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Podcasting:
For Fun & Profit!
The definitive book on podcasting
Wouldn't it be great...
Wouldn't it be great if someone paid attention to your
needs once in awhile?
Would it be great if people catered to your interests?
Wouldn't it be great if you could save more time?
Wouldn't it be great to stay on top of your industry without
subscribing to and
reading a dozen magazines?
Wouldn't it be great to hear inspiring speakers whenever you
wanted to?
Wouldn't it be great to drive to work and listened to the stuff
you wanted to
hear on the radio?
Wouldn't it be great to if you had some other option than
the radio or your
collection of music when you go for a walk?
Wouldn't it be great if you could eliminate annoying radio
DJ banter just
listen to the good stuff?
Wouldn't it be great if you could share your views with
the world?
Wouldn't it be great if people paid to hear you speak?
Wouldn't it be great to boost the money you make from
just a half hour of
work a week?
PODCASTING -- It's all about you!
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 2
Table
of
Contents
Wouldn't it be great?
2
Table of Contents
3
Using this book
4
Introduction
5
What is podcasting?
6
Getting started by downloading and listening
15
Podcasting
software
and
equipment
32
Podcast Host Sites
41
Content
and
Niche
Markets
51
10 Ways to Make Money Podcasting
64
Conclusion
77
Glossary
78
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 3
Using
this
book
How this book is designed to help you
Each chapter has a pre-learning section with questions you might
typically ask, in italics,
followed by a mini-table of contents to help you see where those
questions are answered. Read
each question to help you activate your learning. You'll learn far
more if you do! Refer to them
later if are looking for a particular piece of information to cover
again.
In the "What you need to know" section, you may come across words
and concepts you've never
heard before. That's when you'll see this marker at the end of the
paragraph to let you know that
a definition exists in the glossary
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: WORD
LE
Examples are found in an example box, like this.
P
This way, you'll be able to come back to them when you can't
remember how a concept works.
EXAM
The best way to learn is by participating, so you'll find step-by-step
action plans in boxes like
this:
1. The specific action to take very easy to follow when you
see it in this
format.
Or you might see a tip at the end of paragraph highlighting secrets
that the podcasting pros use to
increase their audience or make money!
>>>SECRETS OF THE PROS!
The "Take Action" section outlines specific steps and websites to
help you learn more and
integrate what you learned into immediate results for both personal
podcasters and business
podcasters.
Finally, each chapter ends with a "Wrap Up" to review what you've
learned, to highlight
mistakes to avoid, and to tell you what's coming up.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 4
Introduction
It's all about you!
If you grew up in a household where the newspaper was delivered
on Saturday morning, you
were probably involved in the weekly fight to get the section you
wanted. Maybe Dad wanted to
read the news, and Mom wanted the lifestyle section. An older sister
might want the
entertainment, and an older brother might want the automotive section,
and the youngest child in
the house will probably ask for the comic section.
The newspaper was delivered to the front door, Dad went outside
in his slippers and picked it up,
and the paper was distributed to the house according to the interests
of the people in the family.
While the idea might generalize the interests of the people living
near house, the weekly
newspaper-section-grab is played out across America.
People's lives are busy and not everyone is interested in everything
all the time! You don't have
the time to cut through the clutter of information, you simply want
to get at the thing that
interests you, and ignore the rest.
As the information age increases, and the availability of content
seems to grow exponentially
every single day, the need for organization and selectivity of information
and entertainment
becomes more and more important.
The Internet has allowed exactly this kind of selectivity, except
there is still a sense of you
having to go out and find the information you're looking for (for
example, through a search
engine) and then choose from a list of related choices.
Podcasting has changed that. Podcasting lets you choose the types
of information or
entertainment you're interested in getting, and then it automates
the process by downloading new
shows as they are updated.
You'll learn a lot through this book as you go from beginner to
pro. But don't lose sight of the
most important thing: podcasting can be a convenient way to be entertained
or informed, but
most importantly, it's a lot of fun!
You're going to hear a lot of technical terms and do a little legwork
to get your first podcast into
the world, but don't let that slow you down. Have fun with it!
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 5
What
is
Podcasting?
Questions this chapter will answer
What is podcasting and why is it so popular?
How come I've never heard of it before?
Who uses it?
Why would I want to know more about it?
How can it help me?
Can it help improve my business?
Can I make money from it?
Is it safe to do or can I get a computer virus?
Does it take a lot of work?
Can I use my palm device or smartphone to hear podcasts?
Will it still be around in the future?
Chapter Contents
What You Need to Know
Introduction
What is podcasting?
How can I understand podcasting?
How does it work?
All the history you need to know... and nothing else
Advantages/Disadvantages
How can podcasting help your business?
Similar concepts
The future of podcasting
Take Action
Useful sites
Do it now! for personal podcasters
Do it now! for business podcasters
Wrap up
Summary
Watch your step
The three things you need to know
Stay tuned...
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 6
What you need to know
Introduction
The term "podcasting" can be confusing to some people, because it
draws its origin from the
combination of the word "iPod" and the word "broadcast." While you
do not need an iPod to
enjoy podcasting, the term probably caught on for convenience, and
its audible similarity to the
word "broadcast."
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: PODCAST
By the end of this book you'll know what podcasting is, be able
to find and enjoy podcasts at
your convenience, and have the chance to do your very own podcasting!
The technical "stuff" is
not as scary as some people might think, and you'll be surprised
how easy it is to get involved.
So if you're afraid that it might be too technical over your head,
keep reading!
>>>SECRETS OF THE PROS!
DON'T LET FEAR STAND IN YOUR WAY!
What is podcasting?
Although we'll get into the technical terms later, podcasting is
an audio file that you can listen to
on your computer or on a portable device. Note that it does not
have to be an iPod, but can be
almost any kind of portable audio device, also referred to as an
MP3 player. An MP3 player,
though, is also a misnomer because these devices will often play
more than just MP3 files.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: IPOD
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: PORTABLE AUDIO DEVICE
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: MP3
How can I understand podcasting?
If you were to ask someone on the street what podcasting is, most
of them will not have any idea
what you are talking about. They will ask if you said "broadcasting."
You might explain to them
that it is a special audio file that you can listen to on your MP3
player. But even then you would
not be doing it justice. Here are some other ways of understanding
what podcasting is.
In the introduction section you were probably reminded of your
LE
childhood when the people in your household fought over the sections
of
P
the newspaper that had been delivered to your door. If you can imagine
that same newspaper, rather than being delivered in one section
to your
front door, but being packaged up in individual sections for each
EXAM
member of your family, with the sections that are not read left
out
completely.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 7
That is one way to think of podcasting: the information
that you are interested in delivered to
you, without the stuff you don't want. Some people have called podcasting
TiVo radio.
