First things first! Before i tell you on how to set everything up, yes i will give details, none of this lets skip a few hundred chapters and make you guess the rest.

What is a Podcast?

Podcast: (distribute (multimedia files) over the internet for playback on a mobile device or a personal computer)

Source: princeton.edu

Essentials of creating a Podcast:

• Garageband or Audacity if you have a Mac you probably have Garageband if you do not have it in your computer you may have not installed iLife or you have a really old Mac in this case Feel free to download Audacity for FREE.  This program will help you with your Garageband-less Computer (if you are more of a audio pro you may have something better so feel free to skip these bullets) there are many videos online that teach you how to record with Garageband or Audacity, just search around.
• Do you have a Mic? Well if you are using a Laptop it may have one, or just shop around on Amazon or ask a friend if that have one.  You just need something basic that can plug into your computer, sometimes cheap webcams have them.  Guitar Center has great people if you do not have any idea on what set-up you should get.  Just walk into there pro audio section and the helpful staff will answer your questions.

*Every step is completely FREE, so put your Credit Card away!

**Accounts will need to be created, Still FREE

Were to first start. Being that iTunes is a well known application and you are creating Podcasts for an audience to share your information. If you do not have a account with iTunes already make an account as shown in the following pictures:

Click on “Sign In” in the upper left hand corner when you are in the iTunes Music Store.  Then Click on “Create New Account”.  Now after you click on “Create New Account” the steps there are really self explanatory.  So go ahead take your time setting up your iTunes Account.

Okay so now you are a proud owner of your very own iTunes Account!  You can move onto the next step if you are looking to do this without a website. Check out the following website to host your podcast on:

• Podbean

I host my Podcasts on PhotoBucket using a plug-in in WordPress called Podpress.  Photobucket gives more space then the other site. Podbean is the way to go if you do not have a website.  I know that Podbean does Audio and Video, not to sure if Photobucket does audio files though.  If you are doing just straight audio Podbean is your answer, other wise for everything else there is Photobucket. So if your ready set up your account with Podbean.  Once you finish setting up your account and you have uploaded your first episode (audio or video) now what you want to do is copy the RSS feed URL.

If you do not care about your stats to see who is viewing your podcasts or you do not care to submit your podcasts to iTunes then you are finished or you can skip down to submitting your podcast in iTunes.

For those who would like to see stats on there podcast create a account with FeedBurner.  Follow the steps:

Make Sure “i am a podcaster!” is checked

Now continue the steps that are need to complete your feed.  Your Podbean feed is basically being linked to the feedburner so you can get stats like how many subscribers and views, and so on…  the feedburner feed is the one you are going to submit to iTunes.  Right click on the feed logo one all the steps are completed.  Scroll down when the menu pops open and click on “copy link”  (see pic)

Now the fun part (make sure that you have a episode already loaded into you Podbean account, otherwise you will not be able to submit to iTunes until then.  In this case press command+D to bookmark this page for a later time).  Open up iTunes and click into the iTunes Store then click on podcast tab.   Select “Submit a Podcast” (see pic)

Now copy your feed if you only did the Podbean way copy the feed podbean gives you.  If you made a Feedburner feed copy the Feedburner one and command+V into the space provided by iTunes.  Sign into your iTunes account and click submit and your are done.  You will receive and email shortly saying that it is under review.