Podcasts, or syndicated internet audio programs, are a great way to communicate with an engaged audience on a regular basis. They allow you to upload an audio file to your Web site and users can “subscribe” to your podcast so that they are notified as soon as you add a new episode. This allows them to download and listen to the podcast when it is convenient for them.

We also have the ability to embed the audio file of these podcasts directly into a Web page, so that a user can browse old episodes and listen to them without any special software or the need to download the file to their own computer.

KRCU, the public radio station at Southeast Missouri State University, uses the podcast format to electronically distribute content created for the broadcast audience. Making these features available as a podcast allows them to share this content to users who would otherwise be outside their broadcast reach.

It also allows users who missed the program when it aired to catch it at a later date, making the content always available to an interested party. Even though the information might only be broadcasted over the air once, it is always available to listen to online. This means it allows their users to easily share the podcast with friends and family.

In contrast, the “Rowdy Rundown” was created as a podcast from the ground up. It is produced every two weeks and informs students about upcoming events on campus. Notice that each episode has a page associated with it, and each page has a list of links and information mentioned in the audio version of the podcast.

If you have an idea for a podcast and the ability to make sure that new content is regularly produced, contact us and we will discuss what needs to be done to get it up and running. Remember that you will need the ability to record and edit audio and the ability to save that audio as an .mp3 file.