1 of 32
Podcasting 101
Published on Nov 18, 2015
Carla Wilson presents some real-world examples of producing podcasts and marketing them using WordPress and other resources.
MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Podcasting 101
(to convince you to start podcasting)
I am an audiophile and I love helping client use audio and video in their marketing efforts. I’ll talk what and why podcasting should be added to your marketing mix. Are there podcast listeners here? Are their podcast producers here?
Photo by @jyonasaur
A bit about me
Here’s a bit about me. I graduated from college with a music degree with an emphasis in Sound Recording Technology. My husband graduated with the same degree so for twenty-odd years we have been accumulating a lot of audio equipment. Of course when we were in college we were taught recording editing and mastering in analog audio. Digital audio was just coming onto the scene as I was graduating. Fast forward about twenty years. I started a virtual assistant practice helping entrepreneurs with administrative and marketing tasks. About 2009, I started observing online marketers using digital audio and video in their marketing efforts, and realized that my background provided expertise to help folks create great content. These days I produce about 5-6 podcasts a month and also do voiceover work. My husband is a musician and composes music for podcasts as well as offering multitrack recording and mastering.
What I'll cover
- What is a Podcast?
- Workflow examples
- WordPress podcast plug-ins
I’ll define what a podcast is and why you should consider launching your own podcast. We'll review the basic workflow needed to create and post a podcast. I’ll also share some client workflow specifics.
Photo by Titanas
What I'll cover
- iTunes
- Other podcast resources
I’ll also talk about submitting your podcast to iTunes directory and some other podcast resources.
So let’s start by defining the word Podcast.
So let’s start by defining the word Podcast.
Photo by fdecomite
Merriam Webster defines "podcast" as: a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet.
Merriam Webster defines "podcast" as: a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet.
Why launch a podcast?
I have 3 reasons to try to convince you to launch a podcast.
Photo by NASA HQ PHOTO
3 Reasons
- Apple surpassed 1 BILLION podcast subscriptions via iTunes
- There are nearly 250,000 podcasts worldwide
Photo by larskflem
3 Reasons
- By providing content in an audible format, you’re opening up your business to a wider audience of people who prefer to relax and listen to your content.
Another note here. I took a Storytelling and Podcasting class with Alex Blumberg (of the StartUp Podcast fame) who stated that audio is a very visual medium because it forces the listener to create an indelible mental image.
Photo by kevin dooley
3 Reasons
- By providing content in an audible format, you’re opening up your business to a wider audience of people who prefer to relax and listen to your content.
Another note here. I took a Storytelling and Podcasting class with Alex Blumberg (of the StartUp Podcast fame) who stated that audio is a very visual medium because it forces the listener to create an indelible mental image.
Photo by kevin dooley
Recording Options
- Voice recorder on iPhone
- Digital Voice Recorder
- Digital Audio Recorder
Even though I have loads of audio equipment at my disposal, I don’t suggest that folks run out and buy expensive equipment. I’ve found that the more expensive the equipment, the more difficult it is to set up and edit and get to the final product. I usually suggest that folks start out using free or low-cost tools that they may already have to record audio. Then down the road, after they are hooked on recording and producing, they can look into purchasing more robust equipment for their podcasts.
Here are some examples of my suggestions: Using the voice recorder on your iPhone - free. Using a small digital voice recorder – low cost ($75). Digital Audio Recorder – Edirol is $300.
Here are some examples of my suggestions: Using the voice recorder on your iPhone - free. Using a small digital voice recorder – low cost ($75). Digital Audio Recorder – Edirol is $300.
Photo by haleequemta
Recording Options
- Conference call line
- Skype w/ Pamela recorder, Call Recorder or Evaer
I have clients that also use a Conference Call line or Instant Teleseminar to record OR one of my favorites is Skype with the Pamela recorder, Call Recorder, or Evaer.
The important thing to note here is that typically for a podcast, you’re simply trying to capture a voice or two – NOT a whole dynamic range like if you were recording an orchestra. So keep it simple. Depending on the format of your podcast, you’ll want to record in a quiet room. The less extra noise you have on the recording, the less processing and editing you’ll have to do to during the editing process.
Another suggestion is to record in WAV format. I like to think of it “high-fidelity” audio. While compressed files are good for storage, I don’t like to compress to MP3 until the end of editing phase. Record in WAV whenever possible.
The important thing to note here is that typically for a podcast, you’re simply trying to capture a voice or two – NOT a whole dynamic range like if you were recording an orchestra. So keep it simple. Depending on the format of your podcast, you’ll want to record in a quiet room. The less extra noise you have on the recording, the less processing and editing you’ll have to do to during the editing process.
