You blog. Your blather. You rant, rage, speculate, pontificate, elaborate, and preach.
You bore people to tears.
You need to do a podcast!
You need some stuff:
- a USB microphone
- a computer
- sound-recording software
- compression software
If you own a Mac, you have all this stuff already in the form of your built-in microphone and Garageband. If you own a PC, I feel for ya.
Talk. Babble your heart out. Add music or soundtracks or whatever. Mix it if ya got it.
Export the file to MP3. Why MP3? ’cause if you don’t, people will go nuts. I started out using the default iTunes format and my audience had a cow about it.
Now comes the hardest part: Distribution.
If you want to allow people to download the MP3, you have to upload it somewhere. Once you’ve uploaded it, make sure you’re not going to get hosed with download/bandwidth charges. I used my Hostmonster server space with my 6TB of bandwidth and never had a problem; 3TB was my monthly average.
If you want to stream the MP3 in your blog, the easiest way I found to do that was with the Google Audio Widget. You chunk your MP3′s URL into the code-builder website and you get a blob of HTML that you use in a WordPress text widget.
If you want to get your podcast on iTunes or someone’s portable MP3-player, you’re gonna need a Podcast Feed.
What the {expletive deleted} is a Podcast Feed? It’s a text file, baby, that’s all.
I named my file “podcast.xml”. Wanna download my file? Right-click here and choose Save Link As.
How do you make your own podcast.xml file? Well, the fastest way is to get a podcast feed generation program. I used Podcast Maker for a while, until I understood how the xml file works. Basically, once you have built the file, the only part that changes is the item-section. In my picture-example, I’ve cut out the first through the thirteenth episodes so the picture wasn’t ten miles long, but in the real file, there are fifteen item-sections, one for each episode.
Every time you make a new episode of your podcast, a new item-section is added. To update your podcast.xml file, just copy/paste your an item-section as a new item-section and put it at the top of all the item-sections. Episode 16 would go above my Episode 15, for example. Update the data in the section as it pertains to your new MP3: file size, title, descriptions, recording length, etc. Save the file and upload it to your server, probably the same server that you’re using to store your collection of podcast episodes.
Did you make a good podcast.xml file? The way to find out is to use a feed validator. I used Feed Validator to test my xml file. If you have any problems, this will find it.
Once you have all the kinks worked out of your xml file, you can do two things with it:
- Allow readers to subscribe to the feed directly, (what non-iPod users are going to do)
- Allow the iTunes store to distribute your podcast.
Subscribing to a podcast feed is just like subscribing to an RSS feed; put a hyperlink to the podcast.xml file on a widget or in a post and BAM, it’s done.
Getting your podcast into the iTunes store is a little more complex. Read all this, for this is your iTunes Podcast Bible. Don’t think you have to memorize it; if you use my podcast.xml file as a template, most of your tech-questions should be answered.
To Recap:
You made an MP3 file of your podcast.
You uploaded it somewhere that people can download it.
You made a podcast.xml file with which people and iTunes can subscribe to your podcast.
Finally, make a blog post announcing your podcast and every subsequent episode. Sounds like a lot of work, yes? Don’t worry…
It’s more.
When I read the headline, my first thought was that you had decided to continue podcasting in a non-WoW format, ala the blog. I like the how-to guides, but consider this a vote for further podcasting about whatever you and Brain want to talk about.
Personally, I think podcasts talking with brain would be brilliant. Who would be brain? Why, I think Mrs. DPH (aka Mrs. BRK) would be the perfect candidate. After all, wives are the better (and usually smarter) half.
Geesh. Reading the item details in your feed XML screenshot made me all misty-eyed …and hopeful. Like Kirk looking back at the newborn Genesis planet:
I, too, can’t quite shake the feeling that we shall return to those lands again, when the time is right…
/yes I’m a big nerd — leemee lone!
//The Wrath of Khan: best ST EVAR
Daniel I have to really thank you for this. You are pretty much setting me up on my new blog what with the first post on how to WoW blog and now this on how to podcast, cuz I have always wondered how ya do it. It’s like you can read my mind.
Anyway, I think my site has much more work to do before people will actually start reading it, but hey, thanks so much for all you’ve done and all I know you will do! (check my site out if you want) 
Thank you so much for the help!
I’m guessing you got a lot of requests on how to, huh?
Thanks. Now I can make my Murloc podcast. Muah ha ha!
I spent the lunch hour (in a foregin office, noone to chatter with) contemplating what my scthick for a blog would/could be… and now, A How-To on podcasts… this is a sign, right?
and why is this post tagged as ‘Cars’? /confused
For the pc, (I don’t know if mac has an alternative) getting a 30 dollar radio shack mixer is an awesome idea as well, it’ll allow you to record interviews and all sounds coming from your computer.
Great how-to, thank you!
“If you own a Mac, you have all this stuff already in the form of your built-in microphone and Garageband. If you own a PC, I feel for ya.”
Typical mac fanboy ignorant elitism.
@Mike W – It’s not ignorant, it’s true. If you have a Mac, you have the equipment. If you have a PC, Daniel feels bad for you. Similarly, I feel bad that he needs a computer that will hold his hand. It’s not elitism, it’s reality.
What TJ said… I have a PC, when I podcast, I take out my separately-bought equipment and record…
That being said, the quality on mac’s built in mic and such aren’t the greatest.
I have one million gold. Do you (have the ad on your page?)
Interesting stuff. Speaking of which, if you ever do decide to do anymore pod casts, just to ramble or anything-
“Daniel works in the space industry at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral.”
- it be cool to hear from someone who has the perspective of working there. Nothing that would get you in trouble but just general musing about it all.
Even if you don’t, blogging in that direction now and then would be awesome.
Good to see you back in blogging action! This is actually a really good guide to pod casting. Apple needs to hire you! (on the side of course)
Boa noite pessoal, provavelmente disparar um SMS grátis está cada vez mais custoso devido a restri?ao das operadoras de telefone. Há ainda os servi?os que prometem entregar meu SMS mas nem sempre chegam recepiente final. Alguns como o Mundo oi e o Oi Torpedo funcionam mas e para as outras operadoras? E os que prometem que mandam e nada chega. Para onde está indo as as minhas menssagens? E para a Tim, Vivo? Alguma Idéia? Ou significa ter de pagar?. é só um desabafo, realmente está difícil achar bons sites para enviar torpedos barato.