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PodCasting 101: "Everything You Need to Know to Get Started"
By Merle http://MCPromotionsPress.com (c) 2005

Everywhere you turn online these days you hear the word "podcast"
or "podcasting." No, it's not some broadcasting method used by
Martians, even though it might sound like it. A Podcast is just
an audio file that is syndicated via an RSS feed, that you
download and listen to with your computer or a portable device
such as an iPod.

What makes it different from an ordinary RSS feed is the audio
component included in the "enclosure field." Think of it as a
feed that talks to you.

Podcasting is increasing in popularity. According to Forrester
Research, by 2010 podcasting should have about 12.3 million
listeners. That's a pretty big audience. For more info see
http://tinyurl.com/84tyo

Similar to a talk radio show, podcasts can also take the format
of an interview. Topics range from business to hobbies; even
rants and obsessions. Lengths vary, but a typical podcast will
run anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, but I have seen some longer.
So far, there are not many music podcasts due to the red tape
and cost of music licensing -- although musicians and/or small
record labels bypass that issue by utilizing their own
recordings.

Before you think you need some special device to listen to a
podcast, let me assure you that you don't. Most RSS readers
have the capability built in to play podcasts. Any software that
can play a sound file can play a podcast. If you want to take
them with you to listen to while on the road you'll want to
invest in a portable MP3 device like an iPod.

Like other RSS feeds, you decide which ones you want to
subscribe to and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Online business owners should think of podcasting as yet another
avenue for promoting your products and services. Like an ezine
or the RSS feeds you already use, it's a simple inexpensive
method of syndicating your audio files online. It would appear
that a podcast is a bit more personal. Instead of just reading,
like an ezine, people can listen to the sound of your voice and
make a more personal connection.

Now that I have your attention you may be wondering "How do I
create a podcast?" Well, it's really pretty simple if you follow
the easy steps below:

1) First you'll need to use software to record your own audio
file. A good free one is Audacity which you can download at
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ . While there, you'll also need
to download the Lame MP3 Encoder which allows MP3 exportation.

2) Once your audio is recorded you'll need to create an RSS feed
file which is simply a special text file with an RSS extension
that also includes a particular enclosure tag. For step by step
directions on making a feed file see this site:

http://make-rss-feeds.com/making-an-rss-feed.htm

There's also a great tutorial on RSS here:

http://www.mnot.net/rss/tutorial/

3) Once your audio and RSS files are completed you'll need to
upload both of them to your server/website.

If you'd like to read more, here are some additional online
sites to help guide you.

Make Your First Podcast
http://tinyurl.com/757fx

Create Podcasts Using Your PC
http://tinyurl.com/9jfcb

If you don't want to do all this work manually, there are
software tools specific to podcast creation.

ePodCast Creator
http://tinyurl.com/do7sq

Pod Producer
http://tinyurl.com/9dwrh

That's it. Wasn't that simple? Remember, you can't get
subscribers if people don't know about your feed, so make sure
you add it in a prominent place of your site. You want to make
it easy for them to subscribe and add your feed to their news
reader.

Audio files are rather large and can take up a lot of space on
your server, so make sure you won't run out of bandwidth. If
you're tight on space you can always farm it out to a third
party service such as http://www.PodLot.com . For only $5.00
they'll give you 150 MB of storage space with no bandwidth
limitations. Your domain will look like this:
nameofyourshow.podlot.com

If you think you're going to have a hit on your hands and want
to try to generate cash from your podcast, check out
http://www.PremiumPodcasting.com . They provide a system that
allows you to charge for your shows and also include private
access to them, track who is listening and more. You can try
them out for a four day trial for only one dollar.

Once your podcast is live you'll want to make sure you list it
with the various directories that exist for just this purpose.
You'll find a nice list here:

http://tinyurl.com/create.php

Podcast Bunker
http://tinyurl.com/9qayk

Open Media Network
http://omn.org/submitfeeds.htm

Podcasting Station
http://tinyurl.com/7qlzq

Robin Good has a huge list at
http://tinyurl.com/9rusq

So now that you see how easy it is to create a podcast, what's
stopping you? Remember, this is a great tool to add to your
marketing mix and if you're a bit on the creative side this
might be just the ticket. Have fun with it, experiment and
you'll become an expert podcaster in no time.

================================================================
By Merle- Want to Know the SECRETS of Article Promotion? Discover
everything you need to know in this brand New Ebook, "How to Use
Articles to Drive Website Traffic". Get your F-r-e-e Copy now
at http://articleannouncer.mcpromotions.com
================================================================

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