|
|
|
 |
|
PODCASTING
AN INTRODUCTION
by Richard Phillips |
Although the name “podcasting” has been around for less than a year, it’s a good bet that you’ve heard about it and all the wonderful ways in which it can be used. But what is it really. Are we at the beginning of something new? Something that will continue to grow and change the way we distribute audio and video content? Or is podcasting nothing more than the latest Pet Rock?
I’ve been asked, “how is podcasting any different from what we’ve been doing on the internet since the 1990s?” Technical considerations aside, I’ve come to realize that one of the more difficult concepts to grasp about podcasting is the very thing that makes it so useful.
How Is Podcasting Different?
Imagine for a moment that in order to receive your morning newspaper you have to call the publisher and request a delivery. Not just once, but once each day. Of course newspaper subscriptions don’t work this way. Instead you phone in your subscription request to the publisher just once and from then on you receive a new issue each day.
Obtaining content from the internet works much like this “once each day” technique. We have to “send” our browser to a website before we can “receive” any of its content.
Podcasting, on the other hand, makes content distribution work more like any other subscription. People will “subscribe” to an audio or video podcast just as they would a newspaper or magazine. The key idea here is that a person need only subscribe to a podcast once and then each time the publisher kicks out a new show it is automatically copied to everyone who has subscribed.
In a nutshell, it is the ability to subscribe to internet based content that makes podcasting different and potentially so powerful.
What Is An Acceptable
Subject For a Podcast?
Anything. Anything at all. There are podcasts that cover almost every imaginable topic: human sexuality, business, advertising, technology, travel. Name it and there is probably a podcast in existence or in planning that hits on that topic.
You might be wondering if there is any point to adding yet another voice to this chorus. I have three reasons why I think you should consider podcasting...
|
|
|
|
Article Highlights:
|
•
|
|
Podcasting is a subscription based way to get out your message. |
|
•
|
|
Listening to a podcast does require access to a computer but you don’t actually have to own an iPod. You can listen to a podcast on a computer or any portable player. |
|
•
|
|
There are several protocols used on the internet that make subscription based podcasting possible. The most popular is called “RSS” (Real Simple Syndication). |
|
•
|
|
The name “podcasting” is a combination of “iPod” and “broadcasting.” |
|
•
|
|
Former MTV VJ Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer are credited with inventing podcasting. |
|
•
|
|
Most audio podcasts are distributed as ‘.mp3’ sound files. |
|
|
| 1st: |
|
I hate to say it but most of the podcasts currently being published really aren’t that good. They are created by well–meaning amateurs and they sound like it. They are badly written, poorly produced and just plain hard to stick with. |
| 2nd: |
|
Podcasting hasn’t even hit its first birthday. You are at the ground floor of something new. This is the best time to start building an on–line podcast version of your brand. |
| 3rd: |
|
Remember when we were kids and all we had to watch on TV were the big three networks and PBS? These networks had to be all things to all people. Now with cable and satellite television we have a far greater number of channels available to us. And many of these channels can afford to specialize in narrow areas of interest (CNN, Comedy Central, The History Channel, etc).
This is what is happening with podcasting. As the audience for podcasts continues to grow there will be room for content of any scope and purpose. |
|
|
|
|
|
Can Producing a Podcast
Make Money?
Not really. At least not right now. There are a couple of reasons for this. Advertisers are understandably cautious about investing their dollar in something with almost no track record. Plus, there is currently no reliable way to gauge the size of a podcast’s audience.
Some podcasters have been able to convince a couple of advertisers to support their shows but even they admit that what they are receiving from the sponsor covers little more than bandwidth costs.
Former MTV VJ Adam Curry (who with software developer Dave Winer essentially invented podcasting) recently received an almost $9 million investment in his podcast company. This may or may not indicate a possible commercialized future for podcasting. But it is important to note that thus far it is the only “serious money” deal that I’m aware of.
Rather than making money directly from producing and distributing a podcast, a better approach might be to think of a podcast as a way to get your name or the name of your company into the minds of others. Some podcasters are discovering that this is the greatest benefit of all. They are able to share what they know, help others learn something new and at the same time make others aware that the person or company producing the podcast knows their stuff.
