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Podcasting
by James Oakwood
18.12.06 |
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Podcasting is one of those things that the media claims we’re all doing, yet finding someone you know who does it is still rare. Yet, with some of the world’s best-known radio stations getting involved, the future for podcasting would seem to be extremely bright. So what is it? How do you do it? And should you even bother with it in the first place? The answer to the last question is a resounding ‘yes’, but answering the first two might take a little longer…
The cult of podcasting is a fairly new one, with the term first cropping up in an feature about online radio on the Guardian newspaper’s website. Ironically, while the term may have been in place, the actual system wasn’t, and the word was thrown up as a suggested title for the latest boom of online amateur radio. It wasn’t until August of 2004 that Adam Curry (an ex-MTV VJ) created the first piece of software specifically designed for podcasting, iPodder.
Similar to file-sharing, podcasting is a piece of software that scours the Internet for you, looking for audio files of your choosing and then saving them to your hard drive. The main difference between this and programs such as Limewire though (apart from the obvious legality of the source material), is the type of audio searched for. Although the downloaded files are MP3 format, the podcasting software relies on a certain form of code to recognise the download and then to make it available for your future listening pleasure.
REALLY SIMPLE SYNDICATION
As we mentioned before, Adam Curry invented iPodder, but it would have been nothing without the genius that is David Winer. You may have heard of the acronym RSS before, but you may not know that it was developed separately by Winer and that it stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’. Although the software has many uses in home and business computing, it’s also essential to the running of podcast software, as it’s RSS feeds that alert the software of new audio files, rather than the websites themselves. RSS is used to automate the distribution of many different kinds of information, so you don't have to check back to a website all the time to see what's new – RSS helpfully deliver it straight to you.
Fortunately for you though, you have one of the best podcasting hosting programs in the shape of iTunes. Organising your podcast files is simplicity itself, and the range on offer through the iTunes Store is both large and varied. To start you off, go to the iTunes Music Store and go to ‘Podcasts’ – it’s in the iTunes STORE list on the left side of the window. Then you’ll find that the wide range of podcasts on offer is split up into various categories (which can be accessed from the list on the left side of the window), while highlights and video podcasts can be found in the centre. If you’re brand new to podcasting though, we recommend checking out the Top Podcasts list on the right, as that’s a very clear indication of what the hottest ones currently are.
SUBSCRIBING
When you’ve found a podcast you like, it’s simply a case of pressing on the ‘Subscribe’ link and then it’ll be added to the Podcasts section of the Source list in iTunes. Now, when you load up iTunes, it’ll automatically look through your podcast list and check to see if any new episodes are available for your podcasts. If there is, then they’ll download them and store them in your library (image 1), for you to listen to via iTunes, or through your iPod. To change the way that iTunes checks for podcasts, go to iTunes Preferences and click on the ‘Podcasts’ tab (image 2).
There are other sources for podcasts though, and a quick Google search should reveal a couple of sizeable directories of original material, but if you’d rather bypass that, we recommend you check out Podcast.net or Podcast Alley (image 3). To subscribe to a podcast that’s external from iTunes you need the direct link (it’ll end in ‘.xml’) and then go to iTunes and click on Advanced > Subscribe to Podcast and paste the link in the box here.
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1. Want to make your own podcast? It’s easier than you think and if you check out the Quick Links part of this page, it’ll take you to a fine tutorial. |
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2. If you’re given the choice always go for the enhanced podcast, as this version is divided up into chapters and usually has images attached to each one. |
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