So You Want To Be A Comedian?

If you have not already heard about podcasts, then they are available in many different genres. One type that has become very popular is the comedy podcasts. If you are a comedian or writer and you want to be seen and heard then podcasting may be the way to go. The entry cost is low so you can start with very little start up money and very little effort. If you are interested in what is already out there then check the podcast directories to find the listings. There may be several thousand podcasts in a listing and these are submitted and then divided into categories. You can then subscribe to these listings of podcast comedies and comedians.

Usually there is a team or group of people that will decide to create a comedy podcast. The work is done in their free time or as a hobby, this really is not a source of income or a way to make money. However, it is not to say that it could not turn into a way to make money though either. One particular site called TheOnion.com has many regular podcasts along with readings from a fictional news website.

There are many different advantages to having a podcasts broadcast on the internet. Here are a few:

1. Podcasts are inexpensive to set up. It does not take a lot of money to get a podcast going. As long as you have a way to record, you can create a podcast.
2. It is also cheaper to distribute through podcasting. Podcasting may cost you hardly anything at all, which is great when you have very little to no budget to work with.
3. This is a way for many people to see your work and what you are capable of. Reaching as many viewers as possible in a short amount of time will get your name around faster.
4. Your podcasts can be distributed to many people all at once, saving time and money. People may even share your podcasts with others, again reaching many people with no cost to you.
5. You can gain a following through your podcasts. Many comedians and even writers have gained a following through their podcasts and viewers look for and request more shows.
6. Many times you can create a dialogue with your audience that typically you cannot do. You can speak more directly to your audience in a way similar to how stand up comedians are able to reach their audience.
7. People are able to watch the broadcasts over and over again since they are downloaded files.
8. You can also get personal feedback from viewers, since the viewers can write in and comment. Finding out what people like and dislike is invaluable. Receiving this feedback will definitely help you and your writers.
9. Receiving personal information regularly, giving your writers and yourself constant feedback for improvement and change.
The many advantages to podcasting has helped many comedians gain viewers and an audience. The inexpensiveness of the event and the ability to reach many has made podcasting comedic shows more and more popular. If you have been looking for ways to reach many and receive feedback and suggestions, podcasting may be the way for you to go.

Free Podcasts

If you have been hearing a lot about downloading podcasts and just not sure where to start, then you have found the right article. Actually, finding and downloading podcasts is quite simple and easy.

One of the easiest ways is to go through a podcast directory to find the podcasts you want to download. Podcast directories are lists of thousands of podcasts. The podcasts are typically organized by genre and topic to make finding the podcasts you want to download a little easier. Most of these directories will allow you to make comments about the podcasts and offer feedback to the writers and people within the podcasts. You can also give ratings of which are your favorite podcasts so when a new user or visitor shows up, there is already a list of some of the best podcast shows. Browsing through the directory will also allow you to see many different podcasts that you otherwise may not have found.

Now that you have found a podcast that you want to view, you will need to download the free podcast. Actually, most are free and occasionally there are some that may cost some money. To download either version is same though. The first thing you will have to do is download a podcast client; these are free and can be found all over online. Each one may be slightly different, so picking the one you like best is all that is needed. A couple of examples are Podscape and Nimiq or again just doing a search online will turn up many results. Once you have downloaded the podcast client, you will then put in the feed address so that you can download the podcast. Your podcast client checks the feed address or RSS number. The RSS number has the information about the podcast, such as text about the individual episodes and the location of the file. Now that your podcast client has found the RSS file, your podcast episode will be downloaded and stored on your computer for viewing whenever you like.

However, if you are not able to download to a personal computer, but still want to check out different podcasts you still can by using a viewer that many podcast directory sites have. A viewer allows you to watch the podcasts directly through the site without having to download anything. This is a very nice feature if you do not want to download anything.

On the other hand, being able to share and move your podcasts episodes is a nice feature about downloading. You can load them onto any media player with video capabilities, iPods, and the PlayStation portables. This is a big reason why podcasts are so popular up against other technology like streaming music and video. Being able to control your videos, podcasts, and music has become increasingly important and a feature almost everyone is now looking for in players and any type of downloadable media.

Downloading podcasts is a fun and interesting way to watch episodes and share your favorite podcasts with others. It is easy to do and does not take a lot to get started.

Need News? Download Podcasts!

As podcasts become more and more popular, so does the type of media offered. There are now many organizations, news networks, and even individuals that have begun to utilize podcasting as a way to get their messages out there. It can be faster and reach more people that do not have time to sit down and watch the news any longer.

For example, CNET now has a podcast of their news. This transition from an online website that users can go to, to also offering podcasts was simple for them. With their online ability already, utilizing podcasts also seems natural. Their podcasts cover everything from viruses in cell phones to Google’s software and China’s web restrictions to attacks on spy ware.

CNET and other sites like them simply use a sound file called MP3; this can be downloaded to your computer or any other media device and listened to whenever you are ready. CNET for example, offers these directly from their website or through RSS feeds. An RSS feed is a very small file that has XML coding within it. The code can be read by podcast clients, which are specifically created to read podcasts. Once you download a podcast client, you can then enter the RSS feed address and instantly you will have your news.

More and more sites are now offering podcasts. They have realized that it is a very exploitable way of reaching many people that otherwise would not watch or listen to their information. Such companies as The British Broadcasting Corporation and US radio station NPR offer podcasts of different programs and shows. NPR uses podcasts differently for their different shows. The American Life has a podcast that can be seen through the website audible.com, listeners do have to subscribe and pay a small fee to download the episodes.

However, NPR’s news show offers a very short 5 minute broadcast and this costs nothing. With their news shows, very little is lost in the conversion to a podcast. A podcast is treated the same as listening to anything else on the radio.

There is also ABC that has a podcast of Night Line and this is the sound part of the show. However, many people do not like this format because it is a television show and everything has been taken away except the sound and so at times there is a lot lost to the user. Since there are no visual guidelines to follow it can be hard to know who is talking and what is happening.

Since this has been happening, many news shows are starting to go to video podcasts instead. This is actually simpler for them to do and results in a much better podcast for the viewers. All that has to happen is that the resolution is actually edited down to be smaller and then can be broadcast online as a podcast.

If you are having a hard time getting all your news and just do not have time to go online and look for it or watch it at home, podcast may be exactly what you have been looking for.

Get Your Hip Hop Mix Podcast.

If you have been looking for a new and different way to get your music than downloading podcast music may be your answer. There are all sorts of music available, even Hip Hop mixed music out there.
One way to find this music is to go to a web site that actually creates hip hop mixes and subscribe to the site. The simply download it to your podcast client that will automatically check for new episodes and feeds and download them.

If you do not know of any Hip Hop podcast sites or you were looking for new sites to find music on then you can always use a podcast directory. Here there are listings of podcasts available and the sites that they are at. The podcasts have been stored here in the directories by genre, type, region, or other data categories. You can browse through the music sections and then finding hip hop music goes through all the different available selections.

Once you find what you are looking for you can subscribe to the feed. There will be episodes of music; this will be each download of music. They will be updated and downloaded to your podcast client. There will be varying artists and musicians, some trying to break into the music industry and using podcasts to do it. You may also find remixes of popular Hip Hop songs that have been changed and modified in some way, maybe giving it a different feel or sound.

Sometimes there are even established artists that you will find that are broadcasting to get their music out to even more people. Many times the artist allows their music to be downloaded to podcast clients because there will be a link back to the artist web site so that a user can buy their album and find out more about them. Some popular artists doing this are Edan, Outerspace, RA The Rugged Man, and Roots Manuva.

Furthermore, you can find much of the hip hop music you want through radio stations that offer podcasts. Radio stations have begun using podcasts to let listeners get the show when usually they would not be able too. The radio stations also want to reach more people and again podcasts are a great way to do it. This is a much cheaper way of creating a large audience, with very little expense and time needed to do it.

Remember, some podcasts do require a fee to be paid. These fees will vary by the site you are getting your hop hop podcasts from. When there are fees, this means that once you find them, you sign up, make payment, and then you are given an unique feed address specifically for your subscription. You will get new music clips and possibly unreleased feeds. Sometimes these cannot be copied and shared between users, there is coding within the feed that blocks users from copying the file.
Checking around the internet you will be able to find many different artists and music available to download to your podcast client. You may or may not have to pay, but either way through a little searching you will find exactly what you are looking for.

