By Emma Newman
At the time of writing this, fifteen chapters of my novel have been published on my site as podcasts. I love recording and publishing them now, but it was daunting at the start. I’d like to give you a hand with some of the basics if you are considering taking the podcasting plunge.
Technology
Let’s get the scariest bit out of the way first—the technology. I’m going to explain the process I use to podcast, but please note that my initial set up may be different to yours. The process will always be record, format correctly and then publish, and I’ll look at each in turn.
I have my own domain, and my own hosting which runs WordPress. Some of you will have Blogger sites and some of you will have WordPress sites hosted by WordPress (and probably a lot of other blog/website permutations too) so you’ll need to adapt this process to your own situation. Whatever the set up, you’ll need a microphone. I use a microphone headset, nothing fancy, it plugs straight into my USB port. I bought it to use Skype, not to podcast, but it does the job fine.
Recording
I use a delicious free piece of software called Audacity. Not only is it free, it’s incredibly simple to use and there are lots of videos on YouTube with step-by-step instructions.
I tweaked the default recording settings to match those required by Podiobooks as I want to publish on their site one day. I record in stereo, with a bit rate of 128 kbps and a sample rate of 44.1 kHz (this doesn’t mean a whole lot to me, I just followed the requirements in their guide).
Formatting
The recording is created as a .aup file, and so I export it out of Audacity as an MP3 file, then it can be played on most devices. One bit that is important at this stage is correctly entering the ID3 tags. These determine the information that is carried with the file, so that when people save it to their various devices, the device can read what it’s called, who recorded it, what ‘album’ it’s part of etc.
My only criticism with Audacity is that it doesn’t have a ‘podcast’ tag option. To get round this I save as much information as I can (title, album, artist), export as an MP3, then open the file with iTunes. Then I right click on the file in the iTunes window and click on “Get info” to access a series of tabs with editable information on them. I change the genre to ‘podcast’ and I’m done.
Publishing the podcast
I use a WordPress plugin called PowerPress and it has been brilliant. It was a bit fiddly to set up, but they have an excellent, detailed tutorial video that takes you through the process step by step. All I can recommend is patience, a good amount of time to dedicate to it and a place to test your pages that others won’t see!
Before the podcast can be published, the file has to be uploaded to the hosting server. I use a free FTP client called FileZilla but I’m sure you can upload a file via the usual media library method in WordPress admin.
Once the file is uploaded, it’s simply a matter of creating the page in WordPress, scrolling down to the PowerPress section inserted by the plugin and typing in the file name. As everything has already been set up in terms of where it should look for that file, it’s easy.
Content
If, like me, you plan to podcast something you’ve already written, you’re halfway there. Chapters are usually a good length for a single podcast (mine are usually between 15 – 20 minutes long when read aloud). I could never podcast off the cuff; my voice just seizes up, so you might want to outline topics if you are going for something more spontaneous.
Presentation
Before I recorded my first ever podcast, I was lucky enough to have a coaching session from the marvelous lady behind onlinesoundadvice.com. She has a great free ebook of advice for beginners by the way. That advice, and a significant amount of trial and error on my part, has led to this preparation before I record:
• Make a cup of tea
• Take my inhaler (very important if you’re asthmatic like I am, as the tension of recording can bring on a bit of wheezing)
•Tie my hair back—stray wisps can sound like juggernauts on a sensitive microphone
• Switch off any unnecessary applications on my computer so there are no email or tweet pings in the middle of a scene
• Get a glass of water (for when the tea runs out)
• Tell anyone else in the house that I’m recording
• Shut my office door (I work from home) which improves acoustics
Then I read the chapter through, making mental notes about how to deliver dialogue, put on the headset, positioning the microphone at least 5 cms away and below my mouth, then I click record.
I always record the first draft in one sitting, even if I end up recording three minutes worth of tea drinking, nose blowing and water slurping in between. I’ve also started to edit in the same sitting too, as sometimes a syllable is too harsh and I need to re-record a phrase. If it’s in the same sitting, all of the recording variables are exactly the same, so the new material can be inserted flawlessly.
It can be scary when you start, but believe me, it’s the most rewarding thing in the world when people start to listen to your podcasts and then look forward to them! It creates an intimacy that words on a screen simply cannot. Go for it!
If you have more tips and resources for podcasting, please share in the comments.
Follow Emma Newman’s adventures in podcasting and writing at Post-Apocalyptic Publishing.
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Thanks a brunch for this, Ms. MS!
I just tried Google blog search for the first time, looking for podcasting, and found you. I’m so, so happy that I did. There’s so much stuff out there for advanced podcasters, but what about the person who just wants to know how to physically, actually do it? Harder than you’d think.
Thanks for a great resource.
Hi Emma!
What a great post on podcasting.
Thank you for sharing.
To all commentors: Emma’s podcasts of her novel are the best! Her voice is such a treat to listen to and the story is riveting.
Love & Best Wishes,
RKCharron
xoxo
Great post. I have goldwave on my computer, and use it all the time. But because the files are just so huge, I haven’t bothered to see if there was a way to podcast them. With so much else to do, I put ‘learn how to podcast’ on my To Do list and shoved it in the bottom of my drawer.
After reading your post, I am now motivated to give it a go so that I can offer podcasts of my author interviews on my WriteSmart blog.
