Apple Likely To Capitolize on Podcasting Phenomenon with iTunes

With some analysts and business leaders saying "podcast" was the word of the year in 2005 and with Apple already a market leader in the consumption of podcasts themselves -- via the iTunes Music Store -- the next logical step for the company is to produce a Pod Studio product that enables simplified audio and video production of podcasting material.

It is undeniable. Podcasting is huge, a mega deal! But podcasts themselves are currently free, and hopefully they will stay that way. Of course podcasts are called "podcasts" because of the iPod -- the device most users utilize to listen to their podcasts. But where is the money in this phenomenon for Apple beyond the use of iPod players themselves?

Pod Studio

Podcasting creation software does exist. There are many tools on the market today. But Apple isn't one of the players making them. And that is more than ironic given that podcasting's namesake comes from Apple's market leading iPod.

I don't believe for one second that this irony has gone unnoticed at Apple. Because it's more than irony here. There is lost opportunity and financial gain. Apple naturally would want to control the production end of podcasting and dominate that market like it does video production via its Final Cut Pro editing suite. The question is, how is it going to do it?

Pod Studio, iMovie HD or GarageBand

Apple may choose to update iMovie HD in a direction which would enable more control over audio and video content destined for podcasting. Or it may advanced GarageBand's features which currently enable audio work for podcasting. Or it may choose a more direct, and probably more valuable route, and produce something like Pod Studio. Such a product would be everything anybody would ever need to capture (via telephone or microphone for audio), record, manage and archive audio and video (from iMovie or FCP) content for the production of amateur and professional podcasts -- destined for the Web or the iTunes Music Store.

In fact, Apple would have a financial interest in creation tools that help non-professional media people raise the quality of their podcasts. By raising the bar in quality Apple can better promote podcasting as a new media format utilized by corporations, governments and educational institutions. This becomes another reason for these large customers to be speaking to Apple. Podcasting is just in its infancy and Apple has plenty of time to become the gold standard in podcasting production.

Closing

Do I think Apple is going to produce something like Pod Studio at Macworld? Very possibly. It would be the perfect compliment to new announcements for further video deals for the iTunes Music Store. A product like Pod Studio might become even more popular than the original iMovie product, and it is consistent and would fit in nicely with the rest of the Mac "Digital Hub" product suites.

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