I think the first mistake made in podcast-land is considering it something different. Different than a blog, different than radio, different than video, different than an mp3 file, different than a conversation. That made the world very small, lame, and self-defeating. ‘Podcast’ rides atop all those things.
Hell, technically, all you have to do is make use of the ‘enclosure’ tag to be a podcast. Yes, as a communication form, the best ones have their own aesthetic and aren’t just ‘time-shifted’. But the idea of a podcast directory is as unmaintainable as a locked iPhone.
The Twittergram work I did a while back reminded me of the podcast-client that I’d like to see. It’s on the list of things to revisit after I launch this other app. Why? Cause it rides atop.
“O, podcasting. You were to herald the beginning of the personal-broadcasting revolution. Granted, you did launch several careers and even minted a few sorta-famous-in-some-circles celebrities. But instead of killing off the MSM, you’ve been completely pwnd by big-time broadcasters. Chicago Public Radio’s effete gargantuan, This American Life, routinely squats atop the iTunes podcasting charts while programs from ESPN, Comedy Central, HBO, CNN, and NPR tend to fill out the top 20. Why? As it turns out, things like production values, content, and talent-qualities that most basement-bound amateurs lack-still matter. Don’t believe us? Ask a ninja.” – /culture/geekipedia/magazine/geekipedia/podcasting
I think many (most? all?) podcasts work best when they try very, very hard to be little more than blogs with great audio content. I guess that’s what you were getting at — not different.
Tony – again, it all depends on the publisher’s goals.
If the goal is mass appeal – then yes. But then, if that’s the goal, podcasting feels like a hard way to do it.