This document discusses what podcasts are and provides explanations for common questions and misconceptions about podcasting. It defines podcasts as episodic digital audio files that are subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication. It explores why they are called podcasts, different types of podcasts, and addresses issues like audio quality, content quality, and why some choose to start their own podcasts despite challenges.

1. What is a Podcast?

2. Podcasting has come a long way.
It wasn’t that long ago that we had to regularly
explain what podcasting is.
Now, the average person has heard of
podcasting and understands the concept.
But there is still a lot of confusion and
misconceptions about podcasting.

3. Definition of Podcast:
A podcast is a digital medium consisting of an
episodic series of audio, video, PDF,
or ePub files subscribed to
and downloaded through web syndication or
streamed online to a computer or mobile device.
The word is
a neologism and portmanteau derived from
“broadcast” and “pod” from the success of
the iPod, as audio podcasts are often listened to
onportable media players.

4. Why is a podcast called a podcast?
Where did the word Podcast come from?
The word podcast is derived from a combination of two words. iPod
and Broadcast.
When Ben Hammersley suggested the word podcasting the term stuck.
He suggested a few options in a post on The Gurdian in 2004 :
“But what to call it? Audioblogging? Podcasting? GuerillaMedia?”
Too bad… to think we all could have been GuerillaMediaers!

5. Should podcasting change its name?
Is the term “podcast” confusing people?
• Podcast implies that you need an iPod in order to listen to podcasts
which is not true.
• Leo Laporte from This Week in Tech (TWIT) was a proponent of
changing the name. He prefers the word netcast and believes it is a
more descriptive term for the technology.
• Every couple of years someone resurfaces the idea of changing the
name but it looks like the term is here to stay.
• In 2005, podcasting was declared the Word of the Year by the New
Oxford American Dictionary. This gave the term some credibility
and cemented the term as the official word for online syndicated
episodic media.

6. But what is a podcast exactly?
Describing a podcast to someone who has never
been exposed to podcasting can be challenging.
You can say that it is like a blog but instead of
subscribing to blog posts you
subscribe and receive a media file.
If they don’t know what an RSS Feed is then it
can be especially difficult.

7. How about Online Radio?
• Internet Radio Show is commonly used when describing
podcasting.
• Everyone understands what a radio show is. And combining
the concept of a radio show with the internet is easy to
understand.
But there is more to podcasting than “internet radio”.
• There are internet radio shows that are NOT podcasts.
• You can listen to streaming content on the internet that is not
syndicated over the internet via an RSS Feed.

8. www.podcasthero.com

9. What is episodic media?
• Podcasting is by definition episodic media.
Therefore there has to be at least two episodes to
qualify as a podcast.
• Episodic media can be audio, video or pdf /
ePUB content that is produced in a series.
• A TV show is an example of episodic media but a
standalone movie is not (unless it is part of a
trilogy, for example).
• Some podcasters also adopt the concept
of seasons which is borrowed from television
programming.

10. Why does it have to be delivered via
RSS in order to be a podcast?
Adam Curry (The Podfather) and Dave Winer were early
developers of the technology.
They were working on a method of distributing audio content
that could be subscribed to and distributed online.
The main point here (and what makes podcasting so powerful)
is that you subscribe once and from that point on receive new
episodes in the series until you either unsubscribe or the
show podfades or intentionally comes to an end.
It is this syndication that makes a podcast a podcast.

11. Are there different types of podcasts?
Audio Podcasts
Audio Podcasts are the most common form of podcasting.
Audio is more popular for three reasons.
1. It is easier to produce audio because you don’t need
cameras, lighting and video editing software.
2. Audio is more portable which makes it easier to consume.
3. The hosting costs of video are prohibitive for hobbyist
podcasters.

12. Are there different types of podcasts?
Video Podcasts
Video podcasts are are becoming more popular.
Many podcast networks like TWIT produce audio
and video versions of their shows
simultaneously.
Web TV shows are sometimes distributed as
video podcasts.

13. Are there different types of podcasts?
Enhanced Podcasts
Enhanced Podcasts are podcasts that have
chapter marks and can display images, artwork
and hyperlinks along with the audio and are
playable only in iOS devices.
Garage Band removed support for producing
enhanced podcasts in its recent update.

14. Are there different types of podcasts?
Enhanced Podcasts
Enhanced Podcasts are podcasts that have
chapter marks and can display images, artwork
and hyperlinks along with the audio and are
playable only in iOS devices.
Garage Band removed support for producing
enhanced podcasts in its recent update.

15. Are there different types of podcasts?
• A podcast novel is also referred to as
a serialized audiobook or podcast
audiobook.
• It combines an audio book with a podcast and
the novel is distributed in episodes via RSS
Feed.

