What do I need to make a podcast? How do I record? What’s a good podcast microphone?
Question:
What, in your opinion, is the best place to learn the mechanics of pod-casting? i.e. equipment and software selection, show format, outlines, whatever.
Answer:
I create and produce my own podcast – Digital Bits Skeptic. These answers were written as a direct result of that experience:
In terms of format and style, just start doing it. Seriously. Copy a podcast you like if you want a head start. There are plenty of free, open-source audio libraries you can use for music and sounds. If you’re going to do a podcast, however, realize that 1) it’s a lot of work, and 2) it’s very difficult to make money at it, so 3) whatever your topic is, you really have to be dedicated to it. Also have others listen to it before you release it publicly – make sure it sounds good to others, not just you.
As for the mechanics, I can tell you all that right now. Here’s what you need:
A website host: I built and manage all my websites myself, which gives me the most control. If you can do that, great. If not, host it for free at wordpress.com or blogger.com. You’ll have to learn the interface if you don’t know it already, so you can ideally design and publish an impressive website. Free websites are great. I host the website myself, though, and pay about $8 per month to do so. My website host is futurequest.com, and I get a small discount because I own many websites with them besides Digital Bits Skeptic.
A website host for the podcast files: As you record the podcast, you’ll have to generate a bunch of MP3s. Those are often very expensive to host on a regular website (it started burning money for me when I hit 50 episodes or so – there is a size limit to website hosting, and MP3s take a lot of space), so you should pay for another specialty website. I recommend libsyn.com – they’ll give you basically unlimited storage for podcasts for something like another $8 per month.
A microphone (apart from a computer, this is the only aspect where you’ll have to spend noticeable money – built-in mics are bad for this. My fairly “cheap” setup was just under $200):
Andrea USB sound card pod (the mic plugs into this, and this plugs into my PC)
Sennheiser headset microphone (just a basic headset – I have no pop screen or microphone sheath. I keep the mic about an inch from the lower corner of my mouth.)Software: I use the free “Audacity” software to record and edit and do post-production work and export each podcast as an MP3. It’s not too hard to learn. I have a Windows PC, though, and I don’t know about Macs, though I understand they too have podcast-recording software (and Audacity is available for Macs, too).
A computer: I assume you have one or have access to one. If not, you need a computer!
Time: There is a LOT of learning time, but you’ve gotta get through it so you can manage the podcast properly. I took weeks and months of experimentation before I felt comfortable recording and editing the podcast. And it took a lot of time to even figure out how I wanted to present it, and how to read properly (this is the hardest aspect for me). And while I think I can now make a passable podcast, I’m certainly not great at it. I’m still learning.
Extras: You may also need to spend money on a domain name (Digital Bits Skeptic’s domain is www.dbskeptic.com). This is $10-$40 per year, depending on how you purchase it. You will also spend a LOT more time than normal as you start and get stuff working. I also got a business bank account for my DBS transactions, and I have an LLC for legal purposes, and I own the trademark on “Digital Bits”. I would say those last three are all optional, though, and something you don’t have to worry about if you’re just trying it out.
Recommendations: Get your podcast listed in the iTunes podcast directory. That’s where the majority of podcast listeners will find you. Every other podcast directory is secondary. Get on iTunes.
Dedication: I said it above and I’ll say it again. Unless you are a rare smash sensation, don’t expect you’re going to get a much or any money. Don’t assume you’ll have fans clamoring for your attention (your email, while very cool, is also very rare). Do it for yourself, because *you* enjoy it. It has to be a topic you want to pursue. Otherwise, in my case, I wouldn’t have the drive to keep doing DBS for this long.
