Podcasting

Podcasting Explained

What is a Podcast?

More and more of us are carrying around portable mp3 players such as the iPod or one of the Creative Zen range these days. These MP3 players are great for playing music, but many people are getting thirsty for something other than music while they're on the move. Welcome the podcast!

Essentially, podcasting is a new type of radio broadcasting... taking its name from the iPod music player. A podcast is a distributed audio MP3 file that can be downloaded onto your PC and then synced to your portable music player.

There are now thousands of podcasters out there, generating new shows on a whole range of topics - music, sport, comedy, talk, discussion of TV shows - just about anything you can think of. Typically, you'll use iTunes to find and subscribe to podcasts - but there are a number of other online podcast directories

You can either download podcast files manually, or use software such as iTunes or Juice to get your favourite podcast downloaded to your PC automatically. You can listen to downloaded podcasts either on your computer, or by transferring them to your MP3 player / iPod / iPhone so that you can listen to them on the move.

Anyone can record a podcast (there are even all-in-one podcasting kits). Typically these will be recorded as MP3 files and uploaded to the Internet, so that others can download them. If you're considering getting into making your own podcasts, see our DIY Podcast page.

This site started running a podcast back in April 2006, and if you're new to the concept of podcasting, perhaps give one of our shows a listen - We put together our shows like a radio programme - each show is in mp3 format, and the show's presenters Carl and Pete discuss UK TV and radio, plus technology & gadgets. We've covered subjects such as Freeview, Sky, BT Vision, digital recorders, and Top Up TV.

Take a listen to our latest 'cast at www.frequencycast.co.uk

Top Podcast?

Podcasting came to many's attention as a result of the Ricky Gervais Podcast in November 2005.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have teamed up with probably the funniest chap around, Mr Karl Pilkington, to put together a series of 30 minute podcasts. What's so special about three blokes sitting in a studio chatting? Just give it a listen and find out.

Each show features the three chatting about anything that take their fancy, picking through the unique mind of Karl Pilkington, Ricky's former producer at London radio station, XFM. His views include: combating overcrowding by reintroducing the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the dishwasher sent to Mars, the Fire Rescue Chimp, and musing on why you never see Chinese homeless people. Karl's diary extracts, and his failure to understand proverbs... are hilarious. We're still undecided on whether Mr Pilkington is really all that he appears to be, or whether he's another Gervais creation... Every week he comes back for more abuse... can we take this chap at little round face value? Listen in and make your mind up. The podcasts are available now direct from www.audible.co.uk/ricky. You won't be disappointed!

The first season was made available free-of-charge via Guardian Unlimited in weekly instalments in late 2005/early 2006, and has has been judged by The Guinness Book of Records as the world's most popular podcast. All of these episodes are available from Audible, and a five minute preview of the Ricky Gervais Podcast is available free to all who register at www.audible.co.uk

FAQ

This section includes the answers to frequently-asked questions we've received...

Where can I get podcasts?

Users of the iPod may want to take advantage of the iTunes podcast feeds - see www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts
For an easy-to-use podcast service, try Podcast Pickle or Podcast Directory
Looking for British podcasts? Try Britcaster.com
If you're looking for a good collection of audio books, MP3 files and podcasts for your MP3 player, try Audible.co.uk
For other audio material for your MP3 player, try www.napster.co.uk

Starting your own podcast

To create a podcast, all you need is software to create an MP3 file (If you're serious, there's Adobe Audition 2) and some webspace to host your podcast.
DIY Podcast - We now have a page of information on how to start your own podcast over on the Frequencycast site - this inlcudes details of a podcasting kit that you can use to set up your PC to record and edit audio.
Note that if you run your own Podcast that contains music - you need permission to use the music, and you will be required to pay royalties on the music you play. You should consider either using non-copyright music, or obtaining a licence to use existing music on your Podcast. In March 2006, the MCPS-PRS alliance launched a Podcast licence for Internet music podcasts - Find out more on the MCPS-PRS Alliance website

We're looking to expand this section to include more information on podcasting.... and we need some feedback from you... What would you like to know? What can we help with? Any questions we can answer? Please contact us if there's anything you'd like to know about podcasting, and we'll try to help...

Links

FrequencyCast - A podcast from the Radio & Telly Team
Mobile Audio - A look at some of the MP3 devices around
Internet radio - Listening to radio online
On your PC - How to get TV and radio on your PC

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