Podcasting- the portable audio revolution

With the universal spread of portable audio players like the iPod came the advent of the “podcast,” cheap audio software similar to weblogging that spread over the Internet and became available for easy download. Podcasts are a sort of amateur radio, and a natural development in the digital revolution of 2.0 media.  Audio content such as interviews about various topics can be distributed in much the same way as written material via blogs. Audio versions of radio shows or the Wall street journal for example, could be sold and transported to portable audio devices. Shows, books, etc could now be listened to whenever and wherever the listener wanted. Audible information could now be portable. Developing a better system for audio file transfer required a new RSS language, which was eventually developed. A new program was developed and synchronized with the iPod, and podcasting as a practice spread like wildfire. Audio files could be transferred directly to portable audio devices in the pockets of every American. It seemed only natural that the trend would grow, considering the massive spread of the practice of blogging before it. The term “podcast” expresses the importance of the iPod and iTunes in spreading the practice of podcasting audibly and visually. The portable aspect of the podcast, and the ability for anyone to be a podcaster are two possible reasons for the popularity of podcasting. People tend to appreciate something as easy as downloading and listening to a subscribed feed rather than searching and reading scattered Internet content. The syndicated feed allows users to keep up to date easily with a podcaster. Podcasting and video-podcasting have grown in popularity and become an essential part of the “2.0 revolution.” Podcasts allow subscribers to have whatever audio content they desire at their fingertips and in their pockets, ready to be called upon whenever the listener decides. This sort of user-control is essential to its success. 

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Radio-verload

With the universal spread of social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace came an issue for the Radio industry, as we learned at our visit to iCat. The responsibility for several persons to constantly update several different pages several times a day becomes a burden for those people, and perhaps overwhelming for listeners. Obviously, having outlets that listeners can check to find out who will be on the radio show what day and when, or what number to call to enter a sweepstake, for example, is very helpful for an industry that thrives off popularity and garnering a massive following. However, these sources should be used sparingly and properly. For example, the radio should not automatically update, most of what they post to these sites should be personalized, not automated like a robot, or followers will lose interests in the radio’s pages and the radio will have to spend money paying for jobs that are useless. If a radio station tweets useless things multiple times a day, people will not continue following them on the website, or will ignore what they have to say in the future. I think exceeding 3 or 4 posts a day is a little overwhelming for any source, and the sites should be updated only when something important is happening.Posts should be engaging no matter what. Although everyone has an iPod now, radio is still very important to many people. And although we now have many sources to spread ideas, people still look to the radio for the same things they’ve always desired in the shows they listen to. Thus, radio shows are more capable than ever to provide listeners to what they want, because they have many outlets where people can provide feedback for what they want to here and what they prefer on a daily basis. The traditional radio audience still exists, and still wants the same things from the stations. Thus, social sites are good in that they allow the stations to directly connect with audiences and provide them with information they might desire. However, these sites should be used sparingly and posts should be manually updated rather than automated several times a day. In this day and age, every industry must operate these sorts of pages to be able to compete. I think they should try to not lose sight of what they came to do, to provide listeners with entertainment and music. Social sites should be used to keep the audience connected, but the radio should stay true to what they always have, and listeners will keep coming back. Social Sites can allow listeners to request songs, artists can promote singles, and radio stations can make money off their following. The social sites should be used to improve the station and what people want from it. Today, people expect and know that every station probably has a Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. Thus, stations MUST update and use these mediums, but it is up to them to not overwhelm followers and to figure out how to use these sights to their advantage rather than their detriment.