In this complete all inclusive PODCAST TUTORIAL GUIDE, we will discuss anything & everything you need - to learn PRO Podcasting in a real systematic step by step instruction.
Podcasting ??????
Podcasting is a method of distributing content over the internet. The term "podcasting," which is a combination of the words "iPod" and "broadcasting," refers primarily to the distribution of audio content, though video podcasting is becoming more and more popular. This guide focuses on how to create and listen to audio podcasts.
An audio podcast is similar to a radio broadcast, except that listeners don't have to tune in at a particular time to hear each show. Instead, they subscribe to a podcast and automatically receive a downloaded copy of each new episode after it's published by the podcaster (the person who created the podcast). Subscribers can listen to a podcast through their computer or through an mp3 player, such as an iPod, whenever they choose. Podcasts have become popular in recent years due to their convenience and their price—nearly all podcasts are free.
Types of Podcasts
The variety of podcasts is endless, but all podcasts can be broken down into three basic types:
Host-driven: A podcast that's similar to a radio talk show—its main attraction is the personality of its host. Adam Curry's "Daily Source Code" is one example.
Topic-driven: A podcast dedicated to a particular subject. "Learn Spanish with Coffee Break Spanish" is a topic-driven podcast.
Actual radio shows: Many radio broadcasters also publish their shows as podcasts, such as Ira Glass with "This American Life."
Podcast! why should I?
Podcasting was initially used by individuals who wanted to host their own internet-based radio shows. Now individuals and businesses are turning to podcasting for all sorts of reasons, including:
Fun: Amateur podcasters create podcasts because they enjoy talking about subjects they love and interacting with a community of listeners. There are podcasts on every subject imaginable.
Exposure: Podcasts provide a great way for businesses, bands, and individuals to get exposure. For instance, a band might create a podcast of their demo songs, or a local bike store might start a podcast on bike gear and maintenance to attract customers to its website and retail store.
Alternative distribution: Podcasts are a great way to distribute audio material that otherwise might languish in obscurity. Lectures, religious services, conference proceedings, and keynote speeches are posted as podcasts, allowing people who could not attend the event in person to listen and look at their convenience.
Advertising revenue: Some podcasters have managed to make podcasting a career, or at least make a bit of money at it. If your podcast gains an audience, you may be able to sell time on your show to advertisers or join a podcast network that will sell ad space for you.
How Podcasting Works
Here's a general overview of how podcasting works:
Podcaster creates the podcast: A podcaster plans, records, and edits a show. Nearly all podcasts are recorded and published as mp3 files, which use up less memory than other audio files and are therefore easier to upload and download.
Podcaster publishes the podcast to the internet: The podcaster uploads the episode to a website on the internet and makes it available for subscription by using software technology called an RSS feed. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication."
Subscribers get the podcast: People subscribe to the podcast using specialized RSS reader software programs known as podcatchers or podcast aggregators. Whenever a new episode of a podcast to which you are subscribed is published, your aggregator will download that episode to your computer.
Subscribers listen to the podcast: Once the episode is downloaded, subscribers can listen to it whenever they want on their computers or on a digital music player, such as an iPod.
How to Listen to a Podcasts?
You could listen to podcasts by surfing the web and checking your favorite sites on a regular basis to download each new episode. But it's much faster and easier to subscribe to and automatically receive new podcasts using a podcast aggregator, which you'll first have to download and install on your computer.
Podcast Aggregators
There are many different podcast aggregators available. Two of the most popular are iTunes® and Juice®.
Subscribe to Podcasts on iTunes
iTunes is Apple computer's free digital jukebox, which works in tandem with Apple's iPod digital music player and is available for both Macs and PCs. iTunes is far and away the most popular podcast-subscription program because it combines the functions of a podcast aggregator and media player—you can use it to subscribe and listen to podcasts. If you don't already have iTunes, you can download it for free from www.apple.com/itunes.
How to Subscribe to Podcasts on iTunes
Subscribe to a podcast using iTunes, follow these steps-
Open iTunes and go to the iTunes Store.
Click on Podcasts in the iTunes Store menu.
You'll be brought to a directory page that lists new podcasts, featured podcasts, and most popular podcasts. It also organizes podcasts by category.
When you find a podcast that interests you, click on the title or associated image to go to its main page. Near the top of this page, you'll see a Subscribe button, which downloads the most recent episode and establishes a feed to download future episodes automatically. On the lower half of the page, you'll see a list of recent episodes along with a Get Episode button. This button downloads only the episode of the podcast that you choose.
Manage and Listen to Your Podcasts with iTunes
To manage and listen to your chosen iTunes podcasts, click on "Podcasts" in the Library section of the main menu on the left side of the iTunes interface.
This page lists all the podcasts to which you have subscribed, as well as the individual episodes that have downloaded. When you subscribe to a podcast, only the episodes that are published after you have subscribed will download automatically. Earlier episodes will be listed in a grayed-out font and can be downloaded manually just by clicking on them. Every listed podcast and podcast episode will have a title, time, release date, and description.
From the iTunes Podcast Library page you can play or delete any episode or unsubscribe from any podcast. If you unsubscribe from a podcast, you won't lose any episodes of that podcast that have already downloaded, but no new episodes will download.
How to Load Podcasts onto Your iPod
Your iPod can be programmed to download podcasts automatically from iTunes each time it's connected. To do this, connect your iPod, open iTunes, then select the "Podcasts" tab from the main screen. Click the "Sync" checkbox, then select the podcasts you'd like to sync.
You can modify the options to sync all, most recent, or unplayed podcasts.
What is Juice?
Juice is an aggregator that's used solely for subscribing to podcasts. You can then listen to the podcasts using any of the major media players, such as Quicktime® or Windows Media Player®. Juice works on both Macs and PCs. If you already use iTunes to manage and play your digital music, you're probably best off using it as your podcast aggregator as well. But if you'd prefer to use a media player other than iTunes, Juice is a great choice. To download Juice for free, go to http://.juicereceiver.sourceforge.net.
How to Subscribe to Podcasts on Juice
To browse podcasts: Click the Podcast Directory tab. You'll see a series of category folders—click on one to expand it. When you find a podcast that you'd like to subscribe to, click on it in the directory, then click the Add button. An Add a Feed window will pop up. Click the Save button to add your new podcast subscription.
To download a podcast episode: Click on the Subscriptions tab—this tab lists all the episodes of the podcast you selected in the Podcast Directory. Select the checkbox next to the episode you'd like to schedule for download. Then click the green Check for New Podcasts button to download.
To play the episode: Click on the Downloads tab, which lists all downloaded podcast episodes. Right-click a podcast episode and choose Play Episode in Mediaplayer—the episode will play in whichever player you have set as your default media player.
Using Podcast Directories
In addition to the directories built into aggregators such as iTunes and Juice, there are also many independent websites that provide directories of podcasts organized by category. Three of the most prominent podcast directory sites are:
Podcast Alley® (www.podcastalley.com)
Podcast Pickle® (www.podcastpickle.com)
Odeo® (www.odeo.com)
These sites allow you to browse podcasts by category and read brief descriptions of each. To subscribe to a specific podcast, click on the "Subscribe" or "RSS" button next to the podcast's description. When you click on "Subscribe" or "RSS," you'll see the podcast's URL, or website address. To subscribe to the podcast, copy and paste the URL into your aggregator by following these steps:
In iTunes: Go to the Advanced menu and choose "Subscribe to Podcast." Paste the URL into the window that pops up.
