Can I import photos from Flickr for a slide show?
Yes! You can import from Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, or any other service that delivers photos via an RSS feed. At Step 2 of the Post an Episode process, where it says "Now, select a picture to go along with this episode", simply paste the URL of your RSS feed in to the field provided and click the "Next Step" button. We'll automatically generate a slide show to go along with whatever audio file you attach to the episode.

Do I need to buy a microphone?
In many cases, laptops come with a microphone built in. If you have a desktop, you might need to purchase a microphone from the local computer/electronics store or on the internet. Microphone prices range from a couple of bucks to hundreds of dollars. Epinions has some information on microphones: http://www.epinions.com/cmhd-Speakers-All-Microphones

Does Audacity perform MP3 encoding?
Yes. When you run Audacity, the first time you try to export to an MP3, you get prompted for the location of the encoder (called "LAME"). Visit this page for more information.

How can I get involved with podOmatic?
Whether you have a simple suggestion or feedback, or if you would like to join our team, please send us an email: care@podOmatic.com.

How do I get iSight to record in the browser?
Change your Flash settings to use: "USB Video Class Video". This will connect to the built-in iSight camera on your Mac.

How do I make my podcasts and podmail sound good?
If you have background, intro, and outro music/special effects, it immediately gives the podcast a professional feel. At podOmatic, we try our best to provide users with simple tools to assist with creation. If you are new to this whole thing, try to keep it simple and don't forget to have fun!

My microphone isn't working. What should I do?
Go to AudioHelp. They rock!

What are tags?
A tag is a one-word keyword that describes something. It is like a category, but you get to choose the category name. You can be creative as you like when you choose a tag. Tags are used to help index your show page and content. They are used in search engines, like found in iTunes or Google, but they are given a lower priority than the title and description. Note that iTunes supports a maximum of 12 tags.

What music can I use?
You should only use non-copyrighted music. There is a ton of it available at The Internet Archive. At most you can use 8 seconds of copyrighted music. For further detail please read our terms of service.

What tools can I use?
Garageband and Audacity are popular choices. When you're done mixing, upload the file and podMail it, or post it to your podcast show page.

Where's some good Audacity information?
The home page for Audacity information is here
The user forum is hosted here

Why does my recording sound crackly?
It's probably clipping. When you record something, anything louder than a certain volume is distorted. It takes a bit of practice to get your levels right, but it's possible even with cheap microphones if you do a few tests. There's a good primer on digital audio (and clipping in particular) at TeamCom Books.

Can I change my username or podcast URL?
Once you create an account on PodOmatic, there is no way to change your username or podcast URL. Note that your podcast URL is partially made up of your username (eg. yourusername.podomatic.com). This also means that the RSS feed for your podcast is tied to your username, and modifying the RSS feed would break the link between you and any subscribers you have in iTunes.

If you would like to establish a new username or podcast URL, please create a new PodOmatic account.

If you would like to integrate your podcast with your web site and create a custom URL for it (eg. www.podcast.mysite.com), you can do this with a PRO Broadcaster membership. View pricing and information.

To change the name that appears on your profile page (this is different than your username), edit your public profile by going to your Home page and clicking the "Edit public profile" link.

How can I delete my account
You can delete your account by going here: http://www.podomatic.com/user/delete Be careful! This cannot be undone!

How to I add smileys to a comment?
We're using Yahoo Messenger emoticons within comments. You can find a list here.

Streaming does not work. Why?
Our web-based playback uses port 1935 which maybe blocked in some environments. Often libraries, schools, and some offices will block non-standard ports, which will prevent streaming from working. To work around this, contact the network administrator about opening port 1935 for streaming. This is the default port for Adobe's streaming server.

How do I get my show onto the iTunes store?
Follow Apple's Instructions for publishing your podcast to the iTunes Store.

My latest episode doesn't show up on the iTunes Store! What do I do?
Apple's iTunes Store has programs that check all the shows there periodically for updates. It can be unpredictable; one day it will pick up a new episode within minutes, but other days it may take hours, days, or even weeks to notice. PodOmatic does not control this and we have no special relationship with Apple. If this happens to you, please check your feed for validity at The W3C Feed Validation Service. Read the results carefully. If your feed is invalid, contact PodOmatic Care for support.

