BWMagic's RSS List Building Ezine: How to Make a Podcast!

BWMagic's List Building Newsletter
(Special RSS Edition) March 20 - 2005



Warm welcome to all new subscribers!



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Contents
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o All About Audio

o Audio Source Files

o Free Live Call with Mike Chen

o Free Podcast Logos

o Feature Article - Listen Up - Podcasting Primer for Bloggers!

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========================
o All About Audio
========================

First Day of spring is always a good
time to start something new. Audio on
websites have been around for awhile but
the use of sound with RSS is just picking
up some steam. So...

This newsletter is all about Audio!

Sound or audio can be a very effective
way to get your message across. Marketers
are really jumping for the headphones and
mikes - to sell you their messages or products.

Using audio with RSS or Blogs is called 'podcasting'
-- taken from the two words: ipod & broadcasting.
See the article below to read all about this
new technology for RSS and Blogging. It will
further blow the lid off RSS in 2005, and it's just
one more reason why you should be using RSS.

Audio or podcasts can be made of anything - from your
favorite song to your killer sales pitch. It holds
a lot of promise for audio guides and tutorials on
your chosen topics.

You should take advantage of audio in your
own marketing. If you're like me - have a heavy
accent that will totally confuse any listener this
side of the Atlantic - you can always use other people's
recordings or hire someone to do the speaking for
you.

Here's one of the best links from Tinu on



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o Audio Source Files
===============================

Sound in Blogs and RSS are here to stay. Take full
advantage of it. Here's a good source of some free
audio files and clips:






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o Free Live Call from Mike Chen
===============================

Want to see how audio is used in a real setting;
just sign up for this free Call from Mike Chen.
It's about the marketing weapon from Mike and
Mark Joyner I mentioned in last week's
newsletter.

It has to do with testing and marketing your
products. It can make a big, big, difference in your
bottom line. Know what works before you market your
product!

What would you do?

If you were armed with the "Secret Weapon" and a dial up
connection, and you had 5 days to get the highest number of
subscribers to your newsletter or face (insert horrible fate
here), what would you do?

5 marketers were given that challenge and you get to spy on them
live and in real-time here:

FREE Live Net-Happening
Free Live Call

This 5 day net-happening will be kicked off with a live "Boot
Camp" call with 4 marketing legends:

- Mark Joyner
- Gary Halbert
- David Garfinkel
- Joe Vitale

If you want to learn real, battle-tested tactics for increasing
your response, this event is a must-see.

You'll learn more during this event than any 10 marketing courses
could teach you in a year.

See you there!

Free Live Call


You can check out Mike Chen's Secret Weapon here:
Mike Chen's Secret Weapon



===============================
o Free Podcast Logos
===============================

Get some free Podcast Logos for your site
here: Free Podcast Logos




===============================
o Feature Article: Listen Up -
Podcasting Primer for Bloggers!
===============================


Listen Up - Podcasting Primer for Bloggers

Podcasting is a new audio technology that can be
attached to RSS for easy delivery of audio files.
Bloggers or publishers can publish these 'audio'
or 'radio' files which subscribers can automatically
download and enjoy.

The Free encyclopedia Wikipedia, defines "Podcasting"
as "making audio files (most commonly in MP3 format)
available online in a way that allows software to
automatically detect the availability of new files
(generally via RSS), and download the files for
listening at the user's convenience."

Dave Winer, the RSS Pioneer and Innovator states
"...Podcasting works the same way (as RSS Feeds),
with one exception. Instead of reading the new
content on a computer screen, you listen to the
new content on any capable mp3 player on the computer
or hardware player such as the iPod. Think of your
player with Podcasting as having a set of subscriptions
that are checked regularly for updates."

Podcasting comes from the two words - iPod and broadcasting.

Put simply, Podcasting is basically adding audio files
to your RSS Feed or Blog. It also turns your RSS Feed
into a radio broadcast, the only difference between
it and regular radio is distribution. Regular radio
'pushes' the signal out; in Podcasting - the listener
initiates or 'pulls' the cast with their subscription
and automatically downloads the audio file or radio program.

Making a Podcast is also relatively simple.

First, you have to record your audio file, you can
use any platform or application to make your recording.
One good choice would be Audacity, http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
because it's free, cross-platform and you can mix together
multiple audio files with it. If you're using the Mac -
GarageBand may work for you - it's also free. http://www.apple.com/ilife/

Make your audio file and convert it to MP3 format i.e. save
it with a .mp3 file extension. Upload it to your web server.

Next, create your Podcast RSS newsfeed - just
describe your Podcast in your RSS file and place
a link in this file to your MP3 file.

Each 'item' contains an 'enclosure' tag as in this
example of a Podcast of a Grateful Dead song.

<*enclosure url="http://www.scripting.com/mp3s/theOtherOne.mp3" length="6666097" type="audio/mpeg" /*> Remove asterisks in live code.

You can also post and advertise your Podcasts on your website
by using the familiar orange xml with a speaker logo added.

Your subscribers can download and listen to your Podcasts
on their computer or thru their iPods. It should also be
noted UndergroundMedia has released Podcasting search
plugins for the increasingly popular and RSS friendly
Firefox browser.

For further interest and research you might want to try
some of these handy links:

- Yahoo mailing list for Podcasters:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/podcasters

- The official iPodder website: http://www.ipodder.org/

- Podcast Alley, a large Podcast directory:http://www.podcastalley.com

- Podcasting News, Podcasting news site:

- Podcast.net, very comprehensive searchable list of Podcasts:

- Check out Dave Winer and Adam Curry; founders/facilitators of Podcasting http://radio.weblogs.com/


For Bloggers and RSS users, Podcasting adds an exciting new
way to connect with their subscribers and audience. Since it
combines the MP3 format and iPods; Podcasting will no doubt,
add an explosive element to your blogs and RSS Feeds. Early
innovators or users of Podcasts can extend the reach and scope
of their blogs and/or RSS feeds by pulling in more subscribers
and listeners.

Don't let this new innovation pass you by - give your Blog or
Site the competitive edge of sound. Start Podcasting...

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To Put RSS On Your Site Within Minutes - Visit This Link:
RSS and Blogging Guide
Copyright © 2005 - Bizwaremagic.com
This article may be freely distributed if this resource
box stays attached. Visit www.bizwaremagic.com/blog
for more mildly amusing RSS/Blog content.
----




And if you still haven't unleashed the Power of RSS - here's that
link once again! It's the best resource you can find.

Click Here to check out Rok Hrastnik's Unleash the Marketing and Publishing Power of RSS






Have a great week.


Regards,
Titus
www.bizwaremagic.com

Things do not change; we change.
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

P.S. If you find this Newsletter helpful or mildly amusing
- why not tell your friends and online contacts about it.
Just point them to this blog. Or if you know someone who's
curious about RSS and Blogs and would like to know more
- just point them to this link:

To Put RSS On Your Site Within Minutes - Visit This Link:

RSS and Blogging Guide