A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Own Podcast
Sonia Winters

If there's one thing the Internet is fabulous for, it's giving virtually everyone the ability to be heard. Long gone are the days of controlled media messages sent out by the powerful few, information available only by way of the Tom Brokaw and Time Magazine. Thanks to the World Wide Web and an influx of user-friendly software, now even old Mr. Jones down the street can project his voice across oceans. Podcasting is one of the newest, freshest ways for him to do that.

Think of it like an audio blog; a podcast is a recorded program similar to radio (sans commercials, of course) made available via mp3 files on websites or RSS feeds. But unlike radio, users can download these programs onto an iPod or any other mp3 device and listen at their own convenience. Also unlike radio, there are no FCC standards to regulate the content; a podcast can say anything about any topic at any time. It's revolutionary, really. And by following a few fairly simple steps, anyone can make them.

Get a Clear Niche
Maybe you already know precisely what your podcast will cover: you want to host your own music countdown, promote your friend's newest invention or discuss the nitty-gritty political issues of your home state. That's great, get to it! But for those who aren't so sure, who know only that they want to give podcasting a shot, it's a good idea to check out what other hosts are up to.

iPodder.org and Podcast.net are home to tons of podcasts on a variety of topics; download several shows on issues that interest you and see what's being done and how you might do it differently. Don't be afraid of creativity; try putting a new spin on an old issue or blowing the doors off a topic that's only rarely, if ever, covered. Listeners will continually come to your podcast if you offer something fresh and vivid.

Get a Plan for your Podcast
Once you've discovered your niche, get down to details. Though the beauty of podcasting is the ability to buck the rules of traditional audio broadcasts, it helps to consider what made those rules so traditional in the first place; this will help you map your show much more effectively.

First, consider format: how long will the podcast be? Will you have guests or take phone calls? Will you play music of any sort? Think about how other shows similar to yours function, remember all the radio programs you've heard before. Keep in mind that while you can certainly forget all the rules, you want to keep your listeners listening; a you-only six-hour program about cheese might not be the easiest thing to digest.

Once you've figured out the format, divide and plan the show accordingly. If you're hosting a talk show, for instance, decide how many (and which) topics you'll cover and how long each topic will get. And don't forget to break it up; since podcasts have no commercials, you'll need a way to give listeners a breather between issues -- consider using some sort of music or audio clip.

Also, make sure to prepare opening and closing remarks for the entire thing, maybe even give listeners a sneak peek at the next program; identifying yourself, as well as referring to future episodes, is a great way to remind listeners to come back for more.

Get Tech
You've got the idea in theory, now get it into practice. You don't need to be a tech genius to record your podcast, but you definitely need some basic recording equipment and software. First and foremost, you'll need a microphone. While it's entirely possible to use your computer's built-in mic to record your voice, it's a much better idea to invest in an external mic; the sound will be that much cleaner and professional.

Shure makes several microphones perfect for voice recording (try an SM57 or SM58), and you can find these at very affordable prices on eBay or any music shop that sells pre-owned instruments. While you're scoping out microphones, grab a pair of headphones to track the sound; you'll want some unidirectional that covers your entire ear. Again, eBay and used music shops are the best way to go for these.

Now you just need the software to make a podcast. Mac owners tend to use GarageBand, as it comes with the newest operating systems, but PC users or those with no recording software already on their computer tend to use Audacity, a free audio recording/editing program that can be downloaded online (audacity.sourceforge.net); it's a fairly simple program, but tons of tutorials are available to walk you through its functions. Just remember to also download the free mp3 encoder as well; you'll need that to turn your podcast into the most easily consumable file type.

Once you've recorded your podcast and edited out any mistakes (and added music or audio samples), you'll need to minimize the file size (by either lowering the sample or bit rate), convert it to mp3 and upload it onto your website. Don't have a website? No worries! Our media (www.ourmedia.org) has recently begun providing users with completely free bandwidth and storage for podcasts and other sorts of media. It's a great way to get your podcast online while avoiding fees (if the podcast starts to gain a following, however, you'll definitely want to consider creating a website for it specifically).

Get Heard
So you've got the first episode of your podcast recorded, edited, uploaded and ready to go. Now you just need some listeners -- but how do you find them? The most obvious and widely used way of attracting listeners to your podcast is by submitting it to podcast directories and search engines, of which there are hundreds (run a Google search to find them). And while directories and search engines are a definite means to getting your voice out there, it's sometimes worth looking into alternate methods of promotion if you really want to take your podcast to the next level.

Get involved in online forums and blogs that are similar to your topic and trade links with like-minded people; there's a whole community of podcasters out there eager to check out your program. And if your podcast has a regional slant, try getting some publicity in local papers or magazines. Though it may seem difficult, it's often entirely possible to get mentioned in print media simply by asking. Create a press release and personal bio for your podcast and send it off to as many media sources as possible; you'll be surprised at what may transpire.

About the author: Sonia Winters enjoys podcasting and writes for Andy Hagans Link Building, a link building service.

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Great job Sonia, and now for a more business oriented view. Yes, I know - Tim is a little formal but he knows his stuff and has included his phone number for all of you with business podcasting questions... Editor

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iPods and Podcasting for Learning and Sales Enablement
By Tim Keelan

The Corporate Podcast Push

What do Duke University, IBM, Capital One, Newsweek and Barenaked Ladies all have in common? Answer: they are all reaching out to staff, students, and customers with a new and powerful tool – podcasting. You may have heard about podcasting from your kids or on the news, but podcasting is much more than some phenomenon started by the rock and roll or techy crowd. Podcasting is a powerful communication tool being used to reach global and mobile audiences, save people time and, most importantly, really connect with their audiences in news ways – in today’s communication/message glut. But let’s take a look at what podcasting is, who is using and why it is so effective for both business and individuals.

First, we’ll look at the size and scale of the podcasting phenomenon…

-- A recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that more than 22 million American adults own Ipods or and MP3 player and 29% of them have downloaded podcasts or listened to podcast that have been “pushed” to them. That equates to 6 million people listening to podcasts. Market researchers and analysts continue to buoy up podcasting's future with latest figures suggesting a US audience alone of 56 million by 2010.

-- Jupiter Research recently predicted that US digital music player sales would grow to 56 million by 2010, up from 16.2 million in 2004 and by 2010, three- quarters of all people who own portable digital music players will listen to podcasts, a growth from less than 15% last year.

What is podcasting?

Whether you describe it as the greatest communication tool since email, or as an RSS feed for audio, podcasting is a way to “push” audio content to subscribers for virtually zero cost. Podcasting allows anyone (me, you, IBM, or NBC) to post audio content that gets pushed to any subscriber’s desktop and then directly to their iPod or MP3 player. This is global. Anyone, anywhere can “tune in” to your podcast and learn what you have to offer or say. You don’t need to be NBC with a global distribution infrastructure. Now people can “subscribe” to a podcast and have new content “pushed” out to them without them having to surf the web, download MP3s or burn CD’s.

Ideas/Stories/Voices ? Audio/MP3’s ? Internet ? PC ? MP3 player

All the arrows go in one direction. Once someone has subscribe to your podcast, your content get “pushed” out to them. There is no turning in to stations with podcasting. You don’t have to visit a website to find streaming podcasting. Podcasts show up (pushed) when new content is produced. If you are a subscriber, you get the podcast right then. All you need is an Ipod or MP3 player of any kind for listening, thus the word podcasting.

The term "Podcasting" is derived from the iPod (Apple Computer’s popular device for playing compressed audio files) and "broadcasting." Podcasting allows for audio files that would have been previously downloaded and played on a personal computer to be automatically downloaded and listened to on portable music playing devices (such as the iPod and other MP3 players).

Having originated in the world of blogging, some have even referred to podcasting as "audio blogging." For many, podcasting is a logical next step from blogging. As Business Week Senior Writer Stephen Baker observes, "The heart of the podcasting movement is in the world of blogs, those millions of personal Web pages that have become a global sensation. In a blogosphere that has grown largely on the written word, podcasts add a soundtrack."

Now that you know what a podcast is, let’s look at where they come from: who is producing the “pushed audio content.”

Who is producing podcasts?

The answer is wide ranging. Teenagers, techies and rock musicians were early adopters. Today you see the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Business Week, ESPN and news programs of all types producing, distribution and marketing podcasts. The number of podcasts available is growing at a very rapid pace. In late 2004, there were close to 500 podcasts available. Today there are over 10,000 different podcasts to choose from.

Now that podcasting has becoming more mainstream, corporate and non-corporate organizations are getting into the act, using podcasting to connect with customers, students, staff and partners. Here are some examples:

-- Duke University handed out iPods to their entire 2005 freshman class so they could receive podcasts that included university news, class work and social content.

-- Capital One University has handed out over 3000 iPods to support corporate training and communications. This includes, leadership training, sales, customer service and other topics.
-- IBM has created podcasts to show their thought leadership to customers investors and prospects.

-- Keane Inc. has handed out over 100 ipods to their global sales force to share training, customers’ stories and organizational content.

Why have these and other organizations gotten into podcasting? They have gotten into it because they know their audience (whether internal or external) is inundated with text-based content: emails, articles, the web portals, and marketing messages. Podcasting allows them a unique medium to reach and connect with their audience.

iPods will be part of Duke University’s new Duke Digital Initiative (DDI). "We've been focusing on iPods and other mobile computing, but our wider goal is to integrate technology broadly into the teaching and learning process,” said Peter Lange, Peter Lange, the university's provost and senior academic officer. “The iPods have helped jump-start this process, and we plan to keep pushing ahead."

Listeners love podcasting because it delivers rich content directly to them, in a form that allows them to save time, control what they hear and listen to while commuting, working or whenever it works for them. No longer is learning tied to a book, PC screen or web portal.

Content is still king in any communication, especially recorded podcasts. Podcasting is the delivery tool. Compelling content ensures continuous listening and not a flip of the power switch or turn of the dial.

Should you podcast?

Podcasting is not answer to all your learning and communication problems. As great as audio is, like any medium, it has its limits. While audio allows users to multi task, it is not easily scanned – which means you consider the listeners needs very carefully. You must provide value.

Corporate podcasting is different that individuals or media podcasting. The standard for a corporate podcast is much higher than for individual or media. Your staff and customers expect certain from your communication with them. You can’t just offer long-winded rants, self serving commercials or cute content. It is all about value. When producing that value, ask yourself; who and how will you produce your podcast? Who will review it and how? Will you get it transcribed? There are legal issues to consider as well.

Despite these issues podcasting can be simple. Once you have determined your format and established a process the whole process gets much easier. Still podcasting takes a proactive effort, a planned approach, creative development and the courage to try new things. But if you have the courage, and are willing to put the front-end work into it podcasting and mobile audio can provide huge benefits. If you would like to:

-- Reach a global audience
-- Connect with that audience in a new and effective ways
-- Save your audience time
-- Share the passion, experience and stories of your business

…try podcasting – it works!

© 2006 Tim Keelan, StoryQuest Inc.

Tim Keelan is the founder of StoryQuest Inc. A Chicago based firm that produces peer-based mobile audio learning and communication tools. You can reach Tim at tkeelan@storyquest.us or by calling StoryQuest at 312-258-0111.