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I have seen a few posts on some of the podcasting forums that make me think some people confuse audio v. data compression. Maybe this short post will help you learn the difference.

We compress podcasts so that they can be easily downloaded over the Internet. That means we apply Data compression. Data compression involves running our recorded data through an additional encoding process, then decoding it on playback. If you’ve heard the term MP3, well that is a form of compressed audio file that is coded and decoded (That’s where the term CODEC comes from) for transfer and playback.

Audio compression on the other hand (something you might use an outboard device to accomplish or something you can do with software) has nothing to do with the Internet or file size. Audio compression refers to the sound’s dynamic range. It is used to improve the way your recording sounds, not how fast it downloads.

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I have been contraced by lynda.com to provide a video tutorial called Podcasting With GarageBand 3.0. If you haven't heard of lynda.com, check out the site. Lynda is a gifted woman with a real vision for education.

Here's a link to the press release:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/3/prweb362155.htm

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If you’re new to podcasting or audio production, you may notice people using the acronym CODEC. It stands for “compression/decompression” and it traditionally refers to any device employing hardware and/or software to convert analog audio to a digital data stream and vice versa.

Sometimes the word CODEC is used interchangeably in referring to the audio compression or audio bit rate reduction process of representing an audio signal with lower data throughput, while still preserving audio quality.

The coding schemes are based on the perceptual characteristics of the human ear. PAC, AAC, MPEG-3, and AC-3 are just a few examples of these coding schemes.

Podcatchers like iTunes and Real Player use codecs to get audio to listeners over the Internet by reducing the file size of the audio stream without significantly reducing quality.

So if you’re a podcaster, you may hear this term and you may have to select different codecs in your recording software in order to create podcasts that can be played on certain types of personal media players or computers.

Check your software manual for more information on CODECS.

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A quarter of all adult internet users will listen to a “Podcast” in the next 6 months…

The recent success of Ricky Gervais’s weekly “podcast” for the Guardian Unlimited and subsequent advertising by Channel 4 has shown that “podcasting” is more than just a passing fad. According to a national survey from independent research agency, BMRB, latest figures suggest that over 10% of the adult population have downloaded a podcast in the last 6 months and figures will continue to grow.

Among adult internet users, 17% have downloaded a “podcast” in the last 6 months (rising to 28% among 16-24 year olds) and 24% are likely to download a podcast in the next 6 months.

“The findings suggest that up to 7.9 million adults could be downloading podcasts in the next 6 months, which represents a massive opportunity for advertisers and media owners alike,” said BMRB marketing director Steve Cooke.

As with much new technology, podcasting is more likely to be a male activity, with male internet users almost twice as likely (22%) as females (12%) to have downloaded a podcast.

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Does your company have an important message that you’d like delivered to your high-end customers via a podcast? Are you selling million-dollar homes, pension plans, yachts, airplanes, jewels, home theater systems, paintings or other high-priced merchandise? Or maybe you’re offering one-of-a-kind consulting services to high net worth individuals?

If your product is advertised in publications like the “Robb Report” or is targeted to high-end consumers, I want you to consider a really radical idea. Create a podcast, load it on to an iPod, create a personalized user manual and instruction kit, design a nice package with cool photos and graphics and GIVE it all to your clients. Heck, if you really want to get radical, give it to your prospects, vendors and employees too!

If you’re selling something that provides you with a six-figure commission, what’s a few hundred dollars? It’s just the cost of doing business and if it leads to new business…well you get the point.

But you don’t even need to live on Rodeo Drive to make this idea pay off. Any innovative business with the desire to set itself apart can “give” away an iPod.

Here’s a more down-to-Earth example. I spoke with a wedding photographer last week. He’s creating slide shows of the engagement session, adding royalty-free music, and GIVING the bride the show in the form of an enhanced podcast on a brand new Apple video iPod. Of course he builds this into his pricing structure, but it’s an incremental cost for the bride and helps the photographer deliver something every bride really wants; something unique.

If you want to be on the bleeding edge and if you want to make sure your presentation trumps that of your competition, consider this radical idea. Give away your podcast and the podcast player and your prospects, customers, employees and vendors will look at you in a new light.

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