How To Podcast

Recording Your Podcast



Have the word processor check your grammar. Spelling isn't important here, as long as you can read your own typing. Grammar, however, is important, depending on what you hope to accomplish. A Southern accent is fine, poor grammar is usually not.

Load your text up into the podcast teleprompter, and start practicing. An unrecorded practice session is not necessary. You aren't using expensive tape or anything like that, so practicing is free. Practice as much as it takes, but for the sake of time, only record your first five minutes of the podcast and listen to it to see how it sounds, if you are on your time schedule, and if you are easy to understand. Try to have someone else listen to it as well to ensure that they can understand you clearly. If you are producing your podcast on your computer, you are really kind of tied down as to where you record, unless you have a laptop. If you have a laptop, find the quietest possible place, where there won't be any interruptions or background noise. If you are tied to a desktop, turn off the ceiling fan, and the air conditioner, as these only serve to create unwanted background noise. Put a sign on your door that says 'recording in session' and close the door. Make sure that you won't be interrupted.

On your computer, close your email, instant messengers, and any other running software that may make noise. Avoid typing while recording, as the click of the keys or mouse will be picked up in most cases. If you must do something with your hands while recording, get one of those tension squeeze balls that don't make any noise.

Avoid recording in an empty room. Carpeting and furniture will absorb sound, and reduce echoes, which can ruin a recording. When you are practicing, you should test out different distances between the microphone and your mouth. A podcast where the listener can hear you heavily breathing is not only unacceptable; it will be creepy to many. Make sure that the microphone is not picking up a chest rattle or breathing noises.


If you must cough, clear your throat, or get a drink of water during your recording, you should be able to pause it if you are using software, as opposed to phoning in your podcast. Use this feature as often as you please; just make sure that you edit out any sounds that this causes and that the podcast sounds 'smooth.'

Remember that speed of speech is important. Don't talk too fast or too slow. Again, practice this so that you can get the speed of speech just right for your podcast. Don't settle! Don't settle for less than a high quality recording, especially if you are podcasting for business. Just as you would not settle for a website that didn't work in all browsers, or that had broken or less than quality graphics, you should not settle for a podcast that is less than what you want it to be, or less than what you listeners would expect. Regardless of how it is delivered, content is, was, and always will be king. Never forget that. If you are just babbling about something that doesn't make sense, or has no point, you probably will not be very successful with podcasting. Have a point - a goal.

Be interesting not just in your words, but in the way that you say them, and in how you express yourself. Nobody wants to listen to a podcast of someone who is obviously reading a script. It's boring.

Continue.. (part 2)

Podcasting 101 | Listen to Podcasts | Record a Podcast | Publish a Podcast | Promoting a Podcast | Video Podcast | Podcast Tools | Podcast Resources

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