However, unbeknown to many, there is a world of podcasting - downloadable broadcasting based around an iPod which many people may not be familiar with. Podcasting 101 is here to help newcomers learn about the basics of this powerful informational tool.

To begin with, many who have heard of podcasts think that an iPod is a necessary requirement in order to join the podcasting scene. Podcasting 101 is here to tell you that all podcasts can be listened to on your desktop or laptop computer as long as you have special programs to decode the podcasts.

Many of these programs work on both Windows and Apple computers and are generally free to download. Check your local download site or try a search on Google (tm).

The first thing to note from Podcasting 101 is that most podcasts are totally free of charge. Podcasting differs greatly from traditional broadcasting in its distribution method.

The most important difference between the two forms of broadcasting is that the podcast is downloadable, meaning that an internet connection is only required for a short time no matter how long the podcast is.

This means that the listener does not have to stop from time to time to wait for the download speed to catch up with the speed of listening. Also, the key thing to note about podcasts is that you can listen to them whenever you choose.

Another note from Podcasting 101 is that you have the ability to speed forward through sections you may not want to hear in a podcast, just like if would be if you owned a CD or tape. This is due to the fact that podcasts are downloaded directly to your computer instead of streamed from the internet.

Because of the ability to download them, podcasts are also distributable to portable music players, like the iPod so you can listen to them at your discretion. I myself, have been interested in podcasts for marketing purposes and I will be researching that starting tomorrow.

Podcasting 101 recommends the use of Apple's iTunes service as the best way to download and listen to podcasts. Through this service, people are able to download individual episodes or subscribe to as many different podcasts as they wish.

A subscription to a podcast means that when a new episode is available, iTunes will automatically download that episode to your computer so you will receive each episode as soon as it is released.