Chapter 8

Cleanup, Podcast Aisle 8!

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Pondering “To edit, or not to edit …”

Bullet Adding bed music for a comfortable podcast

Bullet Introducing intros and outros

Although a high-tech activity like podcasting doesn’t exactly qualify as quaint, the charm of podcasting is — whether produced by a major studio or by friends with a microphone and a laptop — its inherent, homespun quality. Steve Jobs once described it as the Wayne’s World of radio. (No kidding, he said that in 2005 at http://bit.ly/jobs-podcasting on ABC.) Podcasts, much like Saturday Night Live’s classic sketch depicted, are often done on a shoestring budget and recorded in one take with no editing. All the trip-ups and tangents are captured for posterity and sent to MP3 players everywhere. This is part of the grassroots appeal that podcasting is not only known for but prides itself on nurturing as new and innovative podcasters enter the podosphere.

Although podcasting purists may harbor animosity toward the editing process, taking time to review and polish your podcast can truly make the difference between a listenable podcast and an incoherent mess of audio. For example, you might want to eliminate the sound of a train going by or silence a cough that would otherwise distract your listeners from a brilliant riposte. This chapter shows you how to use editing to shape your podcast while retaining its natural atmosphere, adding depth to that atmosphere with music, and then give the final touch to your podcast’s format with an introduction and exit.

A Few Reasons to Consider Editing

Take a serious look at the mood you want to convey with your podcast. From there, you can judge how intense your editing workload will be. The following explains some instances where editing is needed.

Trust us. Your podcast will only benefit from it:

  • Professional production quality: You can’t always get everything right on the first take — and sometimes not even on the second or third. Editing makes it sound like you got even hard-to-pronounce names and tricky tongue twisters right on the first try. What’s more, you can drop in pre-produced clips with just the right amount of space before and after to give it that polished feel.
  • Removing boring material: You’ve probably watched a live show or listened to live audio that doesn’t go quite where it is intended. The content gets dull and uninteresting, or everyone runs out of things to say. The only thing worse than aimless rambling are those deafening seconds of dead air. As a listener, you can fast forward, change the channel, or just turn it off. As a podcaster, you can avoid this situation with editing. But even though it sounds easy to take out the boring bits, be careful that you maintain continuity. If edited improperly, the listeners may find themselves confused because the line of questions changed from space travel to herbs and spices in the matter of a few seconds.
  • Ambient noise: As explained in Chapter 7, ambient noise is the natural and spontaneously occurring noise you may pick up when recording your podcast. If you’re recording a story or setting the stage for a historic drama and suddenly a passing siren or the rumble of a garbage truck makes it into your recording, the odd noise can distract the audience. In fiction podcasts, such as The Raven & The Writing Desk (http://chrislester.org) hosted by author Chris Lester, moods and atmospheres must be maintained. Therefore, control and minimization of ambient noise is a must.
  • Running times: You just wrapped your latest podcast with a great interview, and you’re confident that you have plenty of material for your 30-minute podcast. And then you check again and realize that you have recorded over 90 minutes’ worth of interview. And you love all of it! Now here’s where editing works in your favor. Your listeners expect 30 minutes, give or take a segment or two, from your podcast. You could run the whole thing, unedited, but that might test the patience of your audience members (not to mention your own bandwidth and file storage). Or you could split it up into two 45-minute interviews — or even three 30-minute interviews — breaking up the airplay of the interviews with two smaller podcasts in-between the segments. In this approach to editing, everyone wins.

    Editing can easily increase your productivity with podcasts. True, some podcasters define editing as cutting and deleting material, but there’s more to it. Editing can actually help you rescue discussions and content that would otherwise be hard to shoehorn into one podcast.

  • Scripted material: Some podcasters argue that the true podcast is done in one take, but as podcasting matures as a medium, audiences grow more and more demanding. Expectations for a podcast change when your podcast includes scripted material. Editing is a necessity in these situations. With dramatic readings and productions, moments of “ah” and “um” should be edited out to maintain the clarity of the story, as well as maintain the mood or atmosphere established in your reading.

    With the popularity of storytelling in the podcast universe, professionalism and performance are the keys to a good product — and usually that means (yep!) editing. Lots of it. If you feel that editing would mar the spontaneity of your podcast — but still want to present literature or other scripted material — ask yourself how good you think Avengers: Endgame would had been if Josh Brolin and Robert Downey, Jr. did that moment in one take. Imagine their dialogue sounding like this:

    • Thanos: I am … uuuhhhhhh … inevitable. Yeah.
    • Tony Stark: Ummm … and I *sneezes suddenly — sniffle sniffle* … am Iron *ahem* Man.

    Not what we would call riveting. With scripted material, editing is a must.

And if you want to throw this book across the room, screaming “These jerks just spoiled Avengers: Endgame!” Come on, it came out in 2019.

Come. On.

The Art of Editing

Editing out breaks, stammers, and trip-ups may sound easy, but there’s a science to it. If you cut off too much from a clip, one word comes right on top of another, and you sound unnatural. If you don’t cut off enough, pauses last too long between thoughts.

Remember When you’re editing audio, the key is to review, review, review.

A lot of audio applications are out there, each with its own way to edit stumbles, bumbles, and moments of silence to honor a lost thought. The same principles apply to all those applications:

  1. Find the unwanted content.
  2. Give your clip a little bit — perhaps a half a second — of silence as leader or play area between edits.
  3. Review the edit, making sure it sounds smooth and natural.

    An effective edit doesn’t sound like an edit. Any change of your audio should be unnoticeable.

But instead of talking about it, how about you do it? In the following sections, we go into basic editing using GarageBand (https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/) and Audacity (https://www.audacityteam.org) as examples. These are two very common audio-editing software packages in podcasting, and both serve as our benchmarks for how to create podcasts. If you're using some other audio-editing software package, the steps are similar enough for you to apply to your own project.

Editing with GarageBand

You can use GarageBand to edit awkward gaps of silence or eliminate coughs and stammers from your podcast. We assume at this point you just finished recording or opened a GarageBand file with a recorded track already done (see Chapter 7 for instructions on recording with GarageBand). You can also import audio files (perhaps recorded on a portable device) by dragging them from the Finder into GarageBand.

To prepare for editing the silences and splutters, split your audio into smaller segments to isolate the audio that you want to remove. Then follow these steps:

  1. Determine where in the track you want to make the edit by clicking and dragging the playhead to the beginning point of your edit.

    Use the Time Display readout to see exactly how long the gap of silence runs. The playhead tool is the triangle connected to a vertical line. (See Figure 8-1 for details.) When creating segments, you want to place this line at the beginning and ending points of your edit.

    Tip Silence is pretty easy to see when you’re looking at a waveform of the audio. Coughs or other noise can be a little trickier to isolate. We suggest watching the waveform while you listen to the audio at the same time. You may want to use the slider in the bottom left to increase your time scale resolution and make it easier to work with smaller bits of information.

  2. Choose Edit ⇒ Split Regions at Playhead to make the first cut or use Command + T to perform the edit.

    Figure 8-1 shows the first cut.

    Photo depics click and drag the playhead to the beginning point of your edit. The Time Display gives you an idea of where you are in the project’s duration.

    FIGURE 8-1: Click and drag the playhead to the beginning point of your edit. The Time Display gives you an idea of where you are in the project’s duration.

  3. Move your playhead to the location where you want the edit to end; then choose Edit ⇒ Split Regions (or Command + T) at Playhead to make your next cut.

    Tip As you edit, give yourself a second or two of silent play area at the beginning and end of your edits. It makes the editing of two segments sound like one continuous segment, and they’ll be a little easier to mix together.

  4. Single-click the segment between your two cuts and then press the Delete key.

    Tip If you're working with GarageBand for the first time, note that the first track of audio is selected by default. To deselect the segment you’re editing, single-click anywhere in the gray area underneath the track(s) you’re working on.

  5. To join the two remaining audio segments, click and drag the right segment over the left segment, as shown in Figure 8-2.

    Warning If the selected segment overlaps any part of the unselected segment, it takes priority over the unselected segment, effectively erasing any content there.

    Photo depicts how to shorten the silence, move one edit over another.

    FIGURE 8-2: To shorten the silence, move one edit over another.

  6. Click and drag the playhead to any point before the edit and click the Play button to review.
  7. If the edit doesn’t sound natural, undo the changes (by choosing Edit ⇒ Undo Drag) and try again.

    Because you're allowed multiple undos in GarageBand, you can step back in your project to begin at the first Split command.

As much as we would love to cover all the neat doodads in GarageBand — and there are a lot of them — we need to stick to the essentials you need to get started podcasting. For more in-depth information on mastering GarageBand, there are plenty of other resources available, including Apple’s own Support site at https://support.apple.com/garageband.

Editing with Audacity

At this point, we assume you’ve just finished recording something awesome with Audacity (see Chapter 7 for instructions), or perhaps you’ve opened a saved project. If you have an audio file from another source, such as a portable recorder, you can import it using File ⇒ Import. Now you’re ready to follow these steps to make a basic edit:

  1. Find the segment that you want to edit.

    9781119711810-ma0801 To view the entire timeline of your project, click the Fit Project in Window tool, shown here in the margin.

    Tip You can easily navigate between the segments of your timelines selected and the project timeline as a whole with the Fit Project in Window and Fit Selection in Window tools, located in the top-right section of the project window.

  2. 9781119711810-ma0802 Click the Selection tool — in the upper left (Mac) and upper center (Windows) — and then click and drag across the unwanted segment.

    The unwanted segment is highlighted, as shown in Figure 8-3.

    Tip Right about here would be a good opportunity to use the Fit Selection in Window tool to double-check that the selection border doesn’t go into the recorded content you want to keep.

    Photo depicts the Selection tool, click and drag across the unwanted content in the timeline.

    FIGURE 8-3: With the Selection tool, click and drag across the unwanted content in the timeline.

  3. Single-click the segment between your two cuts and then press the Delete key (Mac) or the Backspace key (Windows).

    You can also choose Edit ⇒ Cut or press Command+X (Mac)/Ctrl+X (Windows) to remove the unwanted segment.

    Warning Do not use the Trim command. (Here’s the command not to use: Edit ⇒ Remove Special ⇒ Trim Audio or Command+T for Mac/Ctrl+T for Windows.) You may think you are trimming away unwanted content, but this command works differently from the Command+T command in GarageBand: Just like when you crop an image, it trims off unselected material — leaving you with only the content you wanted to edit out. Ack!

  4. Review the clip.
  5. If the edit doesn’t sound natural to you, undo the changes by choosing Edit ⇒ Undo Change of Position Region or pressing Command+Z (Mac) or Ctrl+Z (Windows), and try again.

    You’re allowed multiple undos in Audacity, giving you the advantage to go back to the beginning point of your editing just in case you aren’t happy with the sound of the edit.

Making Your Musical Bed and Lying in It: Background Music

A few podcasters like to add a little bit of atmosphere in their individual podcast with bed music — a background soundtrack that’s usually two to three minutes long and is looped so it can play again and again throughout the podcast, if desired. Sometimes the bed music lasts only a minute or two into the podcast when the hosts return from the break, whereas other shows keep it going from beginning to end, fading it out if they’re bringing in any other sources of audio (voice mail, other podcast promos, ads, and so on).

Remember Regardless of how long the loop is, you must obtain permission from the artists to use their music and give them audible credit — either at the beginning or end of your podcast. If you’re using shareware music, such as from Freesound (https://freesound.org), giving audible credit is one of the conditions you must agree to. Other options include using music loops found in GarageBand, Audition, or Logic Pro.

Finding the right balance

As you add music as a background bed, incorporate sound effects, and bring in pre-recorded audio from other sources (such as H4n Pro recordings or a Skype call), the sound of your podcast gets more complex. Balance becomes not only harder, but even more essential. (Note, for example, the various volume levels of the multiple tracks in Figure 8-4.)

Photo depicts adding multiple tracks is easy. Balancing them can be challenging.

FIGURE 8-4: Adding multiple tracks is easy. Balancing them can be challenging.

Bed music should add atmosphere to your podcast. That means finding a proper balance between the talking of the hosts and the soundtrack. The following sections explain why you want to avoid music that’s too soft or too loud.

What is that noise?

If your music is too soft, your looped music could be mistaken as unwanted ambient noise of someone listening to music in the next room. Or it could be regarded as some kind of technical difficulty such as a stray signal bleeding (another wireless audio signal accidentally being picked up by the same frequency as your own wireless audio device) into the podcaster’s wireless microphone. Music too indistinct to hear can be a distraction, particularly in quiet moments or pauses in the conversation. Your audience might end up hammering out email after email (asking what’s making that annoying noise) or trying to figure out what that faint music in the background is.

Could you speak up? I can’t hear you for the music …

When bed music is too loud, your voice is lost in the melody. Music, especially classical music and selections that rise and fall in intensity (like any good Queen album), can be really tricky to mix into a conversation.

You do want to allow your audience to hear the music in the background, but the music, if you’re using it as background music, probably isn’t the point of the podcast. It shouldn’t be so loud that you have to pump up your own voice track to be heard.

Never sacrifice audio clarity so bed music can be heard and identified clearly. If you want to showcase music, then showcase music properly. Otherwise, your bed music should remain in the background as a setting, not in the forefront of your podcast.

Applying bed music the right way

When you're setting audio levels, you want to find the best blend of music and voice, assuring one doesn't overpower the other. Both tracks should work together and not struggle for dominance.

Remember Always listen to the podcast in headphones and your computer speakers before uploading to the Internet — review, review, review, and find that balance.

To avoid music that’s either too soft or too loud, keep the following points in mind as you apply the bed music:

  • Experiment with levels for the music before you record voice. Watch your decibel level meter and set your music between –11 and –16 dB, depending on the music or sound effects you’re using.
  • When you’re comfortable with the bed’s level, lay down a voice track and see how your project’s overall levels look (as well as sound) on your decibel level meter. Remember, your aim is to keep your voice in the 0 or red area without overmodulating. With the music bed now behind your voice, it’s much easier to hit the red without effort.
  • Avoid uneven music, or music that suddenly dips low and then has moments of sudden intensity. The best music-bed-friendly loops have an even sound (whether driving and dramatic or laid-back and relaxed) and an even level.
  • Experiment with putting your music at the beginning and at the ending of your podcast instead of throughout. In these cases, music beds announce upcoming breaks and pauses in your podcast.

Setting volume levels for bed music

Each audio application has its own way to change volume dynamically — but the basic process is the same. In the sections that follow, you find out how to use GarageBand and Audacity to bring music into your podcast at full volume, and then balance it to be just audible enough in the background.

Setting volume levels manually with GarageBand

Follow these steps to set volume levels with GarageBand:

  1. Click the track that your voice resides on.

    All segments in this track only are selected.

  2. Click and drag the playhead to 15 seconds into the project.

    Tip If you look at the Time Display in GarageBand and do not see a time code, single-click the drop menu at the right of the Display. Doing so accesses the drop menu where you can select the Time mode.

  3. Click and drag the beginning of your vocal track (your voice) to the playhead.

    You now have 15 seconds of lead time between the beginning of the timeline and your podcast.

  4. In the Finder, open a window and find the music file you want to use as your bed music. Click and drag the file into GarageBand, just underneath your podcast track, as shown in Figure 8-5.

    Technical stuff When using sound effects or bed music, try to use AIFF or WAV files. An MP3 file is a compressed file. Compressed files (film, photo, audio, whatever) are usually far from ideal for editing because there’s loss with every compression cycle — you lose a bit of quality. If you have audio bits you want to export for editing, perhaps in another program, we recommend exporting them in a raw format such as AIFF or WAV so you don’t lose any quality.

  5. Select the new track of audio you just created and then choose Mix  ⇒  Show Automation to see current volume levels.

    You should see a thin line against your audio tracks. If your audio track is set on the Volume option, the line is your track volume control.

  6. Move your playhead to the 10-second mark and click the volume line to create a control point.

    A control point is a place you can click and drag to change volume levels at various times. (See Figure 8-6.)

  7. Move your playhead to the 20-second mark and click the volume line to create another control point.
    Photo depicts simple drag-and-drop from an open window to your GarageBand window not only imports music but also adds a track to your podcast. Once the new audio is in place, choose Mix Show Automation to set levels.

    FIGURE 8-5: A simple drag-and-drop from an open window to your GarageBand window not only imports music but also adds a track to your podcast. Once the new audio is in place, choose Mix ⇒ Show Automation to set levels.

  8. Place your cursor to the right of the second control point you created. Click, hold, and drag the volume line down to as close as -20 dB as you can reach, as seen in Figure 8-6.

    You have just created a volume curve. Now the sound dips lower, allowing for a voiceover to be heard with music softly playing in the background.

  9. Bring the playhead back to the beginning and review your podcast. Change the levels accordingly to set the music at a level you think works best.
Photo depicts how to create a volume curve for a fade-down requires two control points and gives you dynamic control over the track’s output.

FIGURE 8-6: Creating a volume curve for a fade-down requires two control points and gives you dynamic control over the track’s output.

Keeping volume levels in GarageBand after edits

While adding in bed music, sound effects, or additional audio, you might need to make a change — add or delete another edit. Does this mean you go on and manually adjust your various levels? Not if you confirm Move Track Automations with Regions, located under the Mix menu, is active. This will keep your work up to that point intact while the new audio is positioned in place.

Follow these steps to have GarageBand automatically keep the volume levels in your podcast intact when last-minute audio changes occur:

  1. Find a section in your audio project where you need to add in a segment of audio.

    Make sure you have levels set in your audio, as shown at the top of Figure 8-7. We will be creating a gap where audio is needed. Make sure you are viewing your Volume Levels, by going to Mix ⇒ Show Automation if you haven’t done so in the previous exercise.

    Photo depicts the activating Move Track Automations with Regions, your audio levels remain intact when major changes occur in your Timeline.

    FIGURE 8-7: By activating Move Track Automations with Regions, your audio levels remain intact when major changes occur in your Timeline.

  2. Confirm Move Track Automations with Regions is active by going to the Mix menu.

    If the Move Track Automations with Regions option is active, a check mark will be to the left of it.

  3. Select segments you want to move to make room for the new audio, then move the selected audio to the right between 5 to 10 seconds (see the bottom of Figure 8-7).

    The changes you made to the volume levels follow the changes of the audio on the project timeline, also seen in Figure 8-7.

Setting volume levels with Audacity

If you're using Audacity, you can set volume levels by following these steps:

  1. 9781119711810-ma0804 Click the Selection tool to activate it and then click at the ten-second mark of your timeline, placing an edit line there.
  2. 9781119711810-ma0805 Click the Time Shift Tool button on the toolbar, shown in the margin.

    The Time Shift tool takes an entire track of content and places it elsewhere along the project's timeline.

  3. Click and drag your audio to the edit line you created in Step 1.
  4. Choose File ⇒ Import ⇒ Audio and browse for the music file that you want to use as bed music. Then select the file and click Open to begin the import process.

    Remember Although you can import MP3 files directly into Audacity when you’re editing, we emphasize that you shouldn’t be working with compressed files. It’s just too easy to lose quality along the way.

  5. 9781119711810-ma0806 Click the Envelope Tool button on the toolbar.

    The Envelope Tool allows you to dynamically control the audio levels over a timeline. Clicking at the beginning of the audio track establishes the first volume setting, and the second click (at the ten-second mark) establishes the new volume level.

  6. Select the track of recently imported music by clicking its name on the left side of the project window.
  7. Click at the beginning of the music and then click at the point where your podcast begins (the ten-second mark).

    Two sets of points appear in your track of music.

  8. Click and drag the second set of points to the 0.5 dB mark.

    You now have a fade-down of the music that maintains its subdued volume behind the voiceover.

  9. Activate the Selection tool, click at the beginning of the timeline, and then click Play to review your podcast.

    Now you can change the levels as needed to set the music at a level you think works best.

Making an Entrance: Intros

Now that your podcast has a solid lead-in and a cue to fade out — or you have a loop throughout your podcast that sets a tone — your podcast is beginning to solidify. It’s establishing an identity for itself; be proud of the way this podcast of yours is maturing.

But when the microphone comes on, do you always know what those first words are going to be? For some listeners, you’re about to make a first impression. What do you want that first impression to be? Are you looking for something spontaneous every time, or do you want to create a familiar greeting that makes listeners feel like old friends? Your chance to make a first impression with your listeners is with an intro, which is the first thing the listener hears, be it with a bit of theme music or a word or two about you and your show.

It’s up to you, but think about how strong a first impression and a cool intro can make. Consider the ten simple words that became the signature introductions for George Lucas’ Star Wars saga:

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away …

Or from another science fiction franchise, this time with only four words:

Space. The Final Frontier.

Even if you’re not vying to be the next George Lucas or Gene Roddenberry, a good first impression is always important. And let’s be honest, something with an original flair and panache is going to make a far more lasting impression than “Yo, what up? It’s your boy/girl, [insert weblebrity’s/influencer’s name here]…” No matter who you are, this is a moment that can either establish you as a personality (and a podcast) that people will enjoy and eagerly await from episode to episode, or it will make setting you aside from the many other pod people vying for listeners a little tougher. You want the first impression to be unique, lasting … and positive.

Consistent, iconic intros can serve as a polished touch of preparation or a subtle flair of professionalism. You’re announcing to your audience that the show is on the launchpad, you're ready, and the journey is about to begin.

Theme music

How about a catchy theme? Just as television and motion picture themes establish a thumbprint for themselves in pop culture, an opening theme — be it a favorite song (used with permission!) or an original composition — can be just the right intro for your podcast. Perhaps you have a friend in the wide world of podcasting who can assist with audio production. Ask — you might be surprised how willing other podcasters are to assist. Earlier-mentioned software applications such as GarageBand, Cakewalk, Logic Pro, and Audition all offer royalty-free loops that can be easily edited into your own podcast intro. Other great free music sources include Kevin MacLeod’s site, Incompetech (https://incompetech.com/music), and the YouTube Audio Library (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music), which also includes sound effects. If you have a little cash in the coffers, check out memberships with Digital Juice (https://www.digitaljuice.com) for an astounding collection of royalty-free jingles and sound effects.

Remember Royalty free means you’re free to use the audio clip over and over without paying a license fee. You may still need to purchase the audio clips such as Digital Juice. In the case of GarageBand, the loops and clips are included in the price of the package with additional add-on libraries, available on the App Store.

Intro greeting

Some podcasters use quick, snappy intro greetings for their podcasts. For example, Adam Christianson opens every show with a heavy rock riff and the salutation “Hey, Mac Geeks, it’s time for the MacCast, the show for Mac Geeks by Mac Geeks …” that kicks off his podcast, The MacCast (www.maccast.com). Others like Tales from the Archives (http://ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com) create an imaginative setting as the producers create a more complex intro with music, sound effects, and original dialogue. Whether elaborately produced or just a simple welcome, a consistent greeting serves to bring listeners into your corner of the podosphere.

The elements you’re looking for in a spoken introduction are

  • The show’s name
  • The name(s) of the host(s)
  • Location of the podcast
  • A tagline that identifies your show

Sit down and brainstorm a few ideas on how to introduce your particular podcast. For example, try these approaches on for size:

  • “Good morning, Planet Earth! You’re listening to My Corner: A Slice of Cyberspace, and I’m your host, Tee Morris.”
  • “From Washington, D.C., welcome to My Corner: A Slice of Cyberspace.
  • “With a perspective on politics, technology, and life in general, it’s Tee Morris with the My Corner podcast.”

As you see in these examples, you can mix and match the elements to drop into an intro. Come up with what feels right for you and your podcast and stick with it. After you’ve put together your greeting, you can either keep it pre-recorded and use it as a drop-in (an isolated audio clip that you can use repeatedly, either from podcast to podcast, or within a podcast) at the introduction of your podcast, or you can script it and record it with each session. Whatever method you choose, a greeting is another way of bringing your audience into your 20 to 30 minutes (or 5 minutes to an hour and a half) of time on your preferred media player.

Tip Regardless of your episode’s overall length, try to keep your introduction relatively short. For over a decade, Chuck had a 90-second long intro full of music and audio clips to set the mood, but it was 45 seconds before he would jump in live with “Welcome to Technorama….” After some good advice from friends, he shortened the music to 10 seconds to get the audience in to the intro and to the content as quickly as possible. Branding is one thing, but try not to go overboard — 10 to 15 seconds is a good guideline; do some experimenting.

Exit, Stage Left: Outros

Now that you have reached the end of your message or the time limit you have set yourself for a podcast, what do you do? Do you just say “Thanks, everyone, see you next time …” or just a basic “Bye,” and then it’s over? Or do you want to go out with a bit of fanfare? Whatever you decide, an outro is much like an intro — as simple or elaborate as you want to make it. Your outro is your final word, closing statement, and grand finale (at least for this episode).

In practical terms, putting together an outro is no different from putting together an intro — same approach, only you’re doing it at the end. So review the earlier suggestions for intros and consider what seems a likely direction for an outro.

Some podcasters figure there’s little more to think about for an outro than what to say and how to present it. Sure, you could keep it simple — say “Until next time …” and switch off, no fuss, no script, just do it, done, and then upload. But other podcasters see the outro as more of an art form. Before taking a shortcut to the end, check out the following sections for some ways to spiff up your outro.

Leave the audience wanting more

Continuing your podcast to its final moments is a gutsy, confident, and exciting outro, carrying your audience all the way to the final second. This is one of the toughest ways to end a podcast, but if it’s done right, it can only make your podcast better.

For example, the Geek Wolfpack Podcast’s ADHD D&D (http://adhddnd.com) featuring three families and a blind Canadian gamer (https://youtube.com/snowball) connecting on Roll20 (http://www.roll20.net) to play Dungeons & Dragons while breaking off into silly tangents ranging from stream of conscious thoughts to various movie quotes. The dungeon crawling usually builds up to a cliffhanger of some description — an upcoming battle, a battle that appears to be turning on the party, or some kind of tension — and then comes an audio cue of a musical sting. The D&D cliffhangers offer a quick and easy way to say “Tune in next week…” without actually doing so.

Catch phrase sign off

Your outro can be the final word from the host, and it should be your bow during the curtain call. A signature farewell is a classy way of saying “This podcast is a wrap. Thanks for listening.”

For example, on Technorama, Chuck and Kreg have taken a similar approach with their signature signoff starting with Chuck saying “And until next time, a binary high five.” To which Kreg always responds “1–0–1.” It has become such a well-known piece of the show that listeners writing or calling to leave feedback close their pieces with the same tag.

Tip If you can’t think of anything overly clever, a consistent exit such as “This has been my podcast, protected by a Creative Commons license. Thanks for listening …” works, too.

Credits roll

Another possibility for your outro could be a scripted list of credits: websites where past shows can be downloaded, resources can be endorsed, and special thanks can be given to various supporters of your podcast.

Remember When listing credits, take care that your list of thank-yous and acknowledgments doesn’t ramble on for too long after every podcast. Some podcasters reserve a full list of end credits for special podcasts, such as an end-of-the-season or even final episode. By and large, a minute can serve as a good length for ending credits — plenty of time to mention relevant websites, tuck in the obligatory “Tune in next week …” statement, and ask for a vote of support on your favorite podcast directory.

Coming soon to a media player near you

Just as television shows drops teasers of what will be coming up next week, podcasters can also give quick hints as to what is planned for future podcasts. The many podcast fiction titles from Mark Jeffrey (http://markjeffrey.net) and Scott Sigler (http://scottsigler.com) had already been pre-recorded for the intent of podcasting. This gave both authors a terrific advantage to edit together montages of audio clips and even record a quick synopsis of what will come in future episodes.

Previews for future podcasts tend to be difficult to plan — mainly because of the spontaneous nature of podcasting that the medium prides itself on. Many podcasters have no idea what will be on the agenda for their next show until the day or even a few hours before recording, and then there are other podcasts that start up the audio equipment and speak with no prep time for their latest installment. However, for those podcasts that can provide glimpses of things to come, this kind of outro serves as a commitment to the audience that there will be more content coming through the RSS feed and that programming is being planned for future installments.

As mentioned with intros, your outro can use one of these approaches or combine them. Find what best fits your podcast and stick with it. The more consistency your podcast can follow, the more professional it sounds — spontaneous but focused, right?

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