Alberta Council of Global Cooperation Podcasting Workshop

Alberta Council of Global

Cooperation Podcasting Workshop

ICE-BREAKER

NAMEORGANIZATION WHY YOU WANT TO LEARN TO

PODCASTONE INTERESTING THING ABOUT

YOURSELF“WELCOME TO MY PODCAST”

WORKSHOP OUTLINE What is Podcasting? Podcasting and International Development Important Jargon/Definitions Planning Your Podcast Optimizing Your Podcast Music and Podcasting Creating a Basic and Free Podcast Step-by-Step Tutorial Polishing Your Audio Video Podcasting File Hosting and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Adding Widgets Taking Your Podcast to the Next Level Microphones and Other Equipment

OBJECTIVES

Understand the podcasting medium Understand how podcasting can be used to

benefit organizations within the field of international development

Learn how to tailor a podcast to fit your organization’s goals and resources

Learn how to optimize podcast usability Learn the skills needed to create a basic podcast Learn the basics of using audio recording

software Create a functioning blog and podcast using

Blogger, Feedburner, and Audacity.

WHAT IS PODCASTING?

“Podcast (noun): a series of audio (or video) programs delivered through a static URL containing an RSS feed that automatically updates a list of programs on the listener’s computer so that people may download new programs using a desktop application. Programs can be delivered to the listener automatically or when they choose to download them.” – The Podcast Bible (Ratcliffe and Mack)

PODCAST Permanent, On-Demand, webcasts. Series of online audio or multimedia

(video, images) episodes that are automatically distributed to individual subscribers.

Episodes can be saved forever, and watched an endless amount of times without streaming.

PODCASTS

Even the Pope is podcasting! http://www.radiovaticana.org/index.html

REALLY SIMPLE SYNDICATION

PODCATCHERS

BEFORE RSS

WITH RSS

WHY PODCAST?

Allows you to reach a global audience

Inexpensive to produce, inexpensive to subscribe to

Easy to make, easy to subscribe to

DEFINITIONSAND JARGON

PODCAST “A podcast (or non-streamed webcast)

is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication.” - Wikipedia

PODCASTER The author and creator of the podcast.

WEB SYNDICATION Distribution and sharing of online content (podcast,

blogs, news articles, etc.) to multiple websites, usually through an RSS feed

XML eXtensible Markup

Language Computer code, like

HTML, that podcasts use to store, read, and deliver information

RSS Really Simple Syndication Specialized XML file that is programmed to look for

specific information on a website to send to a podcatcher or a ‘reader’ in a standardized form

By subscribing to an RSS feed, updated information from the site is downloaded to and organized in your reader or podcatcher

Surfing is done for you News sites, podcasts, blogs, etc.

PODCATCHER Program or software

capable of downloading new episodes automatically once a podcast is updated

Vehicle by which podcast episodes are downloaded and transferred onto iPods, cellphones, and other devices

EPISODESA single and

distinct audio or multimedia file within a podcast

Return of the Jedi, not Star Wars

WEBHOST/WEBSPACE A webhost provides, usually for a price, room

on a internet server to upload content that can be accessed by internet users everywhere.

This room is known as webspace Your podcast content will be stored in

webspace provided by a webhost Webspace includes storage space (total

content stored) and bandwidth (amount of content transferred to and from users per month)

AUDIO RECORDING SOFTWARE

Program used to record or create audio or multimedia files that will eventually be uploaded to a podcast

Price, quality, complexity, and interface usability vary vastly

WIDGET/CHICKLET A “widget” or a “button” that is found

on blogs or podcasting websites that, when clicked, link the user to an RSS feed, which can be subscribed to

PLANNING YOUR PODCAST

What is your podcast’s purpose? What are your podcast’s objectives? How will you achieve your objectives,

fulfill your purpose, AND build an audience

Entertaining, captivating, educational Format

Interviews, debates, lectures

OPTIMIZING YOUR PODCAST Interesting Content!

