Why Podcast?


The answer to the above question is simple: Podcasting is so incredibly simple, especially compared with getting your own FCC license, that virtually anyone with a personal computer and an Internet connection can produce a show that could potentially be heard by tens of thousands of people. In the United States alone, where freedom of speech is set forth as one of the founding pillars of society, one does not have to take a large leap of faith to imagine that the podwaves are filling with interesting, offensive, humorous, and often inane chatter.

You may ask, "Who is podcasting?" That question can be answered very simply: Everyone is podcasting. Figure 1.3, for example, shows the conversational portion of a musical podcast from Tree House Concerts (see the interview with Tree House Concerts in Chapter 3). By everyone, I mean people from all geographic locations and all walks of life, and that number is growing by leaps and bounds. Between the first and second editions of this book, the number of podcasts available more than doubled.

Figure 1.3. A preperformance podcast interview in progress at Tree House Concerts (www.treehouseconcerts.org).

Photo courtesy of Tree House Concerts


If the Internet ushered in a revolution in information dissemination, podcasting has done the same for the audio and video formats. Podcasting is the metaphorical saw that cuts through the chains of radio and television, be they satellite radio, old-fashioned AM/FM radio broadcasts, or network television stations.

The following is a short list of the sorts of topics that are routinely discussed in podcasts available today:

  • Wine connoisseurship

  • Husband-and-wife relationships

  • Suburban life

  • Macintosh technical issues

  • Geek news

  • Science fiction

  • Comedy

  • How-to shows

  • Sports

  • Skepticism

  • UFOs

  • Music shows of all genres

Needless to say, this list could go on and on. And on. The number of podcasts is growing exponentially, and by the time you read this book, there likely will be a podcast for nearly every subject that could come to mind (if there isn't already). If you can think of a subject that isn't covered, you've found your niche to start podcasting in yourself!




Secrets of Podcasting, Second Edition. Audio and Video Blogging for the Masses
Secrets of Podcasting, Second Edition: Audio Blogging for the Masses (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0321438434
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 89

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