PODCASTING

• A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication.

• Pod casting is a method of publishing audio files (usually MP3s) to the Web, which are then made available through subscription and automatically downloaded to a personal computer or portable MP3 player.

• The mode of delivery differentiates podcast from other means of accessing media files over the Internet, such as direct download, or streamed webcasting.

• Commonly used audio file formats are Ogg Vorbis and MP3.

• A list of all the audio or video files currently associated with a given series is maintained centrally on the distributor's server as a web feed, and the listener or viewer employs special client application software known as a podcatcher that can access this web feed, check it for updates, and download any new files in the series.