Another suggestion is to record in WAV format. I like to think of it “high-fidelity” audio. While compressed files are good for storage, I don’t like to compress to MP3 until the end of editing phase. Record in WAV whenever possible.
Photo by Jim Nix / Nomadic Pursuits
Editing
- Audacity
- GarageBand
- Adobe Audition
Again, I’ll suggest some free, low cost and paid tools. The first audio editor I used was called Audacity. It is truly a great free down-and-dirty audio editor. The only caveat is that it stores audio in WAV format which as I mentioned is high-fidelity audio which ultimately has a large file size. So if you want to export to MP3 format, you need to install another application called a LAME encoder to help you convert the audio from WAV to MP3. Or a workaround I’ve found and produces great results is keeping the audio in WAV, adding it to the library in iTunes, then using the right-click menu, convert to MP3 within iTunes. It uses a Fraunhofer encoder which I think creates better results than the LAME encoder.
Onto another free resource GarageBand for my Mac folks. GarageBand allows you to edit and then export to MP3.
I use Adobe Audition for my editing needs. I pay a monthly subscription for Adobe Creative Cloud so that I have access to all the programs. But, again, if you can use a free or low cost tool, use it.
During editing depending on my clients’ needs, I’m editing out “ums” or “ahs” or other glottal sounds that may deter from the audio recording. This is a choice of my client. If the format of your podcast was laid-back, then taking that extra step may seem unnecessary. During editing I also add in intro and outro music and possibly sponsor music depending on the client. I use the tools within the software to edit each track to make sure the levels are consistent – evening out highs and lows that might occur during recording.
After editing, I export to MP3 format. Again this is creates a compressed file with small file size, which will take up less bandwidth on your media host’s server.
Onto another free resource GarageBand for my Mac folks. GarageBand allows you to edit and then export to MP3.
I use Adobe Audition for my editing needs. I pay a monthly subscription for Adobe Creative Cloud so that I have access to all the programs. But, again, if you can use a free or low cost tool, use it.
During editing depending on my clients’ needs, I’m editing out “ums” or “ahs” or other glottal sounds that may deter from the audio recording. This is a choice of my client. If the format of your podcast was laid-back, then taking that extra step may seem unnecessary. During editing I also add in intro and outro music and possibly sponsor music depending on the client. I use the tools within the software to edit each track to make sure the levels are consistent – evening out highs and lows that might occur during recording.
After editing, I export to MP3 format. Again this is creates a compressed file with small file size, which will take up less bandwidth on your media host’s server.
Photo by ~C4Chaos
Tagging
The next step in the basic workflow is Tagging. ID3 tags on an audio file are like Properties on a Word document. ID3 tags allows you to add details to the audio file to allow listeners to see artwork, read lyrics or notes and enhance the listening experience.
So often in the past I worked with speakers, authors and coaches who released audio recordings, but didn’t take this extra little step to tag the audio file. So I ended up with a file in my iTunes library that was just a string of characters. This made it hard for me to know who created the recording and other details I might want to know.
So often in the past I worked with speakers, authors and coaches who released audio recordings, but didn’t take this extra little step to tag the audio file. So I ended up with a file in my iTunes library that was just a string of characters. This made it hard for me to know who created the recording and other details I might want to know.
Tagging
- ID3 Editor
- iTunes
Here are two resources for editing ID3 tags. ID3 Editor is a product of a Pa-software.com. Another option is use iTunes to update ID3 tags. But I’ve found with ID3 Editor I’m able to create a template file for each podcast – so I can save time when tagging audios, and keep the information consistent.
Hosting
- Blubrry (PowerPress)
- LibSyn
- Your own server
- Amazon S3
- PodBean
As you know one doesn’t want to host audio files on their own website because it may slow down bandwidth. It’s much better to use a hosting company to house the audio files.
Here are a few examples of media hosting providers. These examples are based on my experience with the 5 or so clients for whom I produce podcasts. The free or free-ish providers…PodBean, Amazon S3 (to a point), are going to have less features to help you market your podcast. So for instance, one client uses LibSyn (Liberated Syndication) a paid hosting tool. When she uploads the latest podcast episode it is automatically pushed out to iTunes and other podcast directories. LibSyn also gives you a website to help you market your podcast.
Here are a few examples of media hosting providers. These examples are based on my experience with the 5 or so clients for whom I produce podcasts. The free or free-ish providers…PodBean, Amazon S3 (to a point), are going to have less features to help you market your podcast. So for instance, one client uses LibSyn (Liberated Syndication) a paid hosting tool. When she uploads the latest podcast episode it is automatically pushed out to iTunes and other podcast directories. LibSyn also gives you a website to help you market your podcast.
