If your media professional you will have to understand that
there are several ways for your audience to consume a podcast. A video podcast
is an MPEG-4 video fi le, which is one of the most universally compatible video
formats on the market. This flexibility is at the core of podcasting, in that
it gives your audience options.
- Subscribe. The subscription component of podcasting is what makes it unique and truly useful. For the consumer, subscribing ensures that the content is ready to watch whenever they want it (including situations like traveling where an Internet connection might not be present). The subscription component also helps a podcaster grow their audience over time because it makes retaining viewers easier. Most consumers utilize a podcast aggregator program. This can automate the process of checking and downloading. Most modern web browsers support RSS feeds as well, which means the podcast feed can be bookmarked. While new episodes won’t download, your browser will indicate the number of unread (or unviewed) items in parenthesis.
- Download. While a podcast subscription will also download fi les, what we mean here is the traditional download model. Many podcast consumers are used to traditional web video, a model that requires visits to a website. Many podcast consumers will visit a web page to choose the fi les they want, and then download them for later consumption. While this approach is valid, you will want to educate this portion of your audience and train them to become subscribers (which offer a greater long-term benefit to both parties).
- Stream. Many podcasters have embraced streaming players. This allows the podcast to be shared via blogs and social media sites. While these players are not true podcasts, they are a compatible technology. In fact, Flash is often the choice for these embedded players, and Flash video has evolved to be podcast-compatible. In 2008, Adobe enabled Flash video and its Adobe Media Player to handle H.264 video fi les (a common podcasting format). The streaming option is popular because it lets a potential podcast consumer try out your show. This option is not limited to Flash, though. Many consumers will “audition” podcasts within iTunes, clicking to load the fi les for viewing without ever subscribing or downloading. This all ties into consumer behavior, which is often based on “try before you buy” (or in this case … before you commit).
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