Podcast is a digital audio or video recording that is available on the Internet. Individuals who create these files are known as podcasters. A podcast can be downloaded to a portable media player—such as an iPod or other MP3 player—or, less commonly, to a computer for viewing or listening. A podcast can also be streamed from a website or application without the download of MP3 files.
The term podcast is a combination of iPod and broadcast. Many podcasts are recordings of programs that were first broadcast on radio or TV. For example, National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States makes available via podcast nearly all of its on-air programming. Some organizations create special content for podcasting in addition to offering podcasts of their regular programming. However, many podcasts are produced by individuals with little or no broadcast experience. Such podcasts contain content available only on the Internet.
Unlike conventional broadcasting, podcasting is inexpensive because it requires only an Internet connection and simple computer programs. Podcasting is also more open to nonprofessional broadcasters. It is not governed by such rules or laws as those established in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for radio and television broadcasts.
Many podcasts feature talk shows or music. Some are educational. Podcasting has gained favor in higher education. Some professors regularly record class lectures and make them available to students. Sometimes a book is read aloud and made available via podcast.
Podcasting came to prominence in 2001, when several bloggers began experimenting with audioblogging. Early podcasters were particularly interested in finding ways to allow people to listen to audioblogs when they were not at a computer. They developed a means by which someone could download and listen to these audio files on his or her iPod or MP3 player. By 2004, several computer programs had been developed that automated the podcasting process. It became relatively simple for podcasters to record, edit, and upload a podcast for their audience.
