Google has had a hand in podcasting in one way or another since the very beginning. My very first podcast had a site on Blogger, a FeedBurner feed and my own media hosting.

With the acquisition of FeedBurner Google has been able to get the second piece of the puzzle in line by integrating the ability to redirect your feed over to FeebBurner.

Now Google has announced integrated video podcast support. So you can upload a file from withing a blogger post and it will automatically become embedded in a post and linked as an enclosure.

I gave it a shot with the video you see below. My first attempt at uploading a QuickTime movie failed with an error. So I gave it a second shot with a video in the iPod format.


As you can see the second try worked. It looks like Google is using their Google Video engine to power the flash conversion and player. Since the Google Video platform leaves something to be desired on flash encoding I don't think any hardcore video bloggers or podcasters will be too excited. And you can also see the nice Blogger logo which will definitely put off this interested in maintaining complete branding control.

The upside is that this makes it easier for the average user to get started in video podcasting. And the people who are learning and experimenting won't be deterred by the things I've pointed out.

Where this can get interesting is when Blogger starts integrating those new advertising options that they have on YouTube.

Labels: blogger, google, podcasting, video

After getting raked over the coals in the most recent episode of P Dilly's Today In Podcasting I thought it was time to give the other side of the new media story.

Some see it as unfair to compare one company to another. Some look down on me for pointing out that some companies are no longer operating. Heck, the company I am involved with just might be in that same situation one day.

I'll tell you what though. I always reserve the right to have an opinion. You can disagree. But lets make sure we get facts straight when we do. I've always been in this on the side of growing podcasting as a medium. I've spent a lot of time helping others get involved and get the most out of the medium. I will continue to help those who come to me. I've organized charity events so that we can use this technology to help people. And I'm gonna let people know the deal as I see it.

I believe that teaching openly and doing good things should be the price of entry to the medium. Others will disagree. So be it.

So who should we be watching? Who's doing good?

Libsyn has been there since the beginning offering podcast hosting at a very fair price. Thankfully they keep on trucking along. I've used their hosting for over two years.

Podcast Alley continues to be a place that podcasters use to promote their shows while the forums are very active. I still here plenty of shows pimping for those votes at the start of each month.

Podcasting News features a steady stream of all news related to podcasting.

PodCamp keeps getting bigger in spite of my blatant attempts ;) to blindside the movement. They've even got a cruise coming up. Woe to the cruise operator who fails to have plentiful internet access and power plugs.

Podcast producers have created a shift in the media patterns of the mainstream media. Mainstream media and entertainment outlets are embracing the medium. Yes, You are the person of the year!

Podcast Pickle has long been a place where you can get into a good discussion in the forum. Heck I even added them to a Beginning Podcaster Guide I wrote recently. No hard feelings Gary.

I think PodShow is doing some very good things for podcasting. I disagree with parts of their approach but at the end of the day they are helping some podcasters to get paid. And they are bringing new advertisers into the medium. And those achievements parallel some of the things we do over at my house.

Blip.tv continues to impress me with what they're doing to put video podcast publishing within reach of the average person.

Look, I don't care if you know who my name is. I didn't get into this to be somebody. I'm already somebody to my family and friends. I got into this to teach and help others via my podcasts, my knowledge of business and my love of technology. I know that I've been successful. People tell me so when they contact me. And my definition of success is more about those who are close to me than those who can't pronounce my name.

If you're doing good things with podcasting then by all means let people know in the comments here. Do your part by helping others to separate the signal from the noise. And don't be ashamed when you do.

Labels: opinion, podcasting

I've been doing a lot with podcasting over the past year even though I've been generally quiet here. I keep my tongue because my association with RawVoice could lead people to accuse me of bias.

Well the fact is that I am biased. I got involved with Todd and Co. because I not only believed in what they were doing I liked how they were doing it. I still like the way they are doing it.

I get frustrated though. I get emails every week from some snake oil selling punk pitching us on the power of podcasting, telling us how its going to tip in 2007. This is inevitably followed by a request for a partnership or some other thing that involves me promoting what they are doing.

So I always do research and every time what I come up with is someone who has just entered the game looking to make a quick hit. I mean, I've been working at this for two and a half years as a content producer and advocate of the medium. How about spending half an hour to do a few Google searches to find out about who we are? It may be too much to ask.

So you've got a marketplace that is starting to include a decent number of multi-level marketing types who are selling good ole podcast secrets. And you've got old media types who think the secret involves higher production quality plus a babe or two. Look, if there was a time tested formula then everyone would do that. But there isn't a formula for creating successful shows, which is really what podcasts are. They are audio or video shows.

The thing that is scary to people with an old media attitude is the fact that a home produced show by a passionate amateur is just as likely to gain an audience as a slickly produced professional video. That's just the way it is.

The VC funded kids are doing okay I suppose. PodShow has been dead quiet, at least from my perspective, in recent months but I hear they are bringing in some steady revenue. PodTech has been drama central for weeks now with recent rumors circulating that the great Robert Scoble will be checking out soon. Not true though, but something hot is happening there. Maybe the brouhaha is player hating by their enemies. But one does have to ask how you could spend $500K on a video blog in a single year.

How is good ole Odeo doing? Who knows and really who cares. They got some buzz when acquired but the skill sets of the buyers along with the reputation of the buyers financiers doesn't breed confidence in their future as a player. You never know though.

Awhile back I dropped a line about Fruitcast dropping off the face and got a terse, "We're not done," comment from one of the founders. Its been quite a while and I've seen nothing but the same landing page for months. No blog, nothing. I guess you can never say never but this patient hasn't had a pulse for ten months now.

Those folks also created the PodBasket service which now is in the hands of an interesting looking outfit called Splashpress Media. I've gotten reports from PodBasket users recently that they have been having server problems related to the transfer of ownership so beware. There's no blog on the PodBasket service either. I think its a best practice for a web based service to have a blog as a method of providing information and updates on what is happening with the service. Is there anyone who thinks that's not a good idea?

In that same post back in 2006 I mentioned Castfire. They have come back strong and are creating some really nice tools being used by Ask A Ninja among others.

LibSyn buyers Wizzard have launched Wizzard Media and they are going to make a run at PodShow with exclusive ad contracts and the like. I've commented on this approach before. I don't know how viable it is since there is such a huge pool of content out there but PodShow seems to be doing okay so why not.

What do I see in a nutshell? A lot is happening. In fact a lot more is happening than I could summarize in this post. Some of what is happening is good for podcasting. Some is not so good. I think the best thing that could happen is for there to be a shakeout that reduces the numbers of players in the game. And when I say that I mean commercial service providers and top down funded networks. Those who are really dedicated and understand will be more likely to do the right thing. But not all players are necessarily dedicated (or even understand) what podcasting is all about. They just see dollar signs.

The content pool, on the other hand, is always going to grow and I believe that's a good thing. Interesting times we live in folks.