How To Create A Podcast

Creating downloadable podcasts is one of the easiest ways to communicate. You don't have to know how to spell, you don't even have to be having a good hair day.

Podcasting Equipment

All you need is:

1. An audio recording software program - There are many free audio recording programs available. I use Audacity.
2. A microphone - the one built into your computer will do fine, or use a cheap extension microphone or boom headset.
3. An Audio Publihsing program - to save the podcast in a frame or skin that includes the player buttons particular format you want. There are also freeware versions.

Top Podcast Publishing Tools

Although there are many podcast publishing tools, the two most popular are:

Audacity - one of the top free tools to publish podcasts and create and manipulate audio files for podcasts. It is easy to learn, it also includes many advanced features, supported by Windows, Mac OS 9 or X, and Linux/Unix. Download Audacity

GarageBand - comes pre-installed on Apple computers or can be purchased for around $79. GarageBand is a full-featured studio that records the audio AND manages all publishing steps.

See More Podcasting Tools

How to Create a Podcast

Audio podcasting tools compress, adjust and standardize audio files for maximum clarity over small bandwidths, suitable for playing on websites or streaming from a podcasting directory.

1. Download audacity
2. Create the settings you want - I suggest the 12db setting, 3:1 compression and attack time 0.1secs. Keep the standard Normalizer settings [-0.2].
3. Hit record
4. Talk
5. Add a track 2 if you want a music lead in and out. You can slide these along so they overlap the voice recording and use fade out and fade in to merge the three sound tracks [ Fade Out Intro - Recording - Fade In Ending]. Your final track should fill the bandwidth displayed, rather than look thready and scratchy.
6. Save as mp3 file. Note the size of the file. You can also save as other formats such as export to WAV or AIFF, depending on your preference .
7. Fill out the iD3 tag - its the only identifier that stays with your audio track
8. Open up Sonic Memo > Select a Player
9. Save
10. Upload to your blog, website or podcast publishing directory.

For a tutorial on how to put your podcast into your Wordpress blog

NEXT: Podcast Interview Guide

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