A Beginners Guide to Podcasting: The Creators Guide

May 24, 2006 Greg Schwartz Supervisor of Electronic Services, Louisville Free Public Library

Ultra-quick review
Podcasting is the distribution or syndication of audio files over the Internet using RSS technology. Allows patrons to subscribe to your content and get automatic downloads of the new stuff.

Today
Why podcast? What would we podcast? How do we record? How do we publish/syndicate? How do we publicize?

Why podcast?
If it fits into your organizational goals and communications strategies If youre already creating audio content If your patrons expect portable content NOT because I tell you to NOT because everyones doing it

Warning!
Podcasting is not a one-time deal. Podcasting takes time:
Time Time Time Time Time to to to to to plan record edit publish promote

Recognize the commitment before plunging in and allocate resources accordingly.

What would we podcast?

Programming (get permission!) Upcoming Events and Library News Bibliographic Instruction Tours Services for the Visually Impaired Whatever your imagination holds

Kankakee Public Library http://lions-online.org/podcasts.html

Dowling College Library Omnibus http://www.dowling.edu/library/newsblog/podcasts.asp

WPIs George C. Gordon Library Audio To Go http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Library/Borrowing/Podcasts/

Cheshire Public Library http://www.cheshirelib.org/teens/cplpodcast.htm

Others to check out

Pritzker Military Library
http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/podcast/

Listen Up! Georgia Perimeter College

http://gpclibraryradio.blogspot.com/

The Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins

http://www.library.jhu.edu/podcasts/

Curtin University of Technology

http://library.curtin.edu.au/podcast/index.html

YA Reviews - Thomas Ford Memorial Library

http://www.fordlibrary.org/yareviews/

How to podcast
(in eight easy steps!)

Step 1 Determine content and format

Make these decisions first! Both can be changed, but neither can be ignored. Think about tone, energy, scripting, voices, music. Understand the legal issues.
http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide

Plan twice, record once.

Step 1 cont. Music and copyright

Using music in podcasts introduces complex copyright issues. Experimental licenses are obtainable, but better yet, try podsafe music. Take a second to learn about Creative Commons licensing
http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/

Consider how this licensing might also be applied to your podcast.

Step 1 cont. - Music and sound sources

Podsafe Music Network http://podsafemusicnetwork.com/

Opsound - http://www.opsound.org/ ccMixter - http://www.ccmixter.org/ Common Content

http://commoncontent.org/catalog/audio/ http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/index.php

Freesound Project -

Step 2 Assemble equipment and people.

Content is king, but audio is queen. Dont spend until you know the staff resources are there to support your efforts. All you really need is a mic and a PC.

Step 2 contd.
Decide on your audio editing software. Many options that vary wildly in price and functionality.
Audio Hijack Pro (Mac) Garageband (Mac) Pro Tools (Windows) Castblaster (Windows)

Best value for the money award goes to Audacity free, open source, multi-platform

Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net

Critical step: Get the LAME mp3 encoder as well!

Audacity resources
Recording a Podcast
http://www.jakeludington.com/podcasting/20050222_recording_a _podcast.html

Mastering Podcasts with Audacity How to Podcast (screencasts)

http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/03/17/1633214

http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/17-audacity-tutorial.htm

Two terms worth knowing

Sample rate
frequency of snapshots taken during actual recording like frames of a movie higher rate equals better quality, but bigger file 44.100 khz is standard Set before recording

Bit rate
Amount of information processed per unit of time (measured in bits/sec) Again higher number is better quality, but larger file Suggestion: 64 kbps for voice; 128 kbps for music Set when exporting to mp3

Step 3 Recording
Hit the record button and go! This is the fun part, so remember to enjoy it. Breathe. Enunciate. Slow down. Monitor your recording. Record your intro and outro last.

Step 4 Post-production
Sound editing
For beginners: Learn how to amplify, cut, time shift Advanced: Learn about enveloping, compression, normalizing and noise filtering (gates)

Edit id3 tags metadata! Export to mp3 (Bit rate effects file size)

Step 5 Before you publish

Avoid embarrassment and listen to your work!

Step 6 Upload to server

Use FTP or SSH client to transfer file from your PC to the web server. Remember: At this point, the file is available, even if not linked from anywhere.

Step 7 Generate your feed

For ultimate control, hand-code your feed.

Step 7 - Generate your feed (2)

Before you code
Create image for directories Identify keywords Have URLs for mp3s ready
(300 x 300 pixels)

Use iTunes RSS specification

http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/techspecs.html

Upload to web server Validate to identify problems

http://feedvalidator.org

Step 7 Generate your feed (3)

Two easier options:
publish to a blog and/or use a feed generating service
Feedburners SmartCast http://feedburner.com Poderator http://poderator.com

Step 8 Publish RSS feed URL

Congrats. You now have a podcast!

All-in-one solutions
Include some combination of
RSS feed generation Server space/file hosting Bandwidth allotment Blog/website Recording capability

Ourmedia http://ourmedia.org

Liberated Syndication (libsyn) http://libsyn.com

Check This Out! http://cto.libsyn.com

Odeo Studio http://studio.odeo.com

podOmatic http://podomatic.com

The Rock & Roll Librarian http://skalogy.podomatic.com

Promoting your podcast

Press release Use your website/blog Get in the directories Think outside the box

Georgia Perimeter College Library http://www.gpc.edu/~declib/

Podcast feed

One-click subscription options

Listen Up! http://gpclibraryradio.blogspot.com

Pritzker Military Library http://pritzkermilitarylibrary.com

Pritzker Military Library http://pritzkermilitarylibrary.com

Web presence tips

Make sure that your web presence makes it easy to:
Listen to your mp3s Learn about podcasting Subscribe to your podcast (including one-click options) Understand why patrons would want to subscribe! Provide feedback

Directories
Plan ahead
Write a description (short and long) Have keywords at hand Image URL Recommended: Have a promo ready

Directories
iTunes http://apple.com/itunes (must have application
installed to submit!)

Podcast Alley http://podcastalley.com Yahoo! Podcasts http://podcasts.yahoo.com/publish

Odeo http://odeo.com/create/import-feed
Where to Submit Your Podcasts
(list by Robin Good) http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/05/20/where_to_su bmit_your_podcasts.htm http://www.podcast411.com/page2.html

Podcast411 Directory of Directories

Lansing Public Librarys podcast page http://www.lansing.lib.il.us/podcast.htm

Lansing Public Librarys branded podcatcher http://www.lansing.lib.il.us/podcast.htm

To summarize
Content, Content, Content
(audio, audio, audio)

Record, Edit, Listen, Publish Publicize, Publicize, Publicize

Questions?

Greg Schwartz greg.schwartz@gmail.com IM: planetneutral (AIM, Yahoo) http://openstacks.net/os