Simply Digital

Episode 1: Podcasts

For the very first Simply Digital podcast, Michael Ashby and Analog Dave give a brief introduction about the show and themselves, then dive first into the topic of Podcasts. Although at first glance, talking about podcasts IN a podcast may seem a bit redundant, but this episode really serves as a primer for those just getting into the medium.

Since Simply Digital is a podcast, what better way to kick things off than by breaking down this new technology? Episode 1 explains exactly what a podcast is, how to find them on the internet, and (of course) how you can subscribe to them so that they automatically download to your computer or digital audio player.

Show Notes

• Welcome
• Introduction Of Show Concept
• Introduction Of Hosts
• Episode Topic - Podcasts
  Why do a podast ABOUT podcasts? To explain what podcasting is, why you might like it and why you might use it. Also, we assume that you already know what digital audio (aka mp3) is.
  1. What’s a podcast?
     • It’s an mp3 file that you can subscribe to
     • It’s typically free
     • It’s typically in a talk show style format
     • It’s an emerging technology
  2. You don’t need an iPod to listen to a podcast
  3. The term Podcast was coined by Adam Curry
  4. Any software digital music player can play a podcast, such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc.
  5. How do you “subscribe” to a podcast?
     • You need software, often referred to as a Podcatcher.
     • Popular choices include: iTunes, Juice.
     • A complete list of podcatcher software can be found at this link.
     • One of the easiest ways to listen to podcasts is through the free service Odeo.
  6. Where do you find podcasts?
     • iTunes
     • AOL Music
     • Yahoo
     • Odeo
     • PodNova
     • Podcast Pickle
  7. What kind of podcasts are out there?
     • There is a TON of content out there.
     • Not all of it is very professional because it’s mostly “home grown” in nature.
     • Some podcasts are adult in nature, so be mindful of that if you have children, or disapprove of this kind of content.
  8. Why would someone want to listen to podcasts?
     • If you already enjoy digital music, then podcasts make a perfect fit.
     • You’ll find deeper content that you may not find in traditional media.
     • If you work around a computer, then you can easily have podcasting fit your lifestyle
     • If you have a digital audio player (DAP), then podcasts can fit easily into the small pockets of downtime.

A final note: If you’re new to podcasting, then I think the best way to dip your toe in the pool is to create a free account at Odeo and just sample a few podcasts. There’s no software to install and you can listen at just about any computer. So you can try it out at work, at home, or at the local coffee shop. If you decide that you like listening to podcasts, which we hope you do, then you can look at branching out into dedicated software, or mobile devices if you feel the need. Otherwise, Odeo should give you everything you need!

9 comments August 16th, 2006