Podcasting

Podcasting is known to be a very controversial term. According to Wikipedia, it is “A collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers.” Basically, podcasts are a way of using the Internet to create digital recordings and audio files that can be downloaded to a computer or any mobile device.

So, why is podcasting beneficial if we can just go on YouTube and watch and listen at the same time?

1. Web Syndication

Syndication is one of the most important processes for podcasting. It is an automatic process that allows a user of the Internet to transfer audio files that are made available through a website via other websites. Web syndication allows for more and specific content so that a user is easily able to find what they are looking for. Overall, this process gives you everything you want that trasnfers directly onto your computer. Amazing right?

2. It’s Portable

Since a podcast can be downloaded to your mobile device, you can listen to it anywhere you go whenever you want. For example, my friend downloads podcasts very often so he can listen to them as he’s working. Podcasts can be about anything the broadcaster wants to talk about, but he specifally listens to advice from speakers on a range of subjects including relationships, family, work, attitudes, etc. He downloads them in a series so that there are multiple “episodes” to listen to and available when he wants them.

3. Anyone can be a podcaster

You don’t have to be a professional speaker, anyone can do it. Check out these tips to become a succesful podcaster! It takes practice to become good at it, just like anything in life, but the topics are freely chosen and complete of personal preference so it’s up to you how you want to make it. Just like having an account on social media, becoming a podcaster serves as a new channel to communicate with an intended audience.

4. It’s easy to subscribe to

The most popular software to subscribe to podcasts is through iTunes, and it’s free! In fact, more than 60% of people who subscribe to podcast use iTunes. All you have to do is search for what you’re looking for and press the “subscribe” button. From there, you can choose to have new episodes downloaded automatically so that you never have to search for them again.

Some other helpful tools include:

• XML
• RSS
• Feed
• Syndication
• Aggregator (i.e iTunes, Dopple, Miro, Juice)
• MP3

All of these tools serve a different purpose and are used to show and organize the content and download the proper file formats.

Overall, podcasting is a great way to communicate and listen to what other people have to say. You can serach for any subject you’re interested and always have them available at any location right on your mobile device if desired.

Below, you can listen to my first podcast about how to create one.

I think if I were to create a series of podcasts, it would be about everything I learned from abroad. Each episode would cover a different lesson and they would be uploaded once a week. My goal is to teach others who are looking to study abraod what I learned and although my advice won’t apply to everyone, I hope I can still warn and prepare them for their travel. Here’s what my first episode would sound like: