In the last few episodes we discussed about how to decide on you podcast topic and how to find the right niche for your Podcast etc.
Now that we have all that figured out, it is time for some slightly technical stuff and look at the basics of Podcast record, editing and Hosting.
But don’t worry because it is not so technical that you will not be able to figure it out yourself.
So let’s start.
First things first. The front-end of podcasting.
Recording Your Podcast – The Front End of Podcasting
It is simple and if you have a smartphone, part of it is taken care off.
Because that is the simplest form of recording.
Every Android phone has an inbuilt sound recorder and you can use that to record your audio.
There are a lot of people who are starting off with podcasting and using this medium.
With companies making it easy to publish your audio and with the large scale availability and usage of mobile phones and apps, podcasting companies are taking that advantage and helping people record their audio and publish it.
Another method is to use your computer.
Your computer too has a built in microphone and you can use that to record your show.
While the mobile phone method is a pretty simple way to start, it isn’t really something that I would recommend if you are really serious about podcasting.
Why?
Because the microphones on the phone isn’t that great and the audio quality might not be as good as you would expect. But if you are a hobby podcaster, then you are surely start off with this method.
But if you have a good computer then you can use your computer to record your audio, which is something I would recommend if you want to start on a budget. The microphones are relatively better and you get the ease of handling your audio files in a computer.
When I started off that is how I did it.
The microphone of my computer was a pretty good one for a computer at least.
But the option to record it into an editing software where I can edit and correct the audio is the reason why I am recommending this.
I used to record the audio into Audacity where I would then edit and produce the episode.
But if you have some money to spend on a microphone, then I would recommend buying a USB microphone if you could.
While dynamic microphones can be a little costly, you should be able to get some cheaper ones as well.
I would recommend a dynamic microphone because for somebody who is just starting off, their setup would be in their bedroom or, study room which isn’t a sound proof room. And dynamic microphones can help in this setup because it wouldn’t record all the noises around you.
While we are on the topic of recording, another critical piece in the recording setup is the software you are going to use.
Pretty much every podcaster records their audio into a software in which you can edit the audio files. And most of them who are on Windows use Audacity which is a free to use software. People who have a Mac would use Garageband.
Both of these softwares do the same thing and have pretty much the same features. So I wouldn’t want to get into the debate of which is superior.
The important thing to keep in mind is that both of them will do the job that you want them to do.
Since we have a large number of Windows users, I would be talking primarily about Audacity.
Audacity is free to download and install. It is pretty easy to use as well. There isn’t a lot that you need to fiddle with in terms of the settings. Open the software and the default settings should just be fine.
If you have a microphone plugged into the computer, then the software would detect the microphone and you can select it from the “Input Source” on the software. But if there is not external microhone plugged in, then the default computer microphone will be detected and will be used to record.
Now all you need to do is just hit the record button and start recording.
We will talk about editing in another episode.
But there is one important thing to do before you start speaking into the microphone and record.
Ensure that you are recording silence for the first 15 seconds.
When I say silence, what I mean is that you don’t speak and stay silent. If there are any normal sounds around you (just ensure that these are the usual small sounds and not the loud ones), then let it get recorded into the software.
You can then start recording your show after this.
Why did we do this?
We will discuss about this in one of the later episodes when we talk about editing.
Now that we spoke about the front end of recording the show, Let us look at how things work in the background.
Hosting and Distributing Your Podcast
Once an audio file is recorded, we need to store it somewhere so that it can be broadcasted. Just like the way you store your other files and share it with people.
If you are storing it on your computer, it wouldn’t be accesible to the world. In order for it to be accessible by broadcasters, you will have to store it on a server somewhere on the internet.
This server where you store these files is called a Host. And since it is a podcast file, we call it the podcast host.
This is where podcast hosting companies come in. These companies provide you the space to upload your audio files and host them.
There are quite a few companies who provide these hosting services and there’s a lot of competition in this space.
Just so that they have a USP and also are able to win in the competition, all of these hosts give you additional features and services, in addition to this space to host your files.
Some of these companies that I have used in the past and recommend are Libsyn, Blubrry (You will find the links in the resources section below). They provide you with the space to host your files and also help you with distribution to most podcast directories.
These companies also help in meeting all the technical requirements at the backend so that it is easier to submit your podcast to all of the podcast distribution services.
Podcast Directories
So what are these podcast directories?
There are searchable databases where all podcast details are stored.
They are just like those yellow page or, phone directories that we used to have long time back. The only difference is that these directories store information about podcasts instead of phone numbers and contact details.
Podcast Distribution Services
Then what are podcast distribution services?
They are the services that distribute all podcasts. It is these services that faciliate the playing of these audio files. In other words, that lets people play your podcasts.
Examples of these services are Audioboom, Hubhopper, iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Spotify etc.
Now something to note here is that a podcast host can also be a distribution service though not necessarily.
And at the same time a Podcast distribution service can also be the Podcast Directory, though not necessarily.
So are these podcasting hosts paid? Do they charge you something?
Yes, services like Libsyn and Blubrry have monthly charges.
For somebody who is starting off, testing the waters…. and doesn’t want to pay. What do they do?
Here are 2 solutions and these are solutions that we recommend for any body who wants to start off with podcasting today.
The first and most preferable one is Hubhopper.
This show that you are listening to is hosted and distributed by Hubhopper.
Let me tell you some of the benefits that you get with Hubhopper.
Hubhopper is a complete podcasting solution in itself. In fact you can do pretty much everything in podcasting using Hubhopper.
They have a very simple interface where you can record, edit, upload and distribute your podcast. All you would need is a computer and a good microphone. If you would like more details, you can visit studio.hubhopper.com
I will also be creating a video to show you the entire process of recording and hosting your show using Hubhopper Studio.
There are a ton of other features that Hubhopper offers,
- Microsite for podcast
- Mobile recorder app
- Mobile transcription app
- Online audio editor
- Automatic access to the Indian podcasting community
- Distribution beyond only podcast platforms
- Detailed data analytics
- Free Hosting
- Opportunity to become a Hubhopper Original
We will discuss about all of these in another episode which will only be about Hubhopper.
While using Hubhopper is the easiest FREE method available, for people who don’t want to do that and have a little more control over their audio files, my recommendation is to use Amazon S3 services.
Amazon S3 services is a cloud hosting service from Amazon where you can host and distribute files – in fact all kind of files.
You get an initial FREE quota which should be more than enough to host about 100-150 episodes of your show depending upon the size of your files, obviously.
But, to host on Amazon you will need some technical knowledge on how to upload files there, how to enable the correct rights for these files etc. Most of this information is available online, but I will be creating a tutorial on how to do this as well.
And it is hence that I am recommending Hubhopper which is the best solution available today.
Now there are a few more technical things in distributing your podcast to various podcast directories if you choose to host your files on your own. This is something I will be talking about in a few episodes from now.
In the next episode we will be bringing in our first guest for the show. He is a very successful Podcaster and has quite a lot of achievements under his belt.
So, stay subscribed.
Resources discussed in the Show
Here are the resources that we discussed in this episode (Some of these links are affiliate links and I might earn a commission if you click on them and decide to buy, though at no extra cost to you) –
- Libysn – Podcast Hosting
- Blubrry – Podcast Hosting
- Audioboom – Hosting, Distribution and Directory
- Hubhopper – Hosting, Distribution and Directory
- iTunes (Apple Podcasts) – Podcast distribution service
- Google Podcasts – Podcast distribution service
- Audacity – Audio editing software
- Garageband – Audio editing software for Mac
Dynamic Microphones
If you have any comments or, questions you can send them to me by using the contact button here or, by commenting below.
Do take a few minutes to comment below and tell me your thoughts about this episode.
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