What are Podcasts?

Podcasts are audio or video shows posted to the web that allow people to automatically get content updates when new shows are posted to the Podcast channel.

How is this different from other content on the web?

Podcasts allow you to automatically get updates delivered to your computer whenever new content is posted to a particular Podcast channel. You do this by using special software or websites. So there’s no need to check a web page to see if there is something new.

Prior to Podcasting, people who created media (like musicians and film makers) would post their multimedia content to the web and you would have to keep checking their website to see if something new was available. So you save time by not having to keep checking websites for new content.

Anothe great benefit of Podcasting is that with Podcasts you can consume the content when you want to. A few years ago there was a big focus on live streaming of content. With live streaming you can pick up content from the web but you have to be on the site at the exact time the event is happening. This was particularly true of streaming internet radio stations like Live365.

Podcast producers make their content available as media files so you can download and consume the content whenever you want.

Do I need an iPod to enjoy Podcasts?

No, an iPod is not required to consume Podcast shows. You can listen to or watch Podcasts on your computer or a portable media device if you have one. Some portable media devices include Apple’s iPod, iRiver Jukebox, Creative Labs Zen and Samsung Multimedia Player.

What software do I use to get Podcasts?

People who get regular updates for a Podcast channel are called Subscribers. Subscribers have a wide variety of choices for getting updates so the software that you use really depends on your preferences. The first choice is whether you want the software based on your computer or the internet.

Internet based programs allow you to keep up with Podcasts by visiting a web page to see what’s new. From there you can usually stream (watch or listen in your web browser) or download the content to your computer. Some of the best internet based Podcast subscription tools are: Odeo, Blubrry, My Yahoo, Google and NetVibes.

Computer based software are programs that you download and install on your computer. Once installed, you can configure these programs to check your favorite Podcast channels for updates and have the media automatically downloaded to your computer. The most popular computer based podcast subscription software is iTunes. Juice Receiver is another popular tool. Another new application is called WinPodder. All of these software tools are provided free by their respective developers.

Where can I find listings of Podcasts that I may like?

You can certainly start here at Podcast NYC. We hand pick the best, quality Podcasts being produced around the New York City area. Once you’ve spent some time here you can also find many great Podcasts on directories like the directories embedded in iTunes and Odeo. Or you can try checking out some communities like Podcast Pickle and Blubrry. You can also try searching for keywords on Podcast search engines like PodZinger.

It’s important to remember that the word Podcast refers to the way the media is made available and doesn’t tell you anything about the content of the shows. So you’ll want to think about the types of topics that interest you, like Sports, Politics, Health, Comedy, Music, etc.

How much do Podcast shows cost?

The vast majority (like 99.9%) of Podcasts are free. Some may include advertising or other sponsorhip announcements included in the individual shows, but even those are in the minority.