The buzz about podcasting is no longer about the technology; now, venture capitalists and media giants alike are trying to figure out how to make money, experimenting with advertising and subscriptions, writes Business Week, which reports that his month podcast pioneer Adam Curry is launching a podcast network of 30-50 shows that will share ad revenues.

With traditional media such as CBS, Clear Channel and Walt Disney producing podcasts and tech giants such as AOL, Apple and Yahoo offering aggregation, the business foundation is being laid for selling shows and ads.

Many are turning to sponsorships, typically involving a 15- or 30-second audio ad at the beginning of the podcast, with popular podcast pulling in flat rates ranging from a few thousand dollars a month to as much as $45,000. Also, the rates that popular podcasts command are raising eyebrows - about $25 per thousand listeners is apparently the average, compared with the $12-$15 for a New York City morning radio.

Some podcasters ask for donations from listeners, others think listeners would pay a monthly subscription fee or a one-time download charge. Curry, meanwhile, plans to offer advertisers various possibilities, including spots where a podcaster tries out a product, and podcasts devoted entirely to a product or service.