You don’t need a high-frequency antenna or FCC license to be a broadcaster in the 21st century. Anyone can have a podcast – well, that is, anyone with the technical know-how and money for equipment, such as a good microphone, to produce their work.
A company called Zula wants to eliminate what might be the last barrier for the DIY media star. It launched an iPhone app called ZCast, which allows users to produce an audio podcast anywhere with just an iPhone or Mac computer.
Photo: Zula
The creators say it’s simple: pick a subject and start talking. The app will ask your topic, and whether you want to add speakers before you begin. You can promote your cast through your Twitter network. A cast can go live or be scheduled for another date.
ZCast lets listeners get involved with live tweets during a cast. Your followers don’t have to have the app to listen in.
ZCast wants to be to audio podcasting what Tumblr is to blogging and self-publishing. It may be a companion tool for the mobile podcaster who does live video with apps, like Periscope or Meerkat.
“The end game for ZCast is to enable anyone to easily share an opinion in a group format,” ZCast’s CMO Hillel Fuld said in a written statement. “The ability to create a podcast from the comfort of your own home without any add-ons or complications is a technological achievement we pride ourselves on, but even more exciting is the new levels of interaction that are being facilitated here.”
Thousands of podcasts can be found on the internet and the medium of podcasting has gained popularity with the rise of smartphones, which provides easy access and on-the-go edification. The Pew Research Center says the number of Americans listening to podcasts has more than doubled since 2008. In 2014, the number of podcasts downloaded exceeded 2.5 billion.
ZCast debuted Thursday in the Apple App Store for free download.