In Juice: On the Podcast Directory tab, paste the URL into the window next to the Add button, then click the Add button.
Build your own Podcasting Studio
You don't need to sink thousands of dollars into buying equipment in order to podcast.
Podcasting Hardware
To get started podcasting, you need only a computer, microphone, and headphones. You can buy everything you need at electronics or computer stores, as well as through online retailers such as www.amazon.com.
Computer
You can podcast using either a PC or a Mac. In general, any Mac G3 or above can be used to make podcasts. If you're using a PC, it should be a Pentium 4 PC (2 GHz or faster) with at least 512 MB of RAM and an on-board sound card. Since audio files are large, you should also have a hard drive with at least 1 GB (gigabyte) of free space. You also might want to invest in an external hard drive.
Microphones
The sound quality of your podcast is determined primarily by the quality of the microphone you use to record it. Though you can use the microphone that's built into your computer to record podcasts, most podcasters (and listeners) consider those mics insufficient. You're better off working with a basic microphone that plugs directly into your computer via USB cable. A unidirectional mic picks up only direct sound and filters out background noise. Two good mic options for first-time podcasters are:
Plantronics® DSP-500 USB: A headset mic that costs $40–45.
Samson® C01U: A freestanding mic that costs about $80. If you get this mic, you might also want to buy a shock mount ($30), a stand that minimizes the effects of bumping the mic during recording.
If you get a freestanding mic, you might also consider getting a pop filter to protect the mic and prevent the sharp pops that can occur when someone speaking into a mic makes a "B" or "P" sound.
How to Record a Telephone Interview
If you want to use telephone interviews in your podcasts, you'll need a way to capture the audio from the phone onto your computer.
A telephone audio tap connects a phone to your computer's sound card and uses your regular recording software to capture both sides of a phone conversation. The most respected maker of telephone audio taps is JK AudioTM (www.jkaudio.com), and its most popular audio tap for podcasters is the THAT-2.
Be aware that in most states it's illegal to record telephone conversations without the permission of the people participating in the call.
Before you begin your phone or live interview, remind the interviewee that this interview will be part of your podcast, and get a verbal agreement so that you have a recorded acknowledgement of your terms. You can make a copy of this file for your records and edit the acknowledgement out of the final podcast.
Headphones
In podcasting, headphones serve as monitors: they allow podcasters to hear their program exactly as it will sound to listeners. You can use any headphones for this purpose, including the earbud headphones that come with mp3 players. You'll get the best sense of the sound of your podcast if you use earmuff-style isolation headphones. AKG K141 Studio headphones cost about $100.
Additional Hardware
As you get deeper into podcasting, you may also want to invest in an audio mixer or a portable recorder.
Audio Mixers
Audio mixers (also called mixing boards) allow you to take multiple sound sources, such as mics and sound files, and mix them into a single sound source. If, for example, you're interviewing a panel with three participants, you could give each panelist his or her own microphone and combine the three channels together into one audio file. The mixer allows you to adjust the sound levels for each microphone separately. You can find a basic mixer that allows you to mix four to six mics, such as the Tapco Mix-60®, for $100 or less.
Portable Recorders
Portable digital recorders allow you to conduct interviews in the field that you can later edit for use in your podcasts.
Digital pocket recorders: The most affordable field recording option ($75–300). Most of these recorders have poor sound quality but allow you to transfer digital files easily to your computer via USB cable. With the addition of an external mic, some mp3 players, including iPods, can be used as pocket recorders.
MiniDisc recorders: More expensive than pocket recorders ($300–600) but feature much better sound quality. To take full advantage of a MiniDisc recorder, you'll probably need to use an external mic, since most recorders' built-in microphones are subpar.
No matter what type of recorder you're using, if your podcast is going to involve a lot of outdoor recording, look into getting a windscreen for your microphone. Most windscreens cost less than $10.
Podcasting Software
To record audio files, edit the files into a single podcast file, and post the podcast to the internet, you'll need recording and editing software.
Free Recording and Editing Software
The most popular free software package for sound recording and editing is Audacity®, which you can download for Mac or PC at audacity.sourceforge.net. There's one minor complication: for legal reasons, the Audacity software cannot create mp3 files.
To solve this problem, you can download what's known as a LAME mp3 encoder, which enables Audacity to make mp3s. To download a LAME encoder:
Go to the Audacity FAQ page (audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq).
Search for the FAQ about downloading and installing the LAME mp3 encoder.
Follow the directions on the FAQ answer page for your Mac or PC.
Commercial Recording and Editing Software
Some podcasters find commercial recording and editing software easier to use than free software. Commercial software also usually includes more advanced features than free software. The top commercial recording and editing software differs for Macs and PCs:
Macs: Apple's GarageBand® is easy to use and works seamlessly with iTunes. Since it's designed originally for musicians, it may contain more features than you actually need. GarageBand is included as a standard part of the iLife package, which comes preinstalled on many Macs. If it's not installed on yours, you can buy GarageBand (and the entire iLife package) for $79 at www.apple.com/ilife.
PCs: The top commercial recording and editing package for Windows is Propaganda®, an audio recording and editing program designed exclusively for creating podcasts. You can buy Propaganda for $49.95 at www.makepropaganda.com/buy.html.
Setting Up Your Studio
If you begin podcasting with a mic that plugs into your computer via USB and headphones, setting up your studio will be easy. The headphones and most mics are plug and play, which means that they should work as soon as they're plugged into your computer. All you have to do is install your recording and editing software, and you're ready to start your podcast.
How to Plan a Podcast
Before you record, edit, or publish a podcast, you first need to plan it. Planning a podcast involves three steps:
Choosing a topic
Developing segments that you'd want to use across multiple episodes of your podcast
Creating a plan for each individual show
Choosing a Topic
Most successful podcasts are about a specific topic. One might focus on growing orchids, while another might review the news stories of the day. Choose a topic about which you're knowledgeable and passionate. This will help you:
Gain an audience: People will want to listen to your show if you're telling them something new and interesting. It's much easier to do that if you're knowledgeable about your topic.
Maintain momentum: Podcasting is fun but not exactly easy. Creating a weekly or even monthly show takes a lot of dedication. If you're not excited by the topic of your podcast, you'll probably give up after a few episodes.
Think About Your Audience
Consider the type of listener you'd like to attract to your podcast. For instance, if you're looking to appeal to an older audience, you may want a quieter, more serious show.
How to Develop Show Segments
A great way to keep your podcast lively is to divide it into different segments. No matter the topic, a 30-minute podcast that covers the same issue in the same way is bound to get boring. But a 30-minute episode that contains four to six different segments is much more likely to keep you and your audience engaged. Common podcast segments include:
Opening: An intro to your show, such as a monologue.
