Working on a podcasting project? We鈥檙e here to help! The Student Technology Consultants team has prepared a short 1-2-3 guide to walk you through from the moment you set up your microphone to the time you click 鈥減ublish鈥. You can tailor this guide to your needs or preferences by using the "Scaling this Step" tips to dive in deeper (+) or simplify (-).
1. Recording your Podcast
Recording clear, pleasant audio can be a daunting first step as you鈥檙e starting out. The video below will go over how to pick your location, set up your microphone, and judge when a recording is ready to move on to the editing phase. You鈥檙e free to use whatever audio recording software you鈥檇 like, but if you want to follow along with the Editing Your Podcast video, we鈥檇 recommend the free software.
Scaling this Step
(+) Have access to the Adobe Suite? Try recording in the Adobe Audition Program. The tools in that program can be a bit trickier to learn, but will pay dividends down the line.
(-)听Running short on time? You can also record directly in the Anchor.fm platform, described in Step 3. You won鈥檛 have much control over the final product and concurrent recording can cause problems for shared accounts, but it鈥檚 the fastest way to finalize your podcast.
2. Editing Your Podcast
Once you have a recording to use as a foundation, it鈥檚 time to tidy up your sound. This video goes over basic editing tools you can use in the Audacity program to cut, reduce noise, and equalize your sound. While sound editing can go much further than what we鈥檝e outlined here, this is a good starting point if this process is new to you.
Scaling this Step
(+) For a deeper dive into EQ, I would recommend reviewing by Larry Jordan. He鈥檚 editing in Adobe Audition, but the frequency benchmarks are generally the same. If you鈥檙e using Adobe Audition, try using the 鈥淰ocal Enhancer鈥 quick tool instead. If you do end up having problems with plosives, you can use the 鈥淜ill the Mic Rumble鈥 setting in the FFT Filter effect.
(-)听If you only want to make simple cuts to your audio, you can do this directly in the Anchor.fm program. Again, if you鈥檙e sharing an account, concurrent editing may not save on the first try.
3. Assembling Your Podcast
Our podcast consultations use theAnchor.fm platform to house and assemble podcasts. It boils a fairly expansive variety of options down into a user-friendly, drag-and-drop platform. The nitty gritty of your Anchor account may change if you鈥檙e working on this in class, though all of the information discussed in this video should still apply.
Scaling this Step
(+)听You can adjust the sound levels for background music in the pop-out menu that displays after you click the music notes icon. If it applies, you can also organize your podcast into seasons and check out the viewer analytics in the 鈥淒ashboard鈥 tab.
(-)听If you鈥檙e really in a crunch, the fastest way to blast through a podcast is to log in, click 鈥淣ew Episode,鈥 record your audio in-browser (again...just be wary of this with shared accounts鈥), click 鈥淪ave Changes,鈥 and then click 鈥淧ublish Now鈥 or 鈥淪ave as Draft,鈥 whichever is applicable.
We hope this guide makes your podcasting project more attainable. Make sure to review your instructor鈥檚 project guidelines for additional information specific to your course, if that applies to you. If you鈥檙e interested in tweaking this for your class, please let us know!