What is Podcast Video?

A growing trend online is podcast video. While podcasting was originally only for audio files, more and more people are beginning to send video, especially with broadband connections more accessible.  To podcast video, content distributors enclose it in a web syndication file that users can download and view when they want. Users subscribe to the different files, checking them for updates regularly, and download the new offers when they become available. Each file is often referred to as an episode, and may be part of a video blog or vlog.

Podcast video, and other types of podcasting are thus part of the blogging revolution. Individuals and groups all around the world,  with just small investments in equipment and time, can now become  their own content publisher.

Because it is so simple to use and cheap to set up, many people are getting involved. They can podcast their very own video to and around  the world, becoming producers, directors and editors for just any small niche they want to.

Many of these podcasters have small audiences that download their podcast video, but larger groups are getting involved. News organizations, broadcastig companies and websites that serve massive  audiences are discovering that podcasting and podcast video can distribute their content to millions of people easily. These groups have found that podcasting video is yet another way to distribute their news and information. Since podcasting is so easy to use, its likely that  even more people will start using podcast video.

Podcast Yahoo is an example of a very full featured podcast directory. Yahoos beta offering presents podcasts from many professional organizations including NPR, Slate Magazine, and others. They also organize their listing by categories, offer a list of the most popular series and episodes currently available, and let users search through the entire database. Yahoos site for sure is professionally done, and likely has people permanently assigned to work on it, and so it differs from many of the other podcasting directories available. Many directories are little more than listings of amateur podcasters, but Yahoos site brings out a number of feeds done by mainstream organization, raising the level of quality available.

If you are looking for a special podcast, Yahoo is certainly a good choice. They have a slick, well done site that is easy to use. Yahoo even includes software at the site so that podcasts can be listened to from within your web browser. After logging in, Yahoo allows you to subscribe to the feeds you enjoy, letting them be notified when new episodes are available. It even has a detailed walk through to help you create and begin publishing your own podcast.

Podcast Yahoo clearly demonstrates the ability of a corporate group to create a well made site. While its very unlikely that Yahoo or a company like it would have been able to come up with podcasting, once they know what to do, they can do it well.

Check out Podcast Yahoo here: http://podcasts.yahoo.com