Podcasts

What is a podcast?

A podcast is like a magazine subscription that you listen to.  It is an audio file, usually part of a regular series, that is automatically delivered using syndication feeds (RSS) for playback on a computer or MP3 player.  Podcasts can be educational, informational, entertainment; they can be music, spoken word, or any combination of the two.  Podcasts can also contain text or video components, often referred to as video podcasts, or vodcasts.

Characteristics of a podcast

A Beginner's Guide to Podcasts (Greg Schwartz, from Sirsi Dynix Institute)

Podcasts versus audio files what makes a "podcast" different from any old audio file on your computer or your MP3 player is the subscription aspect.  The distribution of an audio file using an RSS feed makes it a podcast.  Though you certainly don't need to subscribe to a podcast to use it-- you can always play the files directly from the website.  But why would you when you can have them delivered to your "door"?

Video:  Podcasting in Plain English

What are podcasts good for?

• Entertainment

   

• News

   

• Tips & tricks

   

• Education

   

Examples of Podcasts

• Grammar Girl

  http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

   

• CODcasts

  http://www.cod.edu/multimedia/podcast/CODcast/Welcome.html

   

• Coffee Break Spanish

  http://www.coffeebreakspanish.com

   

• First Monday Podcast

  http://www.firstmondaypodcast.org

   

Where to find Podcasts

• iTunes Store

  download iTunes for free at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

   

• Podcast Alley

  http://www.podcastalley.com/