Code is Candy

Podcasting is actually just creating a series of audio files (usually in MP3, or WMA format) and publishing them online, with an indexed RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed.

You can think of it as a voice blog, though the format should be more like talk radio.
Podcasting, though named for the Apple Ipod, is not limited to that divice at al. Any MP3 player, website, or web enabled media phone can recieve your podcast.

Free podcasting sites:

• http://www.podbean.com
• http://www.podomatic.com

You can create and publish podcasts free online at the above sites, or you can use an application named Audacity to create MP3 files, and upload them to a specific directory on your Website’s server, and use my script below to generate your RSS feed. Download Audacity at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

My script:

<?php 
   header('Content-Type: application/xml; charset=utf-8');



/* RSS 2.0 MP3 PODCAST FEED

   	 "podfeed.php" - version 1.0
   	 2008 - Torre DeVito - http://www.pagecandy.com
   	 Use is at your own risk

   */


   // CUSTOMIZABLE VARIABLES:

// directory where your mp3s are stored (use a trailing slash)
   $mp3Path="/podcast/";

// URL to access the mp3 files(use a trailing slash)
   $mp3URL="http://www.mypages.com/podcast/";

// title of your feed
   $podfeedTitle="My Podcast";

// main page link back - like a home link for each item
   $linkBack="http://www.mypages.com/podcast.html";

// feed description
   $feedDescription="My podcast.";

// copyright info, licensing, and terms
   $podfeedCopyright="These works are licensed under a Creative Commons License (Some Rights Reserved) -- see www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/";

// your email... (careful, you will get spam!)
   $authEmail="mymail@mypages.com (Firstname Lastname)";

// how often should feed readers check for new material (in seconds) -- mostly ignored by readers.
   $ttl = 2880;

// END CUSTOMIZABLE

/* Save this .php file above the directory where you are storing your mp3 files on your webserver.
      The URL for this .php file will be the URL of your podcast feed
      for subscription purposes.

      For each mp3 that you want to podcast, create a .txt file that contains a little bit of information about
      the song. Just one or two lines is good (It can include HTML).
      e.g.:  Kingdom House - Sermon - September 20, 2009. 
   */

echo "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>\r";
   ?>

<!-- generator="pagecandy podfeed-1.0" -->

<rss version="2.0">
     <channel>
       <title><? echo $feedTitle; ?></title>
       <link><? echo $linkBack; ?></link>
       <description><? echo $feedDescription; ?></description>
       <language>en</language>
   	<copyright><? echo $podfeedCopyright; ?></copyright>
   	<ttl><? echo $ttl; ?></ttl>


   <?php
   // step through each item...

	$fileDir = opendir($mp3Path) or die ($php_errormsg);
   	while (false !== ($thisFile = readdir($fileDir)))	// step through music directory
   	{
   		$thisFilePath = $mp3Path . $thisFile;
   			if (is_file($thisFilePath) && strrchr ($thisFilePath, '.') == ".mp3") // not . or .., ends in .mp3
   			{
   				// only include files that have a corresponding .txt file
   				$thisTextPath = substr_replace($thisFilePath, ".txt", (strlen($thisFilePath) - 4));
   				if (is_file($thisTextPath))
   				{
   					$myFullURL=$mp3URL . $thisFile;
   					$myFileSize=filesize($thisFilePath);
   				  ?>
   				  <item>
   					<title><? echo $thisFile; ?></title>
   					<link><? echo $linkBack; ?></link>
   					<description>
   					<?
   						$textContents = file($thisTextPath);
   						foreach ($textContents as $thisLine) echo htmlspecialchars($thisLine) . "\n";
   					?>

   					</description>
   					<enclosure url="<? echo $myFullURL; ?>" length="<? echo $myFileSize; ?>" type="audio/mpeg" />
   					<guid><? echo $myFullURL; ?></guid>
   					<author><? echo $authEmail; ?></author>
   				  </item>
   				  <?
   				}
   			}
   	}
   	closedir($fileDir);


   ?>

  </channel>
   </rss>