The purpose of this document is to provide all the information necessary for members of the GeekDad Podcast Network family to properly create their podcasts, the RSS feeds to go along with them, and upload everything to the right places so they can be included on our various accumulation pages on sites like iTunes and Stitcher.
What you need to start
- A title for your podcast
- A description for your podcast
- Other metadata that will be needed for the podcast feed
- The equipment to make quality audio recordings (computer, mic, headphones, recording space with good accoustics, camera if video)
- The software to edit the audio into the final version that will be published – Garageband, Audacity
- Software to edit the podcast feed (may also be the tool for publishing) – Feeder on the Mac
- Any graphics that go with the podcast
- Somewhere to host the podcast files (may be GeekDad, or other)
Please be aware that we use iTunes as one key index for our podcasts. Please read through Apple’s detail information how to make a podcast to make sure yours will be iTunes-compliant
https://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs.html
Workflow
The generalized workflow for putting out an episode of a podcast goes along these lines:
- Record the podcast (audio or combined audio/video)
- Edit the podcast (may need to trim pieces, add them music, bumpers, ads, etc.)
- Prepare the podcast feed entry for the new episode
- Draft and submit a post to the blog about your new episode
- Upload the episode file and revised podcast feed file to the server
Please include this bumper at the end of each podcast: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gnti553xrytzyhc/GPN%20End%20Bumper.mp3?dl=0
Standard feed publishing info for the GeekDad server
Name: GeekDad
Website: https://geekdad.com
USE FILEZILLA QUICK CONNECT – ONCE YOU ACCEPT THE SSL CERTIFICATE, IT WILL CONNECT VIA AN ENCRYPTED CONNECTION. If you would like an XML to import to save the settings in Site Manager, DM @jules in Slack and he’ll give it to you.
FTP address: ftp.geekfamilynetwork.com Port LEAVE EMPTY
Username: podcasts@geekfamilynetwork.com
PW: (to be given by Jules)
Site Folder: Podcasts
Protocol: FTP
Feed path: wp-content/uploads/podcasts/
Feed URL: https://geekdad.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/podcastname.xml
Images path: wp-content/uploads/podcasts/
Enclosures path: wp-content/uploads/podcasts/
Powerpress
In addition to linking directly to the episode MP3 (for direct download) and referring listeners to the podcast RSS (for potential subscribers) in each episode post, you’ll also want to include an embed so that interested readers can check out your show right there in the post itself.
While we’ve tried a number of different solutions in the past, the latest iteration of GeekDad/GeekMom now supports the Powerpress plugin. Even if the files for your podcasts are hosted elsewhere, you will use Powerpress to embed the mp3.
Using Powerpress is simple. Once your podcast has been uploaded, begin your post draft as usual. When you’re ready to include the embedded episode MP3, do the following:
- In the post edit window, make sure “Podcast Episode” is selected in the “Screen Options” tab found at the top-right.
- Scroll down in your post edit window looking for the “Podcast Episode” content block .
- Paste the current podcast file URL into the “Media URL” field.
- Click the “Verify URL” button to the right.
- With the URL verified, all you need to do is input the shortcode wherever you’d like the player to appear in your post–typically somewhere between your download link and show notes.
How to Find the Direct mp3 URL if You Are Hosting With Libsyn
- In your Libsyn dashboard, go to the “Content” tab.
- From the dropdown, select “Previously Published.”
- Find the podcast episode in the list and click the ∞ <> (Link/Embed) button.
- In the popup that appears, copy the “Direct Download URL” into “Media URL” field described in Step 3 in the above section.
