Create Instant MP3 Rss Feeds

I have not really put much thought into the way podcasts work until now, but when I stumbled upon Dir Caster I began to realize that publishing podcasts is different than publishing blog posts. I mean you have a mp3 file and need a way to create an RSS feed that reference those files so that the podcast gets picked up automatically by the program on the user's end.

When I read the description of Dir Caster it occurred to me that this must be one of the easiest ways to create a Podcast feed. Just upload the script to your webspace, place the mp3 files with correct ID3 tags in the same dir and et voila, the RSS feed gets updated.

The podcast creator only needs to publish the directory of Dir Caster or the url of the podcast feed to the audience who can then subscribe to the feed in programs like iTunes, iPodder or Doppler. This system is not restricted to podcasts however which means that you can also add music to the directory and make the link available to some of your friends.

The friends can then subscribe to the podcast and listen to the music that you upload to the web directory. The file config_inc.php has to be edited to reflect your podcast. You add the name, author and additional information to it.

Update: A couple of add-ons are now available that you can install on top of the Dir Caster script. DirCastM3U for instance enables you to stream music directly from the directory you have the script installed in.

The script gets updated regularly, the last update dates back only a couple of months. That's a good sign that it is still in active development. Just make sure you download the latest version from the website it is offered on, and update your script version regularly as well.

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