iTunes 4.9 focuses on Podcasting

I think it's a nice feature. But i find it kinda strange, that you have to be a paying member of .mac or aol to be able to add your podcast to the iTunes' Podcast Directory. That's where we are back to the commercial path ... I believe the iTunes Podcast Directory should be open to any active podcaster, and not only to paying members of a certain company.

File this one under "Wouldn't It Be Nice, If:" You could set up an account with iTunes, and publish your own music / podcast / whatever and set a rate (with Apple taking x%)? Like, if I were a giant egomaniac, I could charge $10 for my podcast, Apple takes $1, and sit there while no one in their right mind paid $10 to hear what I had to say? Or, more realistically, I charge $0.25, find maybe 1000 people that want to hear what I have to make, and pocket $200. My question here -- would Apple face legal repercussions? I imagine the RIAA would poop their pants if they found out you could download a podcast from Apple, and that podcast happened to have a preview of Coldplay's new album.

I think that the addition of download Podcast straight into iTunes will bring Podcasts to the masses. Right now Podcasts are only being listened to by a relatively small number (when compared to the rest of the nation). Once they add Podcasts to the iTMS even my mother will know what a Podcast is. While I like the addition of Podcasts into iTunes I don't think I would pay for them at $1 a pop.

Great!!! This means the next version will be 5 ( if they dont get silly with the point releases.) I hope with the next version we get to change all the info like you can with the iTunes Author. Then i'll have total control over my playlists.

Perhaps this will actually get me to listen to a few podcasts. The current crop of podcast apps I've encountered just haven't seemed very mac-like yet. Maybe it's just me but I expect Mac apps to just work.

I welcome this feature! Since podcasts are mp3 files, i'd prefer they all be dealt with by the same program. I like to keep my podcasts stored in a separate folder though - hope it will let me do that.

That would be proper cool. The only podcast I've come anywhere near is the TUAW one so far, cos you had a link right there in the post. But if it's right there in iTunes, that's much less friction between me and lots of ramblings. Suoer!

You know... even if that is the only update for now it's a welcome one as far as I'm concerned. Probably will handle the import/management as well if not better than everything else out there.