Phase 3 – Recording Your Podcast
Step 9: Which Equipment Do you Need for A Podcast?
As with any production, the equipment needed depends on the quality required. The more limited and lower cost your setup is, the more limited is the sound quality of your show. With that said, the bare minimum required to record a podcast is a computer with an inbuilt microphone and internet access. Although limited, you can still produce a high quality podcast for your audience. However, a simple addition of the right low cost USB microphone will go a long way in improving the quality of sound. There is a huge benefit in starting simple. It allows you to learn on the go and grow with insight while still staying within your means.
Further along the road, you can incorporate a better USB mic and even upgrade to a digital recorder and a mixer. However, be weary of complicating things too much as you increase the risk of things failing mid-set.
Step 10: Choosing the Right Podcast Recording and Editing Software
When using a USB microphone in a computer, you need a dedicated software to record and edit the audio clip. There are many software applications for this purpose. Some are paid while some are free such as Adobe Audition and Audacity respectively. For Mac users, you will most probably have Garageband installed on your computer by the manufacturer. This is a free and popular option for many podcasters although recent versions have limited features which means you might need to get a dedicated software after all.
Step 11: Creating a Killer Script for your Podcast
You are now ready with your recording set up and editing software but wait, what will you say at what time during the episode? This is why you need to prepare a script before starting to record each episode. There are two ways to interpret scripting. First is as preparing a fully written essay that you will then read out word by word as they do with a teleprompter in NEWS production. Secondly, as preparing a guide with select points you will address during the podcast. Both interpretations work. However, the first approach results to sounding like you are reading to your listeners while the second sounds like you are talking to your audience. Which is better? The second option.
Having a clearly planned out script helps you a great deal in tracking your time, staying on topic and ensuring that you cover all points in the topic conclusively. However, the last thing you want is for the audience to feel as though you are giving them a sermon. The very nature of podcast advocates for an intimate experience for the listener. Your audience needs to feel as though they are having a conversation with you. As with everything, your scripting will get better with time.
Step 12: How to Talk Into a Microphone during a Podcast
As a beginner, this is one of the things that you might find hardest to master. From the onset, you need to avoid imagining that you are talking into a microphone or talking to yourself. Again, the very nature of podcasts leans towards having meaningful conversations. As such, picture yourself talking to a single person. We go back to your listener persona. Talk to this persona – say Mike, who enjoys a given list of things and listens to you because of so and so reasons. Engage Mike in a conversation. This will in turn come off more engaging and natural. In turn, the audience represented by the Mike persona will feel closer to you and lead to building and strengthening of relationships over time.
Step 13: How to Incorporate Co-Hosts and Remote Guests into Your Podcast
Depending on the format of your podcast, you can have a co-host in another country or regular interviewees from the world over. By effect you have to record your conversations for the podcast. The most popular and common means for Mac users is to use Ecamm to record the Skype call. There are also other great alternatives online for PC and Android users.