How to Add Podcasts to Your Website

When blogging have you ever thought you could say something better than you could write it? Many people are embracing podcasts as another way of connecting with their audience, posting them on personal websites or blogs. If you think that podcasting might be for you, follow this simple tutorial to create your first recording.

If you are unsure of what a podcast is, think of it as a downloadable radio show. Podcasts are often released at a specified time each week on a website to create a listening audience, an important consideration if you would like to create more traffic to your own website.

Once downloaded, a website podcast can be listened to anywhere at the listener's convenience. A listener can save your content to share with friends or even listen to on an Ipod.

The first step is to create an audio file to post on your website. There are many different types audio recording software on the market at varying price points. If you do not want to invest in software, you can use Audacity, a free audio recorder and editor you can download from their website.

In addition to an audio recording program you will need, at the very least, a microphone and a computer to edit and record your podcast. Practice with the equipment and talking into the microphone before attempting to record. Once you've recorded a podcast you like you can then post it to your website.

To do this you must export the audio files to mp3 format. Most programs, like Audacity allow you to do this in a single step if you install an mp3 encoder. A good one to choose is LAME encoder. When your file is in the proper format, you can upload the file to your web server. Be sure to upload the file in binary format to reduce the chances of corrupted file.

Once the file is on the server, you need to link to it so people can locate it. A typical link for a podcast will look like this "http://website.com/podcast1.mp3". After you have created the link, you should write a brief summary lead in, or teaser for the podcast to get people listening.

If you are really interested in creating an audience, you should set up an RSS feed to direct people to your content. A RSS feed most include a description of the podcast, as well as the title and link for the podcast. A free RSS Feed Generator is available from TD Scripts to help you get started.

Once you have created your Rss file, you should save and upload it to your server as well. The file should have an .xml extension and will be the file your listeners use to subscribe to your podcasts. You should also link to your podcast RSS on your website so your listeners know it is available.

After you have uploaded and create your first few podcasts, the process to upload to your website should become even easier. Of course, like anything you put on the web, make sure your podcast represents some of your best work.