Stories or features: The issues you want to discuss during that episode. For instance, an orchid podcast might include a story about a certain type of orchid or growing technique. You may also want to create features that you include in every show. For example, a podcast about the news of the week might include a segment in which you interview people on the street to get their opinions.
Interviews: Discussions with experts or anyone else doing interesting things in the field you're covering.
Listener feedback: Feedback you receive from subscribers via email, posted comments on your blog, or even recorded responses they send to you. A great way to make an audience feel involved in your show is to respond to listener feedback as you record.
Sign-off: An end-of-show statement, phrase, or feature that you use to end one episode and keep your subscribers coming back for the next.
As you continue producing new episodes of your podcast, you'll generate new ideas for features, stories, or segments, and can introduce them gradually. Always be on the lookout for ways to freshen up your show.
Using Music in Your Podcasts
Podcasters often use music to open or close a show, or to introduce a specific segment. Many podcasters also play entire songs during their shows. However you choose to do it, play only the music that you have a legal right to use. Using music that you don't have a right to use can make you vulnerable to lawsuits—and even a little jingle may be legally off limits. There are three ways to make sure the music you use is legal:
Write it yourself: If you write and record a piece of music yourself, it's yours to use.
Buy stock music: Search online for "stock music" and you'll find numerous sites that sell low-cost, rights-free music that you can use in podcasts.
Use podsafe music: The Podsafe Music Network (music.podshow.com) is a website that connects podcasters with musicians who have written and recorded songs they're willing to let podcasters use for free, as long as you credit both the artist and the Podsafe Network when you play the song.
How to Plan Each Show
It's a good idea to write a detailed outline of the content and timing before you record your show. You may even want to write out a script for each segment or, if you'll be conducting an interview, a list of questions. If you record your podcast without an outline, you're likely to ramble or leave out something that you had intended to discuss. Having an outline will keep your show organized and engaging.
As you plan, keep the total length of your show in mind. Most podcasts last 20–30 minutes, but some may be just five minutes long, while others are closer to an hour. It's a good idea to keep all your episodes at about the same length so that your audience knows what to expect each time you publish a new one.
How to Record a Podcast
Recording a podcast is the process of using audio recording software to get the raw material of your podcast onto your computer.
How to Record All at Once or in Pieces
Before you begin recording your podcast, you need to decide whether to record your show all at once or in pieces:
Recording all at once: With this option, you hit the Record button, record your entire podcast from start to finish, then stop recording. Recording all at once will make your editing job much easier because you don't have to edit together multiple tracks, but it will also give you less flexibility.
Recording in pieces: With this option, you create each segment separately, then combine them into one audio file later in the editing process. Recording in pieces will give you more control but will also require more editing time.
As you experiment with podcasting, you'll gradually get a feel for the method you prefer.
How to Configure Your Recording Program
Next you'll need to configure the preferences (settings) of your audio recording program to make it record in the file format you prefer and produce files of reasonable sizes. You can usually change preferences by clicking on Preferences in the File or other menu along the top bar of your audio recording software. Under the Quality tab, set the following:
Sample rate: 44,100 Hz for a podcast that consists mostly of your voice. Use a higher setting (96,000 Hz or so) for podcasts that include a lot of music.
Sample format: 16-bit for podcasts that are mostly voice; higher (24- or 32-bit) for podcasts that include music.
Channels: If you're using only one mic, set the channels to mono. If you're using more than one mic, set the channels to the number of channels you'll be recording.
It's best to use the lowest settings that produce a sound quality that you consider acceptable. The higher the settings, the larger the files and the more time it will take to upload and download them. In general, a 30-minute podcast can range from about 30 MB for an all-music show to 15–21 MB for a talk show with some music. In addition, on the File Formats tab of the Preferences window, make sure that the uncompressed export format is set to WAV (Microsoft 16-bit PCM).
How to Record Audio Files for Your Podcasts
Most recording software has intuitive controls that you'll recognize from any CD, DVD, or media player:
Click the Record button to begin recording.
If you need to stop in the middle of recording, click the Pause button. Click it again to continue.
When you're finished recording a segment (or the entire show), end the recording by clicking the Stop or OK button.
Monitoring the Levels
As you record, the software will display a chart or line graph of your sound levels on a scale that typically ranges from -32 to +6. As you record, aim to keep the sound levels at or just below 0. You never want the levels to go above 0, as that will cause distortion.
If the levels are well under 0, the sound will be too soft, though you can increase the volume during editing if your original recording volume was only somewhat low.
To adjust the levels, move the input volume control either up or down. The input volume control often appears next to a small mic icon.
How to Save the Audio Files of Your Podcasts
When you've finished recording, save the file in .wav format. A .wav file is the best file format for editing sound. Only after you've edited your podcast should you save it as an mp3 file. If you're saving multiple segments, name each one so that you'll be able to easily identify your various segments later.
How to Organize Your Saved Podcast Files
To organize your saved podcast files, create a podcasts folder and, within that folder, separate folders for each episode.
How to Archive Your Podcast Files
Along with building an organizational system for your podcast recordings, you should also have a system for saving your old podcast material long-term, in case you want to reuse material down the road or handle a dispute about something you said or did in your podcast. If your computer doesn't have the memory to save your podcasts, burn the data onto CDs or DVDs.
How to Edit Your Podcast
Editing your podcast is the process of fine-tuning and arranging the sound files that make up the raw material of your podcast. What you do in the editing phase depends on whether you recorded your podcast in segments or in one take.
If you recorded your podcast in segments: In the editing stage, you'll combine those segments to create a complete episode.
If you recorded your entire podcast in one take: In the editing stage, you'll clean up the sound and/or add effects, such as fade-ins and fade-outs.
How to Import Tracks
Audio recordings can have multiple tracks, each of which contains the recorded sounds of a specific part of the overall audio recording. For instance, when bands record albums, each instrument is recorded onto a different track. The tracks then get mixed down into one audio file. If you recorded your podcast all at once, your recording likely has just one track. If you recorded your podcast in a number of different segments, each segment will be a different track that you have to bring into one window to edit into one track.
To do this, open a new editing window. Next, import each of the files (tracks) that you recorded for your podcast into that new window. In Audacity, you can import files by going to the Project menu and then selecting Import Audio. On some audio recording programs, you can simply drag and drop files directly into the editing window.
How to Edit Tracks
Most podcasters edit individual tracks to remove verbal stumbles or dead air, periods of silence that can make a podcast sound dull. To do this, listen and look at the track, noting at which points in the visual representation of the track the dead air occurs. The following example shows what a track looks like before and after the highlighted portion is deleted. (To delete a portion of a track, highlight it and press the Delete key.) You can also rearrange the parts of a track by highlighting an area of a track and then cutting and pasting it to another point in the track.
How to Add Effects to Podcasts
In addition to splicing and rearranging your tracks, audio editing software allows you to add effects such as reverb, fade-ins, and fade-outs to your tracks. To apply an effect in Audacity:
Highlight the section of the track to which you want to apply the effect.
Click on Effect in the menu bar. A drop-down menu of effects will appear. Select the one you want to apply.
For instance, if you want to fade out the volume at the end of a segment, you would highlight the end of that segment and select Fade Out.
