Making a Podcast

Podcast

 

A podcast, or generically netcast, is an episodic series of digital audio or video files which a user can download and listen to. It is often available.

 

 

 

Record your show. To the listener, the difference between a radio talk show and a podcast is minor — both involve listening to a host and/or a set of co-hosts talk about familiar subjects with or without a guest. However, for you, the host, recording a podcast is a little different than recording a live show. You'll perform your show basically as you normally would, but rather than broadcasting it live, you'll record it and offer it for download on the internet. To do this, you'll need to an equipment setup that allows you to record reasonably high-quality audio files and sufficient hard drive space to store them.

• For the most basic podcasting needs, you can get away with a computer and a reasonable-quality microphone, which usually run upwards of $100 at audio equipment stores.

 
 

Edit your audio file. After recording your show, you may want to listen to your audio file and, if necessary, cut out any portions that you don't want to make the final podcast. To do this, you'll need audio-editing software (some free programs, like Audacity, are available online). Insert ads, intro, and outro music, or anything else you'd to add to your podcast.

• When you're done, save your file in a widely-used audio format that will be easy for your audience to use, like .mp3.

 
 

Upload your show to a hosting site. Make your podcast available to your listeners online. A variety of free hosting sites, like Youtube.com, Soundcloud.com, and many others allow you to upload audio files with a free account. Note that, with these sites, per-file-bandwidth limits may require you to split your podcast into multiple parts. You may also want to try hosting your podcast on online audio stores like the iTunes Store, Google Play store, and so on.

• Generally, most podcasts are offered to the listener for free and are supported by donations, sponsors, or advertisers. Charging money for your podcast can decimate your potential listenership when you're competing against literally hundreds of good free podcasts, so it's not usually a good idea.

 
Optionally, create a blog or website for your podcast. Generally, the most professional podcasts have their own websites which contain links to the podcast episodes, as well as podcast news, a store for merchandise, and so on. You may want to purchase your own domain name and build your site from scratch, but for many, a free blog-creation service like Wordpress.com works perfectly well.