Thanks!!
Thank you for the tips! I am currently moving from blogger to wordpress and you saved me a step in finding a good plugin!
Audacity is quite good…I use it for my stupid home movies all the time. There are a lot of bells and whistles I haven’t got a clue about, but thanks for the settings tip.
Question: What kind of microphone to you use and are you happy with it? I’m hovering around the idea of buying a “professional” microphone, and have see a couple in the $100-200 range that a radio-friend says are probably okay, but I’d love to hear from someone who is using one for the same sort of thing I would like to do.
–John
Thanks for your enthusiastic responses, it’s a thrill to think that more people may give it a go now.
John, in terms of the microphone I use, I bought it about 2 years ago before I even knew what podcasting really was (late bloomer!) and the sound quality wasn’t important to me. Luckily, it seems to be up to the job, it’s a Logitech one that cost about £30 I think. The nice lady at onlinesoundadvice.com will be able to advise you with much more authority than I. All I know is that when I listened back to my test ones right at the beginning, the sound quality was fine!
Very good!
I really enjoyed reading this. Simply stated, with a very personal touch.
Thank you for all of the information in this informative post. I’ve been thinking about podcasting for my poetry, and it’s great to hear of someone else’s experience with it. Good luck with your writing!
Thanks Sefcug and Kimberly!
Awesome post, Emma! (It’s good to see you guest posting all over the blogosphere :-) ) I podcast with the H2 Zoom (it’s available on Amazon) and it is the BEST podcasting device ever! If you are looking for high-quality, stereo sound, it’s an excellent tool. I highly recommend it!
The Zoom is a fantastic tool. I have one myself as a journalist. There are various recording settings that go up to broadcast quality and the fourway directional mic is fantastic (frequently almost too sensitive). It’s not the cheapest but because it’s a recorder as well it means it’ll do the job if you want to add interviews to your podcasts. In terms of editing software I use an old copy of Cool Edit (now Adobe’s Audition) but the free programmes are grand for podcasting. By the way, I haven’t started podcasting yet so I’m talking from a radio point of view.
Hi all,
I’m Christy, the “nice lady” that Em referred to at Online Sound Advice. She just DMed me on Twitter, suggesting that I chime in on microphones.
For podcasting, you have three basic choices:
1. A headset with built in microphone (what Em referred to in her post and uses)
2. A USB microphone
3. A professional microphone
Yes, there are those who will argue with me to say that there are “professional USB microphones”. The delineation between Professional and non-professional is the connector. This ventures into geek-speak, but suffice it to say that there might be some decent quality USB mics, but they are not professional-level.
My personal bias is to go with option #3. The reason Em stayed with the headset that she had, was because she was short on funds. And that’s okay. Once she’s a famous published author, however, I’ll poke her about upgrading. ;)
Option #2, the USB mic, is good for many people. There are limitations and there are issues with noise, but many are okay with that. If you choose the USB mic route, here’s the one I’ve recommended to the likes of Sonia Simone and Dave Navarro: The Audio-Technica AT2020 USB.
It’s a decent quality microphone with a USB connection.
If anyone is interested in more information or wants to chat, give me a holler. I’m @olsoundadvice on Twitter.
Thanks for this post. Before I publish my YA series, someone suggested I gain an audience first by podcasting. I’ve decided to do so, but plan to go through someone who’s been doing it for a while. I don’t want it to be just my voice, though. I want to have other voices, too (it’s YA so I want to have young voices reading the parts).
Thanks for these good tips for us beginners, Emma. But do you have any tips about how to build an audience for a podcast of an unknown novel by an unknown author? How does the audience find out out about the podcasts (if you don’t have a much-trafficked WP blog yet)? Is there a clearinghouse for podcasts that isn’t overrun by big names? And do you suggest doing a chapter-by-chapter podcast of the book before self-publishing it as a book and an e-book, or can the podcast come later?
TIP: Instead of stopping and starting again, keep the recording going when you make mistakes. Just repeat what you were trying to say again. You might want to make a particularly loud noise just before you try again for easy identification when you edit your recording. When you finish recording, just look at the wave form, and you will see the loud noises you make as big spikes. That lets you quickly find the areas to clean up.
Otherwise, you can waste an entire day trying to get a perfect take.
Great article, Emma. Thanks so much for sharing the nuts and bolts details. Podcasting has always been a mystery to me. Thanks for the demystification.
~jon
Wow, it’s so wonderful to have so many people enthusing about this; podcasting is great fun and I’m happy that this has helped demystify it in some small way.
@Laura – I started podcasting my novel when my blog had a very small audience. I was just one of the thousands of writers out there blogging about being frustrated by trying to get published. There are more readers and listeners now, and a book deal, but I don’t think having a small readership should deter anyone from podcasting. In fact, the very thought that only a few people would judge my podcasts was quite reassuring when I started. If I had thousands reading my site every day, I might have been too nervous to start! I have a few answers to your question, perhaps I should ask Maria if I could do a follow-up post addressing those very things… (assumes big-eyed hopefulness of Puss-in-Boots cat from Shrek 2).
Thanks so much, Emma. Would love to read a follow-up post. And if you can’t do it here, please do it on your blog, which I’m now aware of. This kind of free information from someone who’s been there (and isn’t a scifi/fantasy god like the guys on Podiobooks) is priceless.