How to Mix Tracks Together
After you've edited each track, you can use your editing software to mix tracks together. You can manipulate two or more tracks at a time and organize tracks in two ways:
Sequentially: You can line up tracks so that one track picks up where another ends. For instance, if you have two segments that follow one after another, you would edit them so that they fit together in this way.
In parallel: You can arrange for the two tracks play simultaneously. For instance, if you wanted to have a voice speaking over background music, you would set up the music track and voice track so that they play at the same time.
You can move tracks to line them up as you wish by dragging them to the left or right.
Editing Sound
As you line up the tracks, you can listen to the way they fit together by hitting the Play button on the editing software. When you play tracks, listen for the following:
Sequential tracks: Pay attention to how well the two tracks fit together and eliminate odd pauses or jumps. Also listen to the sound levels on each track and do your best to make them similar so that there's no sudden jump in volume. This is called normalizing the levels.
Parallel tracks: Make sure that the featured track is fully audible over the background track. Normalize the sound between any two tracks that you want to feature equally.
Filtering Tracks
In addition to editing your tracks and deleting mistakes or unwanted noises, you can also filter the sound of your podcast. For instance, many sound recorders include equalizers, which you can use to set new levels for treble, bass, and midrange sounds, and noise filters, which analyze a track and remove all sounds except the loudest sound, which is presumably the voice you intend to feature.
How to Save Your Podcast
When you've finished editing your podcast, save it as an mp3 file—you may have to select Export as mp3 or click a Publish button in order to do this. When you save the file, give it a name that will help you organize it among your other podcasts. For instance, you could save it as podcastname_year-month-day_episodenumber.mp3.
ID3 Tags
During the saving process, your editing software will likely ask you to provide ID3 tags, which include the name, episode number, description, and date of your MP3 file. When you eventually upload your podcast to an RSS feed, the information you enter as ID3 tags will appear in the podcast directories and podcatchers.
How to Publish Your Podcast
Once you have a completed mp3 file, you're ready to publish your podcast to the internet. Publishing a podcast involves four basic steps:
Host your podcast: Your podcast episodes must be stored on a remote server in order for listeners to subscribe to and download it.
Start a blog for your podcast: Like podcasts, blogs use RSS technology. For that reason, blogs are the best way to provide a feed for your podcast audio files. Because they allow readers to comment on each posting, blogs also allow you to interact with and get feedback from your audience about your show.
Establish an RSS feed for your podcast: An RSS feed is a text document that allows RSS readers to recognize each of your podcast episodes. Without an RSS feed, people won't be able to subscribe to your podcasts. Instead, they'll have to visit your blog to check for new shows and download them manually.
Post episodes: Once your RSS feed is established, you can post new episodes for your podcast. Each new episode will automatically download to your subscribers.
How to Publish Your Podcast
There are a variety of ways to move through the five steps of publishing your podcast. Experienced and tech-savvy podcasters may prefer to do all the work of publishing a podcast manually (writing their own RSS code, for instance). But it's far easier and less time-consuming to start podcasting by using a podcast hosting company.
How to Publish a Podcast Using Liberated Syndication®
The easiest way to start podcasting is by using a podcast hosting company called Liberated Syndication (www.libsyn.com). For a fee, this company handles nearly every aspect of publishing podcasts for you, including:
Hosting your podcast files
Making it easy to upload your files to the Liberated Syndication servers
Setting you up with an easy-to-manage customizable blog
Creating an RSS feed for you that updates each time you upload a new podcast
To get started using Liberated Syndication, all you have to do is create an account and upload your podcast episodes whenever they're ready.
Liberated Syndication's fee ranges from $5–30, depending on the storage space you need. For instance, if you record daily, hour-long podcasts, you'll probably need to get the $30 package, whereas if you record weekly, 20-minute podcasts, the $5 package will probably suffice. Liberated Syndication does not charge for bandwidth, so even if your podcast gets popular and you have lots of downloads, you won't have to pay more.
How to Publish a Podcast for Free
If you want to publish podcasts without paying anything, you can. However, the process is a little more complicated than using Liberated Syndication:
Upload your podcasts to OurMedia (www.ourmedia.org), a website that offers free hosting for media files. You'll have to register in order to upload them.
Establish a blog (or use a blog you already have) with Blogger®, a free blogging service. Blogger will create a blog for you at the URL: http://your-blog-name.blogspot.com. You can host a blog on your own website, but you'll have to use a blogging service such as WordPress® or TypePad®. (For more info on these services and blogging in general, see the Quamut guide to Blogging , available in Barnes & Noble bookstores and online at www.quamut.com.)
Blogger currently uses an RSS feed that does not support audio, but you can solve that problem by using a free service from Feedburner (www.feedburner.com). When you sign up with Feedburner, you type in the URL of your blog, and Feedburner's SmartCast™ software then converts your RSS feed into one that supports audio. In addition, Feedburner provides you with free tools that allow you to analyze your podcast statistics, such as how many people are subscribed to your RSS feed. For a fee, you can upgrade to more sophisticated analysis tools.
Exactly how you integrate Feedburner with your RSS feed depends in part on the type of blogging service you use. If you'd like to use Feedburner, your best bet is to read the tutorials on its website that explain how it works with each blogging service.
Posting Episodes of Your Podcast
Once your blog and RSS feed are up and running, all you need to do to publish a podcast is upload the file to your hosting service and add a post to your blog that includes:
The title and episode number of the podcast
A description of the podcast (called show notes, explained below)
A link directly to the MP3 file that contains the podcast
If you use Liberated Syndication, each time you upload a new podcast episode, you'll fill out some forms that will automatically produce a blog entry with these features. If you're using Blogger or other blogging software, you'll have to include these features manually in each post. The link to your podcast will point to the URL where the podcast is being hosted.
Show Notes
Show notes—a detailed outline of your show that can even include links to all the URLs a podcaster may mention during a podcast—are generally appreciated by listeners. Writing show notes isn't mandatory, however, and many successful podcasters provide only a few sentences or a paragraph in their show notes.
How to Promote Your Podcast
Creating an RSS feed for your podcasts enables anyone with a podcast aggregator to subscribe to your podcast. But an RSS feed won't get your podcast into the directories that most people browse. To list your podcast in these directories, you'll have to submit a link to your podcast manually to each of the most popular directory sites.
How to Submit a Podcast to iTunes
The podcast directory on iTunes is by far the most popular podcast directory, so getting your podcast listed on iTunes is crucial to attracting listeners. To submit your podcast to iTunes:
Open iTunes and go to the iTunes Store.
Go to the Podcasts directory page.
Click on the Submit a Podcast link, which is located in an icon in the middle of the page and in the Learn More menu at the bottom left of the page.
You'll be taken to a page that asks you to enter the URL of your podcast feed. Enter the URL feed, then follow the directions to complete your submission.
Submitting Podcasts to Other Directories
Once you've listed your podcast in the iTunes directory, it's a good idea to add your podcast to the other popular directories listed below. You'll first have to register and become a member of each site. All of them will guide you through the process of submitting your podcast to its directory.
Popular Podcast Directories
Podcastready: www.podcastready.com Podcast Alley: www.podcastalley.com Podcast Pickle: www.podcastpickle.com PodShow: www.podshow.com Odeo: www.odeo.com Podomatic: www.podomatic.com
Podcasting ??????
Podcasting is a method of distributing content over the internet. The term "podcasting," which is a combination of the words "iPod" and "broadcasting," refers primarily to the distribution of audio content, though video podcasting is becoming more and more popular. This guide focuses on how to create and listen to audio podcasts.
An audio podcast is similar to a radio broadcast, except that listeners don't have to tune in at a particular time to hear each show. Instead, they subscribe to a podcast and automatically receive a downloaded copy of each new episode after it's published by the podcaster (the person who created the podcast). Subscribers can listen to a podcast through their computer or through an mp3 player, such as an iPod, whenever they choose. Podcasts have become popular in recent years due to their convenience and their price—nearly all podcasts are free.
Types of Podcasts
The variety of podcasts is endless, but all podcasts can be broken down into three basic types:
Host-driven: A podcast that's similar to a radio talk show—its main attraction is the personality of its host. Adam Curry's "Daily Source Code" is one example.
Topic-driven: A podcast dedicated to a particular subject. "Learn Spanish with Coffee Break Spanish" is a topic-driven podcast.
Actual radio shows: Many radio broadcasters also publish their shows as podcasts, such as Ira Glass with "This American Life."
Podcast! why should I?
Podcasting was initially used by individuals who wanted to host their own internet-based radio shows. Now individuals and businesses are turning to podcasting for all sorts of reasons, including:
Fun: Amateur podcasters create podcasts because they enjoy talking about subjects they love and interacting with a community of listeners. There are podcasts on every subject imaginable.
Exposure: Podcasts provide a great way for businesses, bands, and individuals to get exposure. For instance, a band might create a podcast of their demo songs, or a local bike store might start a podcast on bike gear and maintenance to attract customers to its website and retail store.
Alternative distribution: Podcasts are a great way to distribute audio material that otherwise might languish in obscurity. Lectures, religious services, conference proceedings, and keynote speeches are posted as podcasts, allowing people who could not attend the event in person to listen and look at their convenience.
Advertising revenue: Some podcasters have managed to make podcasting a career, or at least make a bit of money at it. If your podcast gains an audience, you may be able to sell time on your show to advertisers or join a podcast network that will sell ad space for you.
How Podcasting Works
Here's a general overview of how podcasting works:
Podcaster creates the podcast: A podcaster plans, records, and edits a show. Nearly all podcasts are recorded and published as mp3 files, which use up less memory than other audio files and are therefore easier to upload and download.
Podcaster publishes the podcast to the internet: The podcaster uploads the episode to a website on the internet and makes it available for subscription by using software technology called an RSS feed. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication."
Subscribers get the podcast: People subscribe to the podcast using specialized RSS reader software programs known as podcatchers or podcast aggregators. Whenever a new episode of a podcast to which you are subscribed is published, your aggregator will download that episode to your computer.
Subscribers listen to the podcast: Once the episode is downloaded, subscribers can listen to it whenever they want on their computers or on a digital music player, such as an iPod.
How to Listen to a Podcasts?
You could listen to podcasts by surfing the web and checking your favorite sites on a regular basis to download each new episode. But it's much faster and easier to subscribe to and automatically receive new podcasts using a podcast aggregator, which you'll first have to download and install on your computer.
Podcast Aggregators
There are many different podcast aggregators available. Two of the most popular are iTunes® and Juice®.
Subscribe to Podcasts on iTunes
iTunes is Apple computer's free digital jukebox, which works in tandem with Apple's iPod digital music player and is available for both Macs and PCs. iTunes is far and away the most popular podcast-subscription program because it combines the functions of a podcast aggregator and media player—you can use it to subscribe and listen to podcasts. If you don't already have iTunes, you can download it for free from www.apple.com/itunes.
How to Subscribe to Podcasts on iTunes
Subscribe to a podcast using iTunes, follow these steps-
Open iTunes and go to the iTunes Store.
Click on Podcasts in the iTunes Store menu.
You'll be brought to a directory page that lists new podcasts, featured podcasts, and most popular podcasts. It also organizes podcasts by category.
When you find a podcast that interests you, click on the title or associated image to go to its main page. Near the top of this page, you'll see a Subscribe button, which downloads the most recent episode and establishes a feed to download future episodes automatically. On the lower half of the page, you'll see a list of recent episodes along with a Get Episode button. This button downloads only the episode of the podcast that you choose.
Manage and Listen to Your Podcasts with iTunes
To manage and listen to your chosen iTunes podcasts, click on "Podcasts" in the Library section of the main menu on the left side of the iTunes interface.
This page lists all the podcasts to which you have subscribed, as well as the individual episodes that have downloaded. When you subscribe to a podcast, only the episodes that are published after you have subscribed will download automatically. Earlier episodes will be listed in a grayed-out font and can be downloaded manually just by clicking on them. Every listed podcast and podcast episode will have a title, time, release date, and description.
From the iTunes Podcast Library page you can play or delete any episode or unsubscribe from any podcast. If you unsubscribe from a podcast, you won't lose any episodes of that podcast that have already downloaded, but no new episodes will download.
How to Load Podcasts onto Your iPod
Your iPod can be programmed to download podcasts automatically from iTunes each time it's connected. To do this, connect your iPod, open iTunes, then select the "Podcasts" tab from the main screen. Click the "Sync" checkbox, then select the podcasts you'd like to sync.
You can modify the options to sync all, most recent, or unplayed podcasts.
What is Juice?
Juice is an aggregator that's used solely for subscribing to podcasts. You can then listen to the podcasts using any of the major media players, such as Quicktime® or Windows Media Player®. Juice works on both Macs and PCs. If you already use iTunes to manage and play your digital music, you're probably best off using it as your podcast aggregator as well. But if you'd prefer to use a media player other than iTunes, Juice is a great choice. To download Juice for free, go to http://.juicereceiver.sourceforge.net.
How to Subscribe to Podcasts on Juice
To browse podcasts: Click the Podcast Directory tab. You'll see a series of category folders—click on one to expand it. When you find a podcast that you'd like to subscribe to, click on it in the directory, then click the Add button. An Add a Feed window will pop up. Click the Save button to add your new podcast subscription.
To download a podcast episode: Click on the Subscriptions tab—this tab lists all the episodes of the podcast you selected in the Podcast Directory. Select the checkbox next to the episode you'd like to schedule for download. Then click the green Check for New Podcasts button to download.
To play the episode: Click on the Downloads tab, which lists all downloaded podcast episodes. Right-click a podcast episode and choose Play Episode in Mediaplayer—the episode will play in whichever player you have set as your default media player.
Using Podcast Directories
In addition to the directories built into aggregators such as iTunes and Juice, there are also many independent websites that provide directories of podcasts organized by category. Three of the most prominent podcast directory sites are:
Podcast Alley® (www.podcastalley.com)
Podcast Pickle® (www.podcastpickle.com)
Odeo® (www.odeo.com)
These sites allow you to browse podcasts by category and read brief descriptions of each. To subscribe to a specific podcast, click on the "Subscribe" or "RSS" button next to the podcast's description. When you click on "Subscribe" or "RSS," you'll see the podcast's URL, or website address. To subscribe to the podcast, copy and paste the URL into your aggregator by following these steps:
In iTunes: Go to the Advanced menu and choose "Subscribe to Podcast." Paste the URL into the window that pops up.
