The ABCs of Podcasting

[Revan]

Part 1: What is Podcasting?

Podcasting, as its name might suggest, is a new form of broadcasting using digital audio and video players (the name comes from iPod, but you can listen and/or watch with any player). This new audio and video medium gives listeners a much wider variety of content than radio or television and eliminates the problems broadband presents by using RSS feeds instead of streaming.

The podcasting revolution began with "Podfathers" Adam Curry (a former MTV VJ) and software developer Dave Winer. Dave and Adam met in 1999 and discussed media distribution on the Internet. Adam wanted a way for media to be distributed automatically using bandwidth that's normally wasted when you're away from your computer and Dave had been working on a web content syndication format called Really Simple Syndication (RSS).

Dave found a way to include enclosures in RSS—basically a URL containing another file (such as an MP3 file) embedded in the RSS feed, then Adam wrote some open-source software called iPodder that was able to "catch" and download the enclosures of RSS feeds he subscribed to. Adam began the "Daily Source Code" podcast as a way to entice developers into improving his iPodder software—and it worked. Soon after, podcasting exploded.

Podcasting is still rapidly gaining popularity, thanks to the fact you can subscribe to a podcast you like and your iTunes or similar "podcatcher" software will go out and check for new episodes, filling your computer with new content all the time. You can then load the episodes into your portable digital player and listen to them anywhere you go. It's also easy and fun to make your own podcast and anyone can do it.

Podcasting is similar to blogging, in that someone shares his or her thoughts and anyone can subscribe to them, but its popularity is so widespread that big players like ABC, ESPN, and NPR (to name a few) now have their own podcasts. Many bloggers now have podcasts as well, so they have audio as well as text people can subscribe to.

The FCC does not govern podcast content, so diverse opinions and views can be expressed that previously had no place in traditional broadcasting media. Copyrights are still an issue, but there is "podsafe" music that musicians give podcasters permission to use, sometimes with certain conditions. Also, since podcasts can be produced fairly cheaply and there's unlimited "airway" space, podcasts are able to target specialized niche audiences that are impractical for mass media due to their relatively small numbers. These combined factors allow a tremendous variety of content—you can find spiritual "Godcasts," unofficial museum tours, television commentaries, foreign language "podclasses," electronic and indie music podcasts, comedic podcasts, and many more.

Anyone can make a podcast about anything, and anyone can listen to a podcast anytime (as long as they have the necessary gear).

To find podcasts, try one of the following directories:

http://www.podcast.net/
http://www.ipodder.org/
http://www.podcastalley.com/
http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/
http://www.musicpodcasting.org/

You'll need a "podcatcher" software package such as iTunes to download the podcasts. There are a number of applications available for different operating systems. Simply type "podcatcher" into a search engine to find them.


Part 2: How are podcasts produced?

If you're thinking about producing your own podcast, the following five steps will help get you ready:

Decide on a topic you're passionate about.
Find a place to produce your podcast, ideally one with little to no background noise (watch out for air conditioners, fluorescent lights, and other noisy appliances).
Decide how often you want to release a podcast (your listeners will appreciate a regularly scheduled show, whether it's daily, weekly, or monthly).
Decide how long each podcast should be (after carefully considering how long you want to spend on pre- and postproduction and the amount of bandwidth you have available).
Design a format you will mold each show around.
Most podcasts are recorded in people's spare time and are produced in one session, usually with minimal postproduction editing. For everyday people with jobs and families who make podcasts in their spare time, doing it right the first time is important.

Podcasters typically design their show around their format, doing any necessary research and cueing any background music before pushing record. They adjust their levels and so on, imagining they are going live on the air. A script is unnecessary and can detract from the audioblog/rant feel, but some cards outlining the topics to cover are helpful in keeping you on the right track.

We'll cover the gear you'll need in the next section, but as an example, a husband-and-wife podcasting team might plug two studio mics and a keyboard into a FireWire mixer, where they can tweak and balance the sources then route the signal into their computer. Then they can record and edit their podcast with software such as Cakewalk Pyro or Bias Le.

After the show is recorded, postproduction editing should be minimal; a little tweaking and adjusting can go a long way. One of the things people enjoy about podcasts is their highly personable and idiosyncratic feel versus the white-bread quality of broadcast radio voices. Podcasters need to be careful to maintain their personal voice and style.

Next the podcast's audio file needs to be compressed. Standard encoding is 128kbps (stereo), which is probably needed for a music podcast, but a primarily spoken-word podcast would be fine at 64 or 32kbps (mono). The higher the encoding rate, the better the sound quality. But it will take more bandwidth on a server, take longer to download, and use more space on listeners' audio players, so try to find a good balance.