Making A Podcast.

Distributing your media files, maybe some shows that you have created or music videos that you have put together has become even easier now that you can turn these into podcasts and upload them so people from all over can view them and download them. These are the steps you will need to take to create the podcasts and everything you will need to have them in place.

1. You will need a domain name; this will be associated to your host site. Locating a domain is simple; doing a search online will yield many results. There will be a fee associated with a domain service; typically it is not a lot though. Few common domain name services are GoDaddy.com, Dotster.com, and NetworkSolutions.com. There are many others out there to choose from if these are not what you are looking for. You choose a name and if it is not already in use, they then enter this name into the intranet system for you and make sure it is distributed.

2. Now that you have a domain name you will need to have a host to upload your podcasts to and store your files on. The domain name will be associated with this host site. Any host that you pick will need to have a very large amount of disk space and bandwidth. The podcasts that you create will be large media files, both audio and video and you need a lot of room since there will be a lot of people downloading these and taking up memory. Once you have the host created they will give you some different address names. You will take these names and put them into your domain name account. This is how the domain name and host are associated and connected together. Now your site can be found online by anyone and found say when a search is done through a search engine.

3. Next, install a piece of coding called dircast.php that will maintain the podcasts. Doing a simple search online will result in finding the coding you need. You will need to download this coding to your computer and then you will need to edit some of the coding to match your domain name. After that you will then just upload it to your site with the changes you have made. When you upload it, you will create a directory for it.

4. Once it is upload, it will create an RSS file and this RSS file will tell subscribers when you have new podcasts.

5. Lastly, start uploading your podcasts to the same directory as the dircaster.php location. After you upload these files, fill in information such as author, date, type, etc. Make sure you fill in as much information as possible so that your podcasts are easily searched out by users. Your video and audio files are ready for anyone to view now.

Getting your podcasts up and running is not difficult. It will take a little time and effort, but once you have everything set up it becomes easy and quick to get your podcasts upload for everyone else to view.

Downloading Podcasts

Downloading podcasts are a great way to share files, listen to music, see new comedians or music artists, and be exposed to many forms of media you may not otherwise have a chance to see. You are able to download the podcasts so you can watch them whenever you like on your computer, increasing their convenience and availability. Podcasts offers users the ability to have information sent to them, without having to search for it and then use it when it is most convenient.

If you have been wondering how downloading a podcast works, it is actually pretty simple. To begin with, there is a file within the podcast called an RSS file. It is on the podcast webpage that the RSS file can be found. This file is updated automatically with new text and every time a new text file is uploaded. Essentially, whenever a new video or audio clip is uploaded as a podcast, the RSS file is also changed and this new information is added. The RSS file is important because this is how a subscriber’s podcast client updates their podcasts feeds and delivers to them all the new podcasts that are available.

You do need a podcast client to watch or listen to podcasts. All a podcast client is used for is updating and viewing podcasts, it cannot be used for anything else. A podcast client can be found online and they are free to download. There are many types available for every need and use. The podcast client searches for the RSS feeds and then downloads any new feeds that it finds. Once downloaded the user can view the podcasts whenever they want and on any computer or device that reads podcasts and has a podcast client.

Podcasts are made of everything imaginable. From music to videos to news, sports, readings, and TV shows. Anything that you can record with audio or video or both can be made into a podcast. The shows are written and produced by as small as one person or as large as groups of people. It is an inexpensive and easy way to get your work or passion out there for others to see. Podcasts are no longer just for unknowns either. Many news stations and TV stations are creating short podcasts to create a larger viewing audience.

Any type of file can be made into a podcast. The RSS file within the podcast can actually be changed to fit anyone’s needs. Because of this there has been talk to use podcasts as a way to share files, update software, or be used for demonstrations. By using a podcast in this way, people could be updated regularly just by subscribing to nearly anything.

Podcasting offer many possibilities than just sharing small video and audio clips and comedy shows. With the user having the information come to them whenever there is an update and then being able to use that information when it is most convenient for them, changes how the internet works in many ways.

What Is An RSS Feed?

