You want to deliver media on a regular basis

Sure, you can include audio, video, and PDFs content in your blog if you have one. Many bloggers create special content and insert them as links into the text of their blogposts. Readers then download the files at their leisure. However, this approach requires manual selection of the content blog hosts want readers to download. What sets podcasting apart from blogging is that podcasting automates that process. A listener who subscribes to your podcast is subscribed to all your content, whenever it’s available. No need to go back to the site to see what’s new! Once you subscribe to a podcast, the content is delivered to you in the same way as when you subscribe to a print magazine. New content, delivered to you. (See what we did there?)

You want to reach beyond the boundaries of broadcast media

In radio, unless it is satellite radio, the number of people who can listen to a show is limited by the power of the transmitter pumping out the signal. Same thing with broadcast television, depending on whether you are using antenna, cable, or satellite dish to receive programming. Podcasting doesn’t rely on or utilize signals, transmitters, or receivers — at least not in the classic sense. Podcasts use the Internet as a delivery system, opening up a potential audience that could extend to the entire planet.

No rules exist (yet, anyway) to regulate the creation of podcast content. In fact, neither the FCC nor any other regulatory body for any other government holds jurisdiction over podcasts. If that seems astounding, remember that podcasters are not using the public airwaves to deliver the message.

Just because the FCC doesn’t have jurisdiction, you’re not exempt from the law or — perhaps more important — immune to lawsuits. You’re personally responsible for anything you say, do, or condone on your show. Additionally, the rules concerning airplay of licensed music, the distribution of copyrighted material, and the legalities of recording conversations all apply. Pay close attention to the relevant sections in Chapter 5 to avoid some serious consequences. When it comes to the legalities, ignorance is not bliss.

You have something to say

As a general rule, podcasters produce content that likely holds appeal for only a select audience. Podcasts start with an idea, something that you have the desire and knowledge, either real or imaginary, to talk about. Add to that a bit of drive, do-it-yourself-ishness, and an inability to take no for an answer. The point is to say what you want to say, to those who want to hear it.

Podcasts can be about anything and be enjoyed by just about anyone. The topics covered don’t have to be earth-shattering or life-changing. They can be about do-it-yourself projects, sound-seeing tours of places you visit, or even your favorite board games. A few rules and guidelines are common in practice, but at times you may find it necessary to bend the rules. (That can be a lot of fun in itself!)

Some of the most popular podcasts are created by everyday people who sit in front of their computers for a few nights a week and just speak their minds, hearts, and souls. Some are focused on niche topics; others are more broad-based.

You want to hear from your listeners

Something that is a real perk with podcasting: accessibility. On average, most audiences have a direct line of contact between themselves and the podcast’s host or hosts. Podcast consumers are more likely to provide feedback for what they listen or watch, probably traceable to the personal nature of a podcast. Unlike popular talk shows that follow strict formulaic approaches, podcasts offer their audiences — and the creators behind the production — control, options, and intimacy traditional broadcast media cannot. It is that appeal that attracted major production studios like NPR, ESPN, Disney, HBO, and many others to podcasting. The connection of podcasting with audiences would pave the way for streamers, and now podcasting and streaming are synonymous with one another.

When you ask for feedback, you’re likely to get it — and from unusual places. Because geography doesn’t limit the distance your podcast can travel, you may find yourself with listeners in faraway and exotic places. And this feedback isn’t always going to be “Wow, great podcast!” Listeners will be honest with you when you invite feedback.

Looking for the bare necessities

You need a few things before starting your first podcast, many of which you can probably find on your own computer. For these beginning steps, we focus on audio. Here’s what you should keep an eye on:

• A microphone: Take a look at your computer. Right now, regardless of whether you have a laptop or desktop model, Windows or Macintosh, your computer probably has a microphone built into it — or a USB port for plugging in a microphone. Yes, even your mobile phone has a microphone, or it wouldn’t be much of a phone, now would it? Many earbuds even include a microphone.

  Position the microphone in a comfortable spot on your desk or table. If you’re using a laptop, it should be somewhere on your desk that allows for best recording results without hunching over the computer like Young Frankenstein’s Igor. (That’s EYE-gor.) Check the laptop’s documentation to find out where the built-in microphone is located in the unit’s housing. For the mobile phone, hold the device as if you are making a call, the way it was intended. Holding the device any other way can degrade the audio quality. If you are using the microphone earbuds set included with the phone’s purchase, you may need to do some experimentation.

  Usually the built-in microphone in a laptop is located close to the edge of the keyboard or near the laptop’s speakers. Some models tuck it in at the center point of the monitor’s base.

