Company Offers Podcast HelpCompany Offers Podcast Help

Conference Calls Unlimited on Wednesday unveiled a podcast service that covers the recording, storage and distribution of the audio files.

Podcasts are non-music audio broadcasts that are converted to MP3 files for playback on a digital music player. The new program format has been driven by the success of Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod player, which has been sold to millions of consumers.

Conference Calls services range from only the creation of a podcast to also include the storage, syndication to aggregators, such as Apple's iTunes music software; and providing links to a Web site where the podcasts can be downloaded.

"We wanted to make podcasts and their benefits available to everyday people who are too busy to write XML tags or buy expensive equipment to create their own podcasts, but would enjoy the benefits of regular podcasts," Zane Safrit, chief executive of the Fairfield, Iowa, company, said in a statement. "We'll handle the technical issues with creating a podcast for them. And then they can focus on sharing their stories and messages."

Podcasting has been embraced not just by amateurs, but by professional news and entertainment companies. Most major news organizations, such as CNN and The New York Times, offer podcast programming.