Introduction to Podcasting at USF

1
Introduction to Podcasting at USF

• John Bansavich
• July 19th, 2006

2
Class Outline

• Overview of Podcasting (30 minutes)
• Introduction to hardware/software and recording
  an audio file (MP3) (15 min)
  
• Recording an audio file interview (15 min)
• Editing the file and saving as an MP3 (15 min)
• Creating an RSS feed (15 min)
• Uploading the file to USFfiles (15 min)
• Listening to the file (15 min)

3
What is Podcasting?

• Podcasting refers to any software and hardware
  combination that allows for the automatic
  downloading of audio files (MP3 files)
  
• iPod Broadcasting Podcasting
• Podcasting makes use of the Internets Real
  Simple Syndication (RSS) standard for the
  automatic downloading of audio files

4
Background

• Podcasting began in late 2000 as a discussion
  between Dave Winer, a software developer and RSS
  2.0 contributor, and Adam Curry, iPodder
  developer, as they discussed a way to distribute
  video over the Internet
• The term was coined in February 2004 by Ben
  Hammersley in an article in the Guardian (a
  British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media
  Group) http//arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0
  ,,1145758,00.html
• Podcasting became popular in late 2004, largely
  due to automatic downloading of audio onto
  portable players or personal computers
  
• Apples iPod becomes ubiquitous audio player
• June 2005, Apple announced support for Podcasts

5
Why Podcast?

• College students already use iPods or other
  digital media players
  
• Podcasts allow students to review classroom
  lectures
  
• Provides another method for students to receive
  information
  
• More than 21 million iPods have been sold,
  according to Apple (2006)

6
Podcasting in Higher Education

• Duke Digital Initiative http//www.duke.edu/ddi/
• The 2004-2005 Duke iPod First-Year pilot gave an
  iPod to all incoming freshmen
  
• In 2005-2006, only students enrolled in courses
  using the iPod will receive an iPod

7
iTunes University

• iTunes U is a free, hosted service for colleges
  and universities that provides easy access to
  educational content, including lectures and
  interviews 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• http//itunes.stanford.edu
• http//itunes.berkeley.edu

8
Podcasting Basics Whats Required?

• A web server (USFfiles, Website, Blackboard)
• An MP3 file. MP3 stands for MPEG Layer 3 and is a
  form of audio compression
  
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed if you want
  to allow users to subscribe to your podcast
  
• Podcatcher software (iTunes, iPodder)

9
Recording your Podcast Checklist

• Microphone and/or digital voice recorder
• Computer
• Audio editing software, e.g., Audacity or
  Garageband (Mac) for recording and editing an
  audio file

10
Digital Recorders

• iRiver IFP-700 or 800 series
• 4th generation iPod (click-wheel) with add-on
  Griffin iTalk and Griffin lapel mic from Griffin
  Technologies (http//griffintechnology.com)
  

11
Microphones for Recording your Podcast

• Microphones
• Dynamic microphones require no power and are the
  most common type. They are inexpensive and found
  at most stores.
  
• Condenser microphones are used by professional
  broadcasters, bands and public address systems.

12
Audio Bit Rates

• Bit rate is the number of bits that one second of
  audio will produce
  
• 8 Kbps (matching the vocal quality of a telephone
  conversation)
  
• 32 Kbps (yielding audio quality similar to AM
  radio)
  
• 96 Kbps (yielding audio quality similar to FM
  radio)
  
• 128 Kbps (matching audio CD quality, and the most
  common Kbps used for MP3 compression of music)

13
Suggested MP3 Settings

• Sample rate is how often an analog audio signal
  is sampled as it is converted into digital data.

14
Listening to a Podcast

• Padcatchers, or podcast aggregators, are programs
  that run on your desktop that can interpret the
  data in RSS files
  
• Podcatcher software lets you subscribe to and
  manage podcast feeds that downloaded
  automatically
  
• iTunes has become the default standard
• http//www.maagnursing.com/podcast/

15
How Podcasting Works

• The podcast feed URL
• address of a specially encoded page
• on the podcasters web server
• contains information about the podcast
• if viewed in a web browser, you will see the raw
  XML code used

Source Gay, Michael. Boilercast (2006)
16
Subscribing to a Podcast
Users can also click and drag an RSS link from a
Web Page Directly to iTunes to subscribe
Source Gay, Michael. Boilercast (2006)
17
Podcatching Clients iTunes
18
RSS Example The RSS Elements Show up in a Client

• RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication (Maybe)

Here is the Channel
These are the Items
These are the Descriptions
Source Gay, Michael. Boilercast (2006)
19
Putting It All Together

• Audio in MP3 format is stored on a web server
• RSS feed file is created with information
  regarding how to get to the MP3 file
  
• Podcatching client looks at RSS feed regularly
  for updates and downloads any new MP3 files
  
• Podcatching client stores MP3 file on PC and can
  upload to iPod
  
• Listener enjoys regularly updated podcasts

Source Gay, Michael. Boilercast (2006)
20
Whats Next?

• Enhanced podcasting http//www.profcast.com/public
  /index.php
  
• Audio blogging http//audioblogger.com/
• Video podcasting

21
Web Resources

• Podcatching Clients
• Apple iTunes http//www.itunes.com
• iPodder Client http//www.ipodder.org/
• Podcasting Directories
• Podcast.net Directory http//www.podcast.net/
• Podcast Alley Directory http//www.podcastalley.c
  om/
  
• Podcasting Technology
• RSS/XML Tutorial http//www.w3schools.com/rss/
• Podcasting 101 http//maczealots.com/articles/pod
  casting/
  
• Blogger.com http//www.blogger.com
• Feedburner http//www.feedburner.com
• Education
• Apple http//www.apple.com/education/resources/po
  dcastingvideos/

22
References

• Cochrane, Todd. Podcasting, The Do-It-Yourself
  Guide. Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis, 2005
  
• EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative http//www.educause.e
  du/eli (June 2005)
  
• Gay, Michael. Boilercast How Purdue Provides
  Lecture Review Audio to Students Using Podcasting
  and Streaming (PowerPoint presentation)
  
• Morris, T. and Terra, E. Podcasting for Dummies,
  Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis, 2006
  
• http//maagnursing.com/podcast/
• Podcasting, Computerworld, October 3, 2005