In case you missed it, "podcast" was declared 2005 word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary. The concept is simple and yet profound. Podcasts are audio files - talk radio with music thrown in - that you can download, "unhook" from the Internet and carry away with you in an iPod or other MP3 player to listen to at your convenience.
And who's creating them? Everybody, it seems, from Fortune 500s like Whirlpool and IBM to, no surprise, NPR. They're a marketer's dream, really. Whether you're sponsoring a podcast or creating one of your own, you can follow your customer just about... anywhere.
But here's a dirty little secret... while it's easier than ever to subscribe to podcasts via iTunes, podcasts are still not as easy to create as are blogs with their one-click publishing tools.
I'm still trying to figure out how climbing the learning curve on how to produce a podcast from scratch. [Update: as soon as if and when I get there I will publish a quick "how-to" for newbie podcasters. Or maybe I'll be lazy and get someone else to handle the techie part for me.]
I'm just the teensiest bit techno-phobic when it comes to audio tools. I'm looking for a one-click (OK, I'll go to three clicks) system to record, produce and post a podcast with an RSS feed.
Haven't found it yet. It's possible that I used up too many brain cells finishing the manuscript for The Corporate Blogging Book over the past three to four months. And so I'm missing something.
But more likely I suspect, there are others in my shoes, scratching their heads and not quite sure how to "mix" the recording, add the cool intro music, upload the podcast file so that it becomes part of an RSS feed, etc.
Stephan Spencer helped me produce my first podcast last October. But truth be told I haven't dived back in to figure out how to... edit Garageband myself, "capture" a Skype interview so it's part of the recording and so on. (I did finally order a Logitech headset.)
I haven't had time to explore Apple's release yesterday of "podcasting" as part of iLife 2006. I did find an explanation on the Garageband pages which is too technical and detailed. Too many steps.
Anyone want to lend a hand or offer an easy pointer? Am I just being lazy??
Useful Links
Creating a mini podcast in 30 minutes (how I did it with Stephan Spencer of NetConcepts)
Beginner's Guide to Podcast Creation
The Real Beginner's Guide to Podcasting [courtesy of Ryan Irelan]
Blogging & Podcasting Resources v. 2.0 [my compilation]
Rok Hrastnik on the lack of easy tools for podcasting and videocasting
Although podcasting can be relatively simple in terms of creating an audio file that can be subscribed to I believe you still need to consider editing prior to posting. This isn't as easy as many people think.
I would be happy to provide you with my ideas and suggestions. In fact, I would love to interview you for one of my podcasts!
I don't know of any 1-click miracles. I like to edit every file before posting. That alone requires the use of audio editing software.
I've listened to a lot of very disappointing audio that's being podcast by some pretty big names.
Like blogging, not everyone can produce an interesting podcast. However, I highly encourage trying it since the tools are available and affordable. It's just one more way of connecting directly to your customers.
Posted by: Chuck Zimmerman | January 11, 2006 at 11:43 PM
Thanks Chuck. Let's do it! Glad you pointed out the difference between the content and programming part of a podcast - and the editing & production. It's the latter I'm trying to master.
Posted by: Debbie Weil | January 12, 2006 at 06:07 AM
Debbie, I've been podcasting since September, and would be happy to talk you through the recording/editing process. If you're on a Mac platform, even better.
Take heart. The process DOES get easier and faster each time you do it.
Donna Papacosta
donna AT trafcom DOT com
Posted by: Donna Papacosta | January 12, 2006 at 09:47 AM
Hey all - check out the lastest Apple iLife app (http://www.apple.com/ilife/) - GarageBand 3 (http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/) - It puts you in the control room of your own full-featured radio station. Put your voice on the Internet in just a few minutes. (The best way to record music on a Mac is now the best way to record podcasts. Podcasting in GarageBand 3 puts you in the control room of your own full-featured radio station. And new iWeb integration gets your voice on the Internet in minutes.
Posted by: Kip Finch | January 13, 2006 at 09:07 AM
Hi
First I must congratulate you on your website. Perhaps you can start a Forum for those who are interested in taking the discusion on Blogging etc a bit further...I dont know maybe you would not have the time...anyway something to consider...
I am interested in getting my blog heard..so i am hard at it trying to get it into blog directories..any idea how i would do that...thanks..(do you have a recommended list? :-) )
Posted by: Steve | January 15, 2006 at 05:01 PM
A couple of quick thoughts. I haven't been podcasting, myself (though I do manage one, and do some recording work for another), but I am a complete audio production geek.
I've found a piece of software called Audacity to be great for recording and editing. It's multi-platform and open-source. Some production know-how and such is still (and probably always will be) required.
As for actual syndication, there are many options. On a very basic level, I've found a PHP-driven blog package called LoudBlog to be effective and simple.
Posted by: Jim Eastman | January 17, 2006 at 04:28 PM
UPDATE: just got off the phone with Donna Papacosta of Trafcom.com who was a marvel at explaining how the audio software works. Yes, Audacity (free download from audacity.sourceforge.net) seems to be the preferred audio editing tool. Takeaway for today: you cut and paste the sound files into this program, much like you cut and paste into Word. OK, sounds doable. More TK...
Posted by: Debbie Weil | January 17, 2006 at 05:19 PM
Hey Debby -
we had the same frustration when we first started podcasting. The whole thing of process of either learning how to format the blog and then processing it through feedburner, or (cringe) learning how to do the RSS feed ourselves, was daunting.
Eventually we went the podcast host route. http://www.avmypodcast.com was the ne we liked best. You just fill out a few forms that name your episodes and show, and it uploads your episodes and does the rest. It was really easy and worth a look.
Posted by: John Pritchard | April 27, 2007 at 09:16 PM