These steps can be used to help create any a course in miracles . But gaming is my industry and I always get email’s from fellow gamers and fans asking how they can do they’re own podcast. I usually just tell them “it’s to much to explain”, I was just being lazy. It’s really not hard at all and I’ll even show you how to do it at nearly no cost, even free in most circumstances.
1. Get a mic. This is the step that’s pretty much common sense. But the reason I listed this first, is because of the mic quality. Is your mic quality clear enough? Test it out, have someone in your household tell you if it sounds good. It doesn’t have to be the best one in the world, but you need a mic that doesn’t hurt the ears of your listeners. If you feel like you need to upgrade then I suggest going to small electronic stores like RadioShack. They should have USB computer mics specially made for podcast production. There are some podcast setups out there that are pretty high end even with mini mixers, but remember this is the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to get started without losing quality.
2. Get software to record your podcast. This is the step many people get stuck on, because they don’t know where to get started and feel like its to technical for them. Its not! In fact it’s quite simple. I suggest you download a very popular free audio editing program called Audacity. There are many other great free programs to use such as Acid Xpress, but to make things easier for you I decided to focus on one. And to make things even more easier for you there is a link to a Wiki tutorial on recording podcasts with Audacity @ Audacity’s homepage. This simple tutorial easily and effectively shows you the ropes of the program itself to get you started.
2b. Why is there a 2b? Well, if your like me and you want to record a podcast with friends who live in other locations through Skype, this step is for you. If not skip ahead to step 3. Recording a podcast through Skype is much different, but not more complicated. There are programs out there that are made specifically for this reason. One program I recommend is Pamela. Pamela? Yes, I know the name caught me off guard to but it works wonders. What Pamela and other similar software does is record the group voice chat that you are holding in Skype. Only one thing to consider is these programs usually cost money, they are pretty cheap around twenty dollars. But if you feel like you don’t want to drop your hard earned money on it, they have trial versions to keep you busy.
3. Plan and record your podcast. I pretty much have no say in this step. Its all up to you. I didn’t have to put this into the article but the reason its included is because so many people forget to do this. Plan. Once you have your mic and recording software ready to go plan out your podcast from the beginning to the very end then record it. A well put together program will keep listeners around and gain listeners as well. Be creative.
4. Get your podcast online. Once you have your podcast ready to go, you have to find a place online to host it. Having a host is important for many reasons, for one if you don’t already have your own web site or blog your host will have a page setup for you with all your episodes. And another thing a host does is supply you with a feed address. Your feed address is like your podcast drivers license. You cant do anything with your podcast without a feed address. So where do you find a host? Well, there are many free podcast host on the Internet search around, but the one I suggest is Podomatic.com.
When you make your account with a host make sure you properly name your podcast, give it a good description, upload your cover art and if it has an option for keywords give the most effective keywords you can think of. And when you upload your episodes for the podcast follow that same criteria: name it properly, describe it properly, tag it properly and if you want you can give your episode some artwork as well, thats optional.
