Podcasts - Personal Radio For the Masses
Podcasts are literally ways the ordinary average person can have
their own broadcast media. What makes Podcasts different from
other types of audio content is the users must use RSS protocol.
However, it also allows you to produce and create your own
self-published radio-type shows.
Several radio stations use Podcasts either as their entire
format or as part of their format. These stations include KYOU
Radio in San Francisco, 99.5 The Mountain in Denver, and KFI in
Los Angeles. Of course, the Internet provides listings for where
Podcasts can be found as well. At www.Podcasts.net, you'll find
a list that is based on any topic you're interested in. This
includes entertainment, politics, arts, science and nature,
business, lifestyle and shopping, with many of the categories
broken down into more specific categories.
If you don't have an iPod, you may wonder why you would even
want to find Podcasts. The term Podcasts doesn't mean a person
has to use an Apple iPod. Podcast, though, is a term merged from
the words iPod and broadcast. Any digital audio player or
computer with the proper software can be used to listen to or
create Podcasts. But, users must have "Podcatching" software,
also known as "aggregator" software, to be able to listen to
Podcasts.
Those wanting to either listen to or make their own Podcasts
will need something called iPodderx. This is nothing more than a
newsreader that can interpret RSS 2.0 feeds. While the iPodderx
allows for listening to Podcasts, it is also needed to help with
the broadcast side as well. Other Podcasting products available,
as shown on www.alesis.com, include the 10/2 2-channel portable
audio interface. This is a 24-bit /96k USB product. The Photon
X49 is a keyboard controller, as is the Fusion 6HD and 8HD. The
MultiMix Mixers are used to mix sounds for the Podcasts. M1
Active 520 and 620 nearfield reference monitors are also
available. However, be ready to spend some serious cash if
you're planning on doing any major Podcasts.
Podcasts can be broadcasted world wide, adding an even broader
base to the places you can find Podcasts. A couple of the global
Podcast sites, according to www.wickmedia.com, are CBC Radio One
out of Canada, Triple J Podcast from Australia. Podcast sites in
the US can be found at www.podarama.com-dj. To find more
podcasting sites, just log on to the Internet and visit
locations such as
http://www.apodcasting.com/dir/HowToFindPodcastingSites to do a
thorough search.
There are no rules or regulations to individual Podcasts and
their content, until some specific situations apply. That
includes Podcasts that are broadcast over regular radio waves on
radio stations across the nation. Those Podcasts are regulated
by Federal Communication Commission laws because they are geared
toward the masses at large. That means that, for an individual
who wants to become a Podcaster, the sky's the limit.
Copyright 2005 by D. L. Randolph. All rights reserved.