Week 6: multimedia

This week we’ll be looking at the web 2.0 tools which are changing how and what we listen to and watch online.

What is a podcast?

A podcast is an audio file (usually MP3) which is distributed over the web. A podcast may contain music, or not. It may be just a few minutes long, or last hours. It may feature one person, a conversation or a panel discussion. It may be recorded ‘live’ or carefully scripted and edited. It may be professionally produced or made by you and me on our PC (or Mac).

How do I listen to podcasts?

The variety of ways you can listen to podcasts is one of the reasons why this technology has become so popular. You can listen to a podcast on your PC, or download it to an MP3 player/iPod and listen on the move.

How do I find podcasts?

Like blogs and RSS feeds, podcasts have their own search engines so you can easily find the podcasts you want. iTunes, Podcastalley, Podcastdirectory and Podomatic among others all offer the facility to search for podcasts, and may also host them as well. But you can just as easily use Google or Yahoo; just add ‘podcast’ as a keyword in your search.

One key feature of podcasts is the ability to subscribe to a series. You can download an aggregator, or podcatcher like iTunes or Juice. Alternatively, because serial podcasts have RSS feeds, you can utilise an RSS reader like Bloglines or Google Reader to subscribe to podcasts.

Can I podcast?

Yes you can! Podcasting, like blogging, is open to everyone as the equipment required is minimal. Got a PC? Got a microphone? Got something to say? Then you can be a podcaster. You can download free software called Audacity to record and audio masterpiece.

Podcasting in Plain English from the Common Craft show – all you need to know about podcasting in three minutes.

Music and Web 2.0

We all know that the internet has transformed the way we buy music with pundits predicting the end of the CD and music business as we know it.

You can now purchase music tracks online from any number of suppliers and play it through your PC, MP3 player, iPod, mobile phone, TV etc.

What’s new with music in Web 2.0?

Recently new music streaming services such as LastFM and Spotify have sprung up.

These streaming services allow you to listen to music (usually the whole track) without buying it. LastFM builds up a picture of your musical tastes based on the music you’ve already listened to, then suggested new artists and even concerts which you might be interested in. With Spotify you can create playlists of your favourite tracks which you can make public for others to enjoy, or listen to a random selection of music as you would on the radio.

These services are free (for the moment at least) you just need to sign up. Not all tracks are available through these services. You’ll not find the Beatles for example.

What’s streaming?

For in depth explanation of streaming head over to Wikipedia. But basically streaming means that you can watch, or listen to media almost in real time without downloading any files. The content is sent in a stream of data from the supplier direct to your computer. No files are downloaded or saved; it’s like listening to the radio or watching live TV.

What about video?

The availability of faster and better internet connections, low cost online storage, cheap digital camcorders and home editing software has resulted in an explosion of video online. Content may be professionally produced, like the programmes you can watch or download from BBC iPlayer. But all it takes is a quick glance at video hosting sites like YouTube and Google Video to see that we’re all getting in the act. In fact YouTube’s slogan is ‘Broadcast yourself’ and we do, in our millions.

How do I find online video?

We’ve already mentioned YouTube and Google Video, but other search engines like Blinkx, Exalead and Yahoo offer video searching options. Or you can just add ‘video’ as a keyword in your search on most engines to get results.

Can I YouTube?

You can create accounts with YouTube and Google Video (in fact, if you set up an account with Google Reader in Week 2: RSS, you can use the same username and password to access Google Video.)

An account allows you to upload your own videos to these services, as well as create favourite lists, set up RSS feeds etc.

If you’ve bought a PC or a Mac recently you’ll probably find digital video editing software like iMovie and Windows Movie Maker pre-loaded; ready and waiting for you to create your masterpiece.

Can I watch TV online?

Yep – and mostly for free! All the five big channels have a TV ‘on demand’ service where you can watch the shows you’ve missed either on your computer or even on your TV if’s it’s clever enough. Not everything is available due to copyright and other issues, and programmes may only appear for a limited time.

What’s in it for libraries and education?

Podcasts and online video provide a new medium for universities and libraries in teaching, learning and marketing services to students and staff. Libraries are increasingly using these technologies to complement and supplement printed guides or face to face contact.

Take a look at the Imperial College online lecture page. By using podcasts and video the College is opening up these lectures to everyone – not just the people sitting in the lecture theatre. Many departments are now recording lectures and making them available as podcasts.

Click play to listen to an Imperial podcast.

Remember to add a post to your blog about this week!

Thanks to John Conway for his great presentation on Multimedia in Higher Education.  Johns’ slides are below.