A Beginners Guide to Podcasting:

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A Beginners Guide to Podcasting A Consumers
Guide May 17, 2006 Greg Schwartz Supervisor of
Electronic Services, Louisville Free Public
Library
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Todays game plan

• What is podcasting?
• Why listen?
• How do we listen?
• Whats out there?
• Where do we find?

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What is podcasting?

• Distribution or syndication of audio files
  online using RSS technology.
• Podcast is often used (and sometimes misused)
  to describe content, but podcasting is
  content-independent.

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OK, so what?

• End-users can subscribe to regularly updated
  audio content.
• Automatic downloads of new content.
• Time-shifted content Listen to whatever,
  whenever, wherever!

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iPod?

• Podcasting iPod and broadcasting?
• Most audio files are mp3s
• No iPod necessary
• Listen on your computer, your smart phone, your
  digital media player.

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Why all the buzz?

• Control
• Whatever, Wherever, Whenever
• Build your own audio newspaper
• TiVo for audio?
• Variety
• Independent and mainstream content
• The audio long tail
• Entertainment and Information
• The one minute equals one minute caveat

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How do I get started?

• A computer
• An internet connection
• A tool for downloading content
• Podcast receiver
• Podcatcher
• Podcast aggregator

Same thing, different name
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5 minutes of tech talk

• Podcasting is based on RSS technology.
• RSS is a specific application of XML.
• RSS allows content that is published on one site
  to be consumed elsewhere.

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Open Stacks http//openstacks.net/os
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RSS feed URL
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Making the jump

• At a technical level, podcasting is RSS 2.0 with
  the addition of enclosed audio files.
• RSS allows end-users to subscribe to content and
  automatically aggregate it.
• Podcasting allows endusers to subscribe to audio
  content and automatically aggregate it.

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The Word Nerds http//thewordnerds.org
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Link to podcast feed
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The podcast feed URL
Enclosed mp3 file
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Juice http//juicereceiver.sourceforge.net
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Very quick history lesson

• October 2000 Enclosure tag conceived
• February 2004 Podcasting coined
• July 2004 Adam Curry codes iPodder
• September 2004 Podcast Alley goes live
• October 2004 Press catches on
• March 2005 John Edwards, podcaster
• June 2005 iTunes 4.9 released
• December 2005 Word of the Year

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Whats out there?
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ITConversations http//itconversations.com
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The Daily SearchCast http//feeds.searchenginewatc
h.com/searchcast
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Check This Out! http//cto.libsyn.com
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SirsiDynix Institute http//sirsidynixinstitute.co
m/podcast.php
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Open Source http//radioopensource.org
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Coverville http//coverville.com
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Eat Feed http//eatfeed.com
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Cinecast http//cinecastshow.com
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So how do I find this stuff?

• Go right to the source.
• Try the directories.
• Play with the full-text tools.

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NPR http//npr.org
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One-click subscription options
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Other known sources

• BBC - http//www.bbc.co.uk/radio/downloadtrial/
• KCRW - http//www.kcrw.com/podcast/
• CNN - http//www.cnn.com/services/podcasting/
• NY Times - http//www.nytimes.com/ref/multimedia/p
  odcasts.html
• MTV - http//www.mtv.com/podcasts/

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But What If You Dont Know?

• A Brief Tour of Podcast Discovery Tools

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Podcast Alley http//podcastalley.com
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iTunes
iTunes http//apple.com/itunes/download
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Other directory/aggregator combos

• Odeo http//odeo.com
• Yahoo! Podcasts http//podcasts.yahoo.com
• Podnova http//podnova.com

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Loomia http//loomialive.com
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Podzinger http//podzinger.com
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Other full-text indexes

• Podscope http//podscope.com
• Blinkx.tv http//blinkx.tv

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castingWords.com http//castingwords.com
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Videocasts (vlogs, vodcasts) Like podcasts, but
syndicating video instead of audio http//rocketbo
om.com/vlog
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Screencasts Screen capture videos, usually
accompanied by audio narration. http//weblog.info
world.com/udell/gems/umlaut.html
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Screencast links

• Jon Udells Screencasts http//del.icio.us/judell/
  screencast
• ScreenCastsOnline http//screencastsonline.com

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In summation(with apologies to Ranganathan)

• Podcasts are a growing phenomenon.
• Podcasts can save your time.
• Every podcast its listener.
• Every listener his/her podcast.
• Podcasts are for use.

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Next week

• Why podcast?
• What to podcast?
• How to record?
• How to publish?
• Where and how to market?

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Questions?
Questions?

• Greg Schwartz
• greg.schwartz_at_gmail.com
• IM planetneutral (AIM, Yahoo)
• http//openstacks.net/os