How do I choose my login with multiple accounts?
If you have more than one account on Podomatic and you use the same e-mail address for each, you need to type your username instead of your email address in the "Username or Email" blank when logging in. Otherwise, we have to guess which account you want and we won't always get the one you want.

Why are the links at the top right of every page wrong?

Can I podcast Microsoft PhotoStory videos?
Microsoft's PhotoStory videos use a special format that can only be played using Windows Media Player. As a result, they cannot be played on non-Microsoft computers, and portable devices. PodOmatic publishes media in the format that most widely available, and therefore cannot normally publish PhotoStory videos. However, PRO users have the option to publish the original media format, which allows them to publish these videos. Note that you still must notify your audience the media is only available through Windows Media Player.

How are enhanced podcasts handled?

Enhanced podcasts is a format supported by Apple that combines audio with images and chapters. You can create them with GarageBand, and have them play on iPods.

Since this format is specific to Apple, we convert the media format to video when you post an enhanced podcast. We provide the option to retain the original format when publishing enhanced podcasts, or to convert them to MP3, audio only. In this case, your audience must have a compatible player to view the media. Examples are iTunes, QuickTime Player, iPod, and iPhone.

What is the difference between Standard and Deluxe quality settings?
When posting an episode, PRO users are presented with format quality options. Rich media files have tradeoffs between file size and quality. Larger files take up more storage and bandwidth, but provide a better experience for the audience. Not all media requires the higher levels of quality however; in fact most media does not require higher quality levels.

What media types are supported?

Media types are typically identified through the file extension. To post media in your podcast, a file extension is required. Files that are supported for post are called "publishable". Those that are not publishable are displayed in red in your media library.

PodOmatic supports many different audio/video media types for post. For posted episodes however, PodOmatic converts to the most widely accepted formats:

• Web Video: Flash
• Download Video: MPEG-4
• Audio: MP3

Note that PRO users have additional options for downloadable media types:

• Mobile
• Windows (video only)
• Retain original format

PodOmatic determines if a audio/video media file can be published using the following guidelines:

• Does it have a file extension? If not, we cannot determine the file type.
• Is the file over 350MB? If so, its too big to post.
• Does the file have one of these extensions: .vob .ram .rm .aup .flv .cda .itl .wpl .m3u .pmf .mht .asf .pict .mswmm? If so, its not a supported format.
• Can the file be opened, and its duration read? If not, we cannot convert to the proper format, because the file cannot be opened by our conversion software.

Note that if your file cannot be published, the reason why is given in the media library. Note also that non-audio/video files can be published, but they cannot be played and will require notifying your audience of what you're providing them.

Can I add episodes I like to a list of Favorites?
On Podomatic, Favorites are managed with the QwikList feature. To add an episode to your QwikList from the player popup, click the "QwikList" link just below the media player. If you are not logged in, you will be asked to log in first. Once an episode has been added to your QwikList, you can reach it by clicking the "My Profile" link in the header, then "My Lists" just below the main site tabs. From here, you can play and manage all of your favorite episodes.

Can I put multiple pieces of media into a single show?
Yes, but they all have to be in a single file. The RSS specification only permits one file per post.

Do you limit bandwidth on my podcast?
Yes, Free users get 15 gigabytes of transfer each month while Plus users, $9.99 a month, get 100 gigabytes of transfer. There is also a $14.95 200 GB option perfect for videocasters.

How do I choose a file to post?
Select 'post episode' from the podcast tab. When you click "Import", an import area will open with an interface for selecting your media. Select some media or upload and when you publish your episode it will upload to your page.

How do I insert a custom play button?
You can only do this with the following podcast themes: Custom, Lime, Red, Green, Candy, Classic. Upload the play button you want to use into your media library (http://www.podomatic.com/media). Use the name "play_button.gif" (it must be a gif file). Select the image in your media library, and choose the check box "Photo is available to my theme". Click the "Save" button. The image will now be displayed as your play button. Note you should have only one image named play_button.gif in your media library.

How do I integrate my podcast with my existing web site?
If you would like to integrate your podcast with your web site and create a custom URL for it (eg. www.podcast.mysite.com), you can do this with a PRO Broadcaster membership. View PRO Broadcaster pricing and information.

