Secrets of Podcasting

Only a year ago, podcasting was an arcane activity, limited to a few techies and self-admitted geeks. Now you can hear everything from NASCAR coverage to NPR's All Things Considered in downloadable audio files called podcasts. Thousands of podcasts are available at the iTunes Music Store and Web sites such as iPodder.com. Podcasting has become so popular, that New Oxford American Dictionary recently selected podcast as the Word of the Year for 2005. And now fueled by Apple's new video-enabled iPod, the technology has expanded to vodcasts, or video podcasts. Here to lead readers into this brave, new world of digital entertainment is a guide that shows readers all that's new in podcasting and how to find, create, and distribute podcasts. Author Bart Farkas recognizes that this concept is new to many and starts at the beginning, explaining what podcasting is, how it came into being, and how it promises to change the world. From there, he goes on to cover the basics: podcast-grabbing software, MP3 players for listening to podcasts, the arrival of vodcasting, and more. For those who are not satisfied just listening and watching a podcast or vodcast, Bart also shows how to create them, covering the hardware and software readers will need as well as distribution options and legal issues. Interviews with real-world podcasting masters are highlighted throughout, plus a how-to section for Macs and PCs for creating a podcast and publishing it.