Is it a Podcast Catcher or a Podcasting App?

The new mobile Nokia podcasting application got a little buzz over the past few days, and immediately drew contact fire from the folks who run the Gizmodo - Podcasting pages.

However, it wasn't long before Nokia Podcasting Product Manager Steven Stewart kindly responded to the post. He offered the news that it wouldn't be long before the app would actually be able to podcast, offering a "a full mobile Podcasting solution with higher quality recording capabilities (and smaller file size), editing, uploading capabilities, and more."

I'm all for podcasting on the run. But you can already do that with a telephone and an account at Audioblog.com. So I'm not sure what the big deal is. I think it's pretty damn cool to download podcasts through your phone and listen on the go. But unless Nokia offers another level of control and quality (without having to pony up for a separate account), you're still looking at only incremental change. Unless I'm missing something, which wouldn't be the first time..;-)

Even though most of us only listen to a podcast once, the quality of the production leaves a lasting impression. Do a crappy-sounding over-the-phone podcast and people will remember you that way. Sit down in front of a condenser microphone and the right software and you'll be publishing a high-quality podcast.

And people will remember that, too.