In Juice: On the Podcast Directory tab, paste the URL into the window next to the Add button, then click the Add button.
Build your own Podcasting Studio
You don't need to sink thousands of dollars into buying equipment in order to podcast.
Podcasting Hardware
To get started podcasting, you need only a computer, microphone, and headphones. You can buy everything you need at electronics or computer stores, as well as through online retailers such as www.amazon.com.
Computer
You can podcast using either a PC or a Mac. In general, any Mac G3 or above can be used to make podcasts. If you're using a PC, it should be a Pentium 4 PC (2 GHz or faster) with at least 512 MB of RAM and an on-board sound card. Since audio files are large, you should also have a hard drive with at least 1 GB (gigabyte) of free space. You also might want to invest in an external hard drive.
Microphones
The sound quality of your podcast is determined primarily by the quality of the microphone you use to record it. Though you can use the microphone that's built into your computer to record podcasts, most podcasters (and listeners) consider those mics insufficient. You're better off working with a basic microphone that plugs directly into your computer via USB cable. A unidirectional mic picks up only direct sound and filters out background noise. Two good mic options for first-time podcasters are:
Plantronics® DSP-500 USB: A headset mic that costs $40–45.
Samson® C01U: A freestanding mic that costs about $80. If you get this mic, you might also want to buy a shock mount ($30), a stand that minimizes the effects of bumping the mic during recording.
If you get a freestanding mic, you might also consider getting a pop filter to protect the mic and prevent the sharp pops that can occur when someone speaking into a mic makes a "B" or "P" sound.
How to Record a Telephone Interview
If you want to use telephone interviews in your podcasts, you'll need a way to capture the audio from the phone onto your computer.
A telephone audio tap connects a phone to your computer's sound card and uses your regular recording software to capture both sides of a phone conversation. The most respected maker of telephone audio taps is JK AudioTM (www.jkaudio.com), and its most popular audio tap for podcasters is the THAT-2.
Be aware that in most states it's illegal to record telephone conversations without the permission of the people participating in the call.
Before you begin your phone or live interview, remind the interviewee that this interview will be part of your podcast, and get a verbal agreement so that you have a recorded acknowledgement of your terms. You can make a copy of this file for your records and edit the acknowledgement out of the final podcast.
Headphones
In podcasting, headphones serve as monitors: they allow podcasters to hear their program exactly as it will sound to listeners. You can use any headphones for this purpose, including the earbud headphones that come with mp3 players. You'll get the best sense of the sound of your podcast if you use earmuff-style isolation headphones. AKG K141 Studio headphones cost about $100.
Additional Hardware
As you get deeper into podcasting, you may also want to invest in an audio mixer or a portable recorder.
Audio Mixers
Audio mixers (also called mixing boards) allow you to take multiple sound sources, such as mics and sound files, and mix them into a single sound source. If, for example, you're interviewing a panel with three participants, you could give each panelist his or her own microphone and combine the three channels together into one audio file. The mixer allows you to adjust the sound levels for each microphone separately. You can find a basic mixer that allows you to mix four to six mics, such as the Tapco Mix-60®, for $100 or less.
Portable Recorders
Portable digital recorders allow you to conduct interviews in the field that you can later edit for use in your podcasts.
Digital pocket recorders: The most affordable field recording option ($75–300). Most of these recorders have poor sound quality but allow you to transfer digital files easily to your computer via USB cable. With the addition of an external mic, some mp3 players, including iPods, can be used as pocket recorders.
MiniDisc recorders: More expensive than pocket recorders ($300–600) but feature much better sound quality. To take full advantage of a MiniDisc recorder, you'll probably need to use an external mic, since most recorders' built-in microphones are subpar.
No matter what type of recorder you're using, if your podcast is going to involve a lot of outdoor recording, look into getting a windscreen for your microphone. Most windscreens cost less than $10.
Podcasting Software
To record audio files, edit the files into a single podcast file, and post the podcast to the internet, you'll need recording and editing software.
Free Recording and Editing Software
The most popular free software package for sound recording and editing is Audacity®, which you can download for Mac or PC at audacity.sourceforge.net. There's one minor complication: for legal reasons, the Audacity software cannot create mp3 files.
To solve this problem, you can download what's known as a LAME mp3 encoder, which enables Audacity to make mp3s. To download a LAME encoder:
Go to the Audacity FAQ page (audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq).
Search for the FAQ about downloading and installing the LAME mp3 encoder.
Follow the directions on the FAQ answer page for your Mac or PC.
Commercial Recording and Editing Software
Some podcasters find commercial recording and editing software easier to use than free software. Commercial software also usually includes more advanced features than free software. The top commercial recording and editing software differs for Macs and PCs:
Macs: Apple's GarageBand® is easy to use and works seamlessly with iTunes. Since it's designed originally for musicians, it may contain more features than you actually need. GarageBand is included as a standard part of the iLife package, which comes preinstalled on many Macs. If it's not installed on yours, you can buy GarageBand (and the entire iLife package) for $79 at www.apple.com/ilife.
PCs: The top commercial recording and editing package for Windows is Propaganda®, an audio recording and editing program designed exclusively for creating podcasts. You can buy Propaganda for $49.95 at www.makepropaganda.com/buy.html.
Setting Up Your Studio
If you begin podcasting with a mic that plugs into your computer via USB and headphones, setting up your studio will be easy. The headphones and most mics are plug and play, which means that they should work as soon as they're plugged into your computer. All you have to do is install your recording and editing software, and you're ready to start your podcast.
How to Plan a Podcast
Before you record, edit, or publish a podcast, you first need to plan it. Planning a podcast involves three steps:
Choosing a topic
Developing segments that you'd want to use across multiple episodes of your podcast
Creating a plan for each individual show
Choosing a Topic
Most successful podcasts are about a specific topic. One might focus on growing orchids, while another might review the news stories of the day. Choose a topic about which you're knowledgeable and passionate. This will help you:
Gain an audience: People will want to listen to your show if you're telling them something new and interesting. It's much easier to do that if you're knowledgeable about your topic.
Maintain momentum: Podcasting is fun but not exactly easy. Creating a weekly or even monthly show takes a lot of dedication. If you're not excited by the topic of your podcast, you'll probably give up after a few episodes.
Think About Your Audience
Consider the type of listener you'd like to attract to your podcast. For instance, if you're looking to appeal to an older audience, you may want a quieter, more serious show.
How to Develop Show Segments
A great way to keep your podcast lively is to divide it into different segments. No matter the topic, a 30-minute podcast that covers the same issue in the same way is bound to get boring. But a 30-minute episode that contains four to six different segments is much more likely to keep you and your audience engaged. Common podcast segments include:
Opening: An intro to your show, such as a monologue.
Stories or features: The issues you want to discuss during that episode. For instance, an orchid podcast might include a story about a certain type of orchid or growing technique. You may also want to create features that you include in every show. For example, a podcast about the news of the week might include a segment in which you interview people on the street to get their opinions.
