What is podcasting?
Podcasting is the preparation and distribution of audio files using RSS feeds to the computers of subscribed users. These files may then be uploaded to streaming services, which users can listen to on their smartphones or digital music and multimedia players, like an iPod. A podcast can easily be created from a digital audio file.
In addition to RSS, podcasts may be hosted on or embedded in websites that enable the podcast to be streamed or downloaded.
Podcasts are typically available as a series of prerecorded talk-radio shows that users can download to their computers or mobile devices. Podcasters often publish episodes on a regular schedule.
There is no prescribed format, length or style for a podcast. They may cover a range of subject areas, but an episode often focuses on one topic or story. Some podcasters read from a script, while others improvise.
The cultural milieu supporting podcasting is sometimes referred to as the podosphere, in the same way the cultural environment of blogging is called the blogosphere.
Who uses the podcasting format?
Content producers have increasingly turned to podcasts as an inexpensive and user-friendly distribution channel to reach a large audience.
Musicians and bloggers were early adopters of podcasts. Mainstream media organizations, such as The New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR) and The Washington Post, have since adopted the format.
Apple iPhones come with a pre-installed podcast directory. Many podcasts are free to download and listen to through Apple Podcasts. Some podcasts are associated with websites to provide additional resources and community forums for fans.
Podcasts are sometimes referred to as a digitally disruptive format because they changed how consumers accessed content.
They also changed how advertisers monetized it. Podcasts can be monetized through subscriptions, purchased ad time or crowdsourcing platforms, like Patreon.
How does podcasting work?
Podcasts are digital audio content distributed over the internet using a podcast hosting service. These services store all podcast episodes in one location and automate the generation of RSS feeds.
These feeds list all the podcaster's episodes. They can also automatically submit the RSS feed to podcast directories, where listeners can access them.
The following are some examples of podcast hosting platforms:
Buzzsprout
Podbean
Podcast Websites
Simplecast
Spreaker
A podcast directory is an application that listeners can use to search for, store and listen to podcasts. When listeners subscribe to a podcast, their RSS feed automatically updates their device with new episodes.
Some examples of these directories are the following:
Apple Podcasts
Blubrry Podcasting
Podbean
Spotify
Stitcher
TuneIn
Podcasts may also be uploaded directly to Patreon, SoundCloud and YouTube streaming services.
Podcast production is not complex. A podcaster can save a digital audio file as an MP3 and upload it to the hosting platform or other service provider. The MP3 file has its URL inserted into an RSS Extensible Markup Language document as an enclosure within an XML tag.
Podcasts can be registered with a content aggregator, like AllTop or Feedly, which add them to their directories. Podcasts are generally audio files, but the same process can be used to prepare and share image, text and video files.
