What Is A Podcast?

what is a podcast

So what exactly is a podcast?

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been chatting to family, friends and my local business friends about Podcasting and the business I have built around podcasting.

That all sounds great, Sue, they say, but what exactly is a podcast?

So rather than send them to other blog posts and online information, I decided to write my own answer.

Podcasting is basically online on demand radio,

It is mostly audio based, although a podcast can also be video based too. It is typically ‘episodic’ with pre-recorded episodes released on a regular basis. You can listen to podcasts on demand, whenever you want. Best bit is that whenever there is a new episode, it will be automatically pushed to your device if you subscribe to the podcast (you only do that once by the way). Podcasts have been around for years but it’s really only since the widespread introduction of high speed internet and powerful mobile devices that finding & listening to them has become much easier. Hence their growing popularity!

You can listen to podcasts…

on your computer, or on tablets, or on music players, and on smartphones. Or in your car as new cars are becoming ‘podcast enabled’. Anything. You do not need to have an iPod to listen to a podcast – OK? The apps used to listen to podcasts are called podcatchers. iTunes is a podcatcher. As is Stitcher radio. At the end of this post is a link to a very recent article (18 Apr 2016) which explains in great detail several ways to listen to podcasts.

There are podcasts on probably every subject under the sun. From pregnancy to death, business to pleasure, science to comedy, fact or fiction, hobbies and pastimes, and a myriad range of niche areas of our lives.
Just go into iTunes for example, or a podcast app on your phone, and take a look.

Oh I forgot to say that podcasts are usually free for listeners.

I challenge you to not get hooked listening to podcasts…

If you find a podcast that you like – then Subscribe to it. Then you will get new episodes automatically.
Most podcasts also have an associated website, with additional information and resources for you to find out more.

So whether you want to learn something, or have a good laugh, or have a good laugh while you learn something, you can do that with a podcast. Listen whilst commuting to work, on the treadmill, fishing, or
whatever. If you want to fall asleep, then undoubtedly you will find a podcast that makes you want to yawn and fall asleep. Not every subject or podcast is everyone’s cup of tea. And although there are a lot of  podcasts by the BBC and comedians and presenters, there are plenty of great, original, unique podcasts made by independant producers where they chat about their hobby or subject in an informal way.

Some are short, but many are 30 minutes to an hour, or even longer, but if you are listening to them on a mobile device, remember to clear out the downloaded files regularly, otherwise your device will fill up before you know it.

So go on and find a podcast – it certainly won’t be your last!

And here’s that link about how to listen to podcasts

Enjoy!  🙂