Other Articles in Make
Podcasting Blog
8 step guide to podcast marketing
6/28/2008
Podcasting leader Christopher Penn has published a short PDF guide, 8 step guide to podcast marketing, that seeks to help you jump start how you’re marketing your own podcast. This is a very short PDF and covers topics that include whether your podcast is worthy of buzz, is easily found and how you’re measuring your success. The … Continue reading »
Publishing a Podcast with ExpressionEngine
6/24/2008
If you’re a user of the wonderful ExpressionEngine CMS (this site has been running on it for more than 2 years) and want to easily and efficiently publish a podcast with it, I just released a new screencast you might be interested in.
The latest episode of the ExpressionEngine Screencasts covers … Continue reading »
Voice Over Training
5/10/2008
One of the obvious aspects of podcasting is using your voice. And using it properly. If you’re looking for some more information about how to improve your voice technique in your podcast, I’d suggest checking out the Voice Over Experts Podcast from Voices.com.
Hardware Recommendations
- Kustom KM4 Mic with Cable
- Behringer XM8500 Microphone
- Shure SM58 Mic
- MXL MXL V63MBP Computer Desktop Recording Kit
Masthead
Contact
Ryan Irelan, Editor - listen@podcastfreeamerica.com
Setting Up Your Podcast Workflow Environment
Getting started refining your process.
In the last article I talked about some examples of podcast workflow tools. If you already have your tools, podcasting hardware, software and other needed items, than it’s time to think about how to set up your podcast workflow environment.
The highest goal to keep in mind when thinking about and setting up a podcast workflow is that you want to make podcasting as easy as possible. You want to remove unnecessary steps, repetitions and, for the more advanced, automate anything that can be done by a computer. These steps are what I used to streamline my podcast workflow and still use to keep it a refined and tight process.
Eliminate Distractions
The best way to podcast workflow success is to eliminate distractions and unneeded tools or software. I have a separate user account on my computer that is used specifically for producing podcasts. I only open applications that are necessary for creating my podcast. I don’t turn on email, instant messaging or any other distractions, unless it is needed for the podcast.
Even better than a separate user account is to have an entire computer dedicated just to podcasting. This will allow you to fine tune it for podcasting and make the task of recording, editing and publishing your podcast go faster because everything will already be set up.
Pick a time and place to record your podcast when you won’t be interrupted by other people. Also, turn off the ringer on all phones. Let anyone else in your house or apartment know that you’ll be busy for the next hour or more recording your podcast and that you’re not to be bothered.
Learn Your Tools
Learning your audio or video software and hardware will take some work, but making that effort is important to setting up a reliable podcast workflow. You have to know your tools. What about a new piece of software I just purchased? you might ask. That’s true, there will always been some learning when you get something new. That’s to be expected. The point is that you should be the master of your tools. You will be the most effective at producing your podcast if you know your podcast tools inside and out.
Some of this learning will come from trial and error, some of it from reading the manuals, some from reading online tutorials and some from taking more structured classes. Many stores that sell quality audio and video recording gear will also offer classes on how to use it. These may be offered free or for a small fee.
Refine Your Process
In the first article in this series I talked about taking stock of your podcast production steps and looking for ways to automate or improve.
As you produce your podcasts, think about the steps you take, write them down and try to improve, streamline and, if possible, automate your workflow. Sometimes it just takes recognizing repeated tasks to make your podcast workflow go from difficult and time-consuming to more fun in less time.
Part of refining your process is automation. Make your computer do the repetitive work for you. But that’s not for this article. Stay tuned for more on podcast workflows.
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