Well, really, like it’s 1998.

Greetings, FPAs (Future Podcasters of America).

“Podcasting” is like the word, “Kleenex,” except it refers to the creation and delivery of audio newsletters, rather than tissues. Allow me to translate. What we’re really talking about is simply the publishing of audio content for download over the internet for listening on your audience’s favorite device. Despite its “new-ness,” the basic idea has been around for many, many years… a decade, perhaps. In fact, R.BIRD created one of the very first dynamic applications for delivery of audio content over the Internet way back in 1998.

What’s “new” about Podcasting?

Of course, the iPod. The iPod from Apple provides a simple, user-friendly platform for interested “subscribers” to select and enjoy content specific to their interests. Hence, the ubiquity of the term, “Pod-” casting, instead of “broad-” casting.

So, Podcasting, or the sharing of audio content, can really be boiled down to three steps:
# recording the audio
# converting the result to a friendly format
# sharing

I know, that’s oversimplifying things. Each one of these steps can be a study. Yet, don’t necessarily need to be.

One of our clients has just now - believe it - discovered the idea of publishing audio for newsletter subscribers. We are helping them along… 10 years later.

So, I made some time today over lunch to see what I could find in the way of references to get them started on a learning path toward creating and hosting audio content - something that’s been a pet project in the mind of this client’s director for some time.

(fyi: Pity, this client org uses PC’s exclusively.)

These stories are “how to” introductions - overviews - to creation and publishing of audio content geared to Windows (PC) computer users:
* Podcasting with Windows
* Howto: Create Your Own Podcasting Show On Windows
* Windows Podcasting Makes Podcast Creation Easy
* Podcasting: The Radio On Demand
* Jake Ludington’s Podcasting Starter Kit

A book:
* Podcasting For Dummies

And, a seminar:
* Podcasting 101 (next date: February 14, 2007)

Pod-On!