I know I’ve been mentioning podcasting on this site a lot lately since Matt and I started The Skinny on Sports, but I don’t think I’ve really talked about podcasting and what I think it means in terms of the future of internet content.

Podcasting may not seem like anything new to a lot of people. Afterall, people have been downloading audio files for years now – so why is podcasting so special? The reason that I thought I should talk about this is because podcasting brings together a few things that I’ve been mentioning on the site, but never all together in one post.

I’ve mentioned Bloglines in the past as a way to keep track of all your favorite websites that have RSS feeds. For example, I have over 50 different sites that I keep track of using Bloglines. Instead of having to check all 50 websites everyday to see if there is anything new, I simply check Bloglines and it gives me all the latest stories from all the sites. Huge time saver! The term Podcasting and its idea is built on this technology. Now, instead of just the story content included in the RSS feed, an enclosure is also included that contains the MP3 file. Now, using a program called iPodder or others (that’s just the one that I use), I can check different podcasts with the press of a single button. It simply scans the RSS feeds for those other shows and automatically downloads any new MP3 files in the enclosures. I can even set this to download and transfer the tracks to my iPod in the middle of the night so that I don’t have to wait for the content to download in the morning. I just pick up my iPod each morning before work and have fresh shows to listen to on my way. This level of automation is what makes podcasting unique. You don’t need to go to each site and download the audio files that you want each day – it just does it for you!

Like Bloglines, my iPodder is now getting filled with various RSS feeds. I think everyone in the podcasting world listens to Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code since he is at the leading edge of what is going on with podcasting. After that, the nice thing is that everyone is different and you can choose from the thousands of podcasts that now exist. It doesn’t matter what shows are coming on the radio in your area, you can listen to any podcast anytime you want. If you check out The Skinny on Sports website you’ll see a list in the left column of many of the other Podcasts that I listen to. It’s nice since I’ve actually had email conversations with most of the other Podcasters in that list and many of them have helped us get our start. For example, Dave Slusher encouraged us to even start a sports show, and Ben from UpTheTree.com was kind enough to offer the podcasting logo with the whistle around it’s neck for our show. Others have helped out with interviews on the show – Dawn and Drew and Endurance Radio – and ideas for how to help the show keep growing.

The best way to find out about new podcasts is to look at iPodder.org which contains a directory of podcasts as well as the front page which is updated regularly with all the new shows. PodcastAlley.com is another great place to start since people can vote on their favorite shows and leave comments as well. There is also a forum there for discussion about other podcasts or for ideas/help on starting your own show. Podcasting has only been around since October 2004 so there is still plenty of time to get going on your own show. It lets everyone have the chance to let their voice be heard without the need for expensive studios and recording equipment.

If you haven’t listened to any podcasts yet, give it a try. There is bound to be something that you like. The other important thing is to give each show a fair chance. Not every episode of a show is necessarily the same as their “usual” content. Even if you listen to a show and wonder what it is actually about, give it a few days and you’ll be waiting for the next show to come out just to hear what the person will say next. (That’s referring to you Dave Slusher!)

Spread the word! Podcasting is here to stay so get listening and recording!