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Podcasting: Why you should care
  Posted: June 14, 2005
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I talked about ''podcasting'' way back in December, and suggested it was an interesting technology/trend to watch. The technology showed up again in an entry earlier this month, as a rogue group of art lovers were creating and distributing their own audio guides to MoMA exhibits. Now, there are lots of reasons to pay even more attention.

In a nutshell, ''podcasting'' combines a number of technologies that allow you to ''subscribe'' to audio files on-line to play back on your personal audio player (iPod and such) or your computer. As content creators post new audio files (which can be interviews, monologues, music files, whatever), your computer automatically grabs them and adds them to your music player. It's like listening to a portable radio, but where you decide what shows to hear, when to hear them, and how long you care to listen (some personal favorites include Tod Maffin's How to Do Stuff and KCRW's The Business).

So, why should you care now more than you did (or didn't) last December? Several reasons:

• Podcasts are growing exponentially, much as weblogs did when they first started. Feedburner, an on-line company that supports and tracks news and audio feeds, listed 505 podcast sources back in November, now they list more than 6000.
• Podcasts are becoming easier to produce and distribute, so that a reasonably technologically aware individual on an arts organization's staff could give it a go. You can have a basic set-up for about $300 (with an iPod, a voice recorder attachment like the iTalk, and an audio editing package like Garage Band).
• Radio stations around the world are starting to see the on-coming train, and distributing their radio content through podcasts as well as on-air (just check out KCRW in Santa Monica, or CBC Radio in Canada).
• Arts organizations and their patrons are starting to experiment with the technology, as well (check out the first steps of the Frist Center for Visual Arts, for example, or the Art Mobs site I've linked to before).

With all the pieces coming together, all that's needed is a friendly and easy way for curious audiences to take advantage of these audio feeds. And that's likely coming in July. Apple confirmed recently that the next version of iTunes (the free and popular audio jukebox program, already sitting on millions of computers) will support podcasting...making subscribing as easy as playing a song.

So what's the potential for arts organizations? Here's just a few ideas off the top of my head:

• A series of audio commentaries by a conductor, even including excerpts from upcoming performances;
• An audio guide for a museum that can't afford the fancy equipment or production contracts required of official audio guides;
• Audio excerpts from theater rehearsals or monologues to draw patrons into an upcoming performance;
• Commissioned short audio theater works;
• A central place to post lots of audio program notes of major touring works or artists;
• Audio archives of conference keynotes or panel discussions, replacing the cumbersome and expensive audio cassettes or CDs...extending the reach and lifespan of a professional gathering;
• ''Day of show'' commentary from the director or curator for patrons to listen to on their way to the event or exhibit;
• The list could go on and on.

I realize most arts organizations have plenty to do just to keep up with the traditional means of connecting to their audiences. But every now and then, a technology shows a promise and potential that's worth at least an hour of your time to learn more about it. It would be wise to find that time before July. Here's a place to start.

UPDATE OF 6/17/05: At least one source is now projecting the growth of podcasting: ''Some 60 million Americans will be listening to podcasts by 2010 and the demand for tools and services to create podcasts will reach US$400 million within the next year...''