Podcasts - Putting you in control of your podcast channel

Media can be stored in Contensis or separate streaming servers.

To power the front-end of your website or intranet, we provide a whole range of standard podcast web controls to suit almost any circumstance.

We take a look below at some of the standard controls that are available to any web user in just two clicks.

The Podcasts Complete control

The Podcasts Complete control provides a full podcast implementation in a single click; you will have a RSS, Atom, and iTunes Feed, a search and of course the full list of podcasts.

This control is often used as a quick win, but sometimes the nature of your design may require that each of the components are used separately to better integrate into your template.

The control can be filtered to show all podcasts or specific podcasts based upon almost any criteria including meta-data, taxonomy and content.

iTunes Feed

When implementing a podcast channel it is imperative to ensure support for the standard iTunes format.

Contensis has full support, with no configuration required ensuring that end users can use iTunes to subscribe to your podcast. 

The Podcast Listing control

The Podcast Listing control can be inserted on any page in combination with the other podcast controls.

Typically this is used when you want to change the layout of the podcasts to suit the precise needs of your podcast implementation and site design.

The Podcast Record control

This control is used to display an individual podcast.

The control has all the details about author, size, duration and a full description.

A link to the media file is also presented so you can access the individual podcast directly.

Often the control may be extended to add additional fields that are relevant to your implementation.

 

Commenting

Contensis has extensive support for commenting including full membership integration, moderation, Gravatar support, akismet integration and much more.

Commenting can be added to the podcast record page or any Contensis content for that matter. If you need more in depth information on commenting, check-out our commenting page.

Often commenting is embedded into a base template, so it can be used on articles, news, blogs, or any other content type without having to re-configure for each instance.

RSS and Atom feeds

Most Contensis controls come with the option to generate an RSS feed or an Atom feed.

Podcasts is no different. The RSS is categorised by either taxonomy or tags, and the body of the article is presented, which can be really useful for syndication purposes.

 

 

The Editor

Creating a new podcast can be achieved in just three clicks. All you need do is login to Contensis and then simply click the create new podcast option.

You don't need any technical skills and new editors can be up-and-running creating new podcasts in minutes.

We aim at every stage of the process to keep the editing environment consistent. If you have created an event, for example, you will immediately understand how to create a podcast.

 

Because it uses the Contensis WYSIWYG editor, we are guiding users down the path of creating accessible content without them even realising it.

As with all Contensis content, a full QA check is available and if the content does not meet the relevant criteria, then the page can be prevented from being submitted or approved, depending upon how you configure the QA module.

 

As standard, you will have keywords and description meta-data to complete but any other meta-data can be entered if configured. When entering keywords the system will auto-suggest other keywords that have already been used.

Often it is also useful to configure a meta-data element for tagging the content.  When this is done the listings will then be able to be filtered by these tags.  

A Podcast is an integrated content type within Contensis. This ensures that all of the same rules apply to this as to any other type of content.

From an administrator's perspective, you will need to initially configure the module and assign workflow and permissions.

Once this is done there should be no need for any involvement, other than just sitting back and letting the users create content

 

 

 

Hopefully you have seen the depth and breadth of the controls available to implement podcasts on your site.

All of the controls have configurable options which allow for customisation to suit your needs, but sometimes this may not be enough, you may have specific requirements that are not included in the standard control set.

If you are using .Net then you can simply inherit from any of the standard controls and extend them to suit your needs, or you can use the same framework we use to develop new controls that meet your specific requirements.

If your idea is something that would be beneficial to all Contensis customers, then just run it past us, as we often will extend the system and provide new functionality based upon user specifications and ideas.

If you attend our developer training course, then you will be able to create any extra functionality or controls just like we do.