A podcast client is the software used to access and download podcasts. Podcast clients are also known as media aggregators, programs designed to automatically access an online file, or feed, and download the audio or video file associated with it. Hundreds of these programs exist, with names like IpodderX, Juice, Nimiq, and PodSpider. These podcast clients are easy to find, and because there are so many available for free, it is easy to find one that suits an individuals needs and style. These programs run on the users computer, periodically downloading a small RSS file from sites that it has been told to monitor. The file tells the program about an audio or video file stored on the server, and the podcast client then downloads that file for the user to view or listen to.

continue reading...

Its easy to find and download a free podcast. The best way to find free podcasts is probably to check a podcast directory. A podcast directory is a listing of many, sometimes thousands of different podcasts. The podcast directory will usually organize the podcasts by topic and genre, making it easy to find the type of podcast that is sought. In addition, podcast directories often allow the visitors to comment on the podcasts listed, and provide a list of the favorite podcasts on the site, making it easy for users to find the best podcasts available. These podcast directories can be used to browse through, introducing users to many different podcasts they otherwise would not have found.

continue reading...

For anyone who wants to begin creating a podcast, podcast hosting is the most important part. Before anyone can begin distributing a podcast, they need a place to store the files and keep the feed file that will tell their subscribers about the new episodes available.

The first thing required is a domain name where the site will be located. Many domain registrars are available who will help one register a domain name for a small fee. Once the domain is registered, hosting is required, and again there are many different companies willing to do the hosting for a small fee. One of those is bluehost.com, but many others are available. When looking for a host, the most important thing is to make sure that a lot bandwidth and storage space is available and cheap. Since podcasting deals with large media files, a lot of disk space will be taken up storing the files and bandwidth will be eaten quickly when they are downloaded by the subscribers.

continue reading...

Podcasting is easy to get involved in for anyone who wants to create a podcast. The first thing necessary is access to a web server. The user needs to be able to upload files to the server itself, so podcasting can’t be done from a simple blogging or journal site. It’s probably best to register a domain and find a host for the site. Once the site has been set up and the user has access to the host server, a small program called dircaster.php should be customized for your site, and can be used to automatically generate the RSS feed that the subscribers will download. The mp3 files should be uploaded to the proper directory after all the information about the file has been attached. After they are in the directory, the address of dircaster.php, as long as it is in the same directory as the mp3 files, will generate an RSS file that will tell your subscribers where to download the latest podcasts from. To update and and a new episode, create and upload the new mp3 file to the same directory. When dircaster.php is accessed, it will recognize the new file and relay the information on to your visitors.

continue reading...

A Podcast RSS feed is what allows the entire system to function. To begin at the beginning, a podcast is a regular distribution of audio or visual files, called episodes, to a users podcast client. The people who use a podcast are called subscribers, and the podcast client is what allows them to subscribe to a feed. The podcast client is a program that connects to the internet, looking for a specific file the user has subscribed to, or told it to look for. That file is an RSS feed, a machine readable piece of coding that sends information back to the podcast client. RSS feeds can be used to distribute many kinds of information, and were originally used for blogging and distributing blog posts to subscribers. As time went on, however, a few people had the idea of enclosing information about media files within the RSS feed so that software could be written to find that information and download the files described.

continue reading...

There are many podcast software programs available to use. Many of them are even free. Because of the decentralized, geek adopted nature of podcasting, a wide 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 bare minimum. A package is available for podcast subscribers of almost any type, and more are being created everyday.

While some podcast software is designed for home user computers, much of it is designed to be used online.

There are many packages created so that feed subscribers can view the podcasts they enjoy from within a web browser. These software packages contain both the feed reader like the home user software does, but usually also incorporate a way to view or listen to the podcasts online from inside the browser. Much of this software is used at the podcast directories that maintain listings of podcast feeds.

continue reading...

Podcast Yahoo, is an example of a very full featured podcast directory. Yahoo’s beta offering presents podcasts from many professional organizations including NPR, Slate Magazine, and others. They also organize their listing by categories, offer a list of the most popular series and episodes currently available, and let users search through the entire database.

Yahoo’s site is professionally done, and likely has people permanently assigned to work on it, and so it differs from many of the other podcasting directories available. Many directories are little more than listings of amateur podcasters, but Yahoo’s site brings out a number of feeds done by mainstream organization, raising the level of quality available.

continue reading...

The podcast for This American Life allows listeners to download the the shows and listen to them at their discretion. The This American Life team contracts with a site called audible.com to distribute the shows to listeners who want to hear them. Despite calling their offering a podcast, however, it is not, at least in the normal sense of the word. A podcast refers to an online setup with an RSS feed that is regularily updated, can be subscribed to, and provides links to sound or video files that can be downloaded and watched by the subscriber. Audible.com and This American Life do not offer that. Instead, the show’s team allows audible.com to receive money for allowing listeners to download the sound files to the computer from audible.com’s web site. The only RSS file involved is one specific to the user which allows that user access to the shows they are interested in. Even odder than charging for a supposed podcast, the sound files downloaded are tied to the specific user who downloads them. Unlike the vast majority of podcasts, which allow the files to be distributed and redistributed as the end user wishes, without placing limitations on such, the This American Life podcast restricts the file to a single user.

continue reading...

Many music podcasts are available online, distributed by podcasters who want to share their collection with the world. Some of these are distributed by independent musicians, groups or individuals who enjoy creating and sharing their music but have a small fanbase. For them, a podcast means closer contact with their listeners, and the blog that usually accompanies a podcast often allows for the comments and opinions of the listeners to be shared with the musicians. The listeners often appreciate this close contact, and some become resentful when their favorite groups gain widespread popularity. Musicians may find that the music podcast they share is a way to build a following and gain an audience that is loyal to them. Since many of the musicians who podcast do so as independent artists who lack the sound the music industry is looking for or simply haven’t been noticed yet, a music podcast may build a following that attracts attention to them and gives them an entry point into the music industry.

continue reading...

A growing trend online is podcast video. While podcasting was originally only for audio files, more people are beginning to send video, especially with broadband connections more accessible. To podcast video, content distributors enclose it in a web syndication file that users can download and view when they want. Users subscribe to the different files, checking them for updates regularly, and download the new offers when they become available. Each file is often referred to as an episode, and may be part of a video blog, or vlog.

Podcast video, and other types of podcasting are thus part of the blogging revolution. Individuals and groups around the world, with a small investment in equipment and time, can become content producers. Because it is so simple to use and cheap to set up, many people are getting involved. They can podcast video around the world, becoming producers and directors for any small niche they want to exploit.

continue reading...