What is Podcast?

The term podcast is basically a combination of the words iPod and broadcasting. Podcast or Podcasting is the process of delivering multimedia files such as video files, sound files or MP3 files, and other programs related to multimedia by using any MP3 player, personal computer or just the internet browser. In short, podcast is a form of multimedia broadcasting that can be done anytime and anywhere because of the Internet and the advent of MP3 player and other portable media players.

Podcast is originally developed by Adam Curry when he created an Apple script application that programmed the improvement of downloading and synchronizing audio files to iPod. This was made possible when the program was combined with the RSS or Really Simple Syndication that was created by David Winer. RSS is an XML format that operates in order to recognize channels of information that have elements, which are web log entries or characteristically stories. RSS is utilized to distribute the uploaded audio file or media files.

The RSS feed of podcast is restructured or updated every time a new media file is available. An aggregator for podcasts such as iPodder or iTunes and many other independent software is utilized to subscribe to the RSS feed. The software automatically verifies the new media files downloaded. Then, the file can now be synchronized to any digital audio player.

Obviously, though it is primarily intended for iPod device, the term podcast nowadays does not actually necessitate the involvement of an actual iPod device or any iPod brand player. It can be safely stated that podcast is now independent to iPod and that podcast is not just for iPod because the idea already proliferate and the technology already evolved.

Podcast should not be only associated to iPod anymore as podcast is a universal process and virtual technology that can be created and used into various digital devices which can be of any brand. Podcast is the new trend of broadcasting or publishing anybody's presentation, views, products, news or stories.