Podcasts

What is a podcast?

A podcast is like a magazine subscription that you listen to. It is an audio file, usually part of a regular series, that is automatically delivered using syndication feeds (RSS) for playback on a computer or MP3 player. Podcasts can be educational, informational, entertainment; they can be music, spoken word, or any combination of the two. Podcasts can also contain text or video components, often referred to as video podcasts, or vodcasts.

Characteristics of a podcast

A Beginner's Guide to Podcasts (Greg Schwartz, from Sirsi Dynix Institute)

Podcasts versus audio files what makes a "podcast" different from any old audio file on your computer or your MP3 player is the subscription aspect. The distribution of an audio file using an RSS feed makes it a podcast. Though you certainly don't need to subscribe to a podcast to use it-- you can always play the files directly from the website. But why would you when you can have them delivered to your "door"?