Working on a podcasting project? We’re 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 “publish”. 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’re 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’re free to use whatever audio recording software you’d like, but if you want to follow along with the Editing Your Podcast video, we’d 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.
(-)ĚýRunning short on time? You can also record directly in the Anchor.fm platform, described in Step 3. You won’t have much control over the final product and concurrent recording can cause problems for shared accounts, but it’s the fastest way to finalize your podcast.
2. Editing Your Podcast
Once you have a recording to use as a foundation, it’s 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’ve 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’s editing in Adobe Audition, but the frequency benchmarks are generally the same. If you’re using Adobe Audition, try using the “Vocal Enhancer” quick tool instead. If you do end up having problems with plosives, you can use the “Kill the Mic Rumble” setting in the FFT Filter effect.
(-)ĚýIf you only want to make simple cuts to your audio, you can do this directly in the Anchor.fm program. Again, if you’re 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’re working on this in class, though all of the information discussed in this video should still apply.
Scaling this Step
(+)ĚýYou 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 “Dashboard” tab.
(-)ĚýIf you’re really in a crunch, the fastest way to blast through a podcast is to log in, click “New Episode,” record your audio in-browser (again...just be wary of this with shared accounts…), click “Save Changes,” and then click “Publish Now” or “Save as Draft,” whichever is applicable.
We hope this guide makes your podcasting project more attainable. Make sure to review your instructor’s project guidelines for additional information specific to your course, if that applies to you. If you’re interested in tweaking this for your class, please let us know!