How to Build an Audio and Video Podcast

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I had a caller who asked me about issues he’s having with iTunes and his Podcast. It won’t accept his Podcast at all, despite adding it three times. He’s exhausted all the suggestions on Apple support at this point.

To give a bit of background, a Podcast is a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers. The term podcast, like “radio”, can refer either to the content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.

There are a couple of things that could be going on here. If the feed itself is not formatted properly, it could be rejected. I asked him if he had run it through an RSS Validator? If the feed isn’t valid, iTunes may reject it. If they’re rejecting it outright based on editorial principle, that’s a different issue of course. I’m sure my caller isn’t doing anything of that nature. He has run it through an RSS Validator, and didn’t appear to have any trouble.

He can see his Podcast show up, but it’s not being added to the iTunes catalog for other people to be able to view. Basically, he just has to wait on Apple to “flip the switch” and allow it. Unfortunately, it takes awhile. There are a LOT of people podcasting these days. That’s why I’ve kind of stayed away from it. I have a Podcast, yes. However, I do much better on places like Twitter or YouTube. There are literally just SO many people Podcasting… it’s oversaturated. There is just a much bigger and more dedicated audience on YouTube. The most active members of our community are the ones who are on YouTube. They’re the people who hang out in the chat room, and leaving comments on the videos and blog posts.

It’s no longer interesting to have a Podcast, because everyone is doing it. It’s also not easy to get anywhere on YouTube either, especially if it’s about Technology. Everyone is already doing Tech, so you better have a good, unique angle. The caller stated that his Podcast IS tech-related. He is subscribed to many Tech Podcasts, and follows many people on YouTube. It doesn’t matter where or how someone sees you, it’s that they DO see you. What’s his spin? What’s his catch? He stated he hasn’t really found his own way yet. He knows he has to find his own flavor, to attract an audience.

What it boils down to is the fact that no matter what you are planning to talk about, you better stand out. You need to have a “hook”, so to speak. You need to be original, and fresh… and new! That’s the way you’re going to attract… and keep… an audience.

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