As podcasts increase in popularity, listeners have more choices. So while you might be ahead of the competition, you should still be thinking about ways that you can make your podcast unique and stand out from similarly themed podcasts.


1. Plan Accordingly.
When making the decision and commitment to podcast, it is important to think beyond the moment. Before starting, think about the time the podcast production will take. How will podcasting fit into a current schedule? How frequently will you podcast? How will hosting of podcasting files be handled? If the podcast is excessively popular, how will fees be generated to pay for hosting? What is the common theme that threads all podcasts in a series together? Think not only of a broad theme, but also various episodic themes that fit into a broader theme. What will make you distinct or different from others podcasting about similar content? By approaching podcasting with a little forethought, you will set yourself up for success.

Top 10 Tips to Podcasting Success

How much do you know about podcasting? Take the podcast quiz and test your knowledge.

Question: Are there any size limitations to podcasts?
Answer: There are no maximums or minimums when it comes to podcast size. Obviously, the larger files might intimidate listeners with a slow connection. Podcasts can be successful at any size, generally wise podcasters balance the file size and the quality of their show.

Question: What are ID3 Tags?

How Much Do You Know About Podcasting?

Have Fun
Use voice inflections to add emotion and passion to your comments and questions. Use music between segments not only does theme music create a brand and audio identity, it also helps transition one segment to another. Intro and outros can soften a podcast and give it a little extra polish. Introduce your podcast at the beginning and end of the show. Remind listeners who and what they are listening too. This is your opportunity to establish your audio brand. And finally have fun, listeners will be able to tell if your podcast is a labor of love or a painful rendition, keep your spirits up and your mood light!

Podcast Audio Recording Tips

Consider following these simple podcasting tips to get the most from your podcast and make it stand out from other podcasts in the crowd.

DO
1. Make it Professional
Regardless of whether you are podcasting from your garage or a corporate boardroom there is no reason that your podcast cannot have a professional sound and feel. Use software to edit the audio file and filter background noise. Listeners will not tolerate poor audio quality. With the wide range of relatively inexpensive software and hardware available there is no reason you can not provide good quality audio podcast.

Podcasting Do's and Don'ts

Podcasting once defined as a geek hobby, has now spawned an industry. Entrepreneurs have adopted traditional advertising mediums to the podcasting technology as a way to make some extra money.

Monetizing Podcasts

Podcasts are relatively inexpensive to create, as a result, and the quality in published podcasts is extremely diverse. Corporate podcasts can be very polished audio productions while hobbyist experimenting with podcasts may have dogs barking and children's screaming in the background.

After all it is the content that matters right? Well no, not exactly remember when black and white televisions could "kind of" tune into stations it was just a hazy effect. How many continued to watch the grainy or flipping screen. Rarely was the show so riveting did it hold the interest of the viewer. Unless of course the content was forbidden to young eyes (as in the playboy channel).

Make Your Podcast Standout

Nothing really polishes a podcast more than background music or theme music. In the music world, these music segments are referred to as intros and extros. While many enjoy streaming Internet Audio and recording songs they like over the Internet, these songs cannot legally be used in a podcast.

How to Locate PodSafe Music

Conducting a successful podcast interview can be a tricky proposition for a podcaster starting out. Once you have determined individuals that will appeal to your target audience contact potential interviewees and arrange a time to conduct the interview. Following this guide will insure that the interview goes off without a hitch.

How to Conduct a Podcast Interview

Schools all over the country have flocked to podcasting as a new medium to assist the teaching profession. Professors are using podcasts to instruct students and get their messages out. Podcasting is not restricted to one educational sector, professors at prestigest colleges from Bentley to Purdue have flocked to this medium.

A growing number of professors are recording their lectures, the term coursecasting has been adopted in academia. Podcast lectures are used as study tools, and are available for students who might have missed class. Some podcasts are password restricted to students who are enrolled in that specific class. While other institution's publicly post their podcasts and offer non-enrolled students insight into the class material.

Podcasting Just Might be the Tool to Revolutionize Education

Academia has embraced RSS as a means to educate, but scrutinizing how educational institutions are using RSS feeds in their daily routines show RSS is utilized can vary across different industries.

Academia Adds RSS Feeds to Their Teaching Tool Kit

Reminder - RecordForAll Audio Recording for Podcasters
If you have not yet checked it out RecordForAll is getting rave reviews from the experts. RecordForAll is an easy to use desktop program for audio recording and editing. RecordForAll recently won the best audio software for 2007! RecordForAll was designed specifically for podcasters and can be used in conjunction with FeedForAll to create podcasts. An evaluation version of RecordForAll can be downloaded at:
http://www.recordforall.com

New Webmaster Websites
Webmaster Templates
Great collection of web templates, includes HTML layouts and CSS files. All files in the webmaster templates library can easily be edited with the HTML editor of your choice. http://www.webmaster-templates.net

Looking for Innovative RSS Ideas?
Learn how these companies are using RSS as part of their marketing strategies. We have compiled a number of white papers that detail how RSS is being used http://www.feedforall.com/whitepaper-directory.htm

Other Resources
Articles

RSS Feed Use in the Legal Feed
Lawyers have never been known as a technical bunch, but more and more often you see a lawyer with a palm pilot making appointments and a blackberry for those urgent messages. Electronic gadgets are now common in the courthouses across the US. Lawyers have increased productivity by utilizing technology so it should come as no surprise that lawyers are using RSS feeds as a means to grow and manage their practices.
http://www.feedforall.com/lawyers-use-rss-feeds.htm

Finance Companies and RSS
Financial institutions are reaching out to clients using RSS feeds. While banks and financial institutions are usually slow to adopt new technology, that is not the case with RSS adoption. More and more professionals are using RSS in innovative ways, to stay ahead of their competition.
http://www.feedforall.com/finance-companies-use-rss.htm

Academia and RSS Feeds
Academia has embraced RSS as a means to educate, but scrutinizing how educational institutions are using RSS feeds in their daily routines show RSS is utilized can vary across different industries.
http://www.feedforall.com/academia-and-rss.htm

Blog Tips for SEO
Blogs are the current rage, and many webmasters have blogs but fail to use their blog to it's full potential. Blogs provide a steady stream of fresh content, and if this content is written and managed properly, blogs have the ability to increase a website's ranking in the search engines.
http://www.feedforall.com/blog-tips-for-seo.htm

How to Conduct a Podcast Interview
Conducting a successful podcast interview can be a tricky proposition for a podcaster starting out. Once you have determined individuals that will appeal to your target audience contact potential interviewees and arrange a time to conduct the interview. Following this guide will insure that the interview goes off without a hitch.
http://www.feedforall.com/how-to-conduct-podcast-interview.htm

13 Tips for Maintaining Subscribers
You have an RSS feed and you have worked hard to get the word out. According to your logs you have subscribers! Now the hard part: how to retain the subscribers to your RSS feed. Follow these simple steps to insure that your subscriber base will grow.
http://www.feedforall.com/tips-for-maintaining-subscribers.htm

The use of technology can define the success or failure of a business. This is no more evident than in the real estate industry. Realtors who flocked to the latest technologies, adopted them, and applied them in order to enhance and sell property, are still prospering.

Tips For Real Estate Video Podcast

Getting started with podcasting is a relatively inexpensive venture. The equipment and software required for podcasting is inexpensive for a business contemplating podcasting as a new marketing and communication adventure.

Podcast Rewards

Many people assume that podcasting is all about audio and fail to acknowledge the writing behind the show. Skilled communicators understand the type of planning required in order to pull off a clean final product. The most memorable and effective podcasts are always well planned. Some of the best podcast shows use a script and follow a structured format. The preparation that occurs behind the scenes is similar to what would take place for a radio show.

Effective Podcasting Tips

Potential podcasting content covers the gamut. With more than millions of podcasts now available, there are few topics that are not covered by this popular communication channel.

Podcasting Content

You should not have to look far to find content or new ideas for your podcast show. Look to your daily sources to find fodder and ideas for new podcasting segments.

Where do you find content for your podcast?

In addition to actually seeking a job, there are also other valid reasons to monitor the job market. Perhaps you are satisfied in your current position, but just want to keep an eye on new positions in a specific sector. Perhaps you are just curious to know what the wages are for similar positions. The job market can be monitored quite easily using RSS feeds. You can subscribe to RSS feeds in order to find specific company job openings, employment available within a specific region (i.e. by using a postal or zipcode), specific positions available, or to locate all jobs within a specific wage range.

The following are websites that have RSS feeds to help employees looking for jobs...

RSS Feeds to Locate Job Opportunities

The term podcast was initially used to reference an RSS feed that contained audio files in the items enclosure field. The meaning of podcasting has since expanded, and now refers to RSS feeds that contain all types of media, including audio and video, in the items enclosure field. For the non-technical folks, podcasting is simply a means of syndicating and distributing rich-media files via the Internet. The content contained in a podcast can vary significantly, from a song, to a educational lecture, to a political debate, to just about anything else. One great thing about podcasting is the wide variety of content formats it can contain. And unlike radio or television broadcasts, the recipient can listen or view at their leisure, choosing for themselves when and where they wish to listen or view a podcast.

What Exactly is Podcasting?

With all the vast amounts of information available on the web, it is becoming more and more difficult to sort through and find what you are looking for. RSS significantly lowers the signal-to-noise ratio. RSS has the unique ability to compile information and filter it, so you only see unique and relevant content. The information superhighway has become packed with content, and those familiar with technology are using RSS to filter the content, allowing them to drill down and access only the content they want, without having to wade through all the noise.

What Can be Published Using RSS Feeds?

Potential podcasting content covers the gamut. With more than millions of podcasts now available, there are few topics that are not covered by this popular communication channel.

Creative Podcasting for Businesses

Royalty-free sound effect libraries contain thousands of sound effects that can be licensed for specific uses. A customer who uses royalty-free sound effects, as opposed to hiring a sound engineer to create them from scratch, can save considerable time, effort, and money. Typically, podcasters and other content producers can obtain non-exclusive rights to a single effect, or they can purchase a subscription of sorts. The subscriptions allow publishers to download a limited number of sound effects during a specified period of time.

Here are a few sources for Sound Effects...

Where to Locate Sound Effects

If you are spending the time and energy to publish a regular podcast, make sure to give it the exposure it deserves.

How Do I Promote My Podcast?

Regardless of the size of your business, or whether your company is public, private, a government agency, or a non-profit... there is little doubt that you should consider podcasting. Podcasting is a 21st century medium, and has proven that it is far more than just a passing fad.

Podcasting for Businesses

There are many, many things that separate a good podcast from all the rest. Here are a few to consider...

Recording Quality
The quality of the recording is probably the most critical component of a podcast. A good podcast is easy to understand, and should be recorded at a volume level that makes it easy for listeners to hear all that is said.

The Hallmarks of a Good Podcast

The growth of video on the web has exploded in recent years. Competitors will leave you in the dust if you fail to adapt and provide the medium your customers are exploring. Keep in mind that simply having a video is not enough! To make the most of your video content, you should take steps to optimize the video and increase your exposure.

Video Optimization

NotePage, Inc. the publishers of the audio recording software, RecordForAll, has created an audio education center. The audio education center is designed for podcasters interested in audio recording and editing.The audio education center contains a collection of educational articles, video tutorials, and support resources for podcasters.

The Audio Education Center can be accessed at http://www.recordforall.com/audio-education-center.htm

For more information contact, NotePage, Inc. at PO Box 296, Hanover, MA 02339. Phone: 781-829-0500. Fax: 781-582-1869. E-mail: sales@recordforall.com . Internet: http://www.recordforall.com.

NotePage, Inc., creators of the popular FeedForAll RSS feed editor and the RSS2HTML script, have launched a new RSS Education Center. The RSS learning center is designed to assist new RSS users, as well as experienced users, in adopting the RSS technology in a meaningful way. The RSS Education Center includes educational articles, video tutorials, RSS tools, and support resources, all in an easy-to-navigate section of the FeedForAll website.

The RSS Education Center is designed to teach the intricacies of RSS feeds and podcasting, in simple and easy-to-understand terms. NotePage, Inc. has always been proactive about RSS education, and assembling these resources in an easy-to-use learning center made sense to further the adoption of RSS and Podcasting. The resource is freely available to all, and can be accessed at http://www.feedforall.com/rss-education-center.htm

Podcasting is an up-and-coming and increasingly popular medium for communication. The following are common questions about podcasting, perfect for those just getting started in podcasting as a communication channel...

Questions About Podcasting

New FeedForAll Version
A new version of FeedForAll is now available download the latest version to be sure you have access to all the latest features.

RSS Scripts Updated
A number of RSS Scripts have been updated. Make sure you download the latest files.
http://www.feedforall.com/scripts-directory.htm

Running RecordForAll & FeedForAll on Windows 7
Considering installing Windows 7? Here is a step by step tutorial to install FeedForAll on Windows 7 http://www.feedforall.com/feedforall-on-windows-7-32bit.htm and a tutorial to install RecordForAll on Windows 7 http://www.recordforall.com/recordforall-on-windows-7.htm

FeedForAll Gear
How much do you love FeedForAll and RecordForAll? Get your self some FeedForAll and RecordForAll branded gear. http://www.feedforall.com/branded-gear/gifts.php

Knowledgebase
Interested in staying up on the latest RSS and Podcasting Knowledgebase.
RSS Knowledgebase - http://www.feedforall.com/knowledgebase.htm
Podcasting Knowledgebase - http://www.feedforall.com/podcasting-knowledgebase.htm

