What A Podcast Is....and What It Isn't
The word “podcast” comes from the first portable, DIGITAL music device, known as the iPod. In fact, it's a combination of "iPod" and "broadcast." The first iPods allowed people to carry their music around as digital files instead of tapes or CDs - and in addition, allowed people to create their own digital files for OTHERS to listen to as well, called podcasts.
A podcast is NOT a random piece of audio on a company’s website.It’s meant to be a syndicated series, and much like our current television media, can be offered and/or downloaded all at once, week-to-week, or in season format.
Podcasting began in 2004 and was a popular, yet somewhat underground medium for a long time. People who write about podcasting having a “renaissance” don’t realize that the popularity hasn’t surged, rather, it’s steadily grown over time since inception. What HAS surged, perhaps, has been media coverage. More media are noticing podcasts and writing about them, and as a result, the podcasting medium is being thought of as a viable channel for media buy and company investment.
TYPES OF PODCASTS
- fictional story,such as the new GE Podcast, The Message
- non-fictional story, such as Serial
- traditional talk show format with one or several co-hosts, like She Podcasts or My Brother, My Brother and Me
- interview, likeMarc Maron's WTF
- short tips/QA, like Ask Pat
- variety of the above