Can You Hear Me Now?How to Make a Podcast

Alison Aldrich, Technology Outreach CoordinatorNational Network of Libraries of Medicine,

Pacific Northwest Region

What is a Podcast?

• A multimedia file distributed over the Internet for playback on portable media devices or personal computers

• One recording or a series of regularly updated episodes

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Look Who’s Podcasting

• Media• Schools• Libraries• Everybody

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Look Who’s Podcasting

• Media• Schools• Libraries• Everybody

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Look Who’s Podcasting

• Media• Schools• Libraries• Everybody

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Multnomah County Library

Look Who’s Podcasting

• Media• Schools• Libraries• Everybody

(and their brother!)

>100,000 podcasts in the iTunes directory6

Is Anybody Listening?

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Is Anybody Listening?

• 19% of Internet users have downloaded a podcast to play back later

• 43% of Internet users own an mp3 player• Podcast listeners are more likely to be

– Male– Under 50– College educated– Broadband users

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2008

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Listening to Podcasts

• Listeners control what, when, and where• Makes use of downtime• Great for aural learners

Listening from the Web

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Really Simple Syndication

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Notifications from a Feed Reader

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Catching the Feed in iTunes

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Why might YOU want to make a podcast?

• Raise awareness and advocate for the library• Reach more and different users• Take on a new role within your institution

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Plan Before You Begin

• Think about:– Technology requirements– Production team– Audience and purpose– Content

• Permissions and consent– Frequency, format, length

• Get buy-in from those who matter

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Crafting Your Message

• For any podcast:– Standard introduction– Introduction if there is a guest– Brief description of what will be covered– The actual content– Standard “outro”– Optional musical intro and outro

[Link to WillowWeb]

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Tips

• Write down what you want to say• Don’t use library jargon• Have someone else listen to it• Practice, practice, practice• Educate but don’t bore

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What Sticks?

• What people will remember:• SUCCESs

– Simple– Unexpected– Concrete– Credible– Emotional– StoriesFrom Made to Stick. Heath, C. New York: Random House 2007

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Checklist

A PlanSome Content Computer with Internet connection Hardware Software Web Hosting

Let’s make a podcast!

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Here’s What You Need

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Microphone Options

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Built-in audio

Headset(Plantronics, $25)

Standalone USB Mic(Blue Microphones Snowball, $81)

Software

• Audacity – cross-platform free audio recording & editing software

• LAME encoder – for converting audio to MP3 format

– Download: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

• GarageBand – audio recording software for Mac– http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/

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Web Hosting

• http://www.podbean.com

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Checklist

A PlanSome Content Computer with Internet connection Hardware Software Web Hosting

Let’s make a podcast!

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Promoting Your Podcast

• Submit it to a podcast directory• Talk it up

• Use the symbols– More at podcastlogo.lemotox.de/

• Web pages, newsletters, posters etc.• Be prepared to teach

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Other Ways to Podcast

• By phone– Gabcast, Hipcast, TalkShoe, Skype

• Text to speech– Odiogo

• Screencast– Camtasia, Captivate, Jing

• Find existing podcasts serving your audience and record an episode

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Image Credits

• Slide 1: Modified podcast logo by Colleen AF Venable on Flickr, Creative Commons License

• Slide 8: El bosque de cuentos by borya on Flickr, Creative Commons License

• Slide 10: Untitled by Seth Mazow on Flickr, Creative Commons License

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Questions?

• Slides available athttp://slideshare.net/aldricham

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Alison AldrichTechnology Outreach Coordinator

NN/LM Pacific Northwest Regionaldrich3@u.washington.edu

206-221-3489or 1-800-338-7657 in AK, ID, MT,

OR, WA