Thing 10. Podcasts

A podcast is an audio file broadcasted on the internet. It differentiates from web streaming in that podcasts are usually part of a series, centrally maintained and regularly updated; this also allows for offline use after downloading. You can subscribe to podcasts using RSS feeds.

Podcasts are a good tool to use if you are planning to deliver a series of talks or updates, or for anything that will require the delivery of content over time. Below is an example of a short podcast hosted by SoundCloud. What’s great about SoundCloud is that it allows followers to share and embed your original recordings. The WordPress code for this talk was copied from Maria Popova’s Brainpicker podcasts. Listen to Ray Bradbury on Libraries :

ACTIVITY

1. Explore the following podcast directories/sites :

Library of Congress	Nerdist
National Library of Australia	The Bugle
The New York Times	Alec Baldwin’s Here’s the Thing
The Guardian Books	ABC Radio National
Oxford University	NPR
Oxford English Language Series	BBC/British Museum
RMIT Ideas on the Move	Podcast Alley
Genealogy Gems	Apple iTunes : Podcasts

2.  Write about your discoveries and share your favourite podcasts in your blog.
You can also add to this list by leaving a comment below.

Further Reading

If you’re interested in creating your own Podcast take a look at :

* Social Media Examiner’s Starting a podcast: what you need to succeed.

* Mashable’s 7 Tips for launching a successful podcast.

* Apple iTunes Making a Podcast.

* Try Podomatic. It’s easy to use – simply register and click “record”.

* Take a look at Podwhating?, a podcasting course provided by the Edinburgh Napier University. The site also features a wonderful page of course materials that you can access for free. Particularly look at the guides dedicated to installing and using Audacity, the main free software for making podcasts.

 

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