RSS2HTML.com
Unfortunately due to a handful of individuals using the RSS2HTML.com service and distributing malware in their feeds, the site was flagged by Google. As a result we had to discontinue the free rss2html.com service. We highly recommend you download the RSS2HTML script and run it locally so that the interruption will not effect your feeds from displaying. The free RSS2HTML script can be found at http://www.feedforall.com/free-php-script.htm

Articles
Podcasting Question and Answers
Podcasting is an up-and-coming and increasingly popular medium for communication. The following are common questions about podcasting, perfect for those just getting started in podcasting as a communication channel...
http://www.feedforall.com/quick-questions-about-podcasting.htm

FeedForAll on Twitter
Follow FeedForAll on Twitter http://twitter.com/feedforall or follow at @feedforall

New Video Tutorials
Added We have compiled a series of videos to assist customers with utilizing various features in both FeedForAll and RecordForAll. Please check our new videos!
RSS Videos - http://www.feedforall.com/rss-videos.htm
Audio Recording Videos - http://www.recordforall.com/audio-recording-videos.htm

Expanded Educational Sections
We have also added an educational section to the FeedForAll and RecordForAll websites. The education section contains educational articles, tutorials, videos and other tools maybe helpful.
RSS Education Center - http://www.feedforall.com/rss-education-center.htm
Audio Education Center - http://www.recordforall.com/audio-education-center.htm

Green Tip
Purchase and use energy star rated light bulbs in all fixtures to cut down on the amount of energy used. Energy star bulbs typically use two thirds less energy!

Thank you for your continued interest, suggestions and support for the FeedForAll Product line.
FeedForAll team

Here are some helpful tips regarding how to get your podcasts listed in the iTunes Music Store...

iTunes Compatibility
In order to have your podcast included in the iTunes Music Store, you must first add the iTunes extension to your RSS feed. This means that you will need to modify the RSS feed for your podcast or videocast so that it includes tags that are specific to iTunes.

How to Submit Podcasts to iTunes Music Store

Podcasting has a very low barrier to entry; all you need is audio recording software and a means of creating an RSS feed, be it through software or manual work. As a result, just about anyone can podcast, and the quality of podcasts is therefore highly variable; there are professional podcasts that rival professional broadcasts in quality, and there are amateur podcasts that can not even be heard clearly.

Podcasts and Copyights

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WRITING ARTICLES SHOULD BE YOUR #1 FORM OF PROMOTION! But once you've put your masterpiece together, who should you send it to? Now there's a list of Ezine Editors who are simply crying out for your quality articles.

Your practical guide to making award winning movies in one easy-to-follow eBook from Ivan Watson. No hassle, no flannel, just plan common sense from the master himself.

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Content creation for websites

With registry cleaner you can safely clean and repair windows registry problems with a few simple mouse clicks.

I meant this to be one of my first posts on podcasting, but I guess I have some kind of bump to my head. With Audioblog.com, you can do a professional grade audio post of longer than five minutes (up to an hour by phone) for $5 a month or $50 a year. I can definitely dig that.

Podcasting News: Podcast Doubles NPR Show's Online Audience: "CyberJournalist.net reports that podcasting has doubled the number of online listeners WNYC's On the Media reaches, in just four weeks."Another example of what podcasting can do for your business. I'll have the free ebook on podcasting coming out in a few weeks, so make sure you're subscribed to the feed for updates.

What's a codec? " Short for compressor/decompressor, a codec is any technology for compressing and decompressing data. Codecs can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of both. Some popular codecs for computer video include MPEG, Indeo and Cinepak" from http://www.xilinx.com/publications/glossary.htmSo if you are having trouble translating a version of video that you created,

Bonnie of http://www.developmentseed.org/ writes:"Today at 5pm on channel 4, NBC news will air a story on podcasting in the District featuring interviews from local listeners and podcasters.Eric Gundersen, a web designer at Development Seed (http://www.developmentseed.org/) will show how you can download andplay podcasts from your computer or MP3 player and play clips from his favorite podcasts.

Interesting News from Search Engine Watch... : "Now, according to a news release, TVEyes technology will begin keyword indexing audio and video podcasts via a site called Podscope. The release doesn't mention precisely when the service will be available and the Podscope.com site currently says the service is 'coming soon.' Podcasters are also able to submit url(s) for crawling." Read the whole

I know I haven't been around much... I was sick all of March and the top of April. But I'm back with a bunch of free resources. Today we can start with Podscribe, which my good buddy TL Pierce of How to Blog for Fun and Profit turned me on to. The place is called Podscribe. When you reach maximum absorption go to their links page - tons of great stuff.