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Northern Illinois University

College of Business - NIU

Podcasting Instructions

There are many free and commercial applications for creating a personal podcast. Below are the steps for using four free applications, Audacity (for voice recording), LAME (MP3 file encoding), Easypodcast (podcast uploading tool), iTunes (podcast listening), and the College of Business Web Server as the podcast host.

  1. Download and install the latest version of the following software:
  2. Using a microphone and Audacity, record your podcast.
  3. When finished recording, click File, Export as MP3, save and fill out form that appears. This form lets you put in personal information into the MP3. Note: When you first Export as MP3, Audacity will ask for the location of LAME, browse to where you installed LAME. It will never ask for this information again.
  4. Open Easypodcast and follow these steps:
    • Step 1: Select the MP3 for uploading (click on the "…" and browse to the file).
    • Step 2: Create the RSS feed (select which MP3's you want in your podcast, can have as few or as many as you want) then click on "Create RSS." In the next two windows, type in descriptions of the files.
    • Step 3: Select files for upload (you will have to browse to the MP3 files that you want uploaded once again.) Make sure that the MP3 file and the rss.xml file are selected as files to be sent.
    • The first time you upload to the COB server, Easypodcast will ask for your upload settings. These settings are the same settings that you use if you upload using WS_FTP.
      • FTP host: www.cob.niu.edu
      • FTP remote directory: "the specific folder (i.e. podcast)"
      • User: your Web server ID (i.e. business/m50acr1
        • )
      • Password: your Web server password
      • URL for HTTP access: The complete url string (i.e. http://www.cob.niu.edu/podcast/)
      • Save and Exit
      • Click Send, and make sure you copy the "Feed" subscription URL.
  5. Open iTunes and click on podcasts.
    • Click on Advanced, subscribe to podcast.
    • Type in, or paste the feed subscription URL from Easypodcast.
    • The podcast will appear, with the MP3 files listed under the main heading. Double click on the MP3 file, and listen!

Currently iTunes is the only software that can receive podcasts. If you want others to subscribe to your podcast, they must have iTunes, and your feed subscription URL.