Publishing your podcasts
Before you publish your podcast, you need to be aware of branding requirements. There are a few branding guidelines that all content produced under the aegis of the University of Melbourne must comply with. The University podcasting branding guideline does not make recommendations on the content or format of the podcast, but rather on the avatars, icons, profile images, colour palettes and typography.
The tone of voice is also an important element to consider. For more information on branding, click on the following links:
https://brandhub.unimelb.edu.au/guidelines/digital/PODCAST-Brand-Guidelines.pdf
https://brandhub.unimelb.edu.au/guidelines/tone-of-voice
After you have edited and branded your podcast and have exported the final episode, you need to decide how you will disseminate it. If you only want your file to live on an LMS or send it directly to specific recipients, then you are pretty much done. However, if you want to host your podcast so that it is public and can be searched for, then you need to publish it.
RSS feed (or podcast feed) is a term that will come up as you are publishing your podcast. An RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed is a simple text based XML file that contains updated information about a website. Historically, RSS feeds have been used to allow internet users to keep up to date with blogs, news items etc. With the rise in popularity of social media, RSS feeds have been relegated to a less popular method of staying up to date. Podcasts make use of RSS feeds (usually generated by the hosts) that are fed into directories, or embedded onto websites.
The RSS feed is the link between the host and the directory. A host is the platform that contains the podcast i.e. where the podcasts live. There are different hosting options and each will offer different features. Some of the basic functionalities of most hosts include hosting the podcast, keeping stats (eg how many times the podcasts were streamed or downloaded, how many minutes were listened to, world location from which they were listened etc) and generate RSS feeds. The RSS feed generated by the hosts will be the address that listeners, directories and apps can use to access your podcasts. Some of the criteria to consider when choosing a host are:
- Cost
- Bandwidth
- Storage
- Ability to embed
- Ability to download
Once you have chosen your host and generated your RSS feed, you use that RSS feed to embed your podcast onto a website, send it in an email etc, or publish the podcast in a directory.
A podcast directory is a platform that allows listeners to search for your podcast. This is where the podcast tags are important. Examples of directories include iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast, PodBean. Directories are where listeners will search for specific podcasts, and where new episodes will pop up (thanks to the RSS feeds). Directories can draw from several hosts, and is what most listeners will engage with.
It is important that podcasts are tagged properly. Tags (also known as metadata) are packets of information that accompany your podcast file and contain information such as the title of the podcast, the author, the date, the host etc. Tags are important because this is the information that will be compared against search results. If the podcasts are to be disseminated through very specific and prescribed channels (eg LMS, websites, or social media) then tags are not so critical, but if you want your podcast to be searchable and come up in listings such as “recommended for you”, “similar podcasts”, or “listeners also listened to”, then tags are essential.
Some terms attract more traffic and are more likely to return results than others. Being strategic about what terms to use in a title (or even as keywords) can make the entire difference between a successful and unsuccessful podcast.
A good tool used to analyse terms: https://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer
After a podcast is tagged and the RSS feed is submitted to a directory, the podcast will need to be assessed by the directory before it becomes live. The assessment will consider criteria such as language (hate speech, explicit content etc) and more importantly tags. Each directory will have their own set of requirements before allowing publication.
The process for publishing podcasts is typically as follows:
Tag mp3 > upload to host > generate RSS feed > submit to directory > wait for podcast to be assessed > podcast is live.
Eg a podcast can be hosted on Whooshkaa (host) and be accessed through iTunes of Spotify (directories). You can submit your podcasts to several directories. Directories will usually provide statistics on how many times your podcast has been listened to, and from where around the world.
Examples of Hosts:
Examples of Directories
- iTunes (Apple Podcasts)
- Zune
- Stitcher
- Google Podcast
- Podbean
For more information about podcast publishing and hosting, read this great article: