Sights and Sounds of Multimedia
By George Harding
One of the recent innovative uses of the Internet is podcasting, which grew out of Apples’ iPod device. It also is a product of peoples’ interest in telling others what they think is important. Of course, not everyone is as interested in what you have to tell as you are! But one thing nice about podcasts is that there are so many that there will be something you will like.
Podcasting is the process of providing an audio or video broadcast on the Internet. You can be either a creator of podcasts or a receiver. Most of us fall into the latter category. The easiest way to sample podcasts is with Apple’s iTunes, although there are many other ways as well. You can get a good sample at podcasts.yahoo.com.
The iTunes software is a very polished application that makes it very easy to find what you want, and the software is free! Go to to get the free download. Although we’re talking about podcasts, iTunes also has songs, videos, movies and radio available. Songs can be downloaded for $0.99 each.
What’s nice about podcasts is that they are all free, at least I haven’t found any that aren’t. So, you can try out most anything that hits your fancy. Once you find one that you find interesting or entertaining, you can subscribe to it. This means that when a new one is created by that podcaster, iTunes will download it automatically. You can listen to it at your convenience.
It is possible to copy your podcasts to your iPod is you want, to make listening more flexible and portable. Some MP3 players will play these podcasts, but not all. If you want to download to your player, it’s probably best to do so from a web site like Yahoo.
If you want to create a podcast, you will need three things: recording software, a microphone and a distribution source. The recording software is easy to get; go to audacity.sf.net to download it. It’s easy to use and needs almost no instruction to get started.
The microphone can be a cheapie, if necessary, but if you are going to take podcasting seriously, it’s better to get a good microphone. There are many retail sources for this and a range of prices from which to choose.
The third thing you need is a distribution source. The easiest way to do this is to use a commercial site. Yahoo can do this, but you must already have a URL to the RSS feed to give them. Another source for distribution is .
If you want to investigate the subject further, check out Podcasting and Podcasting Hacks, published by O’Reilly Publishing at . Each has a wealth of information about how to find, use and create podcasts.
The Podcasting Pocket Guide (about $10) is more than that. Although less than 100 pages, what’s contained is useful material. It doesn’t go into a lot of detail, but the essentials are there.
Podcasting Hacks (about $25) is a 400 or so page volume which goes into some depth about finding and using podcasts. Its main emphasis, though, is on creating, editing and distributing your podcasts. There are eleven chapters plus a glossary (very helpful if you’re new to the subject) and a well-done index.
Either of these would be a worthy addition to your library. Remember, too, that User Group members qualify for a discount of 30% for single book orders, 35% for orders of 2 or more books, and orders totaling more than $30 qualify for free shipping. What a deal! How can you pass that up?
O’Reilly Publishing
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