Another way to think of podcasting is like a radio program that
is only about your specific
interests and when you click the link or synchronize your MP3 player
with your computer, it gets
downloaded to you automatically.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: SYNCHRONIZE
LE
It's like you're the owner of the radio station. You tell the DJ
what you
want to hear and they'll play it for you. All news? All sports?
Regular
P
updates on the financial markets? Entertainment news? Information
on
your industry? No problem, it's all at your personal DJ's fingertips
and
EXAM
in moments it's playing in your ears.
And a third way to think of podcasting is a targeted audio program
for businesses to add value to
their customers and prospects, and for organizations to pass information
on to their users.
>>>SECRETS OF THE PROS!
ADD VALUE TO YOUR CUSTOMER'S LIVES
However you think of podcasting, other people will still give you
a funny look because it is still
in its infancy. In fact, the term "podcasting" was only
coined in 2004! It won't be long, though,
and everyone will be talking about it.
How does it work?
Essentially, podcasting allows you to select the things you'd like
to listen to, subscribe to them,
have them downloaded to your computer or portable audio device,
and listen to them when you
want to. Once you've subscribed, they will update automatically
for you, like a magazine you
don't think about until the subscription arrives in your mailbox
every month.
What is the advantage of a podcast over other types of broadcasting?
Podcasts assimilate radio,
portable CD players, and satellite radio, into one convenient format,
and allow new uses not
previously available. So what is it that you can listen to? What
kinds of podcasting are available?
The answer to those questions is this: everything you can possibly
imagine! You will be amazed
at the volume and variety of podcasts out there and the possibilities
that exist.
Just as the Internet has allowed pretty much anybody to create visual
files of information and
entertainment, called web pages, podcasting has allowed virtually
anybody to create audio files
of information and entertainment. While the technical details are
not important here, all someone
needs in order to become a podcaster is a computer and an Internet
hook-up. You don't even
need a microphone to create your first podcast. (You may want to
get one later, but you don't
need one now). In fact, if you have a telephone and can browse the
Internet, you will be able to
listen to podcasts and even create your first podcast by the end
of the next chapter!
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 8
Who can podcast? Anyone can podcast! We'll go into
much greater detail later about who might
want to podcast, but generally speaking, there are several reasons
why everyone would want to
podcast:
· Organizations like churches and nonprofits will podcast to keep
people up to date with
what's going on, providing news, seminars and speeches, meeting
transcriptions, etc.
· Businesses will podcast to maintain their name in the marketplace,
offer information on
products or strategies, and position themselves as the expert in
their industry.
· Individuals will podcast if they have something to say to the
world. Opinions, rants, and
artistic offerings are all fair game in podcasting.
Podcasting formats are as varied as the types of podcasts available.
Some podcasts are like
monologues where one person simply shares their ideas into a microphone
for the listener to
hear. Other podcasts are a dialogue between two or more people and
may or may not follow
format. Some podcasts are unscripted while others seem to be very
scripted. Podcasting contain
music, interviews, and while audio podcasts are quite popular now,
audio/video podcasts are
slowly gaining popularity as well.
All the history you need to know... and nothing else
The history of podcasting is well chronicled. But you're not reading
this book to get a history
lesson. You're reading this book to develop a new hobby or business
or enhance an existing one.
So we've condensed the information here so you can get up to speed
in about thirty seconds.
The idea of sending files of sound over the Internet is not new.
It was just a matter of taking
existing elements, like MP3 and RSS, and reworking them to allow
technological visionaries to
create a new form of communication.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: RSS
Personal web journals called web logs, or "blogs" have been around
for a while so people could
voice opinions and provide information to others. People use these
blogs as a personal platform
so it was only natural to add files of sound to their textual offering.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: BLOG
RSS was a file format for sending sound but was not extensively
used. It was developed into
RSS-with-enclosures, allowing someone to attach MP3 files.
When attached to an RSS file, these sound files could be sent automatically
to subscribers,
people who were interested in hearing what the person had to say,
and downloaded to be heard at
their convenience.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 9
The term "podcasting" was coined in 2004 and in just
a few months it went from being an
unknown concept and an uninvented word to a Google-search result
in the millions! Podcasts are
springing up nearly every day, like weeds. But good weeds!
Now everyone is jumping on board the podcasting bandwagon from politicians,
pundits,
professionals, producers, and even pornographers. Anyone with something
to say or a product or
service to sell or an opinion to share can podcast... and many already
are!
Advantages/Disadvantages
Podcasting, just like any other technology, has advantages and disadvantages.
There is one
primary factor that is both an advantage and a disadvantage at the
same time: podcasting is the
unexplored country, the Wild West of technology. This means that
anyone with something to say
has an opportunity to say it, whether they have political views
they want to share at the world, or
success tips to help people improve their lives. And the result
is you're going to get podcasts
which provide real value and podcasts which waste your time and
podcasts which could
potentially offend. You'll get podcasts with nothing to say and
podcasts that say way too much.
Until a regulatory body is established that will bring some structure
to the industry, podcasting is
open to anyone and everyone who wants to get in on it, whether the
things they have to say are
of value to people or not. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage
at the same time. Seeing
what kind of podcasts are out there, though, and selectively choosing
the ones you want, will
allow you to take advantage... of the advantage!
How can podcasting help your business?
If you have a business, podcasting has many applications that allow
you to get in front of your
customers, get your name out there, and ultimately make you more
money. Later in the book
we'll show you ways that you can use podcasting to add value to
your customer's lives. And at
the end of this book we'll show you 10 ways that will help you make
money with podcasting
whether you own a big business or small one. It's a great way to
boost your business with a very
small investment of money and time.
If you are not ready to make the leap to full-time podcaster, there
are other ideas that we've
included in our "business podcasting" suggestions. For example,
you can podcast on an area of
the industry you currently work in as an employee. Show yourself
to be interested in learning
more about the business and you could find yourself considered as
an up-and-comer when the
next round of promotions happens at your office.
Alternatively, you can moonlight outside of your job as a podcaster.
You can do this on a free
basis as a hobby or in the capacity of an entrepreneur looking to
eventually build your part-time
business into a full-time career. You'll learn much more about these
options later in the book.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 10
Similar concepts
Palmcasting is a similar concept to podcasting, except it applies
to PDA devices which can
receive and play podcasts. Punchcasting is a way of receiving podcasts
in your smartphone
without having to sync it onto your computer first. It requires
that you have a smartphone with
RSS.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: PALMCASTING
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: PUNCHCASTING
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: SMARTPHONE
The future of podcasting
The future of podcasting is wide open right now because it is still
a fledgling industry without a
regulatory body. While podcasting is just catching on and only a
couple years old, people are
already talking about "zencasting" or "vidcasting" which is similar
to podcasting but contains
video as well.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: ZENCASTING
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: VIDCASTING
But it doesn't stop there. Visionaries will see beyond podcasting
and even though it is exciting
and new, technology advances so rapidly that it will get old very
quickly. What is around the
corner and how will podcasting influence it?
