Podcasting a Radio Show by Kim Smith

Podcasting a Radio show
by Kim Smith
All Rights Reserved

I think sometimes molasses in January moves faster than I do at keeping up with the latest technology, hence why I am not up on the matter of PODCASTS. Apparently, it is not new technology and most everyone knows about it, so once again, I am behind.

But there are others out there as challenged at this stuff as I am, so this post is for you. You know who you are.

Podcasts, what are they?

According to Wikipedia:

A podcast is a series of audio or video digital media files which is distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers. Though the same content may also be made available by direct download or streaming, a podcast is distinguished from most other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added.

This is, to me, one of the greatest advances of our times. Think of it! Get all the information you want or need, at your fingertips, at your discretion, at your convenience! How wonderful is that?

Now to the real reason for my post--well, you knew this was coming, right? I have a radio show and I just found out that it can be podcasted! You will find my show here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kims and depending on how quickly the iTunes peeps work, you may be able to get a podcasting of any and all that I can get up.

How to get content

Okay, so you are convinced that you want to be a podcasting genius, and you decide you want to begin your experience with my radio show, or another. Here’s the 411 on what to do from the Blog Talk Radio site.

1) Make sure you have downloaded iTunes to your computer. You can download the newest versions of iTunes here: http://www.itunes.com. Without this software installed, you cannot subscribe to any feeds using iTunes. Please note that all BlogTalkRadio podcasts are free of charge.

2) Visit the show profile page that you would like to subscribe to. At the top of every profile page is a show name. Next to the show name, you will find an orange RSS button and an iTunes button (please see the screenshot below). Clicking on the iTunes icon will open your iTunes software, and take you to your podcasts section on the iTunes store. You will find the show information for that particular show, along with a "Subscribe" button right at the top of your iTunes page. You will then click "Subscribe" to formally subscribe to the show. You will get a confirmation pop-up window to confirm that you really want to subscribe.

3) Click on the Podcasts link on the left of your iTunes window. You should now see the subscribed show in this list. If the arrow next to the show is pointed to the left, you can click that arrow so it points down and you will then see all of your subscribed podcasts for that show expand down the page for as many shows as they have available. That arrow allows for organization of all of your subscribed podcasts.

Yes, it is THAT easy. And as they say in radio, that is the news in a nutshell.

Kim Smith was born in Memphis Tennessee, the youngest of four children. After a short stint in a Northwest Mississippi junior college, during the era of John Grisham’s rise as a lawyer, she gave up educational pursuits to marry and begin family life. She has worked in many fields in her life, from fast food waitress to telephone sales. “I always got the seniors on the phone who were lonely and wanted someone to talk to. My boss couldn’t understand why in the world I spent so much time talking to them and not enough time selling. That was when I realized I love people and care deeply about their lives.” After the birth of her two children, she gave up working outside the home for the more important domestic duties of wife and mother. When her kids decided they wanted to pursue theater as an extracurricular activity, she gave up her free time to drive them to rehearsals, training classes, and plays. During those years, she found herself bored with nothing to do to while away the hours stuck in a car. She began thinking of stories to entertain herself and pass the time. Before long she started telling her husband about her stories and he assured her she could write a book if she really wanted to. She put the idea away once she landed a job as a network administrator for a small corporation, and together the Smith’s started their own video production company. Writing was a dream, hidden but not forgotten, and soon Kim began to talk again of trying her hand at it. She played with words, and wrote several poems, one of which was picked up for an anthology One day in the early nineties her husband came home with a desktop computer and sat her in front of it. “Now you have no more excuses,” he said, and she realized the truth in his words. Procrastination, now no longer an option, she took off on the pursuit of penning her first book. Though that book, a young adult fantasy, was lost due to unforeseen circumstances, she kept going, writing a historical romance, and another YA. When she decided to try out her hand at mystery writing, she discovered her true love and niche in the writing journey. She has since had four short stories, and her first mystery novel accepted for publication. Kim is a member of Sisters in Crime, and EPIC. She still lives in the Mid South region of the United States and is currently working on her second book in the mystery series. You can visit her website at www.mkimsmith.com.