Publishing a podcast involves generating an RSS feed. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is basically a web content syndication format that's a dialect of XML (XML is a markup language like HTML). You should be able to find software (such as FeedForAll—a popular feed-generating software program for PC and Mac) or even a podcast hosting service that'll generate RSS for you, so you don't need to study computer programming before publishing your podcast.

The RSS feed must contain certain descriptive information, such as a title (the name of the show), a link (to the URL where the MP3 file is located), and a sentence describing the podcast. An ID3 tag helps listeners organize their files, so it is also good to include the show number or date. You can also include art that'll appear during the podcast on players that support photos and other optional information and files.

Once you have an RSS feed set up, all you need do to publish a podcast is give the link to whatever sites you want to publish it—the iTunes store, for example. Then promote your show by being active in the podcast community and talking about your podcast on your website and your blog if you have one. Exchange promos with other podcasters and maybe even pay for advertisements on other sites. Soon the word will spread and you'll have a following of subscribers!


Part 3: What tools are needed to produce a podcast?

The gear podcasters use to record and edit their podcasts can vary greatly, but the list below will give you a general idea of what you'll need. Remember that the more professional your gear, the more professional your podcast will sound, and the more enjoyable it'll be for your listeners.

A broadcast microphone—a large-diaphragm cardioid condenser mic, or Heil's renowned dynamic studio mics, will give you the best sound quality. If you'll be doing field work, you'll want a more rugged hand-held mic, but you should still get a condenser for high-quality sound when you're in the studio.

Pop filter—a pop filter will minimize unwanted plosive noises and is a must have in any studio.

Desktop microphone stand—a stand keeps your hands free and prevents thumps caused by handling noise.

Headphones—quality studio headphones will let you monitor your podcast. Talking while monitoring your voice can be disorienting, so practice until you get used to it before you record for real.

USB mixer or interface or a FireWire mixer or interface—an interface will get the signal into your computer and may include mixing software for tweaking and balancing sources, while a mixer is a dedicated unit for doing this and will give you multiple channels and analog control. Make sure your mixer has phantom power if you plan on using condenser microphones.

Computer—you'll need a computer to record and produce your podcast. Though the word "podcast" is closely associated with Apple Computers, you can record and listen to podcasts on PCs as well.

Recording and editing software—be sure to get software that supports multiple tracks and supports multi-effects and signal processing plug-ins. Make sure the software lets you save tracks in a digital audio format (MP3, AAC, Ogg, WMA, etc.). Many of these software programs also come with royalty-free audio loops, which are very handy for bumper music (the short clips of music between segments).

Signal processors—Signal processors such as enhancers and exciters can do a lot for your sound. Enhancers like the BBE Sonic Maximizer give your sound more presence by delaying the low frequencies relative to the higher ones, while exciters like the Aphex Aural Exciter improve your system's sound by re-creating and restoring missing harmonics to a signal.

An FTP program—You need this software to upload your files from your computer to the file directory on your web host server, where the public can access it. One example for PC or Mac is Podifier, a software program that automates the creation of your RSS feed with one or more enclosures and the FTP application to upload them to your server.

Soundcard—a good soundcard will provide you with the ability to playback and monitor your podcast, if your interface is not equipped with this ability.
Digital multitrack recorder—a professional recorder will give you very high-quality sound, battery operation (with some portable models), effects, and the ability to record and play back multiple tracks. Most professional digital recorders record in WAV format, so you'll need to compress your audio on your computer with audio editing software.

Portable digital recorders/MP3 players—MP3 players with recording capabilities are handy when you need to record on the go. The recording quality can vary, but can get as good as stereo MP3 at 320Mbps.

A telephone recording tool—programs for recording telephone interviews for podcasts are constantly being invented and improved upon. A few examples are Skype, which offers computer-to-computer and computer-to-phone calls using your mic and headphones that you can hook up to an audio recorder on your computer (type SkypeCasting into a search engine for details); Odeo, which lets you record and post audio over the phone; and iChat, which lets you make conference calls on your Mac with audio and video.

With the proper equipment, your podcast will sound great and if your content is interesting and you do a good job publicizing your podcasts, you'll soon generate a base of loyal listeners.

[Idle_hands]

Awesome, i knew about podcasts..etc but couldnt be bothered investigating them, after reading this and then checking out some of the Marvel Comics podcasts i saved a bunch of RSS feeds to the PSP and listened to them the other night ^^.