Most podcasts are done in the lingua franca of the Net -- mp3. In the past month I've seen a sizable number of iTunes users convert these files to AAC (iPodderX now allows this - probably due to heavy user request).
Transcoding from one imperfect format to another is generally bad unless some other functionality is gained. Podcasting benefits from the fact that AAC can be marked and will "remember" where you left off even if you shut down the player. This is probably a critical feature for long podcasts delivered to lowend players with minimal interfaces ... the Shuffle.
Encoding using aac in the first place is probably a good idea if you make the assumption that listeners to your podcasts are using iTunes. A few places are beginning to offer mp3 and aac feeds.
What really makes sense for podcasting is aacPlus. You can get very reasonable sound in the 24 to 48kbps range (I wouldn't use it for music, but it is great for voice and fm radio replacement quality). If Apple added it to iPods you might see a large move from mp3.
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Most podcasts are amateurish, but some slick amateur and professional 'casts are emerging. I tend to time shift NPR programs and don't have the time to sample many, but I think there is a good chance satellite radio will be in serious trouble 6 months or a year from now. I had a chat with someone who does automobile electronics in Europe - he mentioned every car company he knows has frantic requests out to their stereo vendors to support iPods directly. He came out and said "podcasting will bury satellite radio in North America by next year".
you should look around more. there are great podcasts for indie music.
i think i want a shuffle just for podcasting when i run. my regular ipod is ok for my one hour run, but i always worry about it after three drops. it also is big and heavy enough to notice it bumping around.
my birthday is next month and this gives my parents something to give.
Posted by: sara | January 29, 2005 at 10:07
Absoltively
The satellite radio providers are toast. People who have them probably have broadband and a fair number probably have iPods. I'm sure there will be commercial systems and would bet my paycheck that Apple be one of them.
The best material is from small indie producers. I would pay for the best of what I get today and think others would. The price is probably lower, but $10 a year for access to a good site with weekly updates isn't unreasonable.
I agree with the last person to comment. I'm looking at a Shuffle for the specific purpose of podcasts.
Posted by: Phil | January 29, 2005 at 13:28
The nice thing about podcasting is there is room for the little guy to do it.
I like this service for hosting my podcasts. They don't meter bandwidth.
http://www.libsyn.com/
Posted by: Josh | January 29, 2005 at 16:29