Podcasting is arguably one of the most important developments in the way that audio and visual media is consumed for a very long time and presents a new type of online media delivery.

Podcasts not only allow audio and video to be sourced on demand, when and where you want it, but also allows audio and video to be fully portable and to have the ability to cater for niche audiences. In effect it gives any individual, group or business the ability to create their own syndicated online TV show, talk show or radio program, with content and a message of their choosing.

Podcasting is the hybrid of weblogs, audio, radio, TV and TiVo type devices and perhaps unfortunately, derives its name from Apple’s popular portable media player the iPod.

It's been a long held mis-conception that you need to own an iPod or portable player to listen or create podcasts but the fact of the matter is, the majority of podcasts are still listened to via the PC or laptop, even mobile phones.

So, what makes a podcast any different to a simple MP3 or movie download? Well the defining feature is the distribution of the content via RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication) where a simple script can be loaded into a podcast catcher such as iTunes allowing listeners to subscribe to receive new episodes of a podcast automatically. Subscribing to podcasts is getting easier all the time with many podcasts now allowing you to subscribe within iTunes at a click of a button or watch and listen directly from the host page via embedded flash players.

Podcasts are published on directories of which the iTunes Music Store is one. Others include Podcast Pickle (www.podcastpickle.com), Podcast Alley (www.podcastalley.com) and Odeo (www.odeo.com). Some are simply syndicated from the hosts website or blog.

Many businesses large and small are leveraging the power of podcasting for marketing on the web. Podcasts are easily accessible and increase the value of your website content, hold users on websites for longer and build valuable communities around brands. Success stories such as Wiggly Wigglers (www.wigglywigglers.co.uk) - an organic gardening supplier that now use podcasts as a their main method of communicating and advertising with their customers, transforming the way their international mail order business operates.

Event and conference organisers are increasingly using both audio and video podcasts to promote and preview their events. Not only does it provide a great resource for attendees but also adds extra value by way of ad-spots to the sponsors of such events and an additional revenue stream for event organisers, an example of which was this year’s MPH Show (www.mphshow.podcastdownloads.co.uk) in conjunction with Clarion Events and BBC Top Gear.

Advertisers are also finding podcasts a successful and cost effective way of reaching customers in new and interesting ways. The often niche content within podcasts ensures that advertisements directly reach target audiences. A recent report released in eMarketer found that spending on advertising in podcasts will quintuple over the next five years from the current estimate of a $80 million base during 2006 to create a $400 million market in 2011.

In today's fast moving internet age, where knowledge is power, we increasingly seek new technology which allows us to receive more of the information we want, when we want it, in a format that suits our busy 24/7 lifestyles.

Podcasting continues to sweep the globe, with millions of people now listening to or watching podcast shows on a regular basis. Podcasting has been recognised by mainstream media as an effective way of reaching both new and existing audiences. Major radio networks such as the BBC and NBC News produce Podcast shows and distribute them through Podcast Directories such as iTunes to reach a vast new world wide web audiences.

This article was kindly contributed by Wayne Scott, production director of Podcast Voices Limited.

The article The idiots guide to podcasting originally appeared on 999 Today