Podcasting and Vodcasting
The name podcast originated from the Apple Incorporated’s iPod. A podcast is a digital recording of a broadcast available on the internet for downloading to a personal audio player.
At its most basic level, a Podcast or Vodcast is simply an RSS feed. Users can subscribe to your feed through any of the standard RSS methods including news aggregators and readers and browser plug-ins such as Live Bookmarks.
An iPod is an electronic gadget that allows downloading files in mp3 or AAC (Apple iTunes™ format). The term podcast does not only refer to the iPod anymore but to the software and hardware combination that permits the downloading and playing of files in a user defined time frame.
The name vodcast is a video podcast in which downloading video files is achieved by subscribing to a vodcast in one of many available directory programs. After downloading and saving them to a portable video player, users can choose when and where they want to watch the video, making them independent of television programming schedules.
This next video is for Audacity which is a free program available for Microsoft Windows and Mac users to make podcasts.
If you watched this short video you could see that this is a simple process. The tutorial will show you how to add music behind your audio and how to adjust the volume so that one doesn’t overpower the other. The music can also be set as an introduction to, in the middle of, or at the end of the talking . This program looks easy enough so now you just have to have something worth podcasting!
lets try Audacity! click here to download it
We have to add a plug in called Lame to it! click here to download it
After a ridiculous amount of trial and error I was finally able to make Audacity work. I didn’t have any wave or mp3 music files so I had to improvise.
After all of that work you are going to have to take my word for it. I can’t upload until I do a storage upgrade and money is tight right now.
I guess you will have to settle for a picture of my computer screen showing that I did it.
My Mp3 podcast
I am downloading something called AVS Video Converter . With this program I will be able to edit video and put it in different formats to suit my needs. I was successful and I changed an mp4 to a Wave but I cannot put it on my WordPress without upgrading. This AVS converting software which unfortunately is not for the Mac is great for converting files for vodcasts.
If you are more of a reader then here is a four page tutorial on how to set up a podcast and vodcast from Developer Shed or devshed.com
1) How to set up Podcast and Vodcast
4) Distribution, Licensing, and Legal Concerns
Here are a couple of great links available for vodcasts and podcasts.
After a couple of days worth of researching products and doing tutorials I have learned a great deal about podcasting and vodcasting. I can see that it will take some time to get used to the programs but I truly enjoy the two above and they seem to be pretty good for what I used them for.
As a big tv watcher I don’t quite understand what is so exciting about podcasts and vodcasts but I guess that it is just another platform to let people and businesses get there voices and videos shared with millions of people. Even after days of research I am still trying to grasp how to get recognized with millions of new vodcasts and podcasts every month. I guess that if you just put something together that you enjoy or want people to know about then you may have a chance of someone seeing it and spreading some word of mouth.
If you have any comments or information that will make this make more sense to me I would love to hear from you.
Thank you,
Scott Neece
Designed4u2 Blog
Additional Sources
Doyoupod.blogspot.com
808talk.com
I added a question to this link about how to make money using podcasts and vodcasts
http://radiantmarketingarticles.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/strengthening-faith-management-systems-in-your-small-business/#comment-8
November 6, 2009 at 8:38 am
I do think that a good majority of the popularity of a particular podcast comes from word-of-mouth advertising. I can also see sites like MixCloud helping beginners to started. Amatuers can upload to MixCloud and then as peple try out the podcast, they can rate it. The use of social media to advertise your podcast is always an alternative. I have two friends who produce a podcast here in Dallas about all things Disney. (www.DisneyDudes.com) They advertise on Facebook each time a new episode has been produced.
I think that you have to be passionate about what you podcast about, similar to a blog, and if you can convey that passion and you have something valuable or thought-provoking to say, eventually you will get a following. I think the key, as with any new product or service, is to be unique in some way, to fill some niche that no one else does, or to be the best at what you produce.
I think podcasting is going to become a much larger entity as we progress. Just as with blogs, everyone has an opinion and there are quite a lot of people out there that want to share their opinion. Since the attention span of listening or watching is longer than reading, podcasts will give the potential “journalist wanna-a-bes” better odds of being heard. Also as the price of the necessary equipment comes down and the tools to edit become more user friendly (and cheaper or free), more people will have the ability to podcast. Podcasts may even start to make inroads into blogging. What do you think?
November 8, 2009 at 9:40 am
After reading your comments I am left with the thought of how is money made. I guess that if your pod or vod gets sponsored it would be worthwhile but if this was just a hobby how much time is it really worth. My wife gives me a hard time for spending the hours I spend on the computer now. I am sure that it would lead to the end of a marriage if I was putting out professional quality vodcasts with no compensation.
I am going to have to research this a little further to see how much money can be made. After all, money is what makes the world go around. When I was a kid I used to skateboard all day and night if my parents would let me. Now that I am in my late 30′s I would probably break my neck if I tried. I guess that my point is, if you can’t make a living doing it then you have to grow up and get a job. Any Comments???
November 8, 2009 at 11:50 am
If you are looking for a way to get a video into your site the best ways are to find a free file hosting service that will allow you to store content on their servers. From there you can link to the service and people will be able to view your video, what would be easier is to upload a video to youtube, that way it will be protected and gain wider public recognition. Then it is extremely easy to link to a youtube video into your page or blog.
http://www.smashingapps.com/2008/08/28/5-best-free-file-hosting-services-to-store-your-files.html
November 9, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Google videos is also another alternative upload site, but I like youtube more. It offers you to create your own categories and filters for your uploaded videos and in its own way can be adapted very much to function as a free working Vodcast. In fact, going back and reading the definition of a Vodcast, the way youtube is setup with user channels and the ability to subscribe to them, I would say Youtube is a great example of what a vodcast can look like.
Audacity is a great program, I use it a lot in my music recording, as it’s the only real free alternative that does everything I need it to and does it well.
This is semi off-topic, but if you are a music fan, check out Pandora.com
It’s a pretty awesome display of web 2.0 and collective intelligence. Who needs a radio when you got pandora? Now they are integrating with other social sites as well like facebook and myspace. Fun stuff
November 16, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Making money with podcasting: it is not very different than any other product and service, except that there are numerous ways of making and income from these technologies. If you create a podcast/vodcast that is about something people want to learn about or use, they will become an audience. The more people in your audience, the more ad and sponsor and even donations you can receive. Take a look at http://geekbrief.tv, a production created by Neal and Cali Lewis (from the Dallas area). They gave up careers as lawyers to create this show, and never looked back. View their podcasting tips page and contact page and notice the ways they make money and offer help to anyone who wants to learn what and how they do it. They have millions of attendees to each show, need I say more about their opportunities?
November 19, 2009 at 10:14 am
Thank you for commenting on how to make money with podcasting. I knew that sponsorship is one way so I will check on the website that you mentioned and see how to get it all started. I have spoken with another blogger and they mentioned that getting an audience can also lead to t-shirt and merchandise sales. I guess the main question is how do you find a topic that will achieve an audience?