Podcasting

I had absolutely no idea of what podcasting was. When I started to research about it, at first I did not understand very much. As I kept on searching, I was able to get the concept better. I finally found out that podcasting is online audio content. This audio content is delivered via an RSS feed, and the podcasts can be played in ipods or mp3 players. Also, people can listen to them through their computers. This word, podcasting, comes from joining Apple´s ipod and broadcasting. What I understand is that podcasting is like radio programming, only that now you can decide when, where and what to listen to.

This was originated in 2004, but it has grown a lot in the past years. There is a variety of programming that people can be entertained with. Podcasts not only entertain the audience but also inform it. Podcasting is used for education, news, public services, health, politics, music, and a lot of other fields. I found two different websites dedicated to podcasting. On them, you can search for one you would be interested in. You only have to put a keyword or something more specific, and you will find a great variety of podcasts on that subject. One of the sites is called Podcast Alley and the other one is Podfeed. Something that I found very common in Podcasting, is storytelling for children. I remember that when I was little I had the Lion King story in a tape and it also came with the book. I am glad that thanks to Podcasting, it can become easier for children to still enjoy the magic of listening to stories and feeling the moments.

I also found that Podcasting is to radio, what blogs are to newspapers. I mean this in a good way. A lot of people have had the opportunity to begin a successful career as journalists by having a blog. In that same way, Podcasting can be done by anyone who has the right software and a microphone. This programming can reach a worldwide audience, giving the person who made it, an opportunity to be heard and recognized. Some of them can even become great radio personalities. But the interesting thing is that now, a lot of podcasts come from recognized media companies that want to expand and maintain their audiences.

Podcasts have not only grown a lot since their creation, but are going to keep on growing even more. As every other media, radio is now finding a way to adapt to what the audience wants. Of course, it has differences and maybe for some people Podcasting might have a lot of disadvantages. In these days people download or storage everything in their cell phones. They don’t even need radio as much because even in their cars they can listen to their own music in the ipod. I think that if radio wants to not only be safe but also keep growing, it has to adapt to the advances of technology, like a lot of them are doing. In that way, everything we will get from Podcasting is going to be good consequences.