Hello. Iπm Wm. Beasley from the University Center for Teaching & Learning at Cleveland State University.

This is the eighth podcast in our series on producing and publishing your own podcasts. In the podcasts preceding this one, you have created sound files, made an XML script, and copied both the audio files and the script to a server. At least in theory, your podcast is now published, but you really should check to be sure.

In this podcast, we will use Apple Computerπs ≥iTunes 6≤ software to subscribe to your podcast as a means of checking it. While there are many other programs which can also be used for this purpose, iTunes works well, is free, and is available for both Macintosh and Windows computers. Letπs assume that you already have iTunes on your computer. (If you donπt, you can download it from http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Crank up iTunes. Its icon looks like a pair of musical notes superimposed on a CD.

Your screen should open up with an iTunes window whose left edge has a column labeled ≥source≤. In this column will be multiple entries, though the precise number will vary depending on whether this copy of iTunes is already in use for other purposes. The important thing is that one of those sources is ≥podcasts≤.

To see if this copy of iTunes is currently subscribed to any podcasts, click once on ≥podcasts≤ in the source column at the left edge of the screen. The second column on your screen should then be labeled ≥podcasts≤, and any to which you are subscribed will be listed (there may be none, yet).

Each podcast channel is displayed by name, with a triangle to its left. Clicking on the triangle will either reveal or hide the individual podcast files which make up that channel at the moment (podcasts are typically updated periodically, like most broadcast programs). If you have any podcasts listed, experiment with clicking the blue triangles.

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To subscribe to a new podcast, You will need the URL of the RSS feed. Thatπs the URL that VODcaster gave you two podcasts ago ≠ the one I told you to save because you would need it later.

∑ Assuming you have that URL, pull down the ≥Advanced≤ menu in iTunes.

Ä Choose ≥subscribe to podcast≤.

Ä Paste the URL of the RSS feed into the resulting dialog box

Ä When youπve done that, click ≥OK≤.

Ä If you watch the top of the list of podcasts, this may be followed by a brief flurry of activity.

Ä If all is well,you new acquisition should join the list of available podcasts.

Ä To listen to your podcast, just double-click it.

If your podcast did not appear in the list, or if the channel appeared but you were unable to get the sound files, itπs time for troubleshooting. I recommend that you seek help from your instructor, or from a more knowledgeable head than your own.

If it works, celebrate! Then give that URL to your friends and get them to subscribe as well.

Over the last few podcasts, you have:

ÄCreated audio files

ÄMade sure they were in an appropriate format for a podcast

ÄCreated an XML script

ÄMoved your audio files and script to the server

ÄTested your podcast for functionality.

Well done! In later podcasts, we will talk about how to do this using Windows computers, and we will also begin to address other topics such as adding a second channel of sound and adding video content to your podcast in order to create ≥vodcasts≤ or ≥enhanced podcasts≤.

For the UCTL at Cleveland State University, this is Wm. Beasley