Welcome to the very first episode, the premiere of Podcast Perspective!

Podcast Perspective is the podcast about everything podcasting and new media! Whether you're an experienced podcaster, or you're just starting out, this is the show to learn about the practical tools, tricks, and techniques for the new media revolution.

The Internet has broken down the barriers, and removed the gatekeepers, giving anyone passionate the ability to make their message heard across the world.

Content is king... but then quality, presentation is definitely queen! I want to help make your message stand out from the crowd and get great audio.

Especially if you're just looking to get started, there's a paralyzing amount of information out there, and in this ever evolving medium, much of it out of date, or, in my opinion, some less than great advice. I've been there, "in the trenches" as an independent content creator for years now... and I'm here to help!

This episode features an overview of what is a podcast, and what makes this new medium so revolutionary, some fundamental audio concepts, and more...

Explaining Podcasting

What exactly is podcasting?

Regardless of your level of technical expertise, or whether you're just getting started, or you've been involved with podcasting since its infancy, take a moment to step back and look at the bigger picture. To successfully produce a podcast, you not only need a clear understanding of what a podcast is, you'll need to be able to explain it to the uninitiated.

These days, podcasting has become a buzz word that gets casually thrown around. People hear it all the time, but not knows what it means---how often have you heard people someone respond with "but I don't have an iPod" in regards to podcasting? The term podcasting does date back to February of 2004, when it was coined by British Journalist Ben Hammersley, a combination of the words "iPod" and "broadcast"---but has come to mean so much more.

Technically speaking, a "podcast" is little more than rich media content---such as audio or video files---that can be automatically downloaded via syndication. However, downloadable media from a web site is not a podcast. The syndication element, done via RSS, is the "secret sauce" that lowers technical boundaries by automating the delivery of new episodes. A podcatcher program---such as iTunes---can regularly check this specially formatted RSS "feed" and easily see if there is a new entry, and will automatically download the associated attachment---in the case of audio podcasts, usually an MP3 file.

Subscribing to automatically download new episodes of a podcast isn't unlike subscribing to a print magazine or newspaper---except that podcasts are (usually) free. Instead of having to go to the newsstand every time there is a new issue, you subscribe to get it delivered to your automatically. Similarly, when you are subscribed, the latest episode of your favorite podcast will be automatically downloaded to your computer, ready to be listened to on demand at your convenience---all without having to lift a finger.

In traditional media, there can only be a finite number of terrestrial radio or television stations, which means they must "broadcast" to the broadest possible audience, catering to the lowest common denominator.  By contrast, there is no limit to the number of podcasts there c can be on the Internet, and there can be specialized content "narrowcast" to a specific audience. With no traditional transmitter, unlike radio and television, podcasting is not limited by geographic boundaries, or limited by corporate media gatekeepers. Podcasting is democratized media, where you are in control. Anyone with something to say can make their message heard!

Quick Tip

When you're producing your podcast, even if you do it "live to hard drive," always record to an uncompressed format---such as WAV (Windows) or AIFF (Mac).

MP3 format should only be used for distribution,