Streaming Media


How to Build a Video Podcast in 3 Steps
Tues., May 16, by Jose Castillo

One would think that receiving Oxford English Dictionary’s "2005 Word of the Year" plus sharing a name with the hottest gadget in recent history would cause podcasting to rest on its laurels, but this delivery system continues to reinvent itself.

The most recent reinvention involves a marked upswing in the use of video-based podcasting. Video podcasting have been used by a cross-section of traditional and non-traditional media, from major TV networks, cable, and public television stations to software companies, movie studios, and intriguing upstarts like, Happy Tree Friends, and Channel Frederator.

(Below: A video podcast in iTunes)
A video podcast in iTunes

Podcasting allows anyone to distribute free or paid media to the content hungry masses. With a few simple technology tools and a PC or Mac, you too can create a video podcast in 3 easy steps.

Anyone with a few pieces of technology and broadband can create their own channel, pump out content around the world, and join the ranks of the new media moguls. The same technology that has allowed individuals to build their own mini-media empires has also given corporations and established media brands new avenues for leveraging existing content and building new revenue streams.

Just one year ago, audio podcasting was taking its wobbly baby steps. Now, it’s an accepted form of new media delivery (see’s assessment of podcasting from April 2005 here). The same scenario is occurring with video and will probably have an even bigger impact than audio. So how do we use video podcasting as a helpful tool in our streaming media arsenal?

Step 1: Produce It
There are several ways to capture your media, the two most common being taking existing content off the shelf or shooting it using a digital video camera. You can even use a webcam, and most digital still cameras have a video record feature. On a Mac with Final Cut Pro or iMovie you can capture videos off of a camera, or you can drag and drop your existing AVI, MOV, or other video file into your video-editing program. On a PC, you can use Adobe Premiere Pro or similar software to capture raw footage onto the computer.

(Below: Rendering video for iPod from iMovie)

Rendering video for iPod from iMovie