Is It Costly to Produce a Podcast?
The cost of producing a podcast comes in two halves. The cost in dollars and the cost in time.
Dollar costs first:
If you have a reasonably modern computer with the ability to record audio (from an external microphone, for example), then all you need is a decent but inexpensive microphone and stand (less than $100) and a pair of headphones (less than $50). There are free software packages available that you can use to record and edit your podcast.
Some podcast producers have invested in sound mixers, professional microphones and digital audio recorders. In the right hands this kind of gear can certainly make for a higher quality production. But startup costs can be kept quite low if you wish.
Now let’s address time related costs:
The time needed to properly write and research a podcast depends largely on the kind of show that is to be produced. A program that covers the latest trends in government and how it affects a given industry, for example, is going to require more research and writing than a show where you rattle off your random thoughts on whatever crosses your mind.
It’s a little easier to pin down how much time will be required to record a program. One podcast I came across is produced twice a week by a guy during his commute to and from work. He drives his car while talking into a portable digital recorder. I don't believe he even edits the results but rather he posts (makes available to subscribers) whatever he has recorded warts and all. This defines one extreme. Safety considerations aside, most people would probably find it difficult to put on a cogent show while battling rush hour traffic. More commonly shows are recorded in a controlled environment such as a home or office.
Postproduction editing can take almost no time at all if you are willing to release your podcast just as you recorded it. Most podcasters, however, perform at least some editing on their programs such as removing the worst mistakes and flubs. Some podcasters go as far as to treat their show like a professional radio broadcast by editing out imperfections and also by adding music cues and sound effects. It's not uncommon for a few podcasters to invest as much as ten times the actual length of the final program in postproduction efforts. The amount of time that will be invested in posting a podcast will depend upon the image the producer wishes to portray.
Finally, time must be budgeted to compress the podcast into an ‘.mp3’ file, copy the result to the hosting server and update the special file on the server that “tells” your subscribers (or more to the point, “tells” the subscriber’s media aggregator program) that you have a new podcast ready to go. If you have a reasonably fast computer and a broadband connection compressing and uploading a podcast shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes for each one–hour of content (note that video can take substantially longer to compress and upload than will audio).
|
|
|
|
|
Is It Costly to Distribute a Podcast?
Server storage space and bandwidth isn’t free, of course, so there is certainly cost involved in distributing a podcast. There are so many methods available for distributing a podcast that there is no way I can cover them all. Instead I’ll create a hypothetical podcast to illustrate the costs associated with distribution.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jane Doe’s Hypothetical Audio Podcast
|
| • |
|
Jane’s podcast is produced twice a week and each episode runs about thirty minutes.
|
| • |
|
When Jane has finished editing and polishing her podcast she compresses it as a 64kbps stereo ‘.mp3’ file for distribution. This ‘.mp3’ audio file will weigh in at about 12 MB.
|
| • |
|
If a subscriber to Jane’s podcast listens to every show Jane produces (which is the way a subscription normally works), then this single subscriber will be downloading roughly 96 MB of content per month from Jane’s hosting service.
|
| • |
|
Now let’s assume that for the moment Jane’s podcast has 700 subscribers. Knowing this, Jane can plan on having to pay for a little under 70 gigabytes of bandwidth (downloading) each month.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jane can find a hosting service that will handle her bandwidth and storage needs for between $8.00 and $20.00 a month. Some hosting services may charge significantly more than this for bandwidth but finding a hosting service you trust may make such a choice worth the extra cost.
|
|
|
|
|
Home Stretch
If you are interested in learning more about podcasting please let me know and I’ll write more on this subject in a future edition of SP News. In the mean time think about the kind of podcast you’d like to produce. Or perhaps you’ll discover that one of your clients might be interested in leveraging this new technology. You might find that podcasting is just the thing their company needs to connect with customers and potential customers.
If you are thinking about starting a podcast please let me know. I’d very much like to hear what you have to say.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Miracle Max: Don't rush me sonny. You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles. |
|
|
|
