Podcasting Basics, 2015

1. Quick Start Podcasting
Joan Vinall-Cox, Ph.D.
2015

2. Creating a Podcast
• Podcasting
• History - Rhetoric
• Preparation – 5 Steps
• Recording – Tools and Tips
• Editing – Audacity & Tutorials
• Posting – Blog + SoundCloud ->Embed

3. “Podcast”
• 2005 “Word of the Year”
– New Oxford American Dictionary
• Source – “iPod” + “Broadcast”
• Many radio programs
– CBC
– This American Life

4. Podcasting
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast
• digital medium
• episodic series
• subscribed to and downloaded through
web syndication
• or streamed online
• to a computer or mobile device

5. Highly Produced,
Can be Found in iTunes

6. Serial
by This American Life, NPR
http://serialpodcast.org/

7. Democratic Medium
• Highly Produced
– Fall 2014 – Serial intensified interest in
podcasts (from NPR’s This American Life)
• Business Podcasts, internal and public

8. Minimal Required
• Strong rhetoric and voice
• Computer or device
• Recording app and/or
• Audacity (free downloadable program) –
for editing
• Copyright safe sounds
• Host for audio file (usually a mp3)
– SoundCloud account,
• blog to embed in – for Shownotes

9. Power of Voice
• Speaking and listening
– First human complex communication
• Profound impact
– Respond - without thinking
• Speakers you ignore or pay attention to
– Assume information
• Gender, origin, age, education, etc.
• Oldest study of communication art

10. Rhetoric
• First record of codified human
communication skills
– oral / aural
• Impact of voice and words in art of
persuasion
• Aristotle recorded techniques in text – for live
speaking
• Context known – place and audience - so
speaker can adjust to connect better

11. Recorded Rhetoric
• Audience, place, and time heard unknown
– Speaker’s knowledge of audience context limited
or non-existent
• Audience needs must be built-in prior to
posting
– Increases planning requirements
• Compensations for not being live
– Music, sound effects, the mix

12. Aristotle’s Canon (for Podcasting)
1. Invention
– Choosing your topic
– Thinking about your potential audience
– Researching for information, approaches
1. Arrangement
– Structure for the ear;
• short, simple sentences;
• clear, coherent, focussed
– Use a “hook” to start; grab the audience

13. Planning Your Podcast

14. Donna Papacosta Says:
http://news.trafcom.com/2008/09/how-to-read-a-podcast-script-and-not-sound-like-you

15. Recording Know-How

16. Recording Tool - Mics
Mics
• Smart phones - recording apps
• Earbuds’ mic
• iRig Mic – around $65.00
– Works with recording apps and has its
dedicated app
• Many laptops will record but can have
poor sound without an attachable mic

17. Podcasting Tools
iRig + Phone

18. More Recording Tools
http://podcast.trafcom.com/podcasts/2008/11/trafcom-news-podcast-79-the-p

19. Interview Tools
• F2f – Face-to-Face interviews
– Mic handheld couple of inches below and in
front of mouth - best
• Interview via Skype
– http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-quickest-easiest-way-to-record-sky

20. Safe Copyright
• Find and use ONLY material – music,
sound effects, etc. – that is copyright safe
or free
• Copyright-safe sounds and music –
– http://creativecommons.org/music-communities
• Canadian Copyright Information -2014
• http://www.slideshare.net/vinall/07-copyright

21. Canadian Law – re: Educational Use
http://www.slideshare.net/vinall/07-copyright

22. Audio Editing - Audacity
• Any audio editing tool, ex. GarageBand
OR
• Audacity – free audio editing software
– http://audacity.sourceforge.net
– Google to find tutorials – many available

23. Audio Editing Tool

24. Editing Podcasts
• Outline, but avoid scripting
– (Helps later with shownotes)
• Cut redundancies and stumbling
• Cut most fillers - “um”, “uh”, “like”, etc.
• From Trafcom News -
http://podcast.trafcom.com/podcasts/2007/08/show-61-trimmin

25. Composing
• Several audio files > one podcast
• Figure out the order (outline)
• Open them in Audacity
– (or GarageBand or …)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM7ft8eN9
• Save and export as an mp3

26. Save Your Audio File in
Audacity

27. Edit then Export -> mp3
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-create-valid-mp3-files-with-audacity/

28. Creating Podcast Intros
• Immediately aurally recognizable
• Sounds - consistent for whole series
• Introduce current episode’s topic(s)
• Podcaster introduces self
• Listen to the intro, after the ad -
http://serialpodcast.org/season-one/1/the-alibi
• Another intro -
http://podcast.trafcom.com/podcasts/2014/12/trafcom-
news-podcast-132-create-curate-trusted-content

29. Exits
• Thank interviewees if any
– Mention their promotions
• Briefly mention podcaster’s promotions
– Refer to links in shownotes
• Invite responses
• Thank audience and repeat your name
• Find the exits and listen
– http://serialpodcast.org/season-one/1/the-alibi
– http://podcast.trafcom.com/podcasts/2014/12/trafcom
-news-podcast-132-create-curate-trusted-content

30. Hosting Your Podcast
• Professional hosting
– One possibility - Libsyn - $5 a month
• Free hosting
– SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com
– YouTube – You can include image(s) as well
as audio

31. Shownotes
• If you want your podcast(s) heard,
– write up shownotes on your blog
– Why? -
• Google searches can find words
– More reasons and how
• http://news.trafcom.com/2007/01/podcasting_secr
_1-2/

32. Posting Your Podcast
• Set up a blog
– Blogger
– WordPress.com
– Even Tumblr
• Embed your SoundCloud or YouTube
hosted podcast!
• Add your shownotes
• Share your link!!

33. Trafcom News Shownotes
http://news.trafcom.com/2007/01/podcasting_secr_1-2/

34. Serial Shownotes
http://serialpodcast.org/season-one/1/the-alibi

35. Crafting a Podcast
• Podcasts
• History – Rhetoric
– oral / aural communication
• Preparation – Aristotle’s 5 Canons
• Recording – Tools and Tips
• Audio Editing and Mixing – Audacity
– Google for Tutorials
• Posting – Blog + SoundCloud => Embed
– Include shownotes for SEO

36. Donna Papacosta:
Expert Podcaster
• Much of what I cover comes from Donna
Papacosta’s podcasts:
– http://podcast.trafcom.com/topics/podcasting-news-and-notes
• And her eBook on Podcasting –
– “The Podcast Scripting Book”
• http://www.amazon.ca/Podcast-Scripting-Book-Donna-
Papacosta-ebook/dp/B00HKN9CV8/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&qid=1391014684&sr=8-
1&keywords=Donna+Papacosta - under $7.00

37. Stuck / Confused?
• Do what I do –
Google it!

38. Joan Vinall-Cox, Ph.D.
Good Luck
with Your
Podcasting!