Is Podcasting dead?

The question I am being asked more and more by my regular, and prospective, clients is - is podcasting dead? Has YouTube usurped audio's place on the net?

My answer is yes and no.  'Yes', in that YouTube is a great method of delivery for video and there isn't an equivalent for audio when it comes to ease of use, but 'no', in that audio reaches parts other media cannot reach...and just like the old video killed the radio star debate....audio is holding its own! 

Plus - the fact that 'Podcasting' is simply a means of distributing audio - it has nothing to do with content. It's a useful option for people who understand rss feeds or who are good at organising their audio from sites like iTunes and Juice but it is only one means of distributing and promoting audio. With the rise of social networking and online advertising coupled with 'listen now' and 'streaming' from websites on mobile phones and other devices audio is definitely here to stay!

Where audio wins: 

 1) You can't watch video while you are driving, running, or multi tasking (not even doing the ironing!)

 

2) You can listen to audio while you are browsing the internet - and if for example you were to be listening to the piece I am making at the moment for the next RSPB Nature's Voice Podcast and hearing about the remarkable nesting habits of Hornbills in the the Harapan Rainforest of Sumatra - you could also be browsing their Save the Sumatran Rainforest web page and signing up to support it at the same time. 

While you are there you can watch the YouTube videos of the forest and see pictures of the colourful Rhinoceros Hornbill. I've nothing against video - in fact at Podcats we also make video! 

The future, I'm sure, is the full integration of text, audio and video and using each to its best advantage: 

Text - because it is easy and quick to scan. It gets you to precisely the information you need. It can also add extra information or underline the key points of audio and video options.

Video - to add powerful moving images. See the Tiger shot in the Sumatran Forest video and the image stays with you. 

Audio - to bring characters to life (like Pak Zubarin who featured in Nature's Voice 4 the first visit to the Harapan Forest a year ago and will be back with an update in the next episode, Nature's Voice 16 - due for publication on September 23rd 2008). 

And audio is also a cost effective way to add an extra dimension to a campaign like the Harapan Rainforest project. The audio is gathered by RSPB staff who are on the ground anyway using a Flashmic - so there are no extra flights to take into account. It is then ftp'd to Podcats where we produce the feature.  The cost of getting a reporter or a film crew to Indonesia - twice in a year - would have been prohibitive. 

Podcasting is dead .... long live Podcasting!