Using a Podcast Directory
Posted on | February 11, 2010 | No Comments
A podcast directory is a listing of syndication feeds that
link to a podcast. They are often organized by category
and topic, and allow the user to find a feed that podcasts
about almost anything. Just as search engines help
people find sites with the information they need, a
podcast directory presents a searchable list of podcasts
users can subscribe to. Users may even be able to play
the available feed episodes from within the site.
Using a Directory of Podcast Videos
Posted on | February 11, 2010 | No Comments
While some video feeds can be found by visiting the
site that hosts them, many more are easier found by
visiting a directory of podcast videos. These podcast
video directories maintain listings of podcasts that have
been submitted to them. They may sort the list
according to region, category, and popularity, helping
visitors find exactly the type of feed they are looking
for. Tech video podcasts can be found, with regular
episodes about technology news. Some video feeds are
experimental podcasts, created by designers interested
in showcasing their work and trying out new forms of
editing and storytelling. There are some feeds that
recreate talk and comedy shows, with interviews every
episode.
Types of Music Podcasts
Posted on | February 11, 2010 | No Comments
Many music podcasts are available online, distributed
by podcasters who want to share their collection with
the world. Some of these are distributed by independent
musicians, groups or individuals who enjoy creating
and sharing their music but have a small fanbase. For
them, a podcast means closer contact with their
listeners, and the blog that usually accompanies a
podcast often allows for the comments and opinions of
the listeners to be shared with the musicians. The
listeners often appreciate this close contact, and some
become resentful when their favorite groups gain
widespread popularity. Musicians may find that the
music podcast they share is a way to build a following
and gain an audience that is loyal to them. Since many
of the musicians who podcast do so as independent
artists who lack the sound the music industry is looking
for or simply haven’t been noticed yet, a music podcast
may build a following that attracts attention to them and
gives them an entry point into the music industry.
The Podcast for This American Life
Posted on | February 11, 2010 | No Comments
The podcast for This American Life allows listeners to
download the the shows and listen to them at their
discretion. The This American Life team contracts with
a site called audible.com to distribute the shows to
listeners who want to hear them. Despite calling their
offering a podcast, however, it is not, at least in the
normal sense of the word. A podcast refers to an online
setup with an RSS feed that is regularily updated, can
be subscribed to, and provides links to sound or video
files that can be downloaded and watched by the
subscriber. Audible.com and This American Life do not
offer that. Instead, the show’s team allows audible.com
to receive money for allowing listeners to download the
sound files to the computer from audible.com’s web
site. The only RSS file involved is one specific to the
user which allows that user access to the shows they are
interested in. Even odder than charging for a supposed
podcast, the sound files downloaded are tied to the
specific user who downloads them. Unlike the vast
majority of podcasts, which allow the files to be
distributed and redistributed as the end user wishes,
without placing limitations on such, the This American
Life podcast restricts the file to a single user.