• Recording software: Check out the software that came with your computer. You know, all those extra applications that you filed away, thinking, “I’ll check those out sometime.” Well, the time has arrived to flip through them. You probably have some sort of audio-recording software loaded on your computer, such as Voice Recorder (PC) or GarageBand (which comes pre-installed with new Macs).

  If you don’t already have the appropriate software, here’s a fast way to get it: Download the version of Audacity that fits your operating system (at https://audacityteam.org), shown in Figure 1-1. (Oh, yeah … it’s free.)

• An audio interface: Make sure your computer has the hardware it needs to handle audio recording and the drivers to run the hardware — unless, of course, you have a built-in microphone.

  Some desktop computers come with a very elementary audio card built into the motherboard. Before you run out to your local computer vendor and spring for an audio card, check your computer to see whether it can already handle basic voice recording.

For tips on choosing the right mic and audio accessories, be sure to check out Chapter 2. Chapter 3 covers all the software you need.

Recording your first podcast

When you have your computer set up and your microphone working, it’s time to start recording. Take a deep breath and then follow these steps:

1. Jot down a few notes on what you want to talk about.

   Nothing too fancy — just make an outline that includes remarks about who you are and what you want to talk about. Use these bullet points to keep yourself on track.

   All this — checking your computer, jotting down notes, and setting up your recording area — is called preshow prep, discussed in depth in Chapter 5 by other podcasters who have their own set ways of getting ready to record.

2. Click the Record button in your recording software and go for as long as it takes for you to get through your notes.

   We recommend keeping your first recording to no more than 20 minutes. That may seem like a lot of time, but it will fly by.

3. Give a nice little sign-off (like “Take care of yourselves! See you next time.”) and click the Stop button.

4. Choose File ⇒   Save As and give your project a name.

   Now bask in the warmth of creative accomplishment.

Compressing your audio files

Portable media devices and computers can play MP3 files as a default format. While there are many other audio formats in existence, MP3 is the preferred format for podcasting because so many digital devices and operating systems recognize it. If your recording software can output straight to MP3 format, your life is much simpler.

If your software cannot export directly to MP3, it should be able to save to a WAV (Windows) or AIFF (Mac) file, which are raw, uncompressed, and can get rather large. In this case, save your raw file from your first software package and then use Audacity to import the file and export it as MP3. We get into those details in Chapter 3.

Congratulations — you just recorded your first audio podcast! Easy, isn’t it? This is merely the first step into a larger world, as Obi-Wan once told Luke.

Uploading your audio to the web

An audio file sitting on your desktop, regardless of how earth-shattering the contents may be, is not a podcast. Nope, not by a long shot. You have to get it up on the Internet and provide a way for listeners to grab that tasty file for later consumption.

If you already have a web server for your blog, company website, or personal website, this process can be as easy as creating a new folder and transferring your newly created audio file to your server.

If that last paragraph left you puzzled and you’re wondering what kind of mess you’ve gotten yourself into … relax. We don’t leave you hanging out in the wind. Chapter 10 covers everything you need to know about choosing a web host for your podcast media files.

A podcast media file can be any sort of media file you like — audio, video, or even an interactive PDF. While our primary attention is on audio, you can use all the tips we give here to handle other types of media.

After you upload your episode, you need to have an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) file generated to deliver it. That happens automatically on a blog. The RSS describes where to find the media file you just uploaded. Nearly all software for blogging (called blog engines) support RSS, but not all support podcasts. You may need to add a plug-in, a downloadable extension that make podcast support a simple affair. This generated RSS file is your podcast feed. People who listen to your podcast can subscribe to your show by placing a link to this podcast feed in their podcast application, such as Apple’s Podcast, Overcast (shown in Figure 1-2), Stitcher, and Spotify. All these apps are looking for your podcast’s RSS, and list it in their directory, which is exactly what it sounds like — a digital catalog of podcasts that are available to you.

Yes, we know … this all sounds really complicated. But we assure you, it’s not. Some hosting companies, such as LibSyn (https://libsyn.com), specialize in taking the technological “bite” out of podcasting so that you can focus on creating your best-sounding show. With LibSyn (shown in Figure 1-3), moving your file to a web server is as simple as pushing a few buttons while the creation of the RSS 2.0 podcast feed and even the accompanying web page are automatic.

If you want to take more control over your website, podcast media files, and their corresponding RSS 2.0 feed, look at Chapters 9 and 10. In those pages, we walk you through some essentials — not only how to upload a file but also how to easily generate your RSS 2.0 file using a variety of tools.

