Create a Podcast in Minutes

Articles on Podcasting | Topics: podcasting, podcast

by Neil J. Flores

The new trend in the electronic world today is Podcasting. Anyone can make a Podcast in minutes no matter if they have ever used an iPod or not. This ingenious new medium is sweeping the planet by storm. The idea of Podcasting is actually really simple. All it really is, is the distribution of video or audio files over the Internet. This method is done by a software program with step-by-step instructions, or by using RRS. This allows the user to listen via a PDA, or personal digital assistant, a cell phone, or an iPod. The term Podcast is not only meant to describe the content of the material, but the method that it is delivered as well. Real time streaming may be great, but if you want subscribed content exactly when you want it is not the way to go. What you are looking for is real time Podcasting; this is the feed that automatically delivers new and exciting content on a regular basis to its subscribers and delivers your to others with ease as well.

The first thing you will need to do when creating a Podcast is set up your audio or video file as well as your microphone or camera. You can use any media file you like, including music audio books, TV shows, or a radio. There is no necessary format you need to use to make this file either so it is not complex at all or takes minutes to achieve if you know what you want and have planned. One source that many people use is Audacity, it is a cross-platform, open source and it lets you mix many files together at once to get just what you are looking for. Another great program is called GarageBand. If your Podcast needs to be edited, in native you can be sure that you will have a great version. The next step will be to convert the file to the MP3 format; this is the standard format for Podcasting.

Quote of the Day

Being so wrong about her makes me wonder now how often I am utterly wrong about myself. And how wrong she might have been about her mother, how wrong he might have been about his father, how much of family life is a vast web of misunderstandings, a tinted and touched-up family portrait, an accurate representation of fact that leaves out only the essential truth.

—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)

Unless you have a good reason to use any other format, it would be best to use MP3 so others can easily download your stuff. The only exception might be if you are using video Podcasting instead. By using this format, you will be sure that your entire audience can hear or view your Podcast. If you want to get great results on your transfer always use a minimum bit rate. Try using 64+ stereo- music and talk combinations+ music alone. Save this to a file extension of MP3. Once you have saved the files you can transfer them to your PC and then test them on any MP3 player. Keeping all the files in one place will keep you informed on where it all is. Next you will need to set your RRS files, this is a general description of your Podcast. It also gives description on the show as well. Basically an RRS file is nothing more than a text file. You can use a text editor to create an RRS file. Many pod casters use blogs to get this information across. A blogging tool would be most helpful if you plan on going this route for your Podcasting. URL should do any audio content that you will enclose with the program. Either way the popular Podcasting will lend to enclosures soon enough. For now however, you can easily edit using the text editor. A link, description, and title are all generally contained in RRS news feed. This is where the Meta tag offers description to the news content and URL.

The ins and outs of creating a Podcast are nothing spectacular or incredible by any means. Anyone with a computer and a microphone can make a Podcast with the right software in seconds. If you want you Podcast to be good and have people be interested in it then you might want to take the time to be creative and put something in it. Making a Podcast does not need to be hard or too technical for anyone. It just takes a bit of time to think of something interesting to say or do that will captivate your audience. Anyone can make a Podcast in minutes; it takes someone special to do it well.

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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Create a Podcast in Minutes" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by WebDesignConferencing.com.

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