The word podcast is a made-up word made up of the words "iPod" and "broadcasting". The word was first used in 2004 in the British newspaper "The Guardian". Apple had just released the iPod, a portable music player that, like the Sony Walkman, became a byword for a new technology. Together with the internet, the iPod was also used to produce own audio broadcasts and to distribute them via the global network. This would not have been possible without the digital Audio encoding and compression format MP3. This format has been developed to reduce the amount of data to be transmitted, but still provide a faithful reproduction of the original for most listeners. On the personal computer at that time, MP3 was a popular storage type for audio files.
Creative podcasting not only for technology freaks
Podcasting is thus a form of distributing audio broadcasts over the Internet. Many people downloaded the programmes to their iPods to listen to them afterwards. But today, an iPod is not absolutely necessary to listen to a podcast, as many manufacturers have released similar devices. Today there are also media players for all major operating systems that can play MP3 files. You can also listen to podcasts on tablets and smartphones without any problems.
To make it easier to search and listen to podcasts, you can subscribe to them free of charge if you like them. Podcasts are often distributed via a blog. In most cases, you can choose to listen to new podcasts directly via stream or download them.
Podcast kills the Radio Star
In the countless podcasts at the beginning mainly technology was talked about. Some broadcasts went on endlessly and were nothing but boring. Not every podcast producer is a good moderator. But there is another way. Some podcasters are not only creative, but also take full advantage of the acoustic possibilities and offer the best entertainment. They research bizarre stories, discuss new films, present innovative technologies, report on interesting travel destinations or give people the opportunity to present their ideas or dreams. The podcasters have long been dealing not only with technical topics. Many get interesting people in front of the microphones and ask questions about how our society will change in the future. In the Podcast Network Filter employees of the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation try to bring order to the weekly chaos on the Internet. The WDR produced with KiRaKa a podcast especially for children. Do you suffer from Problems falling asleep is the podcast from the Tagesspiegel maybe something for you. If you prefer scientific podcasts you should use the Space-time podcast subscribe. Companies and private individuals also use podcasts to draw attention to interesting content. In order to podcast you can use a screenshot software.
What equipment do podcast makers need?
Podcast makers often use a laptop to record the interviews and edit the broadcasts. A good microphone with a USB port is also important. In addition, suitable software is needed to record the audio content. Audacity is free, almost a small recording studio, and also has numerous editor functions.
Of course, podcasters can't always visit an interview subject in person. Here the software Skype offers itself to call the persons. If the interview partner also has a Skype account, the connection is free and of digital sound quality. The Call Recorder or Pamela software is suitable for recording the call. This software can also be used to convert the raw files into MP3 format. You will get a relatively high quality sound if you use the 128kbps format for the files. If you need to merge two files or make transitions, you can again use the Audacity mentioned above. Finally, it's just a matter of notifying your listeners that a new podcast episode is available. Many post a notice on their blog or send a newsletter to subscribers to do this. Also, social media like Twitter or Facebook are ideal ways to advertise the new podcast episode.
