podcast...it's not a spaceship.

I have to admit that when I first read that our assignment was to blog about “podcasting” I was a little bit apprehensive. I’ve never downloaded a podcast and have never even looked into it. This is sad to admit as a musician, but I do not even own an mp3 player. Upon researching what a podcast is all about though, it seems pretty cool and is definitely something I want to use in the future. I was amazed to find out how much stuff is out there for the taking.

A podcast is basically a show (either audio or video) that is available for free download to your computer or iPod. Its name is derived by combining the words (i)Pod and (broad)cast. Because you can download the podcast, you don’t have to be connected to the internet to view whatever you want to watch. You can take it with you on your computer or iPod.



This technology is especially useful for people who want to broadcast their own radio show or put music or shows they have created out there for people to get a hold of. It makes it easier to gain a fan base or garner attention, instead of relying on production companies to back you for promotions. With podcasts, you can promote yourself without the industry telling you what to create. This is an exciting advancement for people wanting to express uncensored creativity and opinions.

It’s also exciting for people who love certain shows or music and want to take clips with them. You can subscribe to a certain podcast and whenever that podcast posts new material it will be downloaded for you, kind of like the way a DVR works. This is nice if you have something you are really interested in and would like to be continuously updated on it.

If I were to subscribe to a podcast, I think I would start with The Soup starring Joel McHale. Even though it is just clips of his TV show, which I watch religiously, I would still be interested in watching them over again or sharing them with friends (that is if I owned an iPod). Some other ones that I found that looked interesting were Dawson’s Creek reruns (when I feel like kickin’ it old school) and a podcast devoted to movie and music reviews.

I can see that this might be a problem if I get into this, because so much of my time is already devoted to keeping up with my favorite shows on DVR then reading the reviews of the shows on fan sites, watching YouTube weekly broadcasts, and keeping up with my social media outlets of course. This is just one more thing to add to my already technologically dependant life. That is part of the reason why I refuse to get an iPod or internet on my phone. I know I would lose all touch with the physical world around me if I had music and videos and at my disposal any moment I wanted to.

Maybe it’s time to jump on the bandwagon though because I have to admit, podcasts seem pretty awesome :)