外国人最想和你聊的时事话题：播客

　What is audio blog　什么是播客
     An audio blog is a type of blog in which the creator makes music files, normally in the audio format, available for download. They are also known as "music blogs" or "MP3 blogs". Audio blogs have become increasingly popular since 2003. The music posted ranges from hard-to-find rarities that have not been issued in many years to more contemporary offerings, and selections are often restricted to a particular musical genre or theme. Some audio blogs offer music in Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) or Ogg formats.
     Among the very first audio blogs were Buzzgrinder, Fluxblog, and Stereogum. Buzzgrinder began in 2001 as a way for musician SethW to fill time on the road. Stereogum began as a music-related LiveJournal in 2002, though its format was focused on indie/pop gossip rather than MP3s. Fluxblog (also founded in 2002) trumpeted LCD Soundsystem's"Yeah (Stupid Version)" in early 2004 brought increased attention to audio blogs. A July, 2004 story by Reuters and an August, 2004 story on National Public Radio further galvanized the trend, and today there are thousands of audio blogs covering a cornucopia of musical styles.
     A significant number of indie music labels, promotional agencies and hundreds of artists regularly send promo CDs to audio blogs in the hopes of gaining free publicity. Major labels with small acts to promote have also attempted to use audio blogs. In 2004, Warner Bros. gave permission for a song by their act. The Secret Machines to be posted by the audio blog Music (For Robots). This drew attention not only for the song and the label granting permissions, but also due to the fact that several comments praising the track came from IP addresses within the Warner Bros. network. The publicity generated by audio blogs crossed the line from the internet to TV in early 2005, when Music (For Robots) was featured during MTV's Total Request Live program for bringing the Hysterics, a Brooklyn rock band composed of four 14 and 15 year-old high school students, to the network's attention.
     In 2006, Rolling Stone did an article tracking "blog buzz" called First Hype, Then Kill with the subtitle "How the geeks who control the music blogosphere destroy the bands they love." It followed the hype of bands such as Tapes N' Tapes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Arctic Monkeys and Cold War Kids. While the article brought exposure to audio blogs, it was blasted on blogs for misrepresenting what impact they have on a band's career. According to the chart, Gorilla vs. Bear giving a good review of Cold War Kids was the highpoint of the band's career, and signing a record deal marked the beginning of their decline. It also assumed that music blogs have collective opinions instead of an array of many different musical leanings.
     In 2006, Sirius Satellite Radio began broadcasting "blog radio", a show on the College/Indie Rock channel Left of Center. The show lets music bloggers talk about the latest in the indie-rock scene.
     "播客"(audio blog)又被称作"有声博客",是Podcast的中文直译。用户可以利用"播客"将自己制作的"广播节目"(radio program)上传到网上与广大网友分享。播客（audio blog）这个词来源于苹果电脑的"iPad"与"广播"(broadcast)的合成词(compound word)，指的是一种在互联网上发布文件并允许用户订阅feed以自动接收新文件的方法，或用此方法来制作的电台节目。这种新方法在2004年下半年开始在互联网上流行以用于发布音频文件(audio file)。Podcasting与其他音频内容传送的区别在于其订阅模式(subscribe model)，它使用RSS 2.0文件格式(file format)传送信息。该技术允许个人进行创建与发布，这种新的传播方式使得人人可以说出他们想说的话。