It seems to me that more and more people using media to send a message are now looking at their options to go live over the internet. Some people have said that podcasting is not really social because it is a one way conversation.

I have disagreed with that assertion because a podcast producer has the opportunity to make their content interactive by accepting feedback and including audience generated content. I don’t discount that type of interaction just because there is a delay from the time the audience gives feedback and the time the rest of the world experiences that feedback.

Some newer services give podcasters the opportunity to go live with their shows while also recording the results for posterity so everyone doesn’t need to be there when the recording happens.

On the audio side there is TalkShoe. TalkShoe allows producers to hold live voice chats with people who can connect via TalkShoe software or via phone. People also have the option of just listening in to the conversation. These talkcasts are then archived to mp3 for subscription as a podcast or streaming from the website. We recently held a community chat for Blubrry on TalkShoe and were very happy with the results. Tech icon Leo Laporte hosts a weekly show over there called net@nite.

On the video side there is the buzzworthy Ustream.tv. You don’t need to download any software to broadcast with Ustream. You just need to have a connected camera that their system can recognize. You can broadcast live and also record the video stream. Unlike TalkShoe there is no ability to download the resulting recorded video for podcasting. You can embed the video in other sites though. Here’s a video I recorded with my Panasonic PV-GS400 connected to my laptop via firewire cable.

One of the things that I like about podcasting is the fact that you can plan for things and edit shows if you need to. There’s definitely a unique skil lset required in being able to handle live media broadcasting. That said, the tools that exist today make it much easier to go live than ever before.

I do think that live audio is more ready for primetime than video. In order to get the most out of Ustream.tv both the broadcaster and the audience member need to have robust connection speeds in order to get good quality. Most of the videos I’ve seen on Ustream.tv (including mine) appear pretty choppy. If the content is compelling, I expect that people will deal with some choppiness in exchange for the live experience.

Are you ready to go live? Both services are free so it won’t cost you anything to find out.

[tags]Social Media, Live, TalkShoe, Ustream.tv[/tags]