Fill a niche Make sure your podcast is captivating, engaging

Balance creativity with familiarity Try new things, but ensure continuities Subscribers, just like radio-listeners or TV-

viewers, desire a sense of familiarity Create a brand

Imagery Music Themes Features

Update often, and regularly

THE ONION

PODCASTING AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Capacity BuildingCollaborationAwarenessEngagement

CAPACITY BUILDING

Providing the tools, resources, skills, and knowledge to individuals and organizations dedicated to international development around the world.

Podcasting offers an opportunity to offer capacity-building resources online, equitably and free

Developing a common and unified set of skills for participants around the world.

http://www.namac.org/node/12192

COLLABORATION

Moving partnerships and organizational interaction online, where it can be displayed for all, explained to all, and strengthened by all.

Collaborate in ways that previously would have been time-consuming, expensive, and logistically demanding.

http://sic.conversationsnetwork.org/series/internationalDevelopment.html

AWARENESS

Podcasts as educational tools Providing detailed lectures, stories,

discussions, or videos about a specific or broad issue, educating viewers on topics not typically discussed in mainstream media or news

Broad: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/development-

agenda/id374443607

Specific: http://www.iranhumanrights.org/category/podcas

t/

AWARENESS

Daily or weekly alternative news updates that focus attention to certain topics or issues http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/democracy-

now-audio/id73802554 Disseminate information about an

organization, its objectives, resources, and ways in which subscribers can get involved. http://blog.redcross.org/category/podcast/

ENGAGEMENT

Podcaster/Subscriber interaction Potential to engage viewers in exciting ways

that traditional media could not. Direct Engagement - organizing political

rallies or protests, organize lobbying events, letter campaigns, or even boycotts

Developing sustained and meaningful engagement that other social media often lacks http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/greenpeace/

id415370164

LABELLING YOUR PODCAST EPISODES Concise and consistent – easy to navigate,

organize Labelling determines how your podcast is ordered

in podcast directories, and on subscribers’ computers and media players

By date ACGCPodcast-2011/06/21.mp3 ACGCPodcast-2011/07/21.mp3

By episode number ACGCPodcast-001.mp3 ACGCPodcast-002.mp3

By theme ACGCEfficiencyWorkshop-01.mp3 ACGCLectureSeries-2011/06/21.mp3

No spaces! ACGCPodcast%20%2011/06/21.mp3

INTEGRATING MUSIC INTO YOUR PODCAST

Uses of music in podcasting Podcasts about music Theme Music Narrator/Voiceover Segues Sweepers/bumpers/stingers

Purposes for music in podcasting Familiarity Branding Transitioning

FINDING AND USING MUSIC WITHIN COPYRIGHT LAW

Royalty-Free Music Once purchased, can be played an unlimited amount of

times Podsafe Music

No royalty fees, no initial purchase required For podcasting only Public Domain – intellectual rights have expired or do

not exist Creative Commons – artists choose which rights to

reserve or which conditions make the music podsafe (ex. crediting the artist in the podcast)

http://www.jamendo.com/en/ http://www.creativecommons.org/

Collaborate with local musicians – Win-Win! Purchase copyrighted music with web licences.

CREATIVE COMMONS LICENCES

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/

Creative Commons: Attribute – ShareAlike:

CREATING A BASIC AND FREE PODCAST

DYNAMIC RANGE COMPRESSION More commonly called “Compression” A podcast can sound unprofessional or abrasive if there are

unexpected jumps or inaudible sections of audio volume. “Smoothes” or “flattens” out your audio’s dynamic range Audio above a chosen threshold is compressed (diminished

in volume) by an amount determined by a chosen ratio. Compressors can boost overall audio volume (output gain)

after compression has been applied

COMPRESSION EXAMPLE

REVERBERATION

Effect that emulates the sound of a room or a reverberant space (enclosed area)

Adds echoes to your audio

If used properly, can make your audio sound more natural

NOISE REMOVAL

Removal of background noise Computer fan, air

conditioner, etc. Noise Removal Tool

in Audacity Creates a ‘gate’ at a

that only lets through sounds that register at an amplitude above a set noise floor

FILE HOSTING AND FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP)

FILE HOSTING AND FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP)

Podcasting requires a web host to store your