Recording and editing a podcast is not as difficult as you may imagine, although it takes time and planning. Podcasts typically follow a standardized format (that may include interviews or monologues) and are often in serial form, a.k.a. published in episodes. If you are creating a podcast or audio project for a class project, be sure that you have considered not only the content but also the technology that you will use.
At DigiSpace, we’ve collected some helpful resources. Here are a few questions and resources to get you started.
- What should you do before recording?
- Draft! What interview questions will you use or what main points will you discuss?
- Brainstorm your sound elements. What music will you use for the intro (which should also include your name, the date, and the title of your podcast episode) and the outro (which should include acknowledgements and citations)? If you are publishing your podcast to your ePortfolio, you will want to use Creative Commons music or self-composed music to avoid copyright issues.
- What about sound effects to add some texture to your podcast?Sound effects can be an interesting way to create a context or setting for your podcast. As with Creative Commons music, several sites offer free sound files, but be sure that you read the site carefully to avoid downloading apps that you don’t want or need. We have collected some audio sources here, including sound effect sites and other audio sources that offer recordings of radio broadcasts of the past and present.
- Brainstorm your sound elements. What music will you use for the intro (which should also include your name, the date, and the title of your podcast episode) and the outro (which should include acknowledgements and citations)? If you are publishing your podcast to your ePortfolio, you will want to use Creative Commons music or self-composed music to avoid copyright issues.
- Draft! What interview questions will you use or what main points will you discuss?
- What software will you use to record and edit the podcast?
- Your phone may already have audio recording software, but make sure you understand what type of file it creates to allow you to edit and share it. Android phones may have Samsung Voice Recorder installed while iPhones may have Voice Memo. If you want to record with audio recording software and convert the file, use a free file conversion site, such as Cloudconvert.
- At DigiSpace, we recommend Audacity, a free audio editing software, which is compatible with both PCs and Macs.
- Another popular editing software that is popular with Mac users is Garageband. Both include options for recording as well.
- Pro tip: If you make a recording mistake, rather than starting over, pause for a few seconds and start that sentence again. You can cut the mistake rather than trying to get the recording correct all in one take.
- You may use your UNE Zoom account to record your podcast. When you record through Zoom, you get a video file and an audio file. Recording locally will put the audio file (.m4A) on your computer while cloud recording will allow you to store it on the cloud and download to a device when you are ready for editing.
- Your phone may already have audio recording software, but make sure you understand what type of file it creates to allow you to edit and share it. Android phones may have Samsung Voice Recorder installed while iPhones may have Voice Memo. If you want to record with audio recording software and convert the file, use a free file conversion site, such as Cloudconvert.
- How will you share your podcast?
- If you are sharing your podcast or audio recording in your ePortfolio, try a free hosting service such as Soundcloud or Podbean. WordPress (your ePortfolio software) has a Soundcloud block to make this process easy.
The DigiSpace staff is happy to assist you through the process. We are located at the Student Academic Success Center. Make a “digital project support” appointment for an in-person visit or via a Zoom session. We look forward to helping!
