What is Interactive Podcasting?

I know blogging, podcasting, youtube broadcasting, social-networking, and all this techy stuffs. But I never heard of “Interactive Podcasting” before. Have you?

I got curious when this blog announced an invitation for his “Talkshoe: Interactive Podcast”. (As of the time I’m writing this, his archive already has 7 episodes).

At first, I really don’t know what this service has to offer. I know that podcasting is another way for internet people to subscribe and get information as an audio format to listen online or download for later playback on a computer or a portable media player like Ipods. It’s like this: a Podcaster is the host who records an audio format of his broadcast, then later his audience will be able to listen them online or download them (usually as MP3 files). But what’s with this “interactive” podcasting?

(this image is copyrighted to esoriano)
  

I read some FAQs and About the Talkshoe service, and I think I got it now.

The usual Podcasting that I know is really different from this Interactive Podcasting. To help others to grasp the concept, Talkshoe provides advance podcasting service to benefit both the podcasters and the subscribers or listeners. It is indeed an Interactive Podcasting because the usual podcasting that we basically know is “linear”. The typical system (1) you or your fellow podcaster, talks on a microphone and is later recorded as an MP3 file; the recorded file is then archived for online listening via an embedded media player on a website/blog, or perhaps a link to download it. That’s what I call, “linear”. If listeners want to ‘interact’ or add their comments to that podcast episode, they can usually do it on the comments area of that blogging system.

However, Interactive Podcasting is different because the podcaster(s) and listener(s) can ‘interact’ in real-time, not just by typing on your keyboards but also using your mic, too! Listeners are not passive, because they can actively participate with the conversation or ask questions – live! This interactive podcasts are scheduled live, then guests or audience can join on that set date. While the podcast session or episode is “on-live”, it is simultaneously being recorded. And when it’s over, people can still listen to it just like the typical podcast we know — listen it online, or save the audio files for playback. Each live interactive podcast on Talkshoe can accommodate 250 active participants and also 1,000 passive listeners.

The experience has really become just like a Live TV Show with guests speakers plus the the participation of live studio audience or even phone-calls from audience at home (active participants), or just plain audience (passive listeners or tuners).

This new media of broadcasting over the internet is really enjoyable and informative, especially when the host you will listen to is as sensible as Bro. Eli Soriano. I don’t know if there are other broadcasters who uses all available medium to reach his target audience the way this Preacher does.

Personally, I was hooked listening to this man from his various radio broadcasts in the Philippines like DZRH, and his recently awarded TV program as The Most Informative Religious Program called “Ang Dating Daan” previously aired on IBC-13, RJTV-29, SBN-21, and now on it’s new home, UNTV Channel 37. Not excluding his tours in different places of the Philippines and now even on various parts of the globe, to conduct Bible Expositions and Itanong Mo Kay Soriano, Biblia Ang Sasagot. These are open-invitation to anyone of all walks of life and religious affiliations (even non-believers and atheists), to ask biblical and spiritual questions, and answer them impromptu, founded on biblical references. Most often, anybody can ask any sensible questions and issues not just limited to moral or religious, but even political, social, scientific, historical, medical, etc.

Although Bro. Eli Soriano already has various internet broadcasts available in Truthcaster, TOP Channel, Youtube, and Godtube, … I guess this man’s 40 years of untiring passion to promote Christianity is indeed not only limited to old-time media and digital/new media.  The way I see it, Christianity will soon reach even in Mobile TV or any other tech gadgets!

If you still don’t get even the gist of what I’m saying upto this moment, you better start clicking the links I’ve provided here.

If you want to learn more about Podcasting and how you can start your own, you can click these tutorials below.

How To Create a Podcast - About.com’s step-by-step tutorial for podcast beginners.
iLounge Guide to Podcast Creation - another guide for creating your own podcast for absolute beginners.
Podcasting Legal Guide - find about legal issues relevant to podcasting in this Creative Commons guide.

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