Grabbing listeners

With media files in place and an RSS 2.0 feed ready to be recognized by your podcast app of choice, you’re officially a podcaster. Of course, that doesn’t mean a lot if you’re the only person who knows about your podcast. You need to spread the word to let others know that you exist and that you have something pretty darned important to say.

The old-timer: Apple Podcasts

With iTunes launching its own podcast directory and a podcast-ready version of its player in June 2005, podcasting went from what the geeks were doing in the basement of the Science Building to the next wave of innovation on the Internet (which was, of course, developed by the geeks in the basement of the Science Building). Plenty of contributing factors helped push podcasting mainstream, but iTunes introducing a push-button subscription method was a huge step forward. As always, such a step into the mainstream market brought some dismay to the original podcasters, finding themselves overshadowed by larger media entities. Now, recognizable giants like NPR, The New York Times, ESPN, BBC, and so on dominate Apple’s podcast directory (shown in Figure 1-4). What about the indie podcasts — the ones that started it all? Would they be forgotten? Go unnoticed? Languish unsubscribed? Well, at first, it seemed that many of the original groundbreakers that the podcasting community knew and loved (Comedy4Cast, Evil Genius Chronicles, Coverville, GrammarGirl) might get lost in the stampede. But not yet, as it turns out.

If you go looking for iTunes on your Mac and cannot find it, it could be that you have upgraded to Catalina (2019) or later. The monolithic iTunes app has been replaced with a separate podcasts app (along with another for music and a third for shows and movies). As for the Windows edition, fear not — as of this writing, you can still get iTunes for Windows (available for download at www.apple.com/itunes). Whether using Apple Podcasts or iTunes on your desktop, the software lends an automatic hand to people new to podcasting, where to find blogs that host podcasts, and which podcast directories list the shows that fit their needs and desires — now they, too, can enjoy a wide range of podcast choices.

Subscribing to podcasts using Apple Podcasts is easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Find the podcast of your choice.

   You can do that by

   • Browsing the list podcasts from the Browse option on the left side.
   • Viewing the popular podcasts by using Top Charts below that.
   • Searching by using the Search box in the upper left.
2. When you find a show that you are interested in, click the image to get to the podcast page and then click the Subscribe button.

After your podcast finishes downloading, you can find the new episodes by going to the Listen Now section in the left column of Podcasts, or get specific shows or episodes from your library (also on the left).

Podcasting on the go: Stitcher

As smartphones and tablets became more and more prevalent, the notion of having “an app for that” grew in demand. Finding and subscribing to podcasts in the early days was possible on a mobile device, but a bit clunky. The stage had been set for a new kind of interface that was just as easy and elegant to use on your mobile device as it would be on a computer.

Enter Stitcher.

Stitcher Radio (http://www.stitcher.com) with an app available for both iPhone and Android) debuted in 2008 and has quickly become a must have for not only podcasts, but for radio shows coast-to-coast and around the world (see Figure 1-5). On the app or on their computer, members of the Stitcher community “stitch” together on-air feeds from radio stations and podcasts both from professional and amateur studios into personalized stations all readily available on your mobile devices.

Once you set up a free user account on Stitcher, finding a podcast for your personal feed is only a few taps away:

1. Launch Stitcher on your mobile device.
2. Sign in with either Facebook, Google, or your Stitcher account.

3. Find the podcast of your choice.

   You can do that by

   • Tapping on the Search icon in the bottom right corner.
   • Swiping up through the offered feeds on your Front Page. (The more you use Stitcher, the more shows matching your interests will appear here.)
4. When you find something you like, tap the show’s image.

5. To subscribe, tap the plus sign (+) just below the show’s image.

   The show appears in your favorites list (see Figure 1-6). Click the play icon next to any episode to listen right now.

Stitcher is not only a terrific option for podcast audiences as the service is available on a variety of platforms, including playback through your browser, but Stitcher also interfaces seamlessly with many makes and models of automobiles. Plugging your smartphone into your car’s USB port is immediately recognized, and your car’s media center immediately picks up where you left off.

Welcome the game-changer: Overcast

When it came to Apple and podcasting, the early days of the Apple Podcasts app were a bit tumultuous. Playback was awkward, interfaces were less than intuitive, and crashing was not uncommon. In 2013, developer Marco Arment introduced a modest app designed for subscribing and listening to podcasts at the XOXO festival. Ironically, he unveiled the app during a talk on competition and the risks and benefits of how crowded the creative field had become. It’s ironic as this app, Overcast (https://overcast.fm), received rave reviews with The Verge and The Sweet Setup calling it “the best podcast app for iOS” for many years.

