Background
Podcasts are becoming more mainstream. People could be consuming podcasts without even realizing it. It is perfectly acceptable to ease your way into podcasting and slowly grow; start with simple tools and build from there.
Planning a Podcast
- Strategize
- Write down some goals and track your progress
- Focus on your audience (the constituents you want to attract or who are already involved)
- Find out what they are already listening to so you can determine themes you may want to embed in your own messages
- Consider your story
- Look at what has been successful for other podcasters
- Consider hardware options (remember: the fancier the hardware, the more complicated it may be to use)
- USB headset: the cheapest, easiest option
- Dynamic ($20-30) or condenser mics ($150-500): condenser is powered from external source (mixer or plug), all mics pick up vibrations (use a boom stand!)
- Pop guard (to prevent popping P’s): make your own out of coat hanger & old pantyhose
- Soundboard: plugs directly into your computer, allows you to record each individual on a separate track, allows you to back up a podcast to an external device WHILE recording it
- Mobile devices: perfect for in the field, on the move, or catching events live
- Video recording: Flip cams
- Consider software options
- Audacity
- Garage Band (Mac)
- Sony Sound Forge
- Adobe Audition
- Levelator
- Skype
- Pamela
- Hot Recorder
- Audio Hijack Pro
- Production considerations
- Editing/clean up: when editing, keep file format as WAV (large, uncompressed); only final output is MP3
- Bit rate: increase bit rate by using mono, don’t go under 32, >64 for best quality
- Stereo vs. mono: stereo may be distracting
- ID3 tags: edit these directly in iTunes
- Images
- iTunes tags
- Show notes: write a description of your overall show as well as descriptions for individual episodes; include resources and URLs referenced
- Overall length: depends on the topic &mash; usually 10–30 mins for a meaty subject
- Decide where to host your podcasts
- Consider bandwidth limits
- Hit a critical mass of podcasts before publishing (at least 5 episodes)
- Promote your podcasts on social networks
- Blogs (especially WordPress plugins)
- Digg
- StumbleUpon
- YouTube
- Make use of cross-channel promotion: don’t let you podcast become an “island” from your other media — integrate!
- Website
- Newsletters
- Press Releases
- Advertisements
- Partners
- Solicit feedback
Resources
- WeAreMedia.org
- NTEN conference website resources
- Podcast communities forums
- podsafe music network
- freesound.org