Podcast RSS Feeds
A Podcast RSS feed is what allows the entire system to function. To begin at the beginning, a podcast is a regular distribution of audio or visual files, called episodes, to a users podcast client. The people who use a podcast are called subscribers, and the podcast client is what allows them to subscribe to a feed. The podcast client is a program that connects to the internet, looking for a specific file the user has subscribed to, or told it to look for. That file is an RSS feed, a machine readable piece of coding that sends information back to the podcast client.
RSS feeds can be used to distribute many kinds of information, and were originally used for
blogging and distributing blog posts to subscribers. As time went on, however, a few people had the idea of enclosing information about media files within the RSS feed so that software could be written to find that information and download the files described.
The Podcast RSS feeds became a hit, and podcast clients were quickly written to allow people to use the new encoding. Podcasting became a means of quickly and cheaply sharing episodes with subscribers. Rather than requiring subscribers to visit the site that hosted the files everytime they wanted to know if a new episode was released, users could rely on the podcast client to do the work for them, keeping track of numerous podcast rss feeds that interested them and downloading the files to be viewed when they wished.
Podcast RSS feeds are now used to distribute a number of different types of podcasts. Some producers use it as way to share a comedy or news program that they produce, others podcast in
order to share music files they create, and some podcast to share video files they have created and to showcase their work. Podcasting allows the producers to become radio or television stars without the large investment in time and money that wuld be required to do that. Because podcasting has such a low entry cost, requiring little more than a server and a domain to host the site and a way to record the media, thousands of people who otherwise would not have a chance to work in a media environment have a chance to do so through their podcast rss feeds.
In this way, podcast RSS feeds allow media publishing over the internet at a fraction of the cost of other forms of media distribution, permitting people with much smaller budgets to compete in
some way. However, podcast rss feeds are also attracting more established companies and groups as well, bringing people from NPR radio stations and news organizations like CNN who use podcasting as yet another means to distribute their product to end users.
Music Podcast RSS Feeds
There are many online music podcast rss feeds to choose from online. For many of the feed producers, a podcast feed is a way to distribute non mainstream music that otherwise would not be able to reach an audience. These musicians are able to build a following and share their work from outside of a music culture that tends to keep out more niche groups. Because the music industry is oriented towards mass distribution and marketing, musicians and groups that aren't believed to command such widespread fandom are kept out of the market.
Distributing some of their music by podcast rss feeds, however, lets them grow a small fanbase and attract listeners who enjoy their work. These musicians may support themselves by also selling portions of their work, or may decide to provide all of their work for free, as some do.
These musicians may, after growing a fanbase who enjoys their music podcast rss feed, parlay that popularity into music contracts within the industry. By proving that they can support a passionate
audience even with their own meager efforts, a company can sometimes be convinced of the music's viability on a larger stage. By proving that the musicians can support a dedicated audience and can keep producing quality work, the group or individual has a better chance of successfully getting a contract while maintaining their independent style. | 
