Choosing to start your own podcast can feel like a large and complicated task, especially if you are not overly confident in your internet 'techy' skills. The good news is you really don't have to be a technical wizard to create your own program with professional sound and quality. There are tools available to make it easy, affordable and fun.
First of all, let's touch on just what exactly a podcast is.
Wikipedia says: "A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication."
There are a lot of cool things about the 'web syndication' part. When your audio or video content is syndicated it means that people can pick it up automatically anywhere that your content is syndicated to. One well known example is iTunes. When you have your show on iTunes people can simply log onto their account and grab your podcast right from their computer. A podcast is syndicated through an RSS feed and allows people to subscribe through feed readers and even by email to get your content automatically.
How to Create Your Own Podcast
You need to have three main things:
1. An audio or video file 2. A place to host your file 3. A feed to syndicate your podcast
As the definition mentions, this won't be just one file. You'll want to release a series of files on a regular basis. Some shows are released weekly, others bi-monthly and some monthly. Whatever you choose, consistency is always best so you gain and keep loyal listeners or viewers.
Let's go over how to get set up with each of the three points above:
1. An Audio or Video File
There are a number of ways you can create your audio or video files: Record audio on your computer - Audacity is a free program you can use along with a computer microphone to easily create your own audio files Record video with a webcam, flip or other video recorder Record audio through the use of a teleseminar service - If you want to record phone calls or interviews you can use a conference call link such as freeconferencecalling.com Record audio using a software program such as Audio Acrobat2. A Place to Host Your File
You have a few options for hosting your file. My favorite is to use Audio Acrobat. It's a program that not only allows me to host my files but also record, organize, syndicate and publish them.
Another option is to host your files on your hosting account. This can get very expensive if your program gets popular (and this is what you want!) so it's not usually a good option for anyone serious about podcasting.
3. A Podcast Feed to Syndicate Your Podcast
When you have your podcast ready to go you need to add it to a feed so that the people who are waiting for your syndicated show can receive it instantly.
One way to do this is use a feed set up through a Wordpress website. You can set up an RSS feed and then add your audio files to your wordpress site. They will automatically be added to your feed and your subscribers will be updated. You'll also want to make sure you submit your podcast to iTunes.
The easiest way I've found to syndicate through RSS and also have it submitted to iTunes is to use a service such as Audio Acrobat as mentioned previously.
I host a weekly podcast called Marketers Mojo Talk Radio. Here's the simple process I follow to do everything mentioned above: 1. Call guest 2. Use three way calling to call my Audio Acrobat number and start the audio recording 3. Conduct interview 4. Download and edit using the free Audacity program 5. Upload back to Audio Acrobat 6. Grab publish link for my site 7. Notify iTunes of new show within Audio Acrobat 8. Let guest know podcast is ready!
So now you should have a very good idea on how to create your own podcast. Don't let fear hold you back and get started with your podcast now!
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