Common Misperceptions About Podcasting

Many people refer to Podcasting as portable on-demand casting. It is thought of as an alternative to broadcasting. Podcasting offers portable content that people can watch when they want, on a variety of players. Podcasting does not require an Apple iPod. Consumers can use all sorts of technology to consume podcasts including laptops, televisions, or even a Microsoft Zune or Sony PSP.

So what is a podcast? There are a few points that must be met if you want your video to be considered a podcast.

• Highly Targeted Content – The first is that the content is highly targeted, that is to say it is intended for consumption by an interested audience. Podcasting is generally considered to be targeted at niche markets.
• Compatible Files – Additionally, the content can be an audio, video, or even print file that is distributed via the Internet. The technology relies upon relatively open standards like MP3 for audio, MPEG-4 for video, and PDF for print.
• Syndicated – In order for web video to be a podcast, it needs multiple occurrences. Those occurrences are serialized which means there is some sort of plan for when they come out. It can be daily, weekly, monthly, or as needed. Consistency with your release schedule is important to building an audience.
• Subscription Option – A key aspect of podcasting technology is its subscription component. Interested parties have the ability to subscribe to your podcast (and unsubscribe) at their own volition. The subscription part is what’s really important and differentiates podcasts from other forms of web video.