Along with its stability, Overcast offers what podcasting apps of that time lacked: simplicity. Subscribed podcasts were listed alphabetically. Going into a podcast, episodes could be listed by unplayed episodes or all episodes available, as seen in Figure 1-7. The settings for the app and even the podcast itself could be controlled from the app. You can also play episodes back faster or slower than their original speed, and you can pick up from where you leave off.

Once you set up your free account and download the app, finding a podcast for your personal feed is only a few taps away:

1. Download and launch Overcast on your mobile device.
2. Sign in with your account.

3. Find the podcast of your choice.

   You can do that by

   • Tapping on the Search Directory field across the top.
   • Scanning the various podcasts offered in Overcast’s categories.
   • Adding a podcast’s URL manually by tapping the Add URL option in to the top-right corner.
4. When you find something you want to know more about, tap the podcast.
5. Once you find a podcast you want to listen to, tap the Subscribe button.

Arment kept things simple in this app’s UI (short for user interface) and created an elegant interface that makes Overcast a “must-have” for those on the iOS platform, even with Apple Podcasts available everywhere.

Podcasting with the G-man: Google Play Music

Not to be outdone by Apple and the iOS developers, the diversified search engine service Google, the people who bring you Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Voice (which we discuss later on), offers Google Play Music (at https://play.google.com/store) for Android users. It is exactly as it sounds: Google’s version of the Apple iTunes (before the breakup), all in one.

Google Play, shown in Figure 1-8, works with the Google Play Music app to bring podcasts to you in the same way as Stitcher and Apple Podcasts. A few extra steps are involved in getting podcasts subscribed and playing on your phone. Once you download Google Play Music and sync it up with your Google account:

1. Launch Google Play Music on your mobile device and then tap on the Menu option in the top left of the app screen.
2. Select Podcasts from the options.

3. Find the podcast of your choice.

   You can do that by

   • Tapping on the Search icon in the top right corner side.
   • Tapping on the All Categories option to reveal the top rated podcasts of categories and subcategories of interest.
   • Swiping through Top Charts, podcasts that are either promoted or popular. This is the main page of Google Play Music’s Podcasts directory.

   

4. When you find the podcast you want to listen to, click the Subscribe button.

   Google Play Music offers a series of options for you to complete before subscribing.

   • Select Auto-download if you want the latest content to update automatically.
   • Opt-in for a push notification when new content downloads.
   • Select a Playback Order if you want podcast episodes to go from oldest to newest, or newest to oldest.
5. Choose your option and tap Subscribe again.

Google Play Music’s UI is targeted mainly towards music, although with podcasts, it gets the job done. Granted, if your loyalties are not to one operating system, Spotify works for both iOS and Android users. Regardless of which app best suits you and your digital lifestyle, it’s good to know options are out there, and available for you.

A new 800-pound gorilla: Spotify

For nearly a decade, the king of podcasting app was Apple iTunes, but like all technology, the crown must get passed. When you say Spotify, most people will think of streaming music, but in 2015 it added support for podcasts. It was exclusively set aside for music artists and broadcast media productions, and in 2018, Spotify simplified its application and screening process and now brings podcasting to millions of listeners worldwide (see Figure 1-9). The desktop app requires you to make a download from Spotify’s site (https://spotify.com). Once installed, log in or create a free account.

1. Use the Search box in the top left to enter a podcast name or click Browse on the left and select Podcasts.

2. When you find a podcast you like, take one of the following actions:

   • Click the play icon to listen immediately.
   • Click the heart icon to save it to your library.
   • Use the three-dot menu and choose Follow. This is Spotify’s way of subscribing to a podcast.

   Now you can quickly find the podcasts you follow by clicking Podcasts on the left under Your Library.

The Spotify mobile experience is very similar:

1. After signing in, tap Search on the bottom to search and browse podcasts.
2. Tap the Follow button or listen to an episode directly from the list.
3. Followed podcasts are available from Your Library at the bottom of the screen and tapping Podcasts (in big letters at the top).

To listen anywhere, click the down arrow on any episode, and it will be available in your Downloads list under Podcasts.

At the time of this writing, Spotify only approves audio podcast feeds for its directories. Any episodes that are offering other forms of media will be rejected. In order to get your feed approved for Spotify, you will need to assure that all your episodes are audio. You can still have posts on your blog featuring embedded videos and special downloads, but you will not be able to use the RSS feed as a delivery method.