InformIT Articles and Sample Chapters

"An XML and RSS Overview" by Kevin Meltzer and Brent Michalski explains RSS, the format in which you actually distribute your podcasts.

I've also got a section on RSS here in the guide. It explains what RSS is and how to use it, and also talks about the different versions of RSS. Remember, you need to use version 1.0 or 2.0, because 0.9x doesn't include the enclosure element.

"Preparing Yourself for Digital Audio" by Jon Luini and Allen Whitman, a sample chapter from their book, Streaming Audio: The FezGuys' Guide (New Riders, 2002, ISBN 0735712808) provides a complete overview of the process of setting up for recording sound. It talks about hardware, and also discusses different format options. Note that while it does talk about streaming, that's not yet an option for podcasting.

"Sounding Good with Premiere" by Thomas Luehrsen, a sample chapter from his book, Creating Web Video with Adobe� Premiere� (Peachpit Press, 2002, ISBN 0201771845) is actually more about choosing the proper microphone, and includes a series of tips for improving sound quality. A must-read if you're recording your own broadcasts.

"A Quick "Rip" Through Digital Audio File Formats" by Ed Tittel, explains the different formats in which you can save your audio, and shows you their strengths and weaknesses.

If you're really into the hard-core mathematics of digital multimedia compression, you might check out Data Compression for Multimedia, from Multimedia Fundamentals, Volume 1: Media Coding and Content Processing, 2nd Edition by Klara Nahrstedt and Ralf Steinmetz (Prentice Hall PTR, 2002, ISBN 0130313998). Be aware, though: I have a degree in physics, and my eyes were glazing over after the first few pages. Not for the faint of heart.

Books and eBooks

Content Syndication with RSS, by Ben Hammersley (O'Reilly, 2003, ISBN 0-596-00383-8) is a complete reference book on using RSS, including the RSS 1.0 and 2.0 versions you can use for podcasting. (Read this book online)

Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content by Biz Stone (New Riders Publishing, 2002 ISBN 0-73571-299-9) is more about blogging in general, but includes information on creating an RSS feed to go with your blog. (Read this book online)

TechTV's Secrets of the Digital Studio: Insider's Guide to Desktop Recording by James Maguire (New Riders, 2002, ISBN 0789726866) is a complete guide to using your PC to record audio, from connections and cabling to getting your audion onto the internet.

iPod and iTunes Starter Kit, by Tim Robertson, (Que, 2005, ISBN 0789732785) and Absolute Beginner's Guide to iPod and iTunes by Brad Miser (Que, 2004, ISBN 0789731770) look at the other side of the podcasting equation, telling you everything you need to know about getting audio from iTunes into your iPod and how to manage it once it's there.

Documentation, Downloads, and Other Resources

You can, of course, find "official" documentation on RSS, but everything else is about as ad-hoc as it comes, so here are some resources you might find helpful:

• Download Audacity, a feature-rich, cross-platform, free tool for recording audio. Highly recommended.
• Podcasting 101: Illustrated Tips for Newbie Podcasters is a spectacular tutorial from ILoveRadio.org on the actual mechanics of creating and distributing audio. What I like about it is that it gives you the practical tips that professional radio people know, like "record 60 seconds of 'roomtone'", the ambient noise that's always present, in case you need to, say, fill in an audio gap.
• Dowload iPodder to test your podcasts.
• Podcast.net is a directory of RSS feeds that feature podcasts sorted by category. Like Yahoo, but for podcasts.
• Audio.weblogs.com is a list of the last 100 podcasts to ping the system. Like Weblogs.com, but for audio.
• Audioblog.com and Audlink let you create an audio blog without having to do any special programming. Like Blogger, but for talking.
• How-To: Podcasting (aka How to get Podcasts and also make your own) is another good starting place for information on getting your podcasts up and running. Like ... sorry, got carried away. :)

And finally, special thanks to: Amy Gahran for links to a lot of this information, most notably the ILoveRadio.org link.