How to create the

Audio-Only Podcast

1©KarenL.Thompson● DepartmentofEnglish● UniversityofIdaho

English 313: Business Writing

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Table of Contents

Learning Objectives ............................................................................................................................................. 3 About Podcasts .................................................................................................................................................... 4-6 How to Create Your Podcast

Options for Tools and Required Test Recording ...................................................................................... 7-9 General Subject, Audience, and Purpose of Your Podcast .................................................................. 10 Choosing a Specific Focus for Your Podcast .......................................................................................... 11 Writing a Podcast Script ............................................................................................................................. 12-18

Presentation Speaking Style: how to develop an effective style ................................................................... 19-30

About Podcasts

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A British journalist combined the Apple’s iPod with the word broadcast to coin the term Podcast.

Podcasts can be:•Audio-only Files•Video Files

and/or

• Broadcasted (live or prerecorded)

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BusinessandOrganizationsUsePodcasts:• Externally: to promote products and

services to clients and customers.

• Internally: to share information between employees, particularly, in project teams.

• You will compose an audio only podcast aimed at an external audience.

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Howtocreateyourpodcast.

• You need a microphone, and the one in your computer will be fine for this project.

• Your podcast must be hosted on a site that allows users to play it without having to download the file.

• The next two slides explain options for creating the podcast.

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Option1:UsePodSnack• PodSnack is a free cloud

computing tool that allows you to record and will also host your file.

• You will find a link to PodSnack under Tools and Resources and also a slidedoc tutorial on how to use it.

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Option2:CreateanAudioFileandUploadtoHostSite.

• If you know how to create an audio file (MP3, .WAV etc.), record your podcast and upload to a host site such as YouTube or SoundCloud.

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• Digital audio files (mp3, wav etc.) are not accepted in this course.

• Here’s why. You are practicing how to create and share these types of files as they are shared in workplace settings.

• So, if you choose to create an audio file on your computer, be certain it is uploaded to a host site and will play without a user needing to download the file.

• Audio files uploaded to bblearn will not be graded nor earn credit for this part of the project.

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TestRecording

• First, be certain you completed the technology check on Orientation Day 1, and are using the recommended browser for this course. If not, go there, do that.

• Close all other programs and browser windows to ensure you have enough memory.

• If the test recording fails, follow the troubleshooting steps under Tools & Resources.

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Podcast:subject,audience,andpurpose.

• The subject of your podcast will be presentation speaking style.

• Your audience will be student peers at the University of Idaho who are interested in improving their speaking style.

• Your purpose will be to explain concepts and suggest exercises for developing an effective speaking style.

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Youwillneedtochooseaspecificfocus.

• You will not be able to cover ALL presentation speaking style concepts, so you will need to focus your podcast.

• Make this decision based on studying the concepts and then identifying what you want to cover in a podcast of up to 3 minutes.

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After you have chosen the focus and taken some notes, you will need to write a script and practice it.

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The goal is not to try to sound like a professional broadcaster, but to practice and develop clarity in your presentation speaking style.

Practice the principles of effective prose style when writing the script but adapt these for the ear by keeping sentences short.

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You should be able to say each sentence in your script in a single breath.

Your script will need:

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IntroductionAbout 30 seconds.

Key PointsAbout 2 minutes

ConclusionAbout 30seconds.

Timing

Introduction:

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About 30 seconds

Brief salutation: greet the audience and give them an idea of what you will be presenting in the podcast.

You can also start with an engaging question:• Such as “have you ever wondered how

to……?” and then use the salutation.

Body:

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About 2 minutes.

Key Points: think about how many points you can reasonably talk about in 2 minutes.

About four key points and 30 seconds to talk about each one should work well, but don’t follow this as a rigid rule. Think about what works best for what you will talk about.

Closing:

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About 30 seconds

WrapitUp.Haveaclearconclusion,herearesomeideas:• What’snext?– pointlistenerstofuturepodcasts,

• WherecanIlearnmore?– pointlistenerstowheretheylearnmoreaboutthepresentationspeakingstyle.

• ETC.

• Remembertothankaudienceforlistening.

PresentationSpeakingStyleConcepts• Vocal Variety

• Pitch• Tone• Volume• Rate

• Pause• Diction

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The content on the following slides had been adapted from: Write-Out-Loud.

Whatisvocalvariety?

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• Vocal variety or vocalics refers to the nonverbal features of our speaking style.

• These features are pitch, tone volume, and rate.

• Your goal as a speaker is to have a range of vocal variety that will help you develop the flexibility to adapt your speaking style to meet audience needs. For example:

• Giving a eulogy at a funeral would require a different speaking style than delivering a conference presentation.

VocalVariety:Pitch

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• Our voices all have a natural pitch, which is like music with high and low notes.

• If your pitch range is narrow, mostly high or mostly low notes, your voice will have a monotonous effect on listeners.

Exercisestodevelopyourpitchrange.

VocalVariety:Tone

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• Our voices carry emotional content through the tone we use.

• If your voice lacks expression, it will be flat and lack energy.

• If you fill your speech with too much energy, it will seem overly exuberant and forced.

Exercisestodevelopyourtone.

VocalVariety:Volume

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• Some of us naturally speak softer or louder than others.

• Volume affects how the audience perceives your trustworthiness.

• Learn how to consciously control the volume of your voice.

Exercisestodevelopvolumecontrol.

VocalVariety:Rate

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• When we speak, rate refers to the pace of our speech.

• Speech rate is calculated at the number of words spoken in a minute.

Exercisestodevelopaneffectivespeakingrate.

VocalVariety:Ratecontinued

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Slow speech is usually regarded as less than 110 wpm, or words per minute.

Conversational speech generally falls between 120 wpm at the slow end, to 160 - 200 wpm in the fast range.

People who read books for radio or podcasts are often asked to speak at 150-160 wpm.

Auctioneers or commentators who practice speed speech are usually in the 250 to 400 wpm range.

VocalVariety:Ratecontinued

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• When giving a presentation whether it is in person or recorded, it is important to be flexible in your rate of speech.

VocalVariety:Ratecontinued

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• One study analyzed the speaking rate of 9 six-minute TED Talks.

• The average speaking rate was 163 words per minute and ranged between 153 and 168 words per minute.

Read more about this study and information about how to calculate your speaking rate here: Six Minutes.

Exercisestodevelopaneffectivespeakingrate.

Usethepowerofapause.

• When you pause, you are:

• helping the audience to understand you,

• controlling the rate of your speech,• avoiding distracting filler words

(um, er, ah),• allowing your mind to “catch up”

to what your mouth.

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Tipsforhowtousepauseswhenspeaking.

Diction

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• Diction is not about changing your accent (yes, we all have an accent).

• It’s about clearly enunciating the words you speak.

• Your rate of speech affects diction. Speaking too fast will prevent you from clearly enunciating your words.

• Tip for ESL speakers. Pausing after a word you find difficult to say in English will greatly help the audience to understand you.

Exercisestoimprovediction.

Articulate.• Good diction is NOT about changing your

speaking style to sound more elegant.

• It is about clarity - making sure what you say is understood.

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I’marockstar,Idon’thavetoarticulate.

Fine,whateverMick,butbusinesspresentersneedtoarticulate.BTWwhatare yousayinginJumpin’JackFlash?