In this post are several air checks from my time at WOBC FM, the college radio station from Oberlin College. In addition, I've posted several features I produced for National Public Radio stations - one for Western Public Radio and another for KANZ FM in Garden City Kansas.

Here's a demo of a podcast - it's called "Indiescrete" and it's 25 minutes of great indie pop music including two special features: "The Battle of the Indie Pop Intros" and "Forgotten 80s New Wave Gems."

Here's another example of a podcast, this one is for a sample program called The Podcast Week in Review. Hey, if you like it, we might even do it on a regular basis. Let us know by sending us an email.

Podcasting has taken off faster than even blogging did. Launched only in summer 2004, there as of today over 8,000 podcasts ranging from "professional" (NPR, all the major radio networks) to "amateur" (fresh often irreverant new broadcast personalities). There are podcasts on everything from sports to movies to the business of podcasting itself.

What's a Podcast?

Podcasting is a synthesis of the terms "broadcasting" and IPod. The big breakthrough was the ability for people to "subscribe" to an audio program; as soon as a new program is available, it is downloaded to your computer where you can listen to it on your time frame. Think of it as TiVo for radio.

Podcasting started when Dave Winer and Adam Curry realized that the popular RSS syndication feed that Winer invented could also include attachments. Curry had a team build the first podcast "receiver" and the rest is history.

If you have Apple's ITunes software, the just downloaded podcast goes right into your ITunes library and then, if you've set your IPod to synch with ITunes, the podcast is transferred to your podcast automatically. So you wake up, grab your IPod and you have a whole batch of new time-shifted radio program to listen to on your commute to work, your jog or whatever.

Finding Podcasts

There are a number of great directories. PodcastAlley is the oldest and most comprehensive. We also like PodcastPickle. But the big news is that now Applie's ITunes has made it easy to find podcasts and subscribe with a single click from inside the software itself. Just click the link for podcasts, go to the podcast directory and search for a show that looks good.

You don't have to use ITunes of course, nor do you need an IPod. In fact, you can listen to podcasts on your own PC without needing a portable device at all. You don't even need to subscribe - just right click whenever you see an audio file attachment in Bloggerce, download it as a one-off and then listen at your leisure.

There are other IPod receivers you might want to look at. Before ITunes, IPodder.org and IPodderX.com were the most popular devices.

Podcasting Yourself

It's not hard to start podcasting yourself. Bloggerce takes care of the syndication piece and we give you enough storage and bandwidth to get going. Submitting your podcast to ITunes is easy, and of course your listeners can subscribe directly from your blog site.

To make a podcast, you can download any of a number of software programs. There are two types:

Those that allow you to record in real time - check out Adam Curry's CastBlaster - still in beta but very smooth and easy to use.

Those that allow you to edit a program together "offline" - check out the free Audacity program which is as sophisticated as the software used by the professionals. We used Audacity to create the demo podcasts you'll find on the Bloggerce site.

You'll need a microphone and some talent (but that you've already got...you're a Bloggerce blogger already, aren't you? If not, sign up today!)

We'll be posting more tips and tricks in the podcasting category of the Bloggerce help system, so come back and check out what we have to say.

We look forward to hearing you in the podosphere!