Introducing SnapKast

Overview

SnapKast is the ultimate one-stop podcasting tool! It includes facilities for recording, formating, and publishing your PowerPoint and whiteboard presentations in both audio and video formats. The MediaCenter is the main launching pad for all SnapKast functions. It consists of a series of tabs, which step you through the podcasting process:

The basic workflow to produce a podcast is Record, Format, Play, Create Podcast, Publish Podcast. If you wish to directly share the audio or video files with others, then you will have access to those files in the Play tab. If you wish to create a podcast with the RSS feed files, then go to the Podcast tab.

As you step through the various phases of SnapKast, the MediaCenter provides a guide to help keep your perspective. The workflow panel highlights where you are and provides a summary of the next step, e.g. in this screen shot we have just formatted a recorded session and it now available for playback and sharing with others.

After installation, simply launch SnapKast and click (or drag-and-drop a PowerPoint presentation) on that big red record button to start your recording session.

Record: Capture Your Presentation

Get your microphone ready and start your recording session. The SnapKast Recorder is launched when the record button is activated. Once you're done recording, the Recorder exits and you're taken to the Format tab with your newly recorded session already selected!

Full documentation is available for the Recording steps.

Format: Snap It!

In SnapKast-speak "Snap!" means format. This is done on the Format tab. Simply select an "Unformatted" session and complete the relevant details: album, title, author email. Select whether you want an audio only and/or audio plus video podcast. The Advanced button allows you to change format settings such as the video size or frame rate.

Full documentation is available for the Format tab.

Play: Review and Share Your Session

All formatted sessions appear in the Play tab. Here is where you can select the encoded media files (currently we support mp3 and mp4, but support for more formats is on the horizon) and play them. Clicking on the play button launches your favorite media player (customizable via the Edit > Options pull-down menu).

Once you have played back your session and are happy with the results, you can simply drag-and-drop the media file to share it with others. For example, you might drag an audio (mp3) or video (mp4) file to an email attachment or to a web site.

Full documentation is available for the Play tab.

Podcast: Create Your RSS Feed and Publish

If you're satisfied with your formatted audio or video session, you may now make it available as a podcast in the Podcast tab.

Create RSS

The Create RSS sub-tab generates the RSS files and a special index.html file for easy www access. Please be sure to enter all the required. You can choose to create a podcast that includes one session, all the sessions in an specific album, or all the sessions in all albums. Once you click create, the SnapKast MediaCenter does the following:

1. Generates one or two RSS files (one for each selected media format).
2. Generates an index.html file which contains links to the RSS files.
3. Creates a podcast folder in your outbox and copies the RSS, index.html, and mp3/mp4 files to that folder.
4. Sweeps you away to the final publishing stage of the podcasting session.

Full documentation is available for the Create RSS tab.

Publish: Get that Podcast on the Web

Now you're ready to publish your podcast. SnapKasts provides the ability to drag-and-drop your (already selected) podcast folder to your favorite file transfer program (or where ever else you like). This makes it easy for you to get the podcast folder on your web server.

Full documentation is available for the Publish tab.