Podcasts with ASP.NET

[David Jackson]

Hello,

I've been asked to add a podcast to an existing public ASP.NET v2 website.
The audio files will be fairly small initially.

Can anyone please tell me:

1) Is this something which is possible in ASP.NET? I'm not even sure that
it's a specifically ASP.NET issue.

2) Does a podcast have to be via a RSS feed?

3) Do the audio files have to be in the MP3 format? If so, is there a
"preferred" bitrate for these?

4) Are there any simple tutorials available for a podcast newbie? I'm fairly
familiar with ASP.NET but know next to nothing about the media aspect.

Thank you.

DJ

 

[clintonG]

To get answers for items 1-4?

// google
I am a lazy dummy and haven't bothered to read any of the gazillion
tutorials available that have documented answers for each of these questions
at least 100 times already.

 

[Andrew Faust]

1) Is this something which is possible in ASP.NET? I'm not even sure that

it's a specifically ASP.NET issue.

All a podcast is is an Audio or Video file wrapped up in an RSS feed.
There's nothing special about them. You can simply dump the audio files
somewhere on the website, add an entry in the RSS XML that gives the
description and the location to it. The podcatchers just constantly check
this XML file and when it sees a new entry simply downloads the file via
normal HTTP Get.

2) Does a podcast have to be via a RSS feed?

Yes. This is what turns a normal MP3 in to a podcast.

3) Do the audio files have to be in the MP3 format?

No. However, MP3 is the one format that pretty well all portable devices
know how to play. If you want to support as large an audience as possible,
I'd recommend it.

If so, is there a "preferred" bitrate for these?

I've seen podcasts all over the place. I'd base it on the type of content
you are publishing. Most podcasts I listen to are just people talking
(often recorded over Skype) so they don't need to be very high bitrates.
Just try out different bit rates and decide which you think sounds the best
with the least size.

4) Are there any simple tutorials available for a podcast newbie? I'm
fairly familiar with ASP.NET but know next to nothing about the media
aspect.

Check out Feedburner. They've got a quick start guide.
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/help/podcast_quickstart

 

[David Jackson]

Hello Andrew.

Thank you very much for the information. Extremely useful.

DJ

1) Is this something which is possible in ASP.NET? I'm not even sure that
it's a specifically ASP.NET issue.

All a podcast is is an Audio or Video file wrapped up in an RSS feed.
There's nothing special about them. You can simply dump the audio files
somewhere on the website, add an entry in the RSS XML that gives the
description and the location to it. The podcatchers just constantly check
this XML file and when it sees a new entry simply downloads the file via
normal HTTP Get.

2) Does a podcast have to be via a RSS feed?

Yes. This is what turns a normal MP3 in to a podcast.

3) Do the audio files have to be in the MP3 format?

No. However, MP3 is the one format that pretty well all portable devices
know how to play. If you want to support as large an audience as possible,
I'd recommend it.

If so, is there a "preferred" bitrate for these?

I've seen podcasts all over the place. I'd base it on the type of content
you are publishing. Most podcasts I listen to are just people talking
(often recorded over Skype) so they don't need to be very high bitrates.
Just try out different bit rates and decide which you think sounds the
best with the least size.

4) Are there any simple tutorials available for a podcast newbie? I'm
fairly familiar with ASP.NET but know next to nothing about the media
aspect.

Check out Feedburner. They've got a quick start guide.
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/help/podcast_quickstart



--
Andrew Faust
andrew[at]andrewfaust.com
http://www.andrewfaust.com

Hello,

I've been asked to add a podcast to an existing public ASP.NET v2
website. The audio files will be fairly small initially.

Can anyone please tell me:

1) Is this something which is possible in ASP.NET? I'm not even sure that
it's a specifically ASP.NET issue.

2) Does a podcast have to be via a RSS feed?

3) Do the audio files have to be in the MP3 format? If so, is there a
"preferred" bitrate for these?

4) Are there any simple tutorials available for a podcast newbie? I'm
fairly familiar with ASP.NET but know next to nothing about the media
aspect.

Thank you.

DJ

 

[Rad [Visual C# MVP]]

Hello Andrew.

Thank you very much for the information. Extremely useful.

DJ

1) Is this something which is possible in ASP.NET? I'm not even sure that
it's a specifically ASP.NET issue.

All a podcast is is an Audio or Video file wrapped up in an RSS feed.
There's nothing special about them. You can simply dump the audio files
somewhere on the website, add an entry in the RSS XML that gives the
description and the location to it. The podcatchers just constantly check
this XML file and when it sees a new entry simply downloads the file via
normal HTTP Get.

2) Does a podcast have to be via a RSS feed?

Yes. This is what turns a normal MP3 in to a podcast.

3) Do the audio files have to be in the MP3 format?

No. However, MP3 is the one format that pretty well all portable devices
know how to play. If you want to support as large an audience as possible,
I'd recommend it.

If so, is there a "preferred" bitrate for these?

I've seen podcasts all over the place. I'd base it on the type of content
you are publishing. Most podcasts I listen to are just people talking
(often recorded over Skype) so they don't need to be very high bitrates.
Just try out different bit rates and decide which you think sounds the
best with the least size.

4) Are there any simple tutorials available for a podcast newbie? I'm
fairly familiar with ASP.NET but know next to nothing about the media
aspect.

Check out Feedburner. They've got a quick start guide.
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/help/podcast_quickstart



--
Andrew Faust
andrew[at]andrewfaust.com
http://www.andrewfaust.com

Hello,

I've been asked to add a podcast to an existing public ASP.NET v2
website. The audio files will be fairly small initially.

Can anyone please tell me:

1) Is this something which is possible in ASP.NET? I'm not even sure that
it's a specifically ASP.NET issue.

2) Does a podcast have to be via a RSS feed?

3) Do the audio files have to be in the MP3 format? If so, is there a
"preferred" bitrate for these?

4) Are there any simple tutorials available for a podcast newbie? I'm
fairly familiar with ASP.NET but know next to nothing about the media
aspect.

Thank you.

DJ

Also check out an excellent Argotic Framework to allow you to generate
podcast feeds that can be recognized by most software that can
understand RSS. You can for instance genereate the correct RSS that
can be intepreted by plain vanilla RSS reader like FeedDemon or
media-centric sofware like iTunes

http://www.codeplex.com/Argotic