One of the most interesting technologies  that we have today is the internet. The more I look into it’s potential the more I discover that it is still an untapped resource for digital music content. With the  advent of podcasting, the internet became a great medium for music content distribution.

One question I see arising time and time again is “what if any, is the difference between podcasting and Internet radio”?There are a number of sites that market themselves as Internet Radio, which in reality they are in reality podcasting sites or as I sometime say, large mp3 players. Now, I am not saying that there is anything wrong with podcasting, I do it myself, but I think it is a necessary step in light of the current policy issues regarding digital music rights, to have some understanding of the uniqueness of both.

As Internet broadcasting continues to establish an online presence, the distinctions will become more obvious. There are particular advantages to podcasting as well as live broadcasting and much depends on what the goal of the developer of the stream has in mind. The ideal solution of course, is to have an effective way to utilize both.

Livecasting vs Podcasting ….

Simply put, podcasting is ” prerecorded content” which is made available for use either through downloading and the various media players. The major advantages for the end- user is that the content is readily available. Since it is recorded and stored as a digital file, the user has the ability to listen when time permits, much like many of the digital recorders available for television now.

The draw back has to do with interactivity. Unlike internet broadcasting which is more often than not live, the human element is missing. Remember the big concern that broadcast radio had when television began? It was whether or not television would replace the spontaneity of live radio. Well time answered the question. Radio continued to be a very effective means of information and entertainment and still is to this day. There was something about that personality on the other end of that box.

This is where live streaming media(internet broadcasting) seems to be picking up the steam. It takes the purest elements of terrestrial radio, minus the abundant insertion of advertisements, and ports it over the internet. This becomes the primary difference between live streaming and podcasting. Live vs recorded. One advantage of  a properly setup live-streaming site is, the recording aspect for podcasting is incorporated on the back end ( check out http://www.wdkkradio.com). Meaning, the live streams will be recorded for availabilty.

So as you are considering how to implement your online media, do some research into the options.

Just some musings again.

(D.A. Williams is CVO of Full CirKle Media Group, a internet based media convergence company)