Interviews: Discussions with experts or anyone else doing interesting things in the field you're covering.
Listener feedback: Feedback you receive from subscribers via email, posted comments on your blog, or even recorded responses they send to you. A great way to make an audience feel involved in your show is to respond to listener feedback as you record.
Sign-off: An end-of-show statement, phrase, or feature that you use to end one episode and keep your subscribers coming back for the next.
As you continue producing new episodes of your podcast, you'll generate new ideas for features, stories, or segments, and can introduce them gradually. Always be on the lookout for ways to freshen up your show.
Using Music in Your Podcasts
Podcasters often use music to open or close a show, or to introduce a specific segment. Many podcasters also play entire songs during their shows. However you choose to do it, play only the music that you have a legal right to use. Using music that you don't have a right to use can make you vulnerable to lawsuits—and even a little jingle may be legally off limits. There are three ways to make sure the music you use is legal:
Write it yourself: If you write and record a piece of music yourself, it's yours to use.
Buy stock music: Search online for "stock music" and you'll find numerous sites that sell low-cost, rights-free music that you can use in podcasts.
Use podsafe music: The Podsafe Music Network (music.podshow.com) is a website that connects podcasters with musicians who have written and recorded songs they're willing to let podcasters use for free, as long as you credit both the artist and the Podsafe Network when you play the song.
How to Plan Each Show
It's a good idea to write a detailed outline of the content and timing before you record your show. You may even want to write out a script for each segment or, if you'll be conducting an interview, a list of questions. If you record your podcast without an outline, you're likely to ramble or leave out something that you had intended to discuss. Having an outline will keep your show organized and engaging.
As you plan, keep the total length of your show in mind. Most podcasts last 20–30 minutes, but some may be just five minutes long, while others are closer to an hour. It's a good idea to keep all your episodes at about the same length so that your audience knows what to expect each time you publish a new one.
How to Record a Podcast
Recording a podcast is the process of using audio recording software to get the raw material of your podcast onto your computer.
How to Record All at Once or in Pieces
Before you begin recording your podcast, you need to decide whether to record your show all at once or in pieces:
Recording all at once: With this option, you hit the Record button, record your entire podcast from start to finish, then stop recording. Recording all at once will make your editing job much easier because you don't have to edit together multiple tracks, but it will also give you less flexibility.
Recording in pieces: With this option, you create each segment separately, then combine them into one audio file later in the editing process. Recording in pieces will give you more control but will also require more editing time.
As you experiment with podcasting, you'll gradually get a feel for the method you prefer.
How to Configure Your Recording Program
Next you'll need to configure the preferences (settings) of your audio recording program to make it record in the file format you prefer and produce files of reasonable sizes. You can usually change preferences by clicking on Preferences in the File or other menu along the top bar of your audio recording software. Under the Quality tab, set the following:
Sample rate: 44,100 Hz for a podcast that consists mostly of your voice. Use a higher setting (96,000 Hz or so) for podcasts that include a lot of music.
Sample format: 16-bit for podcasts that are mostly voice; higher (24- or 32-bit) for podcasts that include music.
Channels: If you're using only one mic, set the channels to mono. If you're using more than one mic, set the channels to the number of channels you'll be recording.
It's best to use the lowest settings that produce a sound quality that you consider acceptable. The higher the settings, the larger the files and the more time it will take to upload and download them. In general, a 30-minute podcast can range from about 30 MB for an all-music show to 15–21 MB for a talk show with some music. In addition, on the File Formats tab of the Preferences window, make sure that the uncompressed export format is set to WAV (Microsoft 16-bit PCM).
How to Record Audio Files for Your Podcasts
Most recording software has intuitive controls that you'll recognize from any CD, DVD, or media player:
Click the Record button to begin recording.
If you need to stop in the middle of recording, click the Pause button. Click it again to continue.
When you're finished recording a segment (or the entire show), end the recording by clicking the Stop or OK button.
Monitoring the Levels
As you record, the software will display a chart or line graph of your sound levels on a scale that typically ranges from -32 to +6. As you record, aim to keep the sound levels at or just below 0. You never want the levels to go above 0, as that will cause distortion.
If the levels are well under 0, the sound will be too soft, though you can increase the volume during editing if your original recording volume was only somewhat low.
To adjust the levels, move the input volume control either up or down. The input volume control often appears next to a small mic icon.
How to Save the Audio Files of Your Podcasts
When you've finished recording, save the file in .wav format. A .wav file is the best file format for editing sound. Only after you've edited your podcast should you save it as an mp3 file. If you're saving multiple segments, name each one so that you'll be able to easily identify your various segments later.
How to Organize Your Saved Podcast Files
To organize your saved podcast files, create a podcasts folder and, within that folder, separate folders for each episode.
How to Archive Your Podcast Files
Along with building an organizational system for your podcast recordings, you should also have a system for saving your old podcast material long-term, in case you want to reuse material down the road or handle a dispute about something you said or did in your podcast. If your computer doesn't have the memory to save your podcasts, burn the data onto CDs or DVDs.
How to Edit Your Podcast
Editing your podcast is the process of fine-tuning and arranging the sound files that make up the raw material of your podcast. What you do in the editing phase depends on whether you recorded your podcast in segments or in one take.
If you recorded your podcast in segments: In the editing stage, you'll combine those segments to create a complete episode.
If you recorded your entire podcast in one take: In the editing stage, you'll clean up the sound and/or add effects, such as fade-ins and fade-outs.
How to Import Tracks
Audio recordings can have multiple tracks, each of which contains the recorded sounds of a specific part of the overall audio recording. For instance, when bands record albums, each instrument is recorded onto a different track. The tracks then get mixed down into one audio file. If you recorded your podcast all at once, your recording likely has just one track. If you recorded your podcast in a number of different segments, each segment will be a different track that you have to bring into one window to edit into one track.
To do this, open a new editing window. Next, import each of the files (tracks) that you recorded for your podcast into that new window. In Audacity, you can import files by going to the Project menu and then selecting Import Audio. On some audio recording programs, you can simply drag and drop files directly into the editing window.
How to Edit Tracks
Most podcasters edit individual tracks to remove verbal stumbles or dead air, periods of silence that can make a podcast sound dull. To do this, listen and look at the track, noting at which points in the visual representation of the track the dead air occurs. The following example shows what a track looks like before and after the highlighted portion is deleted. (To delete a portion of a track, highlight it and press the Delete key.) You can also rearrange the parts of a track by highlighting an area of a track and then cutting and pasting it to another point in the track.
How to Add Effects to Podcasts
In addition to splicing and rearranging your tracks, audio editing software allows you to add effects such as reverb, fade-ins, and fade-outs to your tracks. To apply an effect in Audacity:
Highlight the section of the track to which you want to apply the effect.
Click on Effect in the menu bar. A drop-down menu of effects will appear. Select the one you want to apply.
For instance, if you want to fade out the volume at the end of a segment, you would highlight the end of that segment and select Fade Out.
How to Mix Tracks Together
After you've edited each track, you can use your editing software to mix tracks together. You can manipulate two or more tracks at a time and organize tracks in two ways:
Sequentially: You can line up tracks so that one track picks up where another ends. For instance, if you have two segments that follow one after another, you would edit them so that they fit together in this way.
