Podcasting Software and General Tutorial

For many people who have yet to broadcast their own podcast, you would be surprised how easy it is to create your own podcast. There are many podcasting software tutorials as well as podcasting tutorials in general that you can use but none as easy as this one. We'll explain what you need to do to make a successful podcast.

You first need to start by getting a microphone to create the podcast. Preferably you want to get a headset since they are easier to use. You'll also want to get some inexpensive or free podcasting software which this tutorial will explain how to use. Lastly, you'll need a location on the Internet for your finished podcast. This podcasting tutorial will explain how to set up an RSS feed which is much easier than you would expect.

Producing high quality podcasts with information that will attract and inform your listeners might take a bit of work, but with the proper preparation and the right audience you'll do just fine. With more experience you'll be able to attract a larger base of listeners depending on your talent and content. Before you begin this podcasting tutorial and podcasting software tutorial you'll need to know what your content will be. Are you planning an entertainment news program or did you want to stick with the basics of music, sports, or lectures? You can do a podcast on anything, just talk about something you know and feel passionate about. Once you decide it is time to download the appropriate podcasting software.

Many people choose Audacity for free podcasting software that is easy to use, but has advanced features that are there for people who are more experienced. The versions are available for Windows, Mac OS 9, or X as well as Linus/Unix versions. You will then be asked to download the LAME MP3 encoder which allows Audacity to export MP3 files. You need to do this in order to export your files. The website provides in depth instructions on how to download and record with this podcasting software but here are the basics:

Plug in your microphone and open up Windows Volume Control
Adjust the volume to the level in which you want to record
Start a new recording using Audacity, checking all levels when you begin.
When you finish, test and edit the audio or other glitches you hear.
When the audio is done write down where you saved your file and what the exact file size is. (Do this by right clicking the .mp3 file you created and clicking on properties)

You then need to covert your podcast to MP3 format before uploading. It makes the file smaller and easier for others to download. You can do this through LAME that works with Audacity. You can also use iTunes if you have that available to you.

Take this time to play your file in either Windows Media Player or iTunes to make sure that it sounds okay. You want to track your information that shows up from your ID3 tags in the MP3 files which are the Title, Artist, Genre, etc.

Now it is time to upload your podcast to the Internet. You will need a file transfer program such as Smart FTP. It's free for personal use. If you use a program such as Libsyn to host your podcast then you won't need a separate FTP program. There are many free Internet hosting sites for your podcast. You can upload them to many of them and in return you will also find many other podcasts that you may find interesting to you.

To recap this is the podcasting software you will need:

Audio Recorder and Editor
MP3 Encoder
Media Player
File Transfer Software

Once you get the hang of following this podcasting tutorial as well as the podcasting software tutorial we have provided you will be sending out your podcasts all over the world.