Soon, we may find highly interactive vidcasts that are automatically
made available to us without
us having to subscribe to them, based simply on our browsing or
online buying habits and the
technology will be streamlined enough that computers will automatically
come with the
programs that go out and "catch" the podcasts without having to
download additional programs.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 11
Take Action!
Useful sites on "What is podcasting?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
Wikipedia is an online open encyclopedia that collects and synthesizes
information. Anyone can
contribute and add to pages so it provides real value as an ongoing
source of information. If you
want to learn more about podcasting and many of the related terms
and technologies, go here.
http://www.ipodder.org/
This site is one of the original and most popular sites available
on the internet for podcasters. It
acts as a directory for people interested in listening to podcasts,
although it can be difficult to
navigate around if you want to find other information than what's
on their main page. Visually, it
is so-so but it is a pioneer in the podcasting industry.
http://www.podcasting-tools.com/
This is an excellent site about podcasting and takes you through
everything from an introduction
to how-to-podcast as well as the technical aspects of podcasting.
It doesn't look great but it's
quite functional and informative.
http://www.apple.com/podcasting/
Apple, from whose product podcasting derives its name, has a very
visually pleasing site on
podcasting. It is fairly comprehensive and even a non-apple owner
should find useful
information and links there.
http://www.podcastingnews.com/
This might be a little advanced for the beginner, but it is an excellent
and comprehensive news
site devoted solely to podcasting news. Once you're familiar with
podcasting and want to really
benefit from the industry and stay on top of it, this should be
in your "favorites" folder.
http://www.podcastpickle.com/
This is an excellent site about podcasting and it doesn't take itself
too seriously. It claims to be
the best on the Internet and that is probably a fairly accurate
claim. It's definitely one of the best.
And very comprehensive, too.
Do it now! For personal podcasters
1. After reading this chapter, go online and check out some of the
sites to see what other
kinds of information is out there.
2. Think about two or three areas of interest you have that you
might like to hear podcasts
of. What kind of hobbies do you have? Are there places you like
to travel? What do you
like to do in your spare time? What do you spend your money on?
Thinking ahead on
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 12
what you'd like to hear will help you stay focused
through the myriad of podcasts
available.
3. Come back and read the next chapter to learn about how you can
download podcasts and
start listening right away!
4. Also, start thinking about an area you might like to podcast
in as well. Don't worry about
how just yet, just think about what might be interesting to you!
Take it to the next level
If you are really excited about the opportunity to podcast, then
take a moment to select two or
three topics and start brainstorming some subtopics that might be
interesting to podcast on. It
doesn't have to be perfect yet, since you'll be working on it a
bit more in the next chapter and in
the chapters to come, but it's a good idea to get some thoughts
on paper.
Do it now! For business podcasters
1. After reading this chapter, go online and check out some of the
sites to see what other
kinds of information is out there.
2. Think about two or three areas of interest you have that you
might like to hear podcasts
of. Specifically, think about an area you'd like to improve in your
business, like
marketing for example. What is your competition doing?
3. Come back and read the next chapter to learn about how you can
download podcasts and
start listening right away!
4. Think about an area of your business or industry that you might
be able to host a regular
podcast about.
Take it to the next level
You can probably already see some opportunities for you to start
a business or increase your
current business through podcasting. If you have finished step 4
(above) then you may want to
create some subtopics under each heading to start thinking about
specific podcasts that you can
do.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 13
Wrap-up
Summary
Podcasting is a new and exciting combination of existing technologies
that allows people to hear
information on topics of interest to them. Podcasting is a blossoming
opportunity and everyone is
getting on board. It benefits the podcaster as an opportunity to
be heard. It benefits you as the
listener, as a way to get only the information you want and to listen
to when and where you want.
And, podcasting is an opportunity for the entrepreneur to develop
into a part time or even full
time business.
Watch your step
Podcasting is an unregulated medium which means no standards or
quality control. People can
turn to the medium if they find regulations keep them from sharing
their views on other forms of
media. That means that not all podcasts will have content that you
or your children will want to
hear. Be sure to monitor what podcasts your family members hear,
and be prepared you weed
through the many podcasts out there right now.
The three things you need to know
1. Podcasts can be an informative way of learning or being entertained
while giving you the
greatest amount of control on what to listen to and when or where
to listen.
2. Podcasting is a great tool to be used by individuals, business,
and organizations looking
to connect with other people in a way that can add value to the
lives of interested and
dedicated subscribers.
3. Podcasting is still in its early stages, so learning about it
now will help you cash in on the
opportunities that lie just around the bend in the road.
Stay tuned...
In the next chapter we'll talk about how you can start enjoying
podcasts today and how you can
start podcasting. It's easier than you think! In fact, it will probably
take you longer to read the
next chapter than it will to listen to your first podcasts and create
your own!
And later, you'll find out how you can make really good podcasts
for personal or business use.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 14
Getting started by downloading and listening
Questions this chapter will answer
What kinds of podcasts are out there?
Will I find a podcast that I might be interested in?
How can I listen to a podcast?
Can you help me download my first podcast?
Do I have to commit to anything?
Does it cost anything?
How can I get started in podcasting?
Can I try it out first before I have to buy anything?
What happens if I love it and want to podcast professionally?
Chapter Contents
What you need to know
Introduction
How to download
Project #1 Get set up and listen to a podcast
Uses of podcasting
Forums on podcasting
Preparing your first podcast
Project #2 Preparing to podcast
How to become a podcaster
Project #3 Become a podcaster
Going Pro
The length-to-width ratio
How much time should I put into my podcast?
Project #4 Developing your podcast
Maintaining Momentum
Project # 5 Keep your podcast going!
Action steps
Useful sites
Do it now! for personal podcasters
Do it now! for business podcasters
Wrap up
Summary
Watch your step
The three things you need to know
Stay tuned...
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 15
What you need to know
Introduction
If you tell people that you are getting into podcasting and would
like them to subscribe, they will
probably tell you that they can't since they don't have an iPod.
The great thing about listening to
podcasts is that you don't even need an iPod to do it! And, while
its beauty is the potential
portability, you don't need a portable MP3 player to join either!
If you have either one you can
enjoy podcasts on the go. But all you need is a fairly recent computer
with a program like
Windows Media Player and you can get started right away.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER
How to download
A little bit later we will look at some sites that are good places
to go to get a variety of podcasts
and we'll go into a little greater detail about the technical aspect
of listening to podcasts. But for
now we will look at how you go about downloading and listening to
a podcast and listen to a one
right now.
What we'll do next is download the program you need to get podcasts,
then we'll find a podcast
and tell the program to retrieve it for us, then we'll enjoy listening
to one.
There are many free retrieval programs (called aggregators) out
there, but we'll use Doppler,
which is one of the best ones... and it's free! Are you ready? Let's
get started.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: AGGREGATOR
Project #1 Get set up and listen to a podcast
1. Go to http://www.dopplerradio.net/
2. On the right-hand-side of the pages is a download bar with the
most recent
Doppler program on it. Click on that program.
3. Once it is on your computer, click on the Doppler set-up
file and your
computer will begin the process to set it up for you.
4. Once Doppler is set up, get on the Internet with
your favorite browser.
5. Go to
http://www.podcastalley.com/.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 16
6. On the left-hand-side of the page use the
pull-down menu to choose a
Podcast Genre you're interested in.
7. In the center column, just below the Podcast Genre list, you'll
find a long
list of podcasts in the genre you've selected. Scroll down
this list and
click on a couple titles that catch your eye to see
a brief explanation of
what they're about.
8. When you've decided on one that you're the most interested in,
click on
"subscribe" which is just below the expanded explanation.
9. This will take you to another page that displays the feed's URL
in a small
box. Copy the URL displayed in that window.
10. Maximize your Doppler window.
11. On the bottom right side of your Doppler screen, click
"add feed."
12. In the GUI that opens up, paste the URL into the
line that reads "URL."
13. Click "add feed" on that screen.
14. You will see the feed status beginning to climb as Doppler goes
out and
gets the podcasts for you. Go get a coffee, it could take
a moment.
15. When the feed is complete, go to My Music Files
(or wherever you keep
your music).
16. Click the icon that matches the name of the podcast
you wanted to listen
to.
17. Windows Media Player should open and begin playing. Sit
back and
enjoy the show.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: BROWSER
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: URL
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: ICON
I'll bet you found that incredibly easy! In fact, it probably took
longer to read about than it did to
actually get started!
Uses of podcasting
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 17
· Radio stations have turned some of their programs
into podcasts which they upload daily
and make available to people who might enjoy the program but are
unable to listen to it
when it is initially broadcast over the airwaves.
· Companies like General Motors and Microsoft, create podcasts that
combine information
and product news for people who may be interested, such as investors
or car or computer
buffs or industry analysts.
· Companies can put basic instructions and training manuals on podcasts
for someone to
talk through a new user step-by-step.
· Musicians, poets, writers, and other creative people can create
podcasts of their work so
that they can market themselves to a wider audience.
· Churches create podcasts of their sermons which they make available
to anybody,
replacing the cassette tapes which used to be a popular format for
ministers.
· News channels, like CNN, will put their headlines and some of
the brief news stories into
a podcasts format.
· Sports teams create podcasts to tell fans about what is going
on, like a very specialized
sports show just for the team you're interested in. Or fans create
podcasts to share
opinions or rants about their favorite teams.
· Museums, art galleries, and historical sites create broadcasts
for users to listen to as they
walk through, replacing the human guide that would do tours, and
allowing an individual
with a personal audio player to go through at their own pace.
· The director of the sci-fi television show "Battlestar Galactica"
creates a regular podcast
to tell subscribers about the behind-the-scenes effort to make the
show.
· Individuals with opinions and ideas make their own podcasts in
order to share those
opinions and ideas with the rest of the world.
· Politicians create podcasts as a way to relate to their platform
to listeners in a format that
does not get interrupted by their opponents.
· Schools create podcasts of their lessons so students can listen
again and again.
· Book or movie reviewers can review books in podcast format.
· Chefs who want to have their own cooking show but haven't quite
yet been contacted by
a network can host an audio version of their cooking show. This
is not a bad idea to also
market step-by-step cooking podcasts for college students who have
just moved away
from home.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 18
· Companies are using podcasts as an alternative for meetings or
conferences.
· An astronaut created a podcast while he was in space, recently:
the very first podcast
from space!
· Experts in the field create podcasts to tell others about development
and their field: like
an entrepreneur sharing moneymaking ideas or a leader of global
development calling for
the end of poverty.
This may seem like a lot of different ways, but it is far from comprehensive
and by the time
you're done reading this you'll likely have thought of more ways
to use podcasting! Whatever
you decide to do, be sure that it's something you enjoy. Podcasting
is not only about
convenience, it should also be about having fun!
>>>SECRETS OF THE PROS!
BRAINSTORM TO FIND CREATIVE
USES FOR PODCASTING
Forums on podcasting
Forums are a place on the Internet to post and receive messages
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: FORUM
L
Think of forums like bulletin boards where people post questions
and
P
suggestions and advice along with responses. It's similar to the
home
E message board by the telephone in a lot of people's kitchens.
It's a
highly interactive way to communicate on the Internet.
EXAM
http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/
This is an excellent forum about podcasting, covering absolutely
everything you could imagine
about the industry from content and creating podcasts to podcasting
and the law and the business
of podcasting.
An excellent site for podcasts and for information on podcasting
also has a great forum:
http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/index.php.
http://www.podcastpickle.com/
This is an excellent site about podcasting and it has a forum as
well.
If you have questions about podcasting, whether technical or otherwise,
these forums should help
you. But be a good Internet citizen and help others who have questions
once you've gained some
experience!
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 19
Preparing your first podcast
In a moment you'll get a chance to do your very first podcast. It's
easy. It's free. And it should
take less than 10 minutes (although your actual podcast will only
take about five minutes).
As you read through this book you will discover that content is
a vital to finding and keeping
subscribers. So before you began your first podcast, start out on
the right foot by creating good
content. While some podcasts have fancy sounds and a witty host
and guests, your initial podcast
will just be you but it will still be posted on the Internet, so
you want to make a good quality
podcast, especially if you fall in love with podcasting and want
to continue.
Project #2 Preparing to podcast
1. Spend 1 to 2 minutes and brainstorm some topics you are
interested in.
He doesn't have to be new and brilliant content for your first podcast,
it
should simply be something you have a passion for.
2. Select one or two of those topics that catch your
eye.
3. Spend 1 or 2 minutes and brainstorm interesting facts that
you know
about those topics
4. Group those facts together under one or two headings.
5. By now, you probably see the one you want to podcast the most.
If not,
you'll need to choose one now.
6. Go online and find a web site that talks about
that topic as well that you
can review in your podcast.
7. Write down an upcoming event that is related to
your area of interest. For
example, if the area you're going to podcast on his genealogy, you
might
be able to find a local genealogical society which has a genealogy
fare
coming up. If you can't find anything, think of a past event that
you can
review.