In parallel: You can arrange for the two tracks play simultaneously. For instance, if you wanted to have a voice speaking over background music, you would set up the music track and voice track so that they play at the same time.
You can move tracks to line them up as you wish by dragging them to the left or right.
Editing Sound
As you line up the tracks, you can listen to the way they fit together by hitting the Play button on the editing software. When you play tracks, listen for the following:
Sequential tracks: Pay attention to how well the two tracks fit together and eliminate odd pauses or jumps. Also listen to the sound levels on each track and do your best to make them similar so that there's no sudden jump in volume. This is called normalizing the levels.
Parallel tracks: Make sure that the featured track is fully audible over the background track. Normalize the sound between any two tracks that you want to feature equally.
Filtering Tracks
In addition to editing your tracks and deleting mistakes or unwanted noises, you can also filter the sound of your podcast. For instance, many sound recorders include equalizers, which you can use to set new levels for treble, bass, and midrange sounds, and noise filters, which analyze a track and remove all sounds except the loudest sound, which is presumably the voice you intend to feature.
How to Save Your Podcast
When you've finished editing your podcast, save it as an mp3 file—you may have to select Export as mp3 or click a Publish button in order to do this. When you save the file, give it a name that will help you organize it among your other podcasts. For instance, you could save it as podcastname_year-month-day_episodenumber.mp3.
ID3 Tags
During the saving process, your editing software will likely ask you to provide ID3 tags, which include the name, episode number, description, and date of your MP3 file. When you eventually upload your podcast to an RSS feed, the information you enter as ID3 tags will appear in the podcast directories and podcatchers.
How to Publish Your Podcast
Once you have a completed mp3 file, you're ready to publish your podcast to the internet. Publishing a podcast involves four basic steps:
Host your podcast: Your podcast episodes must be stored on a remote server in order for listeners to subscribe to and download it.
Start a blog for your podcast: Like podcasts, blogs use RSS technology. For that reason, blogs are the best way to provide a feed for your podcast audio files. Because they allow readers to comment on each posting, blogs also allow you to interact with and get feedback from your audience about your show.
Establish an RSS feed for your podcast: An RSS feed is a text document that allows RSS readers to recognize each of your podcast episodes. Without an RSS feed, people won't be able to subscribe to your podcasts. Instead, they'll have to visit your blog to check for new shows and download them manually.
Post episodes: Once your RSS feed is established, you can post new episodes for your podcast. Each new episode will automatically download to your subscribers.
How to Publish Your Podcast
There are a variety of ways to move through the five steps of publishing your podcast. Experienced and tech-savvy podcasters may prefer to do all the work of publishing a podcast manually (writing their own RSS code, for instance). But it's far easier and less time-consuming to start podcasting by using a podcast hosting company.
How to Publish a Podcast Using Liberated Syndication®
The easiest way to start podcasting is by using a podcast hosting company called Liberated Syndication (www.libsyn.com). For a fee, this company handles nearly every aspect of publishing podcasts for you, including:
Hosting your podcast files
Making it easy to upload your files to the Liberated Syndication servers
Setting you up with an easy-to-manage customizable blog
Creating an RSS feed for you that updates each time you upload a new podcast
To get started using Liberated Syndication, all you have to do is create an account and upload your podcast episodes whenever they're ready.
Liberated Syndication's fee ranges from $5–30, depending on the storage space you need. For instance, if you record daily, hour-long podcasts, you'll probably need to get the $30 package, whereas if you record weekly, 20-minute podcasts, the $5 package will probably suffice. Liberated Syndication does not charge for bandwidth, so even if your podcast gets popular and you have lots of downloads, you won't have to pay more.
How to Publish a Podcast for Free
If you want to publish podcasts without paying anything, you can. However, the process is a little more complicated than using Liberated Syndication:
Upload your podcasts to OurMedia (www.ourmedia.org), a website that offers free hosting for media files. You'll have to register in order to upload them.
Establish a blog (or use a blog you already have) with Blogger®, a free blogging service. Blogger will create a blog for you at the URL: http://your-blog-name.blogspot.com. You can host a blog on your own website, but you'll have to use a blogging service such as WordPress® or TypePad®. (For more info on these services and blogging in general, see the Quamut guide to Blogging , available in Barnes & Noble bookstores and online at www.quamut.com.)
Blogger currently uses an RSS feed that does not support audio, but you can solve that problem by using a free service from Feedburner (www.feedburner.com). When you sign up with Feedburner, you type in the URL of your blog, and Feedburner's SmartCast™ software then converts your RSS feed into one that supports audio. In addition, Feedburner provides you with free tools that allow you to analyze your podcast statistics, such as how many people are subscribed to your RSS feed. For a fee, you can upgrade to more sophisticated analysis tools.
Exactly how you integrate Feedburner with your RSS feed depends in part on the type of blogging service you use. If you'd like to use Feedburner, your best bet is to read the tutorials on its website that explain how it works with each blogging service.
Posting Episodes of Your Podcast
Once your blog and RSS feed are up and running, all you need to do to publish a podcast is upload the file to your hosting service and add a post to your blog that includes:
The title and episode number of the podcast
A description of the podcast (called show notes, explained below)
A link directly to the MP3 file that contains the podcast
If you use Liberated Syndication, each time you upload a new podcast episode, you'll fill out some forms that will automatically produce a blog entry with these features. If you're using Blogger or other blogging software, you'll have to include these features manually in each post. The link to your podcast will point to the URL where the podcast is being hosted.
Show Notes
Show notes—a detailed outline of your show that can even include links to all the URLs a podcaster may mention during a podcast—are generally appreciated by listeners. Writing show notes isn't mandatory, however, and many successful podcasters provide only a few sentences or a paragraph in their show notes.
How to Promote Your Podcast
Creating an RSS feed for your podcasts enables anyone with a podcast aggregator to subscribe to your podcast. But an RSS feed won't get your podcast into the directories that most people browse. To list your podcast in these directories, you'll have to submit a link to your podcast manually to each of the most popular directory sites.
How to Submit a Podcast to iTunes
The podcast directory on iTunes is by far the most popular podcast directory, so getting your podcast listed on iTunes is crucial to attracting listeners. To submit your podcast to iTunes:
Open iTunes and go to the iTunes Store.
Go to the Podcasts directory page.
Click on the Submit a Podcast link, which is located in an icon in the middle of the page and in the Learn More menu at the bottom left of the page.
You'll be taken to a page that asks you to enter the URL of your podcast feed. Enter the URL feed, then follow the directions to complete your submission.
Submitting Podcasts to Other Directories
Once you've listed your podcast in the iTunes directory, it's a good idea to add your podcast to the other popular directories listed below. You'll first have to register and become a member of each site. All of them will guide you through the process of submitting your podcast to its directory.
Popular Podcast Directories
Podcastready: www.podcastready.com Podcast Alley: www.podcastalley.com Podcast Pickle: www.podcastpickle.com PodShow: www.podshow.com Odeo: www.odeo.com Podomatic: www.podomatic.com
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