A podcast blog is a journal-style internet site that invites visitors to download frequently updated digital audio media. Often designed to imitate the format of a talk radio show, the podcasts featured in such a web log are usually uploaded with the aim of reaching a wide audience. Furthermore, visitors to such a site are often encouraged to subscribe to its content free of any charge.
Among the various uses for a podcast blog are storing an archive of an organization's recorded memos, functioning as a promotional tool for a musical act, or disseminating an infomercial designed to reinforce the claims of a written advertisement. Furthermore, text-to-speech tools such as Oidogo can be used to effectively convert written material into a podcast.
The term "podcast" serves as an acronym for the term "Personal On Demand BroadCAST", in addition to serving as a reference to the popular media player marketed by Apple named the iPod. Podcasts do not, however, require an iPod to be played.
Podcasts may be recorded via a variety of recording instruments, including microphones, cameras, MP3 players, and even telephones. While most podcasts are available for users to hear without a download, the download option is still commonly provided for those interested in saving a particular podcast.
Popular publishing platforms for a podcast blog are WordPress and Blogger, which are both free to use. However, blogs produced for a professional purpose may be produced via specialized platforms in order to permit a high degree of user control over site content. Thus, while few production costs may be incurred if one chooses to use a popular publishing platform, costs may increase depending on how much control a user cares to exert on site content.
Syndication is usually a vital component of a podcast blog. Bloggers frequently aspire to convert casual visitors into subscribers by encouraging listeners to receive updates through an RSS or Atom feed. Other ways to promote a podcast blog include offering visitors the ability to indirectly promote the site via embeddable links, as well as to publish a webcast in a video format on popular sites such as Youtube or Metacafe.
Through syndication, a podcast blog often gains increased viewership. As a result, the blog receives a higher search engine ranking, with the potential to draw more visitors. Thus, when paired with blogs podcasts may reach a larger audience than if published in a standalone format.