8. Develop a brief script on your own, or from the
example in the Example
box that follows this exercise.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 20
Here is an example script for your very first podcast:
"Hello and welcome to our very first podcast at [your web address,
which you will get shortly... in the next exercise]. My name is
[your
name] and today we're going to be talking about [your topic]. In
this
podcast we'll be talking about [heading #1] and [heading #2]. Later,
we'll review a website and talk about an upcoming event.
First, we're talking about [heading #1]. Did you know that... [talk
about
the interesting facts you wrote down].
LE
Second, we're talking about [heading #2]. Did you know that... [talk
P
about the interesting facts you wrote down].
Now is the time in our show where we review a website. Today's
EXAM
website is [say the web address and the name, if it's different].
[Briefly
describe the website and rate it on how helpful or informative it
was as
well as how easy it was designed to navigate around].
Finally, we've got to mention the [upcoming event]. [Mention who,
what, where, when, cost, what to bring, what to expect].
We've had a great time on the show today and look forward to having
you tune in next time!"
That was easy, wasn't it? Sure! There's nothing to it. You probably
don't even need the script,
but in cast you do, you have one available. It's a good idea to
work from a script, even if you
don't read it directly, to help you stay focused.
Now you have heard other podcasts and you've created your own script.
Are you ready? Let's
podcast!
How to become a podcaster
Becoming a podcaster is so easy! Why not try it out right now for
free, and see if it's something
you're interested in doing on a regular basis.
There are two excellent methods available for podcasters and we
recommend you use them both.
The first is a free way that you can use to try out podcasting and
see if it's for you. It lets you
create simple 5 minute podcasts for free! All you need to do is
sign-up at their site.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 21
First you'll be creating a blog, which is like a
personal web page but designed to let you voice
your opinion. Remember, they were the forerunners of podcasts.
LE
A blog is like your very own personal journal or diary, but one
that you
leave open for others to read. It can be about personal things,
about your
P
job, about your favorite hobbies, about a pet. Anything of interest
to you
that you might write in a diary can go in a blog.
EXAM
You don't have to have a blog in order to podcast, you just have
to have a web page. However, if
you want to podcast for free, creating a blog (as we will shortly)
is a quick and painless way to
get a place to put your podcast.
Please note, this is just for beginning podcasters. The other program
(described later) is more
appropriate for the serious podcaster who wants to either supplement
their current income or
even earn a living from podcasting. This following instruction is
mainly for the hobby podcaster
with opinions to share with the world, and for people who want to
see what it's like before they
invest in more serious podcasting.
The first program can be found at
http://www.audioblogger.com/ and essentially all you
do is
call their telephone number and deliver a podcast up to 5 minutes
in length.
Before you do that, you need to sign up. Here's how:
Project #3 Become a podcaster
1. Go to http://www.blogger.com/start
to create a blog. If you're not
sure what you want to make your blog about, just start with a blog
about yourself or an interest or hobby.
2. Follow their set up process to create an account,
name your blog, and
select a template. You'll be surprised: It's very easy and a lot
of fun!
Even if you decide not to podcast, you now have a blog!
3. Once you have set up your blog, go to
http://www.audioblogger.com/.
It's the same company.
4. Follow their set up process to create an account
by inputting your blog
ID, your home phone number and a pin number.
5. Figure out what you want to say. (Maybe write something
down so
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 22
you sound coherent).
6. Call 1-415-856-0205.
7. Follow their instructions to input your home phone
number and pin
(this allows you to call from anywhere), and deliver your podcast!
8. If you enjoyed yourself and want to get an audience, submit
your
podcast to podcast hosting sites. You'll find their
websites below and
they usually have a "submit" link on their front page.
That was easy!
If you've caught the podcasting bug, you might be ready to go pro.
In this case, you'll probably
want to expand beyond the limitation of a 5 minute podcast on a
free site.
Going Pro
If you want to make the leap from hobbyist to professional, to either
boost current business or
start a new business, you can. You'll need a couple extra programs
to create a quality sound.
Here are some recommendations to get you started.
While technically, you can get started with the microphone that
probably came with your
computer, you'll want to likely invest in a slightly better microphone
or if you have more than
one person speaking in your podcast, you'll need to get more than
one microphone. A good place
to start without having to rob a bank is to buy a USB microphone
at an office supply store. They
are affordably priced and unless you're planning studio-quality
production, they will do an
excellent job for you.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: USB
The length-to-width ratio
It is quite easy to podcast; I'm sure you're surprised at how easy
it is. It's quite another thing
though, to maintain a podcast on an ongoing basis. A lot has been
discussed about the regularity
of podcasts and exactly how frequent a podcast needs to be. While
it is true that the frequency of
a podcast does depend largely on the material that is covered, it
is also true that subscribers may
not be able to listen as frequently as you want to podcast.
If you have a lot of material and are looking to make a daily podcast
you might want to consider
a very short podcast of two to five minutes. Like e-mail that gets
stacked up in your inbox,
podcasts that don't get listen to compile a very quickly if a subscriber
doesn't get a chance to hear
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 23
a few of them in a row. Often what happens after
that is a delete the whole batch, figure they've
missed too much vital information, and unsubscribe.
On the other hand, too infrequent of a podcast will mean that people
do not feel the same
"ownership" in listening as they would from something
a little more regular.
When it's all said and done, you need to know what material you
need to cover and how much
time you have to spend on podcasts in order to determine how frequently
you are going to
podcast. This is the length-to-width ratio: the length of your podcast
in relation to the width of
the material.
Look at other podcasts to see what kind of material may cover and
the relationship that has to the
frequency they produce these podcasts. CNN, for example, can produce
a daily podcast that is
very short because of the nature of its "headline-style"
material. Their podcasts are very short. A
podcast covering the world of baseball, might be better off podcasting
every week since they will
be able to talk about a couple of the games is well is some news.
They're podcast can be 15
minutes to half an hour, which seems appropriate. Lastly, a financial
specialty podcast might
only come out once a quarter and can be an hour long as they discuss
business news and
economic developments in the past three months. The length of their
podcasts, based on the
weighty material they are covering, seems appropriate.
In each of the cases above, it is possible to imagine a subscriber
spending the time listening to
each podcast because their length is appropriate for the material.
How much time should I put into my podcast?
Being aware of the length-to-width ratio of your podcast will help
you determine how
appropriate a frequency you need. But there's another factor to
consider as well. It is the "how-
much-work-is-it-going-to-be-for-me?" factor. If you are running
a business or are busy at your
day job you will not have the time to put in the effort to create
a quality podcast on a frequent
basis.
It doesn't take much for CNN to create a five-minute podcast about
news headlines because they
are in the business anyway. And it doesn't take a lot for the financial
analyst to create a one-hour
podcast every three months because they spent the past three months
gaining the material.
