Podcasting Overview
Podcasting is radio your way. Podcasts are radio-style shows with some from major media with others from passionate individuals and that are delivered over the Internet to your computer.

History of Podcasting
From it's humble beginnings to it's rise as an instrumental agent of change, particularly in the broadcast arena, podcasting's mainstream acceptance has been documented and preserved for generations to come.

Listen, Subscribe
In this section, we'll review the two major players in the podcasting business; iTunes, and Odeo. Learn how your customers will find your podcast, listen to it, and subscribe using these services. These entities are also known as aggregators.

Plan Your Podcast
Planning topics to discuss, possible guest interviews, and your show's length in advance will go a long way when producing a professional sounding podcast.

Brand Your Podcast
Branding your podcast is one of the most important objectives that you will achieve before you market and promote your podcast. Effectively branding your podcast will send consistent messages to your audience, establishing your brand image and purpose.

Podcast Technology
In an effort to show you the bare essentials, we've compiled a list of items you will need in order to record and publish your podcast today. Podcasting equipment is as simple as a computer, microphone and recording software.

Record Your Podcast
For best results, each podcast episode should be recorded at the same location using the same microphone and microphone positioning.

Editing a Voice-Over
Most recording and editing programs have similar tools that allow you edit the audio you have just recorded.  Learn about how to edit your voice track in your podcast.

Music in Your Podcast
There are several different genres of music that you should consider when selecting music for your podcast. Some of the main styles of include Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, Country Western, Pop, Rap, Techno, and Classical, all of which have their own musical branches to explore.

Editing Sound Effects
Sound design puts an auditory stamp on your podcast and shapes the overall consistency of the podcast theme. Before jumping into the editing stage, identify which elements of your podcast need to be fixed or embellished.

Mixing Your Podcasts
The best way to start your mix is think ahead with the end goal in mind. You most likely have a vision of what you want your finished podcast to sound like. Your goal is to maintain that sound from the beginning to the end of your podcast.

Mastering Audio
The standard digital audio format for podcasts is MPEG 1 Layer 3, commonly referred to as MP3. MPEG stands for Motion Picture Experts Group. You will want to select a quality that both sounds great but also downloads quickly for listeners.

Hiring a Voice Talent
If producing your own podcast seems like a daunting task, there are professionals who work from their own recording studios who are eager to help you succeed.

Hosting Your Podcast
Once you have your recording complete, you will need to upload your MP3 file to a web hosting service.

Publishing a Podcast
Make your podcast available to the public by publishing it, effectively creating a means by which listeners can subscribe to your podcast.

Creating an RSS Feed
A feed sends updates about your podcast directly to aggregators such a iTunes or the built-in feed readers in Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2, making your new podcast episodes available for download.

Submitting Your Feed
Submitting to the two leading podcast distributors and gaining acceptance is key to your podcasts' overall success.

Podcast Directories
Now that the hard work is done, it's time to start spreading the news. Begin by adding your podcast to all the relevant podcast directories.

Press Release Template
Write a brief press release about your new podcast and direct people to where they can listen to it. To help you out, we've created a template that you can work with, inserting your own information in the brackets.

Making Money
Is it your intention to make money from your podcast? It is possible, and we are going to show you how by providing you with tools and ideas that will help to you to create revenue streams from your podcast.

Growing An Audience
Now that you've released your podcasts and are gaining a listenership, you can now take steps to measure and evaluate your success and take your podcast to the next level by expanding your audience.