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Podcast File Format - Determining the Right Audio File Format for Your Podcast

Published Thursday, August 7, 2008 by bloggerblognet84084 | E-mail this post

If there is only one word to describe the right file format for a podcast, it certainly is "MP3." This audio file format and compression has been around for over a decade. The size is small enough yet the quality is good.

Most important of all is that almost all media players, including portable media players, now support MP3. Unless there is a reason for not using it for your podcast, you should stick to the "standard" to reach as many people as possible.

Compatibility is an annoying problem not all listeners can endure. Think of a time when you open a web page, which includes audio but instead of streaming and playing on the browser, it displays a blank square without any message.

Chances are, you need to install some kind of plug-in to listen to it. Many people will just close the browser window and continue with what they are doing. I know I will. I have a rather complete set of media player plug-ins installed on my computer so if that ever happens to me, I know it is some kind of "strange" format I don't want to know about.

There are times when other file formats are more suitable though.

Some other common file formats that are also popular for podcasts are AAC and WMA. AAC is a modern audio codec that is part of MPEG-4 specifications. It delivers higher quality audio than MP3 codec at any comparable bit-rate.

AAC is supported on Apple platform, although plug-ins are available for other platforms as well, including Windows PC.

WMA is the format compatible with Windows operating system. MP3 typically produces better quality sound than WMA unless in low quality setting. If you audience prefer one format over another, then consider publishing in that format. There is really nothing wrong in producing the podcast in both formats. The problem is, you also need to generate two different kinds of podcast feeds.

RSS specification allows no or one enclosure per item, so unfortunately, it is the only way to handle that. Although there are RSS and podcast aggregators that support more than one enclosures per item, it seems like now having multiple podcast feeds is the best practice.

I have noticed podcasters provide links to the secondary file format without feed. In this case, for minority users out there, while you can get your favorite file format without manually converting it, you will have to download it manually.

The rule of thumb, as always, is to listen to what the audience want and give it to them. But most of the time sticking to MP3 is a good start.

Do you want to learn more about podcast creation and marketing? Have you considered podcasts as part of your business and marketing mix but are confused about the strategy?

Download your free 3-step podcasting guide and business case for podcasting from http://podcastingscout.com/subscribe

Get comprehensive tutorial on how to plan and start your own podcast here: podcast tutorial

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