What is Podcasting?

The word ”podcast” is a concatenation of the words iPod and broadcast. The underlying technology used for podcasts, called RSS (Really Simple Syndication), is capable of containing any type of media including audio, video, graphics and more.

Podcasting is a way of publishing podcasts to the Web, allowing people to subscribe to a podcast and receive new ”episodes” automatically through an RSS feed. Podcasting consists of publishing XML files which contain references to media (called “enclosures”) to a Web site. Podcast aggregators (often called “podcatchers”), then read these XML files and download all the linked enclosures.

Simple steps to producing a Podcast and publishing it to iTunes.
podcast

Step 1: Record the content of your Podcast…

You will need a microphone, a computer and recording software or a digital sound recorder such as a digital Dictaphone or a Pocket PC.

Suitable software includes:

Garage Band on Apple Mac,
Audacity on Apple Mac or Windows,
Sound recorder on windows.
(Basically anything that can export sound files as wav or mp3)

Your final published file must be a compressed format – usually mp3.

Audacity requires the Lame mp3 encoder to export files as an mp3.
Find out how to install and use the Lame mp3 encoder here:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&item=lame-mp3

If your sound software is unable to export as mp3, then iTunes can convert it for you. Simply import into the iTunes library by dragging and dropping the file into the iTunes window.

Convert the track to mp3.
Right click on the file details in the iTunes library and click on ‘Convert Selection to mp3’. If instead you see ‘Convert Selection to AAC or some other format, you must change the import preferences for iTunes. Preferences>Advanced>Importing>Import Using mp3 Encoder. If you are using an Apple Mac and do not have a 2 button mouse, then ctrl click has the same effect as right clicking.

Step 3: Publish sound file to webspace
Once you have exported your Podcast sound file as an mp3, publish it to your webspace using ftp, noting the URL of the file e.g. www.yourdomain.kent.sch.uk/podcasts/firstpodcast.mp3

Step 4: Set up the rss feed…

This is the potentially tricky and confusing bit.

Pick an RSS feed software package.

Suitable software includes:
Feeder on Apple Mac,
Webmaster Podcaster on Windows.

A list of further software can be found here:
http://www.podcastingnews.com/topics/Podcasting_Software.html

Some software is capable of recording, publishing, creating the feed and publishing to iTunes all from the same package. It all depends on whether you have already got a favourite recording application or whether you are getting into this game completely fresh to recording.

You should consider your recordings as separate editions of a single Podcast stream. This is how iTunes and other Podcast download packages will see them.

You will create a ‘New Feed’ which needs a Title, a link to the feed website and a description. You will then create a ‘New Item’ – which is basically your Podcast ‘edition’. Within the feed settings, at the absolute minimum, you need to enter the source URL for the xml code that you will upload to your web server plus the file name of the xml file.

You will need to enter server details to allow the Feed generator software to upload the file.

You will also usually find a section to enter iTunes Extensions. At the absolute minimum you should enter details for Author, Keywords, the subtitle and the summary.

Step 5: Once entered save and publish your xml file to your web server.

Step 6: Test the feed in iTunes before publishing.
In iTunes, click on Advanced and Subscribe to Podcast.
Enter the URL of your feed.
www.yourdomain.kent.sch.uk/podcasts/podcast.xml

The Podcast should appear in the Podcast list in your iTunes library. It should have the Podcast sound file downloaded or a reference to it and the ‘Get’ button showing. (Click on ‘Get’ and it will download to the library).

If this works you are ready to publish your Podcast through iTunes itself.
This is a process that takes a few days as you need to get your Podcast approved.

Step 7: Submit Podcast to iTunes store

In the iTunes store, navigate to the Podcasts section, then scroll down. Under the ‘For Podcasters’ heading there is an option to Submit a Podcast. There is also a graphical link on the page.

Follow the on screen instructions, starting by entering the URL for the xml file that you previously uploaded and subsequently tested in iTunes.

If you haven’t already got an iTunes account you will be prompted to set one up.

You will be sent update emails to guide you on the progress of your Podcast submission.

Step 8: Share the iTunes subscription URL
Once published, subscribe on your own computer. Select the main Podcast entry in your library. There will be a grey arrow next to the name. Click on this and it will take you to your Podcast in the iTunes Store. Right click on the name and copy the iTunes store URL. This can then be emailed to people as a link or placed on your website as an iTunes subscription link. This will only work if the visitor has iTunes installed, so put a helpful link for them: www.apple.com/uk/itunes . Other software is available for Podcast downloads such as Juice Podcast Receiver from http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/. iTunes is however the most widely used and could get you the biggest audiences.

Podcasting with RapidWeaver

You can also use RapidWeaver to handle your Podcast for you.
Basic Podcasting is easy using RapidWeaver. Simply click into your blog entry, click the "Podcast" button, drop your media file onto the Podcast drop-box, add the optional iTunes tags if desired, and publish. When RapidWeaver finishes uploading your blog page, your audio file will be added to your blog page's RSS feed as a Podcast, and visitors can subscribe to it using a Podcast receiver like NewsFire, Transistr (formerly "iPodderX") iTunes, and others.

What is Podcasting?

Podcasting with RapidWeaver

Further reading: