PODCASTING FOR BEGINNERS
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 PART I PODCASTING ON A WORLDWIDE FREQUENCY 9 CHAPTER 1 GETTING THE SCOOP ON PODCASTING 11 CHAPTER 2 GETTING THE GADGETS THAT MAKE A PODCAST GO 31 PART II THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF PODCASTING 63 CHAPTER 3 BEFORE YOU HIT THE RECORD BUTTON 65 CHAPTER 4 SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR RECORD ALREADY 95 CHAPTER 5 CLEANUP PODCAST AISLE 7 109 PART III SO YOU VE GOT THIS GREAT RECORDING OF YOUR VOICE NOW WHAT 127 CHAPTER 6 SHRINK THAT PUPPY AND SLAP A LABEL ON IT 129 CHAPTER 7 MOVE IT ON UP TO YOUR WEB SERVER 143 CHAPTER 8 POSTING SHOW NOTES 163 CHAPTER 9 GEEKING OUT ON XML AND RSS 177 PART IV START SPREADIN THE NEWS ABOUT YOUR PODCAST 199 CHAPTER 10 OF PINGS AND DIRECTORIES 201 CHAPTER 11 SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO YOUR PEEPS 215 CHAPTER 12 FISHING FOR LISTENERS 233 PART V POD SIBILITIES TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR SHOW 245 CHAPTER 13 SHOW ME THE MONEY 247 CHAPTER 14 PODCASTING FOR PUBLICITY 261 CHAPTER 15 PODCASTING FOR PASSION 271 PART VI THE PART OF TENS 285 CHAPTER 16 TOP TEN TYPES OF PODCASTS TO CHECK OUT 287 CHAPTER 17 TOP TEN MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN PODCASTING 299 CHAPTER 18 TOP TEN REASONS WHY PODCASTING WON T KILL RADIO 307 CHAPTER 19 TOP TEN REASONS WHY PODCASTING WILL KILL OR SERIOUSLY DENT RADIO 317 INTRODUCTION M AYBE YOU VE BEEN CASUALLY SURFING THE WEB OR PERUSING YOUR NEWSPAPER WHEN THE WORD PODCASTING HAS POPPED UP STEADILY LIKE A BUILDING WAVE THAT WOULD MAKE CHAMPION SURFERS SALIVATE WITH DELIGHT THE TERM HAS POPPED UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND YOUR CURIOSITY CONTINUES TO PIQUE AS THE WORD PODCASTING ECHOES IN YOUR EARS AND REMAINS IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND AS A RIDDLE WRAPPED IN AN ENIGMA SUPER SIZED WITH A SIDE OF FRIES AND A DIET SODA TO GO PODCASTING FOR DUMMIES IS THE ANSWER TO THAT SUPER SIZED RIDDLE ENIGMA COMBO AND IT EVEN COMES COMPLETE WITH A SPECIAL PRIZE BEGINNING WITH THE QUESTION AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR MIND WHAT IS PODCASTING THIS BOOK TAKES YOU THROUGH THE FASTEST GROWING TECHNOLOGICAL MOVEMENT ON THE INTERNET BY THE TIME YOU REACH THE END OF THIS BOOK THE BASICS WILL BE IN PLACE TO GET YOU YOUR VOICE AND YOUR MESSAGE HEARD AROUND THE WORLD AND YOU CAN EVEN HAVE A BIT OF FUN ALONG THE WAY ABOUT THIS BOOK SO WHAT ARE YOU UP TO TEE I M CURRENTLY PODCASTING MY FIRST NOVEL A SWASHBUCKLING TALE THAT CARRIES OUR HEROES UH WHAT IS A PODCAST ASKED BY BEST FRIENDS AND LIFETIME TECHNOLOGISTS THIS QUESTION CONTINUES TO CROP UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WORD PODCAST LANDS IN A CASUAL CONVERSATION JUST THE WORD PODCASTING CARRIES AN AIR OF GEEKINESS ABOUT IT AND BEHOLD THE HABITUAL TECHNOPHOBES SUDDENLY CLASP THEIR HANDS TO THEIR EARS AND RUN AWAY SCREAMING IN HORROR LEST THEY CONFRONT YET ANOTHER TECHNICAL MATTER TOO BAD IF THEY ONLY KNEW HOW TECHNICAL IT REALLY ISN T WHEN YOU PEEL BACK THE COVERS AND FANCY SCHMANCY TECH TALK IT S A PRETTY SIMPLE PROCESS TO MAKE YOUR OWN PODCAST YOU JUST NEED SOMEONE POINTING THE WAY AND ILLUMINATING YOUR PATH THIS IS WHY WE ARE HERE TO BE THAT CANDLE IN THE DARK HELPING YOU NAVIGATE A WORLD WHERE ANYONE CAN DO ANYTHING PROVIDED THEY HAVE THE TOOLS THE DRIVE AND THE PASSION YOU DON T NEED TO BE A TECHNO WIZARD OR A SUPER GEEK YOU NEED NO WAD OF TAPE HOLDING YOUR GLASSES TOGETHER YOUR SHIRT TAIL NEED NOT STICK OUT FROM YOUR FLY ANYONE CAN DO WHAT WE SHOW YOU IN THIS BOOK ANYONE CAN TAKE A THOUGHT OR AN OPINION MAKE AN AUDIO FILE EXPRESSING THAT OPINION AND DISTRIBUTE THIS IDEA WORLDWIDE ANYONE CAN CAPTURE THE ATTENTION OF A FEW HUNDRED OR A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH MP3 PLAYERS HIDING IN COMPUTERS STRAPPED AROUND BICEPS JOUNCING IN POCKETS OR HOOKED UP TO CAR STEREOS ANYONE CAN PODCAST PODCASTING FROM RECORDING TO ONLINE HOSTING CAN BE DONE ON A VARIETY OF BUDGETS RANGING FROM FRUGAL TO FORTUNE 500 YOU CAN PODCAST ABOUT LITERALLY ANYTHING INCLUDING PODCASTING FOR ITS OWN SAKE AS BLOGGING GAVE THE ANONY MOUS THE FAMOUS THE ALMOST FAMOUS AND THE USED TO BE FAMOUS A VOICE IN POLITICS RELIGION AND EVERYDAY LIFE PODCASTING ADDS VOLUME AND TONE TO THAT VOICE WORDS ON A PAGE ARE OFTEN MISCONSTRUED BECAUSE IT S DIFFICULT TO CATCH THE SUBTLE MEANINGS AND INNUENDOS HIDDEN WITHIN TEXT BUT WHEN THOSE WORDS ARE ACTUALLY SPOKEN ALOUD THE SENDER S INTERPRETATION IS CLEAR CONCISE AND LEAVES LITTLE ROOM FOR DOUBT WHEN THE MESSAGE IS DELIVERED PODCASTING IS MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE BUT AT ITS MOST BASIC IT S A SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE AND POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY WHAT IT MEANS BOILS DOWN TO A SINGLE PERSON YOU SOME LIKEN IT TO RADIO AT LEAST ONLINE RADIO BUT IT CAN DO AND BE SO MUCH MORE PODCASTING IS A NEW METHOD OF COMMUNICA TION TRANSMITTING YOUR VOICE AND ITS MESSAGE AROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT USING PUBLIC AIRWAVES CONNECTING THE GLOBAL VILLAGE IN WAYS THAT THE CREATORS OF THE INTERNET RSS AND MP3 COMPRESSION WOULD PROBABLY NEVER HAVE DREAMED IT IS THE UNIQUE AND THE HARD TO FIND CONTENT THAT CAN T FIND A PLACE ON COM MERCIAL COLLEGE OR PUBLIC ACCESS RADIO YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON AN EXCITING ADVENTURE INTO UNDISCOVERED TERRI TORY AND HERE YOU WILL FIND OUT THAT PODCASTING IS ALL THESE THINGS AND SO MUCH MORE HOW TO USE THIS BOOK PODCASTING FOR DUMMIES SHOULD BE THESE THINGS TO ALL WHO PICK UP AND READ IT WHETHER STRAIGHT THROUGH OR BY JUMPING AROUND IN THE CHAPTERS A USER FRIENDLY GUIDE IN HOW TO LISTEN PRODUCE AND DISTRIBUTE PODCASTS A TERRIFIC REFERENCE FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TO PUT TOGETHER A SHARP SOUNDING PODCAST 2 INTRODUCTION THE STARTING POINT FOR THE PERSON WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT AUDIO EDIT ING RECORDING CREATING RSS FEEDS HOSTING BLOGS OR TURNING A COMPUTER INTO A RECORDING STUDIO A HANDY GO TO THINK TANK FOR ANY BEGINNING PODCASTER WHO S HUNGRY FOR NEW IDEAS ON WHAT GOES INTO A GOOD PODCAST AND FRESH POINTS OF VIEW A REALLY FUN READ THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF ANSWERS IN THESE PAGES AND IF YOU FIND OUR ANSWERS TOO ELEMENTARY WE GIVE YOU PLENTY OF POINTS OF REFERENCE TO RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN TIME WE DON T CLAIM TO HAVE ALL THE SOLUTIONS QUICK FIXES AND RESOLUTIONS TO ALL POSSIBLE PODCASTING QUERIES BUT WE DO PRESENT TO YOU THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS AND FIRST STEPS FOR BEGINNING A PODCAST AS WITH ANY FOR DUMMIES BOOK OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO GIVE YOU THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO BUILD THAT S WHAT WE HAVE DONE OUR LEVEL BEST TO ACCOMPLISH BESTOW UPON YOU THE ENCHANTED STUFF THAT MAKES A PODCAST HAPPEN THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN AS A LINEAR PATH FROM THE CONCEPTUALIZATION STAGES TO THE FINAL PUBLICATION OF YOUR WORK HOWEVER NOT EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THE BOOK FROM PAGE ONE IF YOU VE ALREADY GOTTEN YOUR FEET WET WITH THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PODCASTING JUMP AROUND FROM SECTION TO SECTION AND READ THE PARTS THAT YOU NEED WE PROVIDE PLENTY OF GUIDES BACK TO OTHER RELEVANT CHAPTERS FOR WHEN THE GOING GETS MURKY CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS BOOK WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THIS BOOK YOU RE GOING TO SEE A FEW SYMBOLS THE OCCASIONAL AND EVEN A FEW THINGS TYPED IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STYLE THERE IS A METHOD TO THIS MADNESS AND THOSE METHODS ARE CONVENTIONS FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK AND OTHER FOR DUMMIES TITLES WHEN WE REFER TO KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR MACINTOSH OR WINDOWS WE DESIG NATE THEM WITH MAC OR WINDOWS FOR MACINTOSH SHORTCUTS INSTEAD OF USING THAT FUNKY CLOVERLEAF SYMBOL WE USE THE APPLE SYMBOL FOUND ON THE COMMAND KEY AND THE CORRESPONDING LETTER FOR WINDOWS SHORTCUTS WE USE THE ABBREVIATION FOR THE CONTROL KEY AND THE CORRESPONDING LETTER SO THE SHORTCUT FOR SELECT ALL LOOKS LIKE THIS A MAC CTRL A WINDOWS IF KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS ARE NOT YOUR THING AND YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE COMMANDS RESIDE ON MENUS WE USE A COMMAND ARROW TO HELP GUIDE YOU THROUGH MENUS AND SUBMENUS SO GOING BACK TO THE EARLIER EXAMPLE THE COMMAND FOR SELECT ALL IN THE APPLICATION S MENU IS EDIT SELECT ALL 3 INTRODUCTION