How do I put a "subscribe with Google/Yahoo/Newsgator" buttons in my sidebar?
Add the following HTML to your "External HTML" in Podcast Settings:

<p><a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?feedurl=http://USERNAME.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml"><img src="http://buttons.googlesyndication.com/fusion/add.gif" style="border: 0pt none ;" alt="Add to Google" height="17" width="104"></a></p> <p><a href="http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://USERNAME.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml"><img alt="addtomyyahoo4" src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/my/addtomyyahoo4.gif" style="border: 0pt none ;" height="17" width="91"></a></p> <a href="http://www.newsgator.com/ngs/subscriber/subext.aspx?url=http://USERNAME.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml"><img alt="subscribe in newsgator online" src="http://www.newsgator.com/images/ngsub1.gif" style="border: 0pt none ;"></a>

How do I put an iTunes "subscribe" button in my podcast page sidebar?
Add the following HTML to your "External HTML" in Podcast Settings:

<p><a href="itpc://USERNAME.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml" onClick="new Ajax.Request( 'http://USERNAME.podOmatic.com/pcast', {} ); return true;"><img src="/images/subscribe_with_itunes.gif" style="border:0"></a></p>

How do I upload multiple files?
You can email them to yourself @podomatic.com. Just attach the mp3s to a message in your email client and send. Each mp3 will appear in your media library when the message arrives.

How is a podcast a blog?
Blogs are places where people post text. People can come and read, make comments, or read your blog via an aggregator. A podcast is exactly the same, but with audio and video as well.

Is there any file size limit?

You can upload files of any size, as long as you remain under your account file size storage limit. Media for podcast episodes are limited to a file size of 350MB. The reasoning is that larger files create complications for everyone involved: you (the podcaster), your audience, and PodOmatic servers.

Typically video files are prone to be much larger than audio files. See the FAQ on reducing file sizes.

What is a podcatcher?
A podcatcher is a program that scans podcast feeds and automatically downloads new shows. iTunes is the most popular podcatcher. Try http://www.podcatchermatrix.org for a comparison of other options.

What is OPML?
OPML stands for outline processing markup language. It is a file format often used to describe a list of RSS feeds and other outlines.

What is RSS?
Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, is a file format that describes your podcast. It has fields for title, author, publication date, description, and enclosures for media files.

Can anyone send me an mp3?
Yes, anyone you want can email an mp3 into your iPod. Think of podMail as your iPod's personal email system. How cool is that?

How do I get a podMail account?
Just register to create your podMail account. It takes less then a minute and it won't cost a cent!

How do I reply to a podMail? Can I use audio?
Yes! To reply, go to podMail through podAmigo or our website and click the reply link when you're viewing the message. When you reply, there is a recorder where you can record your audio or upload your audio reply.

How do I start using podMail?
Once you have created your account podMail is as easy as using regular email, only more fun!

What is podMail?
podMail is just like regular email, only different. With podMail, you now have the power to create your own audio or upload existing audio from your computer and podMail it right into your friend's iPod!

What kinds of messages can I receive at my podomatic.com e-mail address?
Although you can send anything to anyone using podMail, we restrict what kinds of messages get to you from the e-mail world. This is to prevent spam from going into your account. So if you're using podMail, send whatever you want! If you're using an e-mail client, or you are asking your friends to send you e-mail @podomatic.com, remember that e-mail from the outside world must include an mp3 attachment to be delivered to you @podomatic.com.

Where does podMail go?
podMail goes from podOmatic into your iPod. We transfer it from our servers through podAmigo into your daycast, where you can hear it at your leisure.

Who can hear my podMail?
Only you. It has the same privacy characteristics as email.

Why are some of the addresses in my addressbook crossed out?
Entries appear as crossed-out when the recipients' emails have bounced, or when they have asked to be removed from your list, or when they have marked your email as spam.

Will I get spam on my iPod?
No, only audio is sent to your iPod. We do not send it text.

Can I get a Pro Account if I live outside of the U.S.?
Yes, We accept international orders via PayPal! Go here: https://www.podomatic.com/account/paypal_cart

How can I change my credit card information?
If you're using PayPal:

1. Go to PayPal and log into your account.
2. Once inside PayPal, click the "My Account" tab on the main navigation bar.
3. Now click on the "My Profile" tab on the sub-navigation bar.
4. Here, you can add a new card to your profile.
5. Next, either make the new card your primary funding source, or edit your subscription and change the primary funding source to the new card.

For direct Podomatic payments:

1. Go to your My Account page
2. Click the "Edit Billing Information" link.

How do I cancel my Pro account?
If you paid via PayPal:

1. Go to PayPal and log into your account on the system.
2. Once inside, you should see payment history, including payments to Podomatic. View details on one payment to Podomatic.
3. At the top of the detail page, you will see a link indicating "In Reference To" something that looks like the letter S- followed by a bunch of numbers and letters. Click that link.
4. The next page you see should have a button on the lower right that says "Cancel Subscription." Click the button to cancel.

If you paid via Credit Card:

1. Go to your My Account page.
2. Click the "Go Basic" link at the bottom of the Subscription Information box on the right.

How do I upgrade from one service level to another?

1. Go to the Go Pro page
2. Select the service level you'd like to upgrade to.
3. The system will pro-rate the upgrade based on money you've already paid for time you haven't yet used.

How does recurring billing work?
Every term (month* or year), your account is billed for the upcoming month of Pro service. This process continues until you cancel the service or your account experiences repeated payment failures (which causes automatic cancellation).

* For billing purposes, one month may be defined as 30 days.

What does Podomatic do to protect my security?
A lot! Check out our Security Statement.

What forms of payment does PodOmatic accept?
Podomatic accepts payments via U.S.-based credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover), and also via PayPal (which works internationally). Go here to go Pro: https://www.podomatic.com/account/gopro.

What happens if I PayPal money directly to a Podomatic e-mail address?
If you PayPal money directly to one of the PodOmatic e-mail addresses, it will not get processed through our billing system and subsequently will not affect the standing of your account. Please contact us if you feel you need to send us money directly.

Where can I verify my account status?
Your account status information is available on your My Account page. If you have a subscription, it will be detailed on the right side, below your quota information.

How can I get more refined search results?
If you use double quotes and the word AND, you can get better results. That is, a search for reggae music would return many irrelevant results, while reggae AND music would be more specific, and "reggae music" would only return results that included the exact phrase "reggae music".

How does Search work?
The Podomatic search engine crawls the whole Podomatic site every morning and indexes all the podcasts on Podomatic. That means that any updates you do will show up the next day. Search terms typed into the Search box are ORed together, e.g. a search for the term reggae music would return all the results for the term "reggae", plus all the results for the term "music". See the next question for more details on this.

'm really popular and I have a free account. Why did my ranking just plummet?
We'll take you off of the rankings list if you've exceeded your monthly bandwidth quota and you have a Basic account. This is designed to help keep your current listeners keep listening to your show by delaying the time when you get completely cut off due to excessive bandwidth usage. If you're a Pro, you are never removed from rankings.

How many subscribers do I have?
The Podomatic site counts all the computers that have retrieved your feed over the period in question (daily or weekly for free, selectable for Pro). Asking how many subscribers you have is like a restaurant asking how many customers they have. Suppose the restaurant serves 50 meals a day, so it serves 350 meals a week. It may only have 25 customers, though, over that week-- each could be coming in twice a day.

What does the Geo-IP map show?
The map lists the number of downloads and the apparent location of the downloader for the top 100 downloaders of your show. "Top" in this case is determined by the number of times your show has been downloaded by that person's computer.

Do you have an FTP server?
We sure do! It's in beta right now, which means that it works for us, but we're dying to know how it works for you. And if you happen to be the author of any FTP software, shoot us an email! The FTP server is at ftp.podomatic.com. A podOmatic account is required for its use.

I can't upload. What should I do?

Uploading large files is a tricky business. We offer several approaches: 1) upload a single file through the browser; 2) upload multiple files through the browser; and 3) FTP one or many files.

If uploading through the browser doesn't work for you, try using ftp://ftp.podomatic.com. Most browsers will recognize this URL, and allow you to connect using FTP, which is designed for large file transfer (it stands for File Transfer Protocol). HTTP is not designed for large file transfer.