Audio v. Data Compression

I have seen a few posts on some of the podcasting forums that make me think some people confuse audio v. data compression. Maybe this short post will help you learn the difference.

We compress podcasts so that they can be easily downloaded over the Internet. That means we apply Data compression. Data compression involves running our recorded data through an additional encoding process, then decoding it on playback. If you’ve heard the term MP3, well that is a form of compressed audio file that is coded and decoded (That’s where the term CODEC comes from) for transfer and playback.

Audio compression on the other hand (something you might use an outboard device to accomplish or something you can do with software) has nothing to do with the Internet or file size. Audio compression refers to the sound’s dynamic range. It is used to improve the way your recording sounds, not how fast it downloads.

New Training For Podcasters

I have been contraced by lynda.com to provide a video tutorial called Podcasting With GarageBand 3.0. If you haven't heard of lynda.com, check out the site. Lynda is a gifted woman with a real vision for education.

Here's a link to the press release:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/3/prweb362155.htm

Understanding Codecs

If you’re new to podcasting or audio production, you may notice people using the acronym CODEC. It stands for “compression/decompression” and it traditionally refers to any device employing hardware and/or software to convert analog audio to a digital data stream and vice versa.

Sometimes the word CODEC is used interchangeably in referring to the audio compression or audio bit rate reduction process of representing an audio signal with lower data throughput, while still preserving audio quality.

The coding schemes are based on the perceptual characteristics of the human ear. PAC, AAC, MPEG-3, and AC-3 are just a few examples of these coding schemes.

Podcatchers like iTunes and Real Player use codecs to get audio to listeners over the Internet by reducing the file size of the audio stream without significantly reducing quality.

So if you’re a podcaster, you may hear this term and you may have to select different codecs in your recording software in order to create podcasts that can be played on certain types of personal media players or computers.

Check your software manual for more information on CODECS.

Podcasting Predicted To Grow

A quarter of all adult internet users will listen to a “Podcast” in the next 6 months…

The recent success of Ricky Gervais’s weekly “podcast” for the Guardian Unlimited and subsequent advertising by Channel 4 has shown that “podcasting” is more than just a passing fad. According to a national survey from independent research agency, BMRB, latest figures suggest that over 10% of the adult population have downloaded a podcast in the last 6 months and figures will continue to grow.

Among adult internet users, 17% have downloaded a “podcast” in the last 6 months (rising to 28% among 16-24 year olds) and 24% are likely to download a podcast in the next 6 months.

“The findings suggest that up to 7.9 million adults could be downloading podcasts in the next 6 months, which represents a massive opportunity for advertisers and media owners alike,” said BMRB marketing director Steve Cooke.

As with much new technology, podcasting is more likely to be a male activity, with male internet users almost twice as likely (22%) as females (12%) to have downloaded a podcast.

It May Be Time To Get Radical

Does your company have an important message that you’d like delivered to your high-end customers via a podcast? Are you selling million-dollar homes, pension plans, yachts, airplanes, jewels, home theater systems, paintings or other high-priced merchandise? Or maybe you’re offering one-of-a-kind consulting services to high net worth individuals?

If your product is advertised in publications like the “Robb Report” or is targeted to high-end consumers, I want you to consider a really radical idea. Create a podcast, load it on to an iPod, create a personalized user manual and instruction kit, design a nice package with cool photos and graphics and GIVE it all to your clients. Heck, if you really want to get radical, give it to your prospects, vendors and employees too!

If you’re selling something that provides you with a six-figure commission, what’s a few hundred dollars? It’s just the cost of doing business and if it leads to new business…well you get the point.

But you don’t even need to live on Rodeo Drive to make this idea pay off. Any innovative business with the desire to set itself apart can “give” away an iPod.

Here’s a more down-to-Earth example. I spoke with a wedding photographer last week. He’s creating slide shows of the engagement session, adding royalty-free music, and GIVING the bride the show in the form of an enhanced podcast on a brand new Apple video iPod. Of course he builds this into his pricing structure, but it’s an incremental cost for the bride and helps the photographer deliver something every bride really wants; something unique.

If you want to be on the bleeding edge and if you want to make sure your presentation trumps that of your competition, consider this radical idea. Give away your podcast and the podcast player and your prospects, customers, employees and vendors will look at you in a new light.

Apple Automator & GarageBand 3.0

If you use Apple’s new GarageBand 3.0 software for podcast creation, you may want to visit http://www.automator.us/downloads.html#1006. Apple has an entire suite of actions designed to smooth the podcast creation process. Using these scripts you can:

Export Garageband Project – This action will export the current GarageBand project to iTunes. The result will be a reference to the new iTunes track. This action requires UI Scripting support be active.

Export to MPEG Audio – This action will export MPEG audio files (AAC) from the AIFF files passed to it from the previous action. You can select multiple compression settings to create more than one export file. This action requires a valid QuickTime Pro license.

Create Podcast Feed – This action uses the audio files passed to it from the previous action and the information entered in the action view to create create the XML text needed to make an XML RSS podcast feed file. Follow this action with the New Plain Text File action to create a new XML file using the feed text.

New Plain Text File – This action writes the text data passed from the previous action to a plain text file (non-Unicode). Plain text files are useful for creating RSS feeds and other HTML or XML-based files for use on the internet.

If this is over your head don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Just contact me at Bourne Media Group, 253-851-5542. Our company consults with firms large and small that want to jump on the podcasting bandwagon.

Why Radio is Worried About Podcasting

I spent time working in traditional radio. I understand how the radio business works. And I understand why traditional radio stations feel like they’re in constant trouble these days. 

Satellite radio, cable music, Internet streaming music and now podcasting, are all taking a chunk out of the regular radio pie. 20 years ago, your local radio station didn’t have any real competition. Now they have to work hard for their dollar. Yet, many stations still act like they own the show, refusing to acknowledge that things are changing. In my opinion, if traditional radio doesn’t change their mindset, they will face disintermediation. 

Here’s what’s wrong with traditional radio: 

1) Too few owners control too many stations. When the FCC allowed the big boys like Clear Channel to buy lots more stations, the listeners lost choice. Who cares if there are 30 stations to choose from in your market if they’re all playing the same song at once? Podcasting gives listeners choice – lots of it. You can listen to Cream one minute and the Boston Pops the next and follow up with a how-to photography show, all in the same hour. 

2) Too many breaks, not enough content. Dave Ross, once a very popular morning drive host on powerhouse KIRO in Seattle has been moved to afternoon drive where he delivers a grand total of 22 minutes of real content in any 60 minute period. Between commercials, promos, news and traffic, we only get 22 minutes of Dave. Not enough – and people are tuning out in astonishing numbers. Podcasters are smart enough to know that commercialization of their medium needs to be done carefully and tastefully so breaks are usually kept to a minimum. 

3) Broadcasting doesn’t work like it used to. Advertisers are much more sophisticated than they were 20 years ago. They realize that narrowcasting offers more bang for the buck and here’s a place where podcasting offers real change. You could never run a radio station that played only square dance music and get away with it, but you could run a square dance podcast and that demographic while narrow, is perfect for guys who sell plaid skirts and straw hats. 

4) People are busy. And if your favorite radio show comes on when you’re not in the car, chances are you don’t hear it. Podcasting allows for time shifting, much like TIVO. That convenience has people spending an amazing two to three hours a day with their iPods, listening to their favorite shows. And they’re listening everywhere – on buses, trains, planes, ferry boats, in cars, home offices and anywhere there’s a computer or an iPod. 

And these are just some of the most obvious problems. 

So can traditional radio survive? Absolutely. Even though I am a podcasting fool, and a strong advocate for podcasting, I want traditional radio to survive. I love the medium. If radio station owners use their original content in original ways and start podcasting certain shows to small segments of their audience, they too can enjoy the benefits of podcasting and can in fact, be a great addition to the professional podcasting community.

Tell your local radio station owner to call me. I can save him.