Use a stage voice. When recording your podcast, be animated as you speak, varying pitch and emphasis with your voice. Since listeners cannot see your face for emotional context, normal conversational speaking will come across in a sound recording as flat. If you speak expressively like a stage actor, as unnatural as it might seem, it will come out the other end sounding normal and interesting.

Size matters. There is no technical limit on podcasts, but users are limited in how long they will wait for a file to download and how much room is on their audio players. Podcast subscription applications mitigate the issue some by automating the download, doing it in the background and at times when the user is away from the computer. Still, it is best not to let a podcast get so big that it becomes a problem. A file from 4MB to 7MB seems to be an average, which should accommodate a program of at least 30 minutes.

Podcasting on the go. In the step-by-step example (see below), the suggested starter project involved a movie critic recording her review of a new release once she got back to the newsroom. With a portable audio recorder (and a little more daring), the critic could start dictating her impressions of the movie as she is walking out of the theatre. The background sound of the movie’s ending music and of the surrounding crowd would add a strong feeling of immediacy and the kind of uniqueness that helps a podcast attract an audience. The reviewer could even swing the recorder toward a couple of people walking out with her and ask what they thought.

Podcasting: Step by step


Pick a show format

Starting out, it is probably best to use a talk-only style that involves just one person, one microphone and limited editing. Later you can add production values such as intro music, multiple microphones used by multiple people, and splicing in other recordings such as earlier interviews.

Decide on the show’s content

Since podcasting has a youthful audience and works best when it has strong personality, your starter project might do something with lifestyle or entertainment coverage using one of your more flamboyant arts journalists. A popular movie critic could record her first impressions of that new movie to put online until her full review is published.

Assemble the kit

Simplest is recording into a computer with any standard computer accessory microphone plugged in. Windows, Mac and Unix computers come with basic recording utilities that are suitable, but you will need another utility to convert their files to the MP3 format. Or download the free Audacity sound recorder/editor with the LAME MP3 encoder. Even video editors such as Apple’s iMovie or Microsoft’s Windows Movie Maker record and edit audio-only files. Using a specialized digital sound recorder can give you additional capabilities, but be sure you can transfer the recorded file to your computer. Stay away from analog (i.e. tape) recorders.

Script the show

Think of a podcast like a story with a beginning, middle and end. Figure out how you are going to introduce the show, what points you are going to cover in what order, and how you are going to close. It is not necessary to write out everything you are going to say. If you do, be careful that the recording does not sound stiff and unnatural.

Record the show

Ideally, use a small, quiet, carpeted room. If your microphone is small, clip it to the computer or your clothes to avoid the sounds of handling. Make a short test to check setup and settings. If using a computer mouse, be sure the clicks are not picked up. Do not worry about trying to get the entire podcast recorded perfectly in one start to stop. Minor gaffes sound natural. If you make bigger mistakes, pause and continue where you left off.

Edit the recording

Use a digital audio editor to cut anything out of your recording you do not want and to combine the pieces in the right order. The recommended editors are easy to use as long as you do not start changing technical parameters. Most recordings will benefit from at least a little editing, even if only to clip the beginning of the file so that it starts crisply.

Save the recording as an MP3

Most podcasts are in this digital music format. You could put a file online in almost any audio format for people to listen to, but MP3 is the only one with which you can be sure most podcast subscription applications and portable audio players will work. The default MP3 settings in your software likely will be OK (most often CD-quality 44.100 kHz, 16-bit stereo). If your editor does not generate MP3s, then you need a converter such as SIMPLE MP3 Maker.

Post your podcast

The MP3 needs to be put on an Internet-accessible server along with an XML file that provides information about it. The tags used in this XML file are based on a syndication protocol known as RSS. If your newspaper’s Web site already offers RSS feeds, simply set it up to offer a new one that includes an enclosure tag containing the MP3’s URL. If your site is not yet set up to generate RSS feeds, you can create the necessary XML file manually or with the help of the Thai-developed FeedSpring utility (on Windows).

Promote your podcast

Put the orange POD icon on your Web site linked to the RSS file. Now people using podcast-subscription applications such as iTunes, iPodder or Doppler will be able to find, download and play your podcast. It is also a good idea to put a link on your site directly to the audio file so that people can access it even without using subscription software.