PODCASTING 101

December 2005

WHAT IS A ? A podcast is prerecorded audio content obtained via the /Web. You can listen to the content online, download it to your computer, or subscribe to it so you automatically receive updates. Best of all, you can put it on a portable media player such as Apple’s iPod via a synchronizing mechanism, and then listen to it at a time and in a place of your convenience. In other words, you can time-shift, much as you would with TiVo or DVR.

HOW DO I FIND AND LISTEN TO ? Podcast directories are one of the easiest ways to find and listen to podcasts. They provide a list of available programs, usually arranged by category. You can ei- ther listen to them online, or use your podcatcher or aggregator application to subscribe to desired pod- casts. Popular podcast directories include: • Podcast Alley • Education Podcast Network • Podcasting Directory • Podcast.net • Digital Podcast.

Note: Some podcatchers such as iTunes, iPodder, and Podnova, also provide a directory of available pod- casts.

WHAT IS A PODCATCHER/ WHAT IS AN RSS FEED? AGGREGATOR? RSS is an XML (Xtended Markup A podcatcher or aggregator is a soft- Language) format used by , news ware application or a hosted service web sites, and podcasters to syndicate that collects and stores your desired their content. The acronym stands for podcasts as RSS feeds, and serves one of the following standards: them up in one location for your con- Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.9x) sumption. Aggregators can be either RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0) desktop applications or online and Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.x) accessed through a web browser. Popular aggregators for podcasts in- Essentially, RSS allows bloggers and clude (these are free software or ser- podcasters to provide a summary of vices): their content with a link to the full ver- Web-based: Podnova, News- sion. The RSS is link is usually indi- gator, My Yahoo, Odeo cated by an orange rectangle with the Desktop: iTunes, iPodder, letters XML or RSS on it. iPodderX, Fireant HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTS? 1. Select and install a podcatcher application like iTunes or Juice. Alternatively, you can sign up with one of the online services listed above. 2. Use the directory in your podcatcher or a directory service to identify the podcasts you want to sub- scribe to. 3. Find the feed address (URL) for the podcast in the show listing using the RSS button or a “Subscribe” option. Copy-paste this address into your podcatcher using the Add feed or Subscribe option. Note: If you use the directory in a podcatcher like iTunes, you will not need to execute Step 4. Simply clicking on the Subscribe or Add feed button will suffice. Also, most podcatchers will automatically up- date your podcast subscriptions when you launch them. You can also set it to download the podcasts to your media player when your synchronize them.

HOW DO I CREATE A PODCAST? 1. Create content: Use native recording capability on your computer, an iPod with an iTalk, or a high- end sound editing room like the one in CLT to capture speech, music, or sounds. 2. Edit content and create digital file: Use a sound editing software like Sound Forge, Audacity, or Ga- rageBand to edit your audio content and convert it into a digital file, typically an MP3. 3. Post your audio online: Upload your MP3 file to a server or web hosting service. OurMedia is a free service that you can use. 4. Create a web presence for your podcast: You need a or a web site that supports syndication to do this. Use the blog or web site to create a link to your audio file. Blogger, Class Blogmeister, and are some free services where you can sign up for a blog account. 5. Create your own podcast address: Use FeedBurner (http://www.feedburner.com) to create your own podcast address. If desired, you can promote your podcast on directories such as the iTunes Store, Podcast Alley, and Education Podcast Network with this address.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION? Check out the following resources for additional information: • Podcasting and Vodcasting, A White Paper (http://edmarketing.apple.com/adcinstitute/wp-content/ VIDYA’S FAVORITE PODCASTS Missouri_Podcasting_White_Paper.pdf) • Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcatching) Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code • There's Something in the Air: Podcasting in Education This Week in Tech (TWiT) (www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0561.pdf) The Mac Observer’s Mac Geek Gab • Podcasting and the Liberal Arts (http://newsletter.nitle.org/ iTunes New Music Tuesday v4_n3_summer2005/podcasting.php) Teach42 • Making a Podcast with Blogger and FeedBurner (http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/ Make_Podcast_Blogger.html) • Duke University, Digital Technologies in Courses (http://cit.duke.edu/about/ipod_faculty_projects_spring06.do) AHA!!!!! PODCASTING 101 - SIGN UP