RSS feeds are very important to the transferring of podcasts and being able to upload them and have them updated regularly. If you are not completely sure what a podcast is, it is a file that can be distributed regularly. The files, clips, or episodes are of music, videos, news, comedy shows, and anything else people think of record and turn into a podcast. Anyone receiving podcasts are subscribers and use a podcast client to view and to also receive regular updates and feeds of new podcasts that are being added every day.

If you’re not sure what a podcast client is, simply it is a program that you can download free and it enable you to watch your podcasts. A podcast client search through RSS feeds and updates your podcasts episodes as it sees new ones available. RSS feeds are readable by machines that search out coding and have become an integral part of the podcasting world.

RSS feeds were originally developed to share blogs and new blogs posts. RSS feeds distributed out blog posts to all the subscribers of a particular blog. This worked so well that over time people figured out that you can do the same thing with media files, by just changing the coding. So, coding was added to RSS feeds to recognize media files and search out media files and download them to a subscribes computer.

Thus, leading now to the RSS feeds being used for podcasts. People added new coding and developed the feeds for what are now podcasts. There are a few reasons why podcasts have become so popular.

• Podcasting is very inexpensive and does not cost a lot of start up money to create a podcast. Or if you are subscribing, most are free to download. There are some that do require a subscriber fee; however the fee is usually not costly at all.
• You can share these podcasts so quickly. Because the podcast client searches for the RSS feeds that are for podcasts, subscribers always have the latest episodes available. And creators can very quickly and efficiently distribute their chosen medium with very little cost or time involved.
• All types of video and audio can be turned into podcasts. Which means anything and everything imaginable can be turned into a podcast and distributed to people all over the world.

A big reason why podcasts have had so much success is because of the RSS feeds. These feeds have enable media to be distributed in a cost effective, quick, and non evasive way. Subscribers do not have to go to a web site any longer and search through files and find what they want and then download it. Now subscribers only have to sign up for the feed and new podcasts are sent to them so they can view them when it is most convenient for them.

With so much popularity now with the podcasts, news organizations such as CNN have turned to podcasts to distribute their news to many people who typically would not watch. Along with radio stations like NPR that also use podcasts to create a larger fan base and draw in more listeners. Without RSS feeds podcasts would never have made it to where they are now.

iPods and The First Podcasts

Podcasts actually began when Apple came out with their iPod player. Files were created that could be distributed as MP3 files and then downloaded to the iPods. iPods were able to hold music and much more. iPods were any easy way to have the music people wanted with them all the time. They could download these files and store them on a very small player to be heard again and again. However, as people became more comfortable with using iPods, more than just songs were loaded into them, such as pictures, videos, and clips. People began using iPods as a way to hold many types of media in one player.

So, as time went on people figured out how to load different operating systems onto their iPods allowing them to use them for so much more. Now they could be used as applications and hold even more data. However, other people wanted to simply share their files and be able download other people’s files. This was not a problem, since RSS feeds were already around because they were used for blogs and other text updates. The RSS feeds coding was slightly changed and what was developed were links and other data were put into them of the sound or video files. These files then could be read by the iPod and shared and downloaded by users in the same way that the RSS feeds worked with blog updates.

Conclusively, with the availability of files that could be shared and updated by RSS feeds, podcasting took off. Podcasting has now developed into a way for anyone to create comedy shows, be a dj, or even be a host of a show. New and different podcasts are created daily. From music videos to TV programs to news and radio station episodes. With so many podcasts being created, there needed to be a way for people to receive updates regularly. That is where podcast clients came in. Podcast clients have coding in them to check the RSS feeds for updates and then to automatically update them. The podcast client has all the subscription feeds that the user is subscribed to and the client continually searches for new feed updates and then automatically downloads. This eliminates the need for users to have to go through files and go to websites looking for new podcast episodes.

With so much technology, people were able to begin using other media players in the same way as the iPod. Practically any MP3 player can play podcasts, even PlayStation Portable gaming systems are able to read RSS files and play the podcasts.

iPods are of course still used for playing podcasts, however now media players are being made that can read RSS feeds and it is becoming a regular feature with these devices. Podcasting is being used for more than just media file sharing and storing and has become popular as a very quick way to deliver information from one person to another. Podcasting and blogging are becoming intertwined with each other, using the low cost of connecting and the number of people online now a days.

This American Life Is A Hit On Podcasts

There is a podcast episode called The American Life. You can download these shows and listen to them whenever convenient. A site called audible.com is used by the creators of The American Life to distribute the episodes to subscribed users to listen to. They call their episodes podcasts, but they are not in the normal sense. Basically, a typical podcast is set up online and has an RSS feed attached to it that is updated on a regular basis. People can then subscribe to the feeds and there are the links of both sound and video. They are then downloaded to be watch at the user’s discretion.

However, this is not what is offered by The American Life and the web site audible.com. What is offered is listeners have to pay a fee to audible.com to have access to The American Life episodes. The episodes are downloaded directly from the audible.com web site. The RSS file that is created is actually specific and different for each user, allowing that user to go through and pick episodes to download.

Not only that, but the files that are downloaded can only be viewed by the user with the subscription. They have put limitations on the subscription and it is only tied to one user and they have their unique RSS feed. No one else can view, it cannot be shared, it cannot be sent to anyone else, and the end user agreement that is typical for most other podcasts does not apply here with the audible.com web site and The American Life show.

Essentially, they are not offering a podcast and they have started using podcasting that has always been a free and easy way to file share, as a way to try and boost their popularity. The American Life creators missed the entire point of podcasting and by doing so could be the beginning of the end for podcasting.

The rest of the industry could see charging for podcasting as yet another way to make money and exploit the shows and music. Since podcasting was originally used by independent people and media groups as a fun way to create entertainment and share it, without spending a lot of money or having a large overhead. As more large corporate groups get into podcasting and take it to a very mainstream level, podcasting will no longer be fun or free. Instead it will become yet another source for big business to get their hands into. This in the long run, could destroy podcasting all together except for a few small groups that continue to participate. However, those could be wiped out also if web sites like audible.com decide to charge users and creators to view and offer podcasts.

The benefits of podcasting such as simplicity of delivering episodes directly to users will be lost completely once corporate America decides to get involved. As quickly as podcasting became popular and fun, it will be destroyed and yet another obsolete way for people to share files and information.

All Kinds Of Music Podcasts

Searching online will uncover thousands of music podcasts available for download. Many of these are created by individual users that want to share the music they have with others. There are also the independent musicians, artists, and bands that create their music and develop a following through their podcast episodes. This way they a more personal relationship with their listeners and can see the blog that goes with podcasts. The blog is where listeners and the musicians themselves can talk and the musician can receive feedback and information.

With any band, listeners become very loyal and start to develop what they believe a personal relationship with the bands and musicians. So, of course it does happen that listeners are angry and resentful when their favorite bands become popular and sometimes more mainstream. However, that is why the musicians began using the podcast episodes in the first place, to gain popularity and let many people hear their music in a very cost effective way. Building a fan base and getting noticed by agents or record labels is part of the reason they are using podcasting. Artists are discovered this way and it has become a new avenue for agents and producers to find those unknown bands and groups.

Podcasting has also been a way for amateur djs to be heard with their mixes of music and highlights of unknown bands and groups. Many djs are looking to be discovered, but also participate in podcasting for pure enjoyment of it. Hands in hand with the djs are the radio stations that have gotten involved the podcasting frenzy. Some stations play their programs along with music, while others opt more for music playing as a way to get their station known and heard by many people that typically would not get a chance to hear them. Many are professional radio stations and djs that have moved from air waves to streaming internet music to including podcasting in their repertoire.

Lastly, there are the known and established artists that use podcasting as a way for fans to here a sample of their songs before purchasing the cd. They podcast a clip of a new song or even the entire song if they are looking to promote their album and song release. Peaking the interest of fans to sell concert tickets and cds is not new, only difference now is that they can do it quickly and efficiently through podcasting. Unfortunately, established artists are looking to cash in on podcasting and are looking to charge for their album feeds. Users would have a subscription that they would pay for and be unique to them. It would be updated regularly with the band’s music and information. But, the episodes could not be exchanged like free feeds can be. Only the person with the subscription could view and hear the files, they would have encoding within them so that they could not be copied or shared. Ruining part of the podcasting experience of distributing and sharing episodes and information.

No matter what you are using podcasting for, check out the music available. There will be many songs, artists, bands, and groups that you will be able to hear that are unique and different.