What is now called a podcast traces its orgins to thefirst ipod podcasts, the creation of distributed mp3 filesthat could be downloaded and played on Apple's musicplayer, the iPod. When the iPod came out, and usersdiscovered what a wonderful thing it was for holdingmusic, some people had the idea of loading things thatweren't necessarily songs. Some of the people that gottheir hands on the iPod took the route of reverseengineering the iPod and loading on different firmware,or operating system, but others had the idea of sharingsmall sound files that could be played on the iPod. Thetechnology for distributing the files already existed,with RSS feeds. RSS feeds were a means of generatingmachine readable files that could share informationbetween a server and a user. Many blogs already used them to keep readers up to date with the latest posts, butsome hopeful podcasters had the idea of enclosing linksto sound files within the RSS feed and downloading the file to the computer.
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There are many podcast software programs available touse. Many of them are even free. Because of the decentralized, geek adopted nature of podcasting, awide variety of programs are available, from large programs with a big footprint that do many different jobs to tiny little software packages that do the bareminimum. A package is available for podcastsubscribers of almost any type, and more are beingcreated everyday.
While some video feeds can be found by visiting thesite that hosts them, many more are easier found byvisiting a directory of podcast videos. These podcastvideo directories maintain listings of podcasts that havebeen submitted to them. They may sort the listaccording to region, category, and popularity, helpingvisitors find exactly the type of feed they are lookingfor. Tech video podcasts can be found, with regularepisodes about technology news. Some video feeds areexperimental podcasts, created by designers interestedin showcasing their work and trying out new forms ofediting and storytelling. There are some feeds thatrecreate talk and comedy shows, with interviews everyepisode.
Podcasting, unlike other media forms, almost never hascharges for services, and the vast majority of feedproducers distribute free podcasts. This puts at oddswith, say, online radio stations, news sites that offermedia to subscribers, or the online music industrygeneral. Even though podcasting has very directcorrelations with industries like news and music thathave strong business models, podcasting differs. Podcasting does not really have a business model, andhardly anyone is podcasting in order to profit from it. There are some businesses and news sites that podcast,but they do it as a way to supplement their companiesand to gain technological geek credibility, not to makemoney. This is an odd thing, but explainable in light ofwhat podcasting is.
Podcasting is easy to get involved in for anyone whowants to create a podcast. The first thing necessary isaccess to a web server. The user needs to be able toupload files to the server itself, so podcasting can't bedone from a simple blogging or journal site. It'sprobably best to register a domain and find a host forthe site.
Because podcasting is such a new, exciting, cuttingedge phenomena, many people are eager to getconnected, and hence the Howard Stern podcast.Everyone wants to be part of the next big thing, but noteveryone is suited or ready to do so. The Howard SternPodcast was created and shown on iTunes, the Applecompany's music store. However, the podcast was neverupdated, and the only clip ever provided didn't eveninclude Howard Stern. This has brought a lot of flackdown on Howard Stern, as well as Sirius Radio, whichbroadcasts Stern. Many of these people would havepreferred to hear Stern when they wanted to, as apodcast, and were disappointed that the feed was notbeing used.
Many music podcasts are available online, distributed by podcasters who want to share their collection withthe world. Some of these are distributed by independentmusicians, groups or individuals who enjoy creatingand sharing their music but have a small fanbase. Forthem, a podcast means closer contact with theirlisteners, and the blog that usually accompanies apodcast often allows for the comments and opinions ofthe listeners to be shared with the musicians. Thelisteners often appreciate this close contact, and somebecome resentful when their favorite groups gainwidespread popularity. Musicians may find that themusic podcast they share is a way to build a followingand gain an audience that is loyal to them. Since manyof the musicians who podcast do so as independentartists who lack the sound the music industry is lookingfor or simply haven't been noticed yet, a music podcastmay build a following that attracts attention to them andgives them an entry point into the music industry.
Anyone can easily find free podcast videos online.There are numerous podcast directories online that canhelp you find feeds to subscribe to, or you may find afeed thats available from a site you enjoy. After lookingthrough the directories and finding a feed you want todownload, subscribe to it using one of the many freepodcast clients available. The podcast client willautomaticall download a small file called an RSS file,which stands for Really Simple Syndication. The RSSfile tells your podcast client when there is a new file, inthis case a video, to download. Depending on yourclient, the program will notify you or maybe evendownload it automatically. Once the file is on yourcomputer, you'll be free to listen to it any time it isconvenient.
A podcast client is the software used to access anddownload podcasts. Podcast clients are also known asmedia aggregators, programs designed to automaticallyaccess an online file, or feed, and download the audio orvideo file associated with it. Hundreds of theseprograms exist, with names like IpodderX, Juice,Nimiq, and PodSpider. These podcast clients are easy tofind, and because there are so many available for free, itis easy to find one that suits an individuals needs andstyle. These programs run on the users computer,periodically downloading a small RSS file from sitesthat it has been told to monitor. The file tells theprogram about an audio or video file stored on theserver, and the podcast client then downloads that filefor the user to view or listen to.
There are many podcasts on PSP available. Some ofthem simply share information on the PlayStationPortable and distribute it to people interested in portablegaming. These podcasts serve as news organizations,sharing audio or visual files talking about thePlayStation Portable and speculating about updates tothe PSP. The vast majority, however, take advantage ofthe ability of the PlayStation Portable's ability todownload and play quality videos on the gaming screen.Developers of the program PSP Video 9 first created aprogram that could change videos from computer typeslike .avi and .mpeg to the format used by the PlayStation Portable.
