.
Ultimately, the
subscriber maintains control and determines what pocdasts are
deemed successful. This intrinsically builds in a quality
control level and will ensure that the more innovative
instructional and interesting podcsat feeds survive.
The technology is fresh and, like the Internet, is oepning doors
to entrepreneurs. As podcasting evolves, users will find more
creative kidns of audio content to deliver.
The low barrier to
entry has forced this new medium to the forefront, as businesses
and individuals have really little to lose in adding podcasting
as a communication channel.
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