An introduction to podcasts

Podcasts are a good way for businesses or individuals to interact with people from around the world, using audio or video files. People can watch or listen to podcasts and there is usually something for everyone.

What is a podcast? A podcast is a way to describe an audio or video file which is available on the internet for you to watch or listen to. It allows users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically, which is usually free.

A podcast can also be referred to a series of audio or video files. Most people when using the word ‘podcast’ are referring to an entire series of audio or video files.

A podcast is different from other digital media formats because of its ability to be syndicated and subscribed to. An aggregate or feed reader capable of reading formats such as RSS or Atom means that when new content is added, it can be downloaded automatically.

A podcast can be listened to on your computer or it can be downloaded onto a portable audio or video device, which means you can listen to the podcast or watch it where you want and whenever you want.

What does a podcast contain? Podcasts contain anything from big-budget productions to homemade video/radio shows. They can be targeted advertisements for products that you are interested in to comedy, cartoons, commercial or non-commercial. The main reason why people like podcasts is that there is something for everyone.

Create your very own podcast We recommend that before you create your own podcast, you view an existing podcast to get a feel for what it’s all about. Podcast.com is a website dedicated to discovering podcasts from all over the world, and may help to give you some ideas.