Using Joomla

Podcasting: Publish Podcasts on Your Site and on iTunes with the Podcast Suite

• Extension: Podcast Suite

• Website: http://www.jlleblanc.com

• Cost: Free

• License: GNU/GPL

• Minimum requirements: Joomla 1.5, PHP 5+ (PHP 5.2+ recommended)

Creating and distributing podcasts is not only fun, but it’s a great way to promote your website. Helen has put together a podcast discussion with a well-known dog breeder. If you’re new to podcasting, a podcast is simply an MP3, but often done in the style and episodic fashion of a radio show. There are no real rules on how you should do it, as long as it’s entertaining.

How a Podcast Works

Subscribing to a Podcast actually means subscribing to an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed. This RSS feed contains information about the podcast, such as the name, a synopsis of what they’re about, the author’s name, links to download them, and other relevant information. The Podcast Suite in Joomla will automatically create (with a little help from you) an RSS feed that contains all the information you need.

Setting Up Podcast Suite

We’re going to assume you already have an MP3 file ready to go and you’ve already installed the Podcast Suite. We’re also going to assume that you know how to use an FTP program to transfer files to your web server. FTP in Appendix A can give you some tips on how to use FTP.

Before you do anything else, you’ll need to set up your podcast parameters. Go to Components→Podcast Suite→Manage Clips. Click the Parameters button ...