We’ve had terrestrial radio for decades now, but one day, on his drive to work, some computer geek turned on the radio in his a course in miracles and all he heard for the duration of his commute were advertisements. Not a single note of music came through the speakers. He had a realization that if people around the world could create their own internet radio stations, then the audience wouldn’t have to sit through hours upon hours of mundane advertisements in hopes of hearing their favorite song. He immediately turned his car around, went home to him computer, and figured out a way for people to set up their own radio stations at home that would stream audio to the internet. He’s probably a millionaire now. Of course, I can’t back up any of these facts.
Point is, suddenly hundreds of thousands of people were running radio stations from their basements and bedrooms that people online could listen to on their computers simply by clicking a link on a website. There were shows about everything! Some internet radio pirates would spotlight undiscovered music, while others would use the medium to host talk radio about the benefits of using name brand Q-Tips instead of the generics. There was definitely something for everyone.
The only downside to internet radio was that you had to be at your computer in order to listen to it. Aside from walking down the street with your computer hoisted up on your shoulder ala some kind of 1980’s boom box with a wire connecting to your home internet port, there weren’t many options.
This of course led to the invention of…
Podcasting
With the invention of the portable digital audio player (most commonly known as an iPod, but apparently there are other brands. Not sure if I believe that) we now had a vehicle for our music and radio to come with us. One day, while listening to his favorite “Heartbreaking Ballads of the 80’s” internet radio station, some computer geek’s mom called down into his basement bedroom and asked him to run to the store for some milk. Frustrated that he would miss the ending of his favorite song, “My Love is Like a Synthesizer,” he had a crazy idea… What if he could put the radio show on his iPod? He immediately locked his bedroom door and figured out a way to put radio shows onto his MP3 player. He’s probably a millionaire now. Of course, these facts are absolutely made up.
Podcasts are growing wildly in popularity and are currently a large source of entertainment during many people’s daily commutes. Next time you’re in a train, plane, subway, or bus, look around at how many of your fellow passengers have a cord running from their ears to their pockets. Chances are that a good 60% of those folks are listening to podcasts specifically, and more importantly, they COULD be listening to you.
BlogTalkRadio
Why BlogTalkRadio (BTR) is such a powerful tool is that it combines both Internet Radio and Podcasting into one simple website that does not require you to be a computer geek. It simply requires you to be able to read the instructions, and you can be broadcasting a show online in no time.
BTR Hosts schedule the air-times for their shows in advance. Listeners can go onto their Show’s personalized pages and click a reminder button that will email them when the show is going to air. If the listener is on that show’s BTR when the broadcast is scheduled to begin, it will start playing, and they can enjoy it from the comfort of their computer chair.
Where BlogTalkRadio becomes awesome is that several hours after each show has aired, they are available from the show’s page as an MP3 download where users can store the show on their hard drive and then add it to their iPod in order to listen later. BAM: Instant podcast.
I know, I know… we’re here to promote your book and I’m just giving you info on the differences between internet radio and podcasts. There’s no way this foundational knowledge will be important as you read on. That would be ludicrous, right?
As I mentioned, internet radio allows everyday people like you and me (or just me, if you’re a weirdo) to claim a small part of the internet where we can talk about absolutely anything we want to. And I do mean ANYTHING. Take a quick spin around the BlogTalkRadio home page and you will see what’s broadcasting live at any given time. There are shows about politics, finances, sports, culture, family, and of course… (wait for it)… BOOKS!