16. Are there different types of podcasts?
Technically, any media file that is distributed via
RSS Feed is a podcast.
You can publish a podcast that distributes PDFs
or ePub documents if that tickles your fancy.
Although there are PDF and ePub podcasts, I’ve
never utilized podcasting in this way and don’t
have any experience with it.

17. What is NOT
a Podcast?
• An audio file that is playable
from your website (but not
enclosed in an RSS Feed) is NOT
a podcast.
• Youtube videos are NOT
podcasts. (unless they are also
separately set up as video
podcasts)
• Live streaming audio is NOT a
podcast
• An email newsletter with a
media file attached is NOT a
podcast.
• An iPod attached to the end of
fishing line is NOT a
podcast1 either.

18. How can you tell if a web
show is a podcast?
A good test to determine if a web show is a
podcast is to check and see if it is in iTunes.
If it is in iTunes or other podcatchers then it is a
podcast.
If it isn’t in iTunes (or the others) it still could be
a podcast but it has to be capable of being
added to the iTunes directory if it is to be
correctly called a podcast.

19. What makes podcasting so attractive?
– Time Shifted Media Consumption
The RSS Feed allows your media content to be
time shifted.
• Just like a PVR/DVR, podcasts allow you to
listen, watch or read it at your convenience.
• Download subscribed episodes and take them
with you on your commute, workout or road
trip.

20. How to consume podcasts?
• Push the play button on a website and listen from
your desktop computer, Tablet or Smartphone.
• An app like the iOS podcast app or Pocket Casts
to download the podcast and listen to it later.
• The old school way which involves downloading
the file through iTunes or Zune and then syncing
the shows with their iPod, iPhone, iPad or MP3
Player.

21. Why listen to podcasts?
Podcasting offers people something they have
never had before. A convenient way to get the
niche content they want. Because podcasts are
produced by individuals that are talking about their
true passions, there is content for almost every
niche. Some of these subjects are too narrow to
appeal to radio stations because they need to
attract a broad audience in order to sell advertising.
There are many shows that could never exist in
mainstream media.

22. Why produce a podcast?
For content creators (and marketers)
podcasting is an incredibly powerful tool.
You can create very specific niche programming
and attract subscribers that are happy to
consume your content and potentially buy your
products / services.

23. But Steve Jobs called podcasting
amateur hour!
Are podcasts really worth listening to?
There are tens of thousands of podcasts (series not
just episodes) available in iTunes and other
directories. You have a ton of options when it
comes to podcast content in almost every niche.
But is the quality of the content at a professional
level?

24. Why are there so many poor quality
podcasts?
There are a lot of hobbyist podcasters that are
podcasting just for fun and who don’t take the
production values of their show too seriously.
There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, this is
part of what makes podcasting great.
As a result, a lot of podcasts are far
below broadcast quality – the quality people are
used to hearing when they listen to the radio.

25. Why is the quality of the average
podcast so poor?
Poor audio quality which can be caused by a number of factors.
• Recording with the built in microphone on a computer.
• Recording in environments not suitable for recording.
• Not doing post production, audio processing or editing.
• Using platforms like Blog Talk Radio which encodes your audio
in less than AM quality (for now).
• Equipment set up that causes hums or hissing sounds.
• Poor microphone techniques (popping and sibilance).
• and many other possible reasons.

26. Why do some podcasts have horrible
content?
Band content can have multiple causes:
• lack of enthusiasm by the podcaster
• no structure or organization
• no show notes or research (winging it)
• bad interview techniques
• unprofessional behavior or conduct
• explicit language or content (without proper
explicit label)
• lack of focus on the topic

27. Are there great podcasts?
Absolutely!
• There are many podcasts that rival major
broadcast networks in quality. Both in the
content and the production value.
• iTunes and Stitcher do a good job of featuring the
well-produced shows with great content in their
directories.

28. Podcast Networks generally take
quality seriously.
• NPR
• ABC
• TWIT
• GSPN
• 5by5
• ESPN
• c|net
• Smodcast
• BBC Radio
• The Verge
• Revision 3
• Radiotopia
• Noodle.mx
• The Nerdist
• Carolla Digital
• BBC World Service
• Quick and Dirty Tips

29. Are you going to start your own
podcast?
If you have been thinking of starting a podcast
don’t be discouraged by the high percentage of
shows that have poor audio quality, lousy
content or both. Your podcast doesn’t have to
have poor audio or bad content.
You have an opportunity to rise above the
masses by taking a little extra care and investing
in a better quality show.

30. Start your own podcast!
Take a little time to learn the technical side of
podcasting and you’ll avoid making common
podcasting mistakes. And invest in some
inexpensive podcasting equipment, software
and media hosting that will make you sound
great without breaking the bank.
It doesn’t take much to stand out from the
crowd.