Definition of podcast :-
A digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.
What is podcast :-
podcast is a series of spoken word, audio episodes, all focused on a particular topic or theme, like cycling or startups. You can subscribe to the show with an app on your phone and listen to episodes whenever you like on your headphones, in the car or through speakers.
Are Podcasts Audio or Video?
Most Podcasts today are audio only, even though video podcasts do exist. Podcasting has really grown out of a need for background content. That means something that can entertain you, educate you or inspire you in the background of other boring or rote activities.
Main points :-
1) They can be any length, from a 1 minute news snippet, to a 3 hour in-depth interview.
2) They can be any frequency, from daily to monthly
3) They can be any format, from simple solo shows up to mammoth, multi-person audio dramas
4) They can cover ANY topic, many of which would never make it onto radio
No matter what you’re into, you’ll find a show that suits the topics you love and the time you have.
Advantages:
1) Convenience -
One of the benefits of podcasts is that you don't have to worry that your audience is busy offline when you make your sales pitch. A listener can download or stream the file and replay it at whatever time is convenient for him, even while jogging or driving to work. If someone chooses to subscribe to your podcast feed, he can get any podcasts of interest downloaded automatically. If you want all your employees to hear what you have to say, podcasting is often easier than trying to get everyone together for one meeting.
2) Easy -
Making a podcast is fairly simple. All you need is a computer or smartphone, software to record your presentation and a connection to upload it to the Internet. If you're looking to reach a wide audience, there are multiple sites that make podcasts available to listeners, including iTunes. You can buy software packages that also enable you to edit podcasts, add sound effects or store past podcasts for you to use later. Editing improves the quality of your finished podcast, but it does take more work.
Disadvantages :
1)Accessibility -
If you want to reach an audience that doesn't have access to the Internet, then podcasting isn't the way to do it. Podcasts – especially video podcasts, according to the University of Minnesota Duluth – are often large files, which also makes them hard to access for anyone with a slow Internet connection. If you want to make an audio podcast available to a customer who's hearing-impaired or anyone who doesn't have a compatible player, you need to turn the material into a written transcript as well. As the importance of podcasts grows though, accessibility issues are mitigated.
2) Loss of Control -
Like any other digital medium, podcasts are easy to share. If you use someone else's copyrighted material in your podcast, you have to take steps to protect it against unauthorized copying and file sharing. When it's your own copyrighted material, the same problem applies unless you're okay with it being passed around. If your podcast to employees includes confidential company material, anyone who accesses it can learn information about your business you'd rather keep secret.
The best podcast hostingcompanies as of July 2020 are:
- Buzzsprout
- Transistor
- Simplecast
- Podbean
- Castos
Buzzsprout :-
Buzzsprout was designed to make podcasting simple, but not limited. They have one of the best-designed dashboards I’ve seen, which lets you spend more time creating content than messing around with uploads.
What I really like is that they are regularly coming out with updates and new feature
They also give you excellent statistics (recently updated in 2020) and a mobile-friendly podcast website.
Transistor :-
Transistor is one of the newer podcast hosting and analytics platforms and have a great team behind them. They are focused on brands (one of their early customers is Cards Against Humanity) and people who take podcasting seriously (vs those just dabbling or as a hobby)
Simplecast :-
I had to highlight Simplecastbecause they’re doing some cool things.
For one, their embeddable players are some of the best-looking (and smoothest) I’ve seen. You also get detailed analytics for anyone who uses it. Here’s a little preview of the different formats you can use:
Starting at $15/month, you’ll get unlimited uploads, analytics, a website, the ability to have multiple people manage your podcast, and a bunch more.
Podbean :-
Podbean has great pricing and plans for new podcasters. There is a 5-hour limited upload plan for free with basic stats. You won’t be able to use your own domain name on this tier though.
They also have an unlimited upload plan starting at $9/month (when paid annually) that includes advanced stats, a website, custom domains, and more.
Castos :-
Castos Podcast Hosting has some excellent features and integrates seamlessly with WordPress. They own the Seriously Simple Podcasting WordPress plugin where you can manage your feed and upload new episodes right from WordPress.
You’ll get unlimited upload volume and download bandwidth for $19/month, along with an excellent customizable player to embed on your website.
Note :-
Finding an Audience :
According to Business Knowledge Source, one of the biggest challenges in making a podcast is finding an audience. Unlike with newspaper or pay-per-click advertising, you are not able to take advantage of the traffic someone else has built. You must have a good marketing strategy to get your podcast out there. As a mirror advantage, the consumer can listen to podcasts in harder-to-reach places than internet or print advertising: for example, while driving in a car or taking a run.
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