Podcasting for Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Chapter 12. Geeking Out on RSS

In This Chapter

• Understanding RSS

• Creating good introductions

• Handling multi-format podcasts

You've entered the dark and murky waters of the RSS generation — a region of the podcasting sea that strikes fear into the hearts of the uninitiated, causes mild-mannered podcasting preachers to break out into curse words that would make a sailor blush, and has soured more than one would-be independent media producer on the whole prospect of podcasting.

Relax. For the most part, the trials and tribulations you might have heard others had to go through are overblown. If it were as hard as some have made it out to be, there wouldn't be as many podcasts as there are available today. The RSS step wasn't designed to be complicated; it's just quirky, and it's been tainted by the experiences of a few who jumped in a little too fast, without a trusty guide to show them the path.

This chapter shines a big bright spotlight on RSS elements, showing you that they aren't as mean and scary as they've been made out to be. After reading this chapter, you'll have a solid strategy for generating your podcast's RSS 2.0 file, some options for dealing with multiple media files, and the confidence to tweak your RSS file as you see fit.

You're probably asking yourself: "Do I need to know all that"? Well, yes and no. Granted, you'll likely be using blogging software or some podcast-hosting company that takes care of the RSS 2.0 feed for you. It's still a good idea to know what goes on under ...