Movable Type 4.0 will be the first release of Movable Type that has podcasting support built into the core application, with no need for a plugin or additional software of services. In creating the plugin known as Feed Manager, I found that, for many, podcasting is a lot like "Retsyn": They have very little idea what it actually is, but they know they need it. That is why I compiled a simple podcasting guide for users and potential users of Feed Manager.
To summarize, podcasting is at its core the ability to subscribe to a feed of rich media files that can be played in your media player of choice.
Podcasters using Movable Type can make video and audio available through their Atom feeds with one simple addition to their Atom feed template which for any given entry will output the media assets associated with that entry:
<mt:EntryAssets>
<mt:SetVarBlock name="assettype"><mt:AssetType></mt:SetVarBlock>
<mt:if name="assettype" eq="audio">
<link rel="enclosure"
type="<mt:AssetMimeType>"
title="<mt:AssetLabel>"
href="<mt:AssetURL>"
length="<mt:AssetProperty property="file_size" format="0">" />
</mt:if>
</mt:EntryAssets>
Or users can download the following complete Atom Feed template that contains the template code above.
In a couple of days we will be publishing the complete documentation for all of Movable Type's template tags. At last count there are over 70 new template tags being made available to developers and designers in MT4 and we can't wait to see the exciting new blogs and designs people will be producing as a result!
To summarize, podcasting is at its core the ability to subscribe to a feed of rich media files that can be played in your media player of choice.
Podcasters using Movable Type can make video and audio available through their Atom feeds with one simple addition to their Atom feed template which for any given entry will output the media assets associated with that entry:
<mt:EntryAssets>
<mt:SetVarBlock name="assettype"><mt:AssetType></mt:SetVarBlock>
<mt:if name="assettype" eq="audio">
<link rel="enclosure"
type="<mt:AssetMimeType>"
title="<mt:AssetLabel>"
href="<mt:AssetURL>"
length="<mt:AssetProperty property="file_size" format="0">" />
</mt:if>
</mt:EntryAssets>
Or users can download the following complete Atom Feed template that contains the template code above.
In a couple of days we will be publishing the complete documentation for all of Movable Type's template tags. At last count there are over 70 new template tags being made available to developers and designers in MT4 and we can't wait to see the exciting new blogs and designs people will be producing as a result!
James
August 4, 2007 2:36 AM | Reply
Going the other way, and consuming feeds, is functionality similar to Feeds.App going to be built in? I want to consume feeds from elsewhere and have them published as part of my blog (like Tumblr does).
lacy
August 4, 2007 5:35 PM | Reply
The tag for the enclosures href line should actually use mt:AssetURL and not mt:AssetLink as the mt:AssetLink includes a href code ...and mt:AssetURL gives you JUST the url - which is what is needed there.
This podcasting built-in capability is GREAT by the way ... yet another a WONDERFUL addition to MT4. Love it!!!
Bud
August 5, 2007 4:40 PM | Reply
Byrne, ultra-useful for someone like me. I mentioned this on the pro-net list. Don't know if that was the motivation, but this is prompting me to want to upgrade my podcasting site earlier rather than later.
Another useful example would be conditionally coding entries to embed the podcast "asset" if one existed. A question: how does one associate assets with entries? It seems the only interface for that is the posting interface. In your shoes, I'd do a tutorial podcast that closed the loop with example files online (how's that for demanding!?).
BTW, I still have not achieved an error-free install on my pair server. That's the current real blocker.