Posting
Let’s talk about Posting for one minute before I move onto some Client workflow examples.
Photo by Dean Hochman
Posting
- Blog/website
- Social nets
- Newsletter
Posting the podcast is an important step in marketing. I always suggest that one’s podcast is posted first to their website since that is their hub and real estate on the web. When sharing the podcast to social channels or newsletter I suggest using the website link for promotion. Of course using an iTunes icon on website and in the newsletter will help one gain subscribers. It’s simply a few clicks and someone can subscribe.
Client Workflow #1
- Record audio using Skype/Pamela, conference call line as backup
- Edit audio adding in intro/outro, levels
- Export to MP3
- Edit ID3 tags
- Upload to LibSyn -> Directories
- Create blog post. Paste link into PowerPress plugin. Publish.
This client’s format is an interview-style podcast. She interviews industry experts for 20 minutes on one of their topics. At the end of the podcast a URL is announced that leads the listener to the Strategic Business Building website for a freebie.
www.StrategicBusinessBuilding.com
The LibSyn RSS feed is what feeds iTunes.
www.StrategicBusinessBuilding.com
The LibSyn RSS feed is what feeds iTunes.
Client Workflow #2
- Record audio using GarageBand.
- Edit audio adding in intro/outro, levels
- Export to MP3.
- Edit ID3 tags.
- Upload to their own server.
- Create blog post, add media link to Blubrry PowerPress plug-in. Publish.
This client’s format is once a month on business coaching topics. Typically is it just my client talking, but sometimes she’ll record an interview with someone. She uses GarageBand to record. Then I edit in her intro/outro, sponsorship. They upload the audio to their server. I create blog post and paste in media link into Blubrry PowerPress.
Her Podcast category RSS is what feeds iTunes.
www.AngelaMegasko.com
Her Podcast category RSS is what feeds iTunes.
www.AngelaMegasko.com
Client Workflow #3
- Record audio using digital audio recorder/capture.
- Edit - intro/outro, levels
- Export to MP3
- Edit ID3 tags
- Upload to PodBean -> iTunes
This is the workflow for the Story Slam podcasts I produce. Typically we are capturing audio live at the event. At Lancaster my husband is taking an auxiliary output off the mixer and going into this recorder OR at West Chester Jim’s event he is using a broadcast camera to capture audio and video and giving me the audio track to edit. As you can see, the workflow changes just slightly and is relatively simple.
iTunes Set-up
Let’s talk about the iTunes directory and how to submit a podcast feed. iTunes no longer provides support for podcasters – which can be frustrating when setting up a podcast. I luckily have done this several times and have a few pointers for you. When submitting an RSS feed to iTunes you’ll receive an automated email that states you’re feed is being reviewed and considered for inclusion in the directory. It will also state that it may take up to 2 weeks to get clarification of the acceptance. In my 5 years as a podcast producer, it has never taken that long. The podcast gets accepted, there is a congratulatory email, and your podcast is in the directory. Yay! But, for your listeners you’ll want to have a few episodes available.
iTunes Pre-Submission Suggestions
- Prep 3-4 episodes
- Create marketing copy
Be sure to prep 3-4 episodes of your podcast. When you submit your feed to iTunes this will provide some detail to iTunes – most importantly the frequency of your podcast. When your feed is accepted, you’ll immediately have 3-4 episodes available for your hungry listeners. The second suggestion is to think through and compose your marketing copy for the podcast. Because once you get to this point….
Photo by weesen
Untitled Slide
…submitting the RSS feed and hit Continue, the next step is filling out the fields like Title, Category, Description, Artwork, etc. You need to be prepared for that ahead of time. There isn’t a “save and come back to this” button.
In this field decide whether to use your RSS feed from media host or category RSS feed from blog.
In this field decide whether to use your RSS feed from media host or category RSS feed from blog.
Questions
I hope I have provided some resources for you to create your own podcast, or help your clients launch a podcast.
Are there any questions?
Are there any questions?
Photo by djking
Untitled Slide
I would be a terrible salesman not to mention that I created a podcast product. It can be found at www.PodcastsMadeSimple.net.
Let's Connect
Tweet with me at @WilsonVA.
My website is www.WilsonMediaServices.com
Email me at carla@wilsonmediaservices.com
My website is www.WilsonMediaServices.com
Email me at carla@wilsonmediaservices.com
Photo by 55Laney69
