While we develop our own write-up, here are some other resources and articles that can give you a good introduction to podcasting.
- Podcasting The excellent, oft-referenced Wikipedia entry on podcasting. “A podcast is much like an audio magazine subscription: a subscriber receives regular audio programs delivered via the internet, and she or he can listen to them at her or his leisure.”
- What Is Podcasting? – Podcasting 101 Despite podcasting’s continued existence since 2004, many people are still unaware of what podcasts are and how podcasts can be obtained and listened to.
- Frequently Asked Questions What is a podcast? How can I get started? A page provided by Apple for podcast fans.
Some quick things it might be helpful to know about listening to podcasts:
- You don’t need an iPod. The term “podcasting” was coined by combining “iPod” and “broadcasting,” but podcasts can be downloaded to any portable music player.
- You don’t even need a portable music player. The ability to subscribe to and download podcasts onto an MP3 player or other media device is a large part of the appeal, but podcasts are usually basic MP3 files that you can download and listen to at your computer, just like any other audio content on the web.
- Most podcasters are not professional broadcasters. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because everyday citizens can now use technology to express themselves to a potentially unlimited audience. Bad because, much like “bloggers,” there’s more quantity than quality.
- A podcast can be anything. Some podcasts are like traditional radio shows. Others are merely recordings of lectures or panel discussions. People are sharing music, talking about computers or cooking, rambling, ranting, or just recording the sound of traffic on the Interstate. As the phenomenon is still young, a lot of podcasts are about podcasting.
- You can be a podcaster. If you’ve got something to say, it’s relatively easy to be heard… literally. One of the goals of the Hawaii Association of Podcasters is to help people get started in this exciting new medium.