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Podcasts: iTunes and Going Live

(Warning - There a lots of links in this post, so make sure you follow each of them. This may seem like a quick overview, as uploading to servers can get a little technical so if you have questions please email me and I'll do my best to help.)

If you've been following this series, you now have an mp3 file sitting on your computer waiting for the world to hear. There are a couple of things you will need before broadcasting your brand new podcast. First of all, an Apple ID. Secondly, you'll need iTunes, Mac or PC. Thirdly, there is a text file called an RSS feed which tells iTunes what is in your mp3 - title, description, author and so on. We'll get to that in a moment. You will also need an FTP program for uploading everything to your host. Again, if you aren't sure about this ask.
If you are using Garageband, all you have to do is select Share > Share Podcast to iTunes. Simple! In Windows, you can try applications like EasyPodcast to take care of the RSS feed and other technical nonsense. If the software you are using doesn't create an RSS feed, you can always create it yourself - it's just a text file saved as MyPodcastDate.xml (make sure it has .xml at the end). For an example. visit Apple.com. Using your FTP program, login and transfer the mp3 and RSS feed file to a new folder. Copy the address of the RSS file, you'll need it for iTunes.
Now you need to submit your podcast. Click here and iTunes will take you to the podcast submission page. Enter (or paste) the web address for your RSS and click continue. iTunes will check the feed address, and you'll be on your way! Once it's approved, you'll get a confirmation email, and you can start spreading the word.
If you don't want to use ITunes, you can simply upload it to your blog and use an mp3 player to play the track. If your blog has an RSS feed which updates your visitors automatically, they will know when you have a new show. Most blogging software (Wordpress, Blogger, etc) have built in RSS feeds.
Obviously, there isn't space here to go into all the details, but this should give you an idea of the steps involved. For more details, visit Apple.com or email me. I'd love to hear from you. 
I can be reached by e mail (Contact at nburmandesign.com) and Twitter (@nburmandesign). NBurman Design can be found online at http://www.nburmandesign.com and you can also visit my blog LifeImitatingDesign.