I've been checking out some of the podcasting tools offered by a relatively new entrant in the podcast management space called PodServe. PodServe allows you to create a podcast channel and provides free file hosting. I've been trying it out and have created a channel called Espresso to test it out.

The process is very simple. There aren't a lot of choices which makes this an ideal option for someone who is a beginner. Inclusion in major directories like iTunes and Odeo is achieved by selecting a check box. The site is seriously AJAXified so the interface is very slick and usable. Looks like stats are pretty basic for the moment, simply showing the number of subscribers to each podcast.

This project is one piece of a larger initiative called Big In Japan. Big In Japan offers (or plans to offer) a variety of RSS/Podcast/Web 2.0 related services via the browser. This looks promising so Ill be monitoring the progress of these tools.