Enhance Your Podcast with Music Samples

You can easily jazz up your podcasts by adding music intros and outros, or by using music to segue between topics. Using an audio editing application like Audacity or Garageband, simply paste your music samples into the appropriate place in your audio file. Here's some quick tips:

• Smooth the transition to and from your podcast body by fading in or out the ends of the sample.



• Check your audio levels. You don't want your music to be too much louder or softer than the body of the podcast.
• Make sure not to violate any copyright restrictions. If you're not sure, study up on the basics of copyright law, fair use, and creative commons. There's a lot of music out there that you can use safely in your podcasts!

  To get you started, we've produced a series of music samples that anyone at Penn State can freely use in their podcasts. So download the .zip file below and have fun!

  To listen to and download the most recent music samples, visit the Penn State Assets Page on iTunesU.

Creating a Podcast with Audacity on a Macintosh

The staff at Studio 204 and the Faculty Multimedia Center recently completed a video podcast that provides a quick overview of how to create a podcast on a Macintosh using the free Audacity software. Please view the video below, or click this link:

http://podcasts.psu.edu/files/podcastaudacity.m4v

Resources

• Download Audacity
• Download the LAME encoder: Audacity can save audio files in the MP3 format used most often by podcasts, it requires that you download and install the LAME encoder.
• Audacity Tutorial (PDF)
• Additional Tutorial (SourceForge Web site)

NOTE on installing LAME for Audacity on MacOSX:
After you have downloaded LAME, uncompress the archive and move the contents to any folder on your computer. When you first run Audacity, you will be asked to locate the LAME encoder. Once you have done this, you will see an option to "Export to MP3" under the File menu of Audacity.

Creating a Podcast with Audacity on a Windows PC

The staff at Studio 204 and the Faculty Multimedia Center recently completed a video podcast that provides a quick overview of how to create a podcast on a Windows PC using the free Audacity software. Watch the video below, or download it from:

http://podcasts.psu.edu/files/podcastaudacity.m4v

If you attended any of our WinterFest Training sessions on Podcasting or would like another walk-through click on the link below. (*Requires a high-speed connection.)

http://podcasts.psu.edu/files/Audacity_Help1.mov

Resources

• Download Audacity
• Download the LAME encoder (this is required for exporting MP3's from Audacity)
• Additional Tutorial (SourceForge Web site)

Installation instructions for the LAME encoder for Audacity on Windows:

1. Go to the LAME download page.
2. Click on any link from the list of identical "lame-3.x.x" links.
3. When you have finished downloading LAME, unzip it and save the file lame_enc.dll anywhere on your computer (preferably in the audacity program folder).
4. The first time you use the "Export as MP3" command, Audacity will ask you where lame_enc.dll is saved. Point it to where you saved the .dll file and click ok.

Creating a Podcast with GarageBand on a Macintosh

GarageBand, part of Apple's iLife suite, puts you in the control room of your own digital full-featured radio station. You can add a podcast artwork track just by dragging in images to the timeline to correspond with your audio track. You can also add jingles and sound effects from the built-in library that comes with GarageBand. Automatic "ducking" decreases the audio level of the music when you begin talking so your audience can always hear you speak. You can use iChat as a source for recording interviews for your podcast even if your guest is on the other side of the world! This tutorial will get your up and running with GarageBand in no time. GarageBand is available on the Mac lab computers.

Please view the video below, or click this link:

http://podcasts.psu.edu/files/garageband.m4v

Here is a printable PDF tutorial:

http://podcasts.psu.edu/files/garageband.pdf

What Audio Settings Should I Use?

If you're new to recording audio, looking at all the audio settings can sometimes be intimidating. This audio primer will help you to make the right choices when it comes to format, channels, sample rate, and bit depth. The key is to get the best quality audio at a file size that's easy to download.

Podcasting Best Practices

Here you will find some general guidelines to consider as you begin to investigate podcasting. If you'd like help with learning to podcast, please contact us at podcasts@psu.edu today.

• Know your audience/target market.
• Be organized in the messaging that is to be delivered.
• Have notes and an outline to keep the show on topic.
• Edit podcast show appropriately for content, quality, and length.
• Deliver valuable, informative, engaging, and entertaining content to your listeners that they can't get from any other media.
• Provide show notes for listeners to review content of the show before and while they listen to the podcast.
• Use proper tagging of Metadata so that your podcast can be found and organized easily by podcasting software and directories. Metadata is additional information embedded in an object that assists software in storing and finding them.

Tips on Producing Podcasts

&tDepending on the type of podcast you would like to create, it can be a very simple process. This page will provide details on creating the following types of podcasts:

• Simple voice recording outside of the classroom
• Lecture-based podcast inside the classroom

Education Technology Services is now accepting proposals from faculty and students for podcasting assistance. Take a look at our call for participation and get started with podcasting today.

Creating a Simple Podcast Outside the Classroom

1. Plan What You Will Say

Although you may not need a verbatim script, it is helpful to have an outline of what you'll be saying.

2. Record the Audio

A good audio recording has both low background noise and a clearly audible, easily distinguishable recording of the subject. Check out our list of recommended hardware and software tools for creating podcasts. Here some basic tips:

• Choose a quiet location where you won't be interrupted.
• The built-in microphones of many computers, both desktop and laptop, generally do not give good results but are good enough for this type of podcast.
• Select hardware and software that meet your needs and are easy to use. For podcasts with spoken voice only, the quality does not need to be that high for effective podcasts.

3. Publish your Podcast

Publishing your podcasts is a simple process. All you have to do is contact us at podcasts@psu.edu to receive publishing access to the Podcasts at Penn State site. With an account at this site, you simply fill out a small form describing your podcast, attach the finished MP3, and submit it. The rest is done automatically -- from posting on the site to the updated RSS feed.

Creating a Lecture Based Podcast Inside the Classroom