How+does+Podcasting+work?





**How does it work?**
Podcasts are a Web 2.0 tool that are now being increasingly used as a means of creating content. It can either be listened to or watched on a computer or on a portable MP3 player. The actual term ‘Podcasting’ originates from the fusing of the two words ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast’. Podcasts are MP3 files that are uploaded onto the Internet using an XML-based format called Really Simple Syndication (RSS). Once they are uploaded they are instantly made available for people to download them from a Podcatcher, a computer program used to download various media. Some Podcasts require a fee for download but they are generally free. They can also be subscribed to so that new Podcast episodes are automatically downloaded onto your computer as they become available.

The subscription feature of Podcasting is one of its main focuses. Podcasting is able to do this through a centralised content distribution XML-based format called RSS or Really Simple Syndication. These formats allow Internet users to subscribe to Podcasts however they must use a Podcatcher to automatically download its content onto their computer and onto a portable MP3 player. A Podcast can be listened to or watched on a computer that is connected to the Internet without the use of Podcatcher. However this is referred to as Webcasting. What differentiates Podcasts from Webcasts, where an individual listens to their audio files only on their computer, is that they can be added to a portable MP3 player they can be played whenever and wherever without being connected to the Internet. 