Podcasting hits the mainstream

It's a remote world. — Once upon a time, this phrase meant geographical isolation; these days, it usually refers to global IT-based connectivity. And the remaining distances just keep melting away with the arrival of new technologies like podcasting.

Apple finally resolved all the speculation in June, when it announced the new version of iTunes would support podcasting. The company's lustrous CEO, Steve Jobs, even went so far as to call podcasting “the hottest thing going in radio”.

On the surface, developing the new service seems like a laudable flash of altruism by Apple — although some podcasts include limited advertising, virtually all are currently free to download. However, with most broadcast and print media heavyweights and even major companies such as Disney, Procter & Gamble and, of course, Apple itself launching casts, large-scale advertising and charged shows cannot be far away.

In the end, you have to wonder if Apple was not simply engaged in a crafty business move to establish itself as the leading podcast portal before the big operators start to eat the format.

The danger here — or perhaps the inevitable reality — is that as the lure of profit attracts the corporations, the current wave of independent podcasters will start to drown in the rising tide of commercial static. Not only will it be more difficult to locate these original voices, but listeners will stop trying. Why go looking when you can simply choose from Apple's pre-filtered selection?

The irony of a corporate takeover would be that podcasting has largely been pioneered by people dis-illusioned with the brain porridge served up by the mainstream media and music industry. Sure, a large number of podcasts are basically vanity projects, but many casters are also finding the format helps them to contact like-thinking people and tap into deep wells of latent creativity. Talent that would not otherwise find an outlet is bubbling to the surface internet-wide.

Out of the blue

Most current podcasts are essentially audio weblogs (blogs) that are produced for a particular audience. On the receiving end, listeners are able to download what they want to hear, rather than being shot-gunned by all and various as per standard radio.Both of these factors tend to build a noticeably more intimate, narrowcast feel into the format.

Which doesn't mean a cast can't be both highly personal and highly popular — as The Dawn and Drew Show proves. This is one programme that has not surrendered its DIY attitude despite rocketing to inter-national fame. But as D&D lay out on their homepage, the show is “just a conversation between a husband and wife. It's mostly funny stuff, but…if you get offended, you need to either lighten up or stop listening.”

Podcasting is not just about presenter talk shows though. Musicians are also discovering the technology provides a low-cost, high-control way to circumvent the record companies and promote their work directly to listeners. GarageBand.com is a good place to see the concept in action. Its Podcast Studio functions as, basically, a hosting/content service artists and fans can use to create their own casts.

Music lovers should also take a listen to the tartanpodcast and Cambridge Independent Podcast. When you hear the passion of the people hosting these segments, it is hard not to think how well this type of indie music slot would transfer to the Kansai.

Podcasting also has applications far beyond the above, traditionally, radio-related areas, particularly for writers and educators. Think downloadable audio books and you have some idea of how writers can use this technology. However, podcasting allows scribers to jump the publisher barrier, in a similar way to musi-cians, and as importantly, in this usually solo endeavour, to build an immediate “reader” community via e-mail, etc feedback.

Paul Story's on-line novel Tom Corven offers a well thought out model of how to tailor plot lines and style for podcasting. (See www.dreamwords.com)

Schools have also been quick to catch on to the potential of the format. While the advantages of being able to distribute and archive lessons, etc as sound files are obvious, teachers have found that podcast creation offers students a unique chance for self-directed, real-world learning. www.recap.ltd.uk/articles/podguide provides an in-depth discussion of the topic and also references a number of projects that should interest ESL teachers.

And into the black

So, where is podcasting heading? Although there are some non-believers predicting that interest in the format will quickly burn out, the consensus is it will expand along with the use of portable audio players such as the iPod. Christian religious groups have turned out to be unheralded early adopters, giving some idea of the potential penetration. Godcasting is looking to be a major app.

Somehow though, most discussions of podcasting's future tend to ignore video weblogging. This is surprising — it seems only logical the old audio/ visual standoff will repeat itself here again, as it has with successive generations of radio and TV.

A good quality video blog can be put together with just a basic camera, free processing software and a little bit of perseverance. (www.videoblogging.info) This combined with the fact that video is the most charismatic format for delivering, particularly, opinion will surely make it the next big deal, superceding audio casts. See the new video iPods.

Whatever way the wave breaks, the degree to which both audio and video logs fulfill their potential as information-rich, creativity-inducing mediums really depends on how audiences reward the people who produce them. If we simply click iTunes links, we will lobotomise the forms and ultimately end up with more of the same old zombie radio and TV. If we search out casters who are trying to make a difference, then we too will make a difference.

Text: Kym Hutcheon • Images: KS