Your challenge as a podcaster is to create a regular podcast that
does not take so much of your
time that it loses its enjoyment. That's why we recommend podcasting
on an area of interest or a
hobby, if you are a personal podcaster, or podcasting on your business
or industry if you are a
business podcaster.
And if you are a business owner, you know how little time you have
already, so you may not
want to spend an hour or two a week to create a 15 minutes to half
an hour podcast with such
regularity.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 24
There has been a lot of discussion about the ideal frequency of
podcasts. It usually boils down to
the length-to-width ratio that you need to consider whether you
can maintain the momentum.
Here is a step-by-step process to determine whether you'll be able
to keep up with the demands
of a regular podcast.
Project #4 Developing your podcast
1. Across the top of a blank piece of paper write down five
ideas you have
that you might like to podcast about. (In another chapter will show
you
how to improve your content to gain subscribers, but for now this
is a
good place to start).
2. Record how frequently you want to do each podcast.
(Daily, Weekly,
Monthly, etc.)
3. Under each idea list all the sub-topics you would like
to cover in your
podcast. (For example, if you want to cover major league baseball,
you
might write down such items as recent player trades, highlights
of recent
games, things to watch out for in upcoming games, an analysis of
player
stats, a review of an event in the history of baseball, and a review
of a
baseball movie or book).
4. In brackets, beside each sub-topic, write down the number
of minutes it
would take you to cover that in a podcast, and the
number of minutes it
would take you to prepare and research that information.
5. Add up all the minutes it would take for you to
cover those topics in a
podcast. This will be the length of your podcast.
6. Write that total above your idea.
7. Now add the second number, the length of time really
take you to prepare
and research the information
8. Add that number to your podcast length.
9. Write that number above your idea as well.
With this new information you are able to determine how long you
want your podcast to be, how
frequent you want it to be, and how much time you'll have to put
in to it in order to reach your
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 25
goal. Often, people's initial goals in their podcast
are too lofty and required to much time for
them to do a good job on a consistent basis. In upcoming chapters
will show you how you can
improve that by narrowing down the focus of your audience.
At this point though, you simply need to look at the chart you created
to determine if you are
able to spend that amount of time doing the job and a regular basis.
Because that's what it is: ad
job. You may not get paid for it (yet), but your subscribers are
expecting you to produce on a
consistent basis.
Maintaining Momentum
Doing a good job on a regular basis requires some discipline and
legwork on your part. In this
sub-section we will look at some ideas to help you maintain the
momentum once you have
started podcasting.
Here are some ideas that you might want to include in one or all
of your podcasts:
· Commentary on the industry by you.
· Commentary on the industry by industry analysts.
· Book, movie, or television show reviews related to your area of
interest.
· Listeners phone in for help.
· Interviews with movers and shakers of the industry.
· Review and analysis of past events, games, conferences, changes.
· Preview of upcoming events, games, conferences, changes.
· Answer subscriber e-mails.
· Review significant historical events or records that were set
in your industry or area of
interest, or general historical events that ha had an impact on
your industry or area of
interest.
· Analyze statistics, scores, financials and or other quantifiable
facts about the air yet you
are podcasting in. Like game scores if you're covering sports or
quarterly reports if you're
covering the stock market.
· Highlight a web site that is related to or contributes to the
air yet you are podcasting on.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 26
These are just some of the many, many Haynes you
can view any podcast to keep it interesting
and fresh. In an upcoming chapter will talk about the necessity
of having good quality content
and you'll want to refer to this list again and again.
Let's now take a moment to put together a plan to help you maintain
momentum so that once you
have started podcasting, you can consistently make good podcasts.
Project # 5 Keep your podcast going!
1. Using the list you created in the previous exercise, select
one of your
favorite ideas to use here.
2. Using some of your ideas and ideas from the list above, write
down as
many specific ideas as you can in a five-minute period.
Be as specific as
possible. If you find that the five minutes went by too quickly
and you
could still keep writing, that's a good sign. If not, you may want
to rethink
using this idea, or hang onto it for awhile and see if you can think
of more
content later.
3. With a highlighter or colored marker, connect similar ideas
together. For
example, if you are doing a podcast on dogs, you might find that
you had a
lot of ideas on Beagles, a lot of ideas on Bulldogs, and a lot of
ideas on
Yorkshire Terriers. Perhaps you can do one podcast on each type
of dog.
Or, you may find that and you had a good variety of ideas and you
can
group 2 or 3 of them together to switch up the format.
4. On a new a sheet of paper, group your ideas together
(since your paper is
probably become unreadable). You now have a rough outline of some
podcasts you can do.
Remember, this is just an initial list, and will go into greater
depth later. But now that we have
this list of potential future podcasts as well as a rough idea of
the amount of time you want each
podcast to go, and the amount of time you expect to spend on each
podcast, you're much better
prepared to maintain the momentum that is required of regular podcasting.
As you analyze your list you might have to make changes. Do you
have too much material to
only podcast once a quarter? Will you have enough material (and
time) to podcast every day? If
you only came up with 2 potential podcasts at the end of the exercise,
and you were planning on
doing a daily podcast, you may want to do more brainstorming or
rethink the frequency of your
podcast.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 27
We've talked a lot about technical details in this
chapter and more technical details will follow.
Don't let those details distract you from what podcasting is all
about: Having fun! It's a great
medium of self-expression and it's a great opportunity for entrepreneurs.
And it can be an
enjoyable thing to do once you get used to it. So keep going and
don't get frustrated.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 28
Take Action!
Useful sites on "getting started"
http://www.dopplerradio.net/
Start here to "get" podcasts on your computer
http://www.blogger.com/start
Sign up here as a place to write about what's going on in your life
or the world of your interests
or hobbies and as a place to put your podcasts.
http://www.audioblogger.com/
Once you've signed up here, you can phone in your podcast. It's
a great way to start!
http://www.podcastpickle.com/
This is an excellent site that is very comprehensive and will tell
you just about everything you
needed to know about podcasting, and even lots you didn't need to
know.
http://www.openpodcast.org/
This is an interesting site for the budding podcaster who doesn't
want to commit to doing a
regular podcast, but would still like to podcast occasionally. This
is an ongoing, open podcast
that people can submit when they want, as if everyone in the world
is part of one big podcast. It's
an interesting concept and there will undoubtedly be a wide range
of material to hear! You can
call or email your less-than-5-minute podcast in and it gets posted
to the open podcast in just a
few minutes.
http://www.podcasting-tools.com/
This is an excellent site about podcasting and takes you through
everything from an introduction
to how to podcast as well as the technical aspects of podcasting.
It doesn't look great but it's
quite functional and informative.
http://www.podshow.com/
This site is dedicated to helping you make your podcast better.
They have resources, podcasts,
and web pages designed to help everyone. A very good site.
http://www.podcastawards.com/
It stands to reason that podcast award winners produce good podcasts.
This is a good place to
start to find podcasts that are of good quality. You may not find
something that fits your interest
or tastes, but you will find podcasts that show you what good podcasts
are supposed to be like,
while showing you the range of formats and content in good podcasts.
http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/
Forum on podcasting
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 29
http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/index.php.
Forum on podcasting
Do it now! For personal podcasters
1. If you haven't already, get an aggregator like Doppler and sign
up for some podcasts.
2. If you're planning on making your own podcasts, listen to a variety
of podcasts to hear
what kinds of content and markets are served.
3. Keep thinking about what kind of podcast you'd like make. You
can start to refine your
idea now and in the next couple chapters you'll be able to finish.
Take it to the next level
Once you're comfortable with listening to podcasts, and even making
your own, some web sites
offer the chance to become a reviewer of podcasts. Nothing will
help refine your own podcast as
listening to many other podcasts and critiquing them. Just be careful
though, if you have your
own podcast you may end up on the receiving end of some criticism!
Do it now! For business podcasters
1. If you haven't already, get an aggregator like Doppler and sign
up for some podcasts.
2. Sign up for podcasts in your industry, on general business, of
your competitors.
3. Set aside time in your schedule to keep on top of your podcasts,
perhaps during lunch or
just before you open your office for the day. This is an excellent
way to learn because it
is such a dynamic an interesting format.
Take it to the next level
If you are an employee, and not the owner of a business, you may
want to approach the
marketing department or the person in charge of the web site and
see if they're interested in
posting your regular podcast on your company's web site. You may
have to sell the idea rather
than just ask, by telling them of the benefits they will get by
reaching more audience. As well, it
will look good on you when it comes time for a promotion if you
have been developing yourself
into an industry expert.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 30
Wrap-up
Summary
Podcasting is much easier to do than most people realize. And, it's
easier to podcast than it is to
explain how to podcast! And once you've listened once, the process
is automated enough to go
back again and again. The same with podcasting: once you've signed
up, it's even easier to do
the next time!
Whether you are a hobby podcaster or a business looking to boost
your bottom line with
podcasting, you'll find that following the steps outlined above
will help you to enjoy and
evaluate podcasts out there and plan to develop your own excellent
podcast.
You'll want to create an excellent podcast that delivers good content.
Before you start, though,
you'll want to evaluate whether you can maintain the momentum. It's
easy, but it does require
some discipline to keep going.
Watch your step
Podcasting can be fun to listen if you know where you're going.
Be sure to have a plan when you
podcast so that you don't spend the time rambling. You'll keep subscribers
that way!
The three things you need to know
1. Listening to podcasts is very easy. Once you're set up, it's
all automated! Just let the
aggregator get your subscribed podcast and listen at your leisure!
2. Anyone with a mouth will be able to podcast... and there are
enough podcasts out there
to prove it!
3. Becoming a podcaster is easier than describing how to do it...
and options are available if
you want to take it to the next level.
Stay tuned...
If you want to take your podcasting experience to the next level,
check out the next section!
We'll show you how you can take podcasts with you wherever you go
so you'll never be bored
waiting in line or you can catch up on the latest news while you're
out for a jog!
And later we'll show you how you can find more podcasts than you
can possibly imagine in
order to always find fresh, informative and entertaining content.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 31
Podcasting software and equipment
Questions this chapter will answer
How do I listen to podcasts on the go?
What are digital audio players?
Who sells them?
If I want to comparison shop, what should I know?
What is RSS?
What is an aggregator?
Is it important for me to know these technical terms?
What kind of equipment will I need to become a podcaster?
What kind of equipment will I need to take my podcasting to the
next level?
Chapter Contents
What you need to know
Introduction to Digital Audio Players
Three types of digital audio players
MP3 Format
Aggregators How a podcast gets to you
RSS How a podcast is made available
Equipment for becoming a podcaster
Setting up a studio
Take Action
Useful sites
Do it now! for personal podcasters
Do it now! for business podcasters
Wrap up
Summary
Watch your step
The three things you need to know
Stay tuned...
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 32
What you need to know
Introduction to Digital Audio Players
Digital Audio Players (DAPs) are also commonly referred to as MP3
players, after one of the file
formats they play; however they usually play many kinds of files.
>>>TECHNICAL TERM: DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER
While you can listen to podcasting on your computer, as we've learned
above, you can use the
programs we downloaded above to get podcasts, then synchronize ("sync")
them onto your
digital audio player so you can listen to it on the go.
DAPs are available in different styles, depending on what you want.
Since new technology
seems to change every day, the best solution to find a specific
make and model suitable to you
(that won't be out of date by the time you read this) is to go onto
some shopping comparison
sites to check out current brands and their features.
http://www.nextag.com/
This is a great site that has all kinds of digital audio players
from high quality to not-so-high
quality.
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/
This site is very valuable to help you get quality and value when
selecting a digital audio player.
(Make sure you type the URL the way it is written above, as the
extra .com is necessary to take
you to the right page).
Three types of digital audio players
· Portable MP3 CD player. If you want to be able to listen to MP3s
and CDs containing
music or MP3 files, you can buy a portable MP3 CD player. A CD can
hold several hours
of MP3 music files and these cost less than $200.
· If you want to listen to MP3s and don't require a lot of space,
you can buy MP3 players
that have a little bit of room in a storage device like a memory
card. These are called
flash-based digital audio players. Most of these players have up
to 1GB of storage space
and cost between $50 and $200.
· If you listen to a lot of MP3s or really big files, you may need
a larger hard-drive based
digital audio player to store greater amounts of files for you.
These are commonly called
"digital jukeboxes." They typically have 20GBs of storage space
or more and will
generally run over $200.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 33
As you can see, there's a digital audio player for
every taste and budget. Shop around on the
Internet and at an audio store and you may find the one that is
suitable for you.
Companies are always coming out with different models and upgrades
so rather than reviewing
specific models, we've simply included a list of some of the leading
digital audio player
manufacturers. This is not an exhaustive list, but simply a list
of some of the key players in
alphabetical order.
Check out their individual sites to see what kind of MP3 players
they offer.
http://www.apple.com/
http://www.archos.com/
http://www.dell.com/
http://www.jvc.com/
http://www.panasonic.com/flash.html
http://www.samsung.com/
http://www.sony.com/
http://www.toshiba.com/
http://www.usa.philips.com/Index.html
You may also want to consider looking at eBay for some excellent
values on MP3 players as
well!
MP3 Format
If your computer does not have the capability to record and save
an audio file as an MP3 file, and
you want to do more than simply phone in your podcast, like you
learned earlier, you can buy
software at a local office supply store for as little as $10 which
can get you started creating MP3
format audio files (which is the file format you'll need to record
your podcast in to attach it to an
RSS feed, which you'll learn about shortly). The software available
comes in a range of prices
depending on the capabilities you want in it. Podcasting is increasing
in popularity in such a rate
that, if your computer does not currently allow you to create MP3
files, the computer you buy
probably will.
Aggregators How a podcast gets to you
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 34
When you downloaded Doppler, which is an aggregator, you acquired
the program that will
allow you to subscribe to RSS feeds. Doppler will look for updated
versions of those feeds
regularly and download them to your computer when a new one has
been posted.
If you don't want to get bogged down in the technical details, think
of it like this:
LE
Remember back to the beginning when we talked about your family
fighting over who gets which section of the newspaper on Saturday
P
morning? The Doppler program and an RSS feed is like if the newspaper
company simply left your favorite section of the paper outside of
their
EXAM
office and you trained your dog to run there and pick it up and
deliver it
to you so you don't have to even get out of bed in the morning!
RSS How a podcast is made available
Websites who want to make a podcast available to get noticed by
an aggregator will post an RSS
feed. RSS 2.0 allows a file to be attached. So a website with a
podcast will attach it to their RSS
feed where it will be noticed by anyone with an aggregator and a
subscription.
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and is just a file format
that allows websites to
make their information available to people who have subscribed.
It doesn't have to be podcasts,
it can be other kinds of information as well, but the MP3 format
of a podcast, when attached to
an RSS feed is how podcasts are delivered.
Think of it like this: remember your amazingly trained dog that
runs to
the newspaper office to get your favorite section of the newspaper?
How
LE
does the dog know which of the many sections of the newspaper that
are
P
bundled in boxes outside of the office is the section you want?
After all,
other members of your family have seen your great idea and trained
their
pets to do the same thing. Here's how: You've trained your dog to
go to
EXAM
a specific box, the box with only your section of the newspaper,
and
when there's a new paper in the box, the dog will pick it up and
bring it
back to you. An RSS feed is like that box.
There are several options for you to create RSS feeds for your MP3
audio files. If you are just
starting out and interested in doing a regular podcast without a
lot of expense or headache, then
you'll probably want to stick with some of the free methods explored
earlier. On the other hand,
as you move towards becoming a professional podcaster, you'll probably
want to pick up some
of the software that can turn your work into a podcast and then
make it available for the world to
enjoy.
In an upcoming chapter you learn about sites that will automatically
attach your MP3 format
audio file to an RSS feed and host your podcast on their site for
a small fee.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 35
Or you can purchase your own software that will let you create RSS
feeds yourself.
http://www.feedforall.com/
is one of the leading sites right now.
Equipment for becoming a podcaster
As mentioned earlier, you can easily turn professional for very
little upfront cost. There's no
sense in getting an expensive microphone or high-end sound mixing
equipment if you are simply
podcasting for business or personal use on a regular basis.
If, however, you are planning on going to the big leagues and want
world class podcasts then you
may want to look at:
http://www.podcastingnews.com/category/Handheld_Dynamic_Microphones.htm
Podcasting News has an excellent review of handheld microphones
to help you make your
decision. Links are available to click through and buy it if you
like it.
http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/Products/ShowProduct.asp?PID=961
One of the best sound mixing programs on the market today is called
Sound Forge and it is
available through Sony. If you're looking for high quality, no-holds-barred
production, you'll
want to consider Sound Forge!
http://www.podcastingnews.com/category/
As if that's not enough, this page on podcastingnews.com has a comprehensive
list of some
excellent podcasting-related products you'll need if you plan on
podcasting with the big boys.
Next, you'll need some sound mixing software that will allow you
to create and edit your MP3.
You can buy Mixcraft for about $40 or $50 and it gives you a wide
range of features to allow
you to create good quality podcasts. There is also a free trial
available! You can find it at
http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/index.htm.
These tools should help you get started on the track to professional
podcasting. All you need is a
topic, a target audience, and a website to post your finished podcast.
Later we'll talk about top quality equipment for those who want
to create a world class sound. If
that's you, read on! Otherwise, you'll probably make great quality
podcasts with the equipment
mentioned here.
Setting up a studio
If you're planning on simply recording at home as a personal podcaster
over the telephone, as
you learned earlier, in your studio is simply your telephone and
the script in your hand.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 36
Of course, you want to make sure that the dog isn't
barking, the kids aren't screaming in the
background, and the television is turned off. So a little bit out
of attention is needed to make sure
that your studio environment is ready to go. But essentially all
you need as a personal hobbyist
podcaster is the ability to shut the door and pick up the phone.
In fact, the beauty of this kind of podcasting is that you don't
even need to be at home to podcast.
So if you have a faithful and loyal following who want to hear what
you have to say, you can
still podcast if you are on vacation or away from home... because
you just need to use the
telephone.
If you decide to become a little more advanced in the realm of podcasting,
you can still create a
small studio without a lot of expense. As we've seen, the software
is still quite affordable as is
the equipment for a high-quality podcast. Perhaps you want to convert
a room of your home or
business into a podcasting studio, especially if you're going to
have more than one host or guests.
Since you cannot share a microphone, passing it back and forth between
you and your guests,
you'll need to buy more than one microphone and you either need
to buy software or an
attachment for your telephone if you plan on recording a call-in
show.
If you are podcasting from a noisy environment, for example if you
own an auto body shop and
you're podcasting from an office in the same building, you may be
able to effectively deaden the
sound by stapling foam pads to the walls around the room. This does
not have to be very
expensive, since foam is available at hardware stores and camping
supply outfitters.
If you are investing to create a world-class podcast, an authentic
studio will cost you thousands
of dollars in equipment and in creating a studio environment. But
for 99.9% of the podcasters out
there, a quiet office (or one that is made quiet with foam) should
suffice.
If you are dialing in for your five-minute free podcast or you are
a small business looking to start
podcasting, or you are an entrepreneur looking to make money from
podcasting, all you will
likely need is a quiet place to record. And if your basement is
a quiet place, that might be
appropriate for you. Or maybe it means going into work after everyone
else is gone. Whatever
the set up, there is no need to spend a lot of money to create a
studio. As your podcasting
becomes more serious you can slowly move into a better equipped
studio setting.
Podcasting: For Fun & Profit! 37
Take Action!
Useful sites on "podcasting software and equipment"
http://www.dopplerradio.net/
Start here to "get" podcasts on your computer. You need this program
(or one like it) to pick up
the feeds that will deliver your podcast to your computer.
http://www.blogger.com/start
Sign up here as a place to write about what's going on in your life
or the world of your interests
or hobbies and as a place to put your podcasts. While it's not technically
software, it's the way
you're going to get po | |