Thanks to Adverblog for pointing the way to another sign that the end is truly near -- Centennial Wines and Liquors, a Dallas area liquor store is podcasting. Just what I really need a podcast to tell me about wine storage -- since that is mostly what I do with wine anyway.
Unless you are a musician and can create your own, music for intros and other interludes present a challenge for many podcasters. There is a solution! A growing number of sites are offering royalty free or podcast-legal music. Podcasting News reports a new source from the label Kahvi Collective with a nice RSS feed so that you don't miss any new additions. All of the music is distributed under a Creative Commons license. Another source is Magnatune which operates under Creative Commons license and offers a shareware type model for those wanting to use the music for commercial uses. Another source for free music loops is Partners in Rhyme. If it is sound effects that you want, try Sound Rangers. For just a few dollars a track you can always get your sound from Royalty Free Music. I'll be adding to this list as time goes on.
How exciting to note in Podcasting News that the analyst firm Jupiter Research has launched its own podcasts under the rubric of Jupiter Research Conversations. They are over 30 minutes in length. For my own opinion, the trailers are a bit long -- I guess I am eager to get to the conversation. I look forward to listening to them in the future.
Speak, America, Speak, Open Source Media and Christopher Lydon's new radio show were a most exciting topic last evening at the Berkman Thursday session. Podcasting grows up! If I understand it right, The Speak, America, Speak site will capture the voices of those telling the stories not being told, and these will become the blog and the radio show. What a mix of technology! All this will give the interested reader/listener access to stories in real voices even before they become radio segments.
According to a press release on the Open Source site:
Open Source will launch Monday, May 30, in Boston on WGBH Radio 89.7, airing Monday – Thursday at 7 p.m. Starting July 4, PRI will feed the program live nationwide, making it available to its 727 affiliate stations for broadcast and simulcast streaming, and offering additional feeds for stations in other time zones.
I can't hardly wait to see how this evolves. Yet more new media to challenge the norms and change what we think. Thanks to Brenden Greeley for the update on this exciting project.
Podcasting hardware setups range from full multi-channel sound input devices that offer flexibility similar to a professional sound studio to the lowly cellphone. My preferred modality for podcasting is the phone. If you have ever wondered what your podcasting equipment option are give this 5-minute video with Eric Rice a look. It gives a nice tour of 5-different sets of podcasting hardware.
If you already own a phone and a blog, you too can catch the podcasting fever.
Podcasting News reports that Forrester Research has released a new report, The Future Of Digital Audio, that focuses on podcasting and satellite radio. According to the report, 20.1 million U.S. households will listen to satellite radio and 12.3 million U.S. households will use their MP3 players to listen to audio podcasts by the end of the decade. Interest in podcasting is growing and as more eager users master this technology, we will sure see it blossom.
Podcasting is "hot," and now there is data to show it. According to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project more than 22 million Americans own iPods or MP3 players, and more than 6 million (29%) have downloaded podcasts from the Web.
These findings are based on a national phone survey of adults conducted by Pew between February 21 and March 21, 2005. In all, 2,201 people were interviewed, including 208 owners of iPods or MP3 players.
According to the report those who use the internet are four times as likely as non-internet users to have iPods/MP3 players. The researchers postulate that this is because internet users can get much of the music they enjoy online. Fully 14% of internet users have iPods/MP3 players, compared to 3% of non-internet users.
iPod users subscribe to podcasts via RSS and download them to their computers for time-shifted listening. This is very exciting data for those of us who are intrigued (involved) with podcasting endeavors. Just as blogs quickly found an audience, it is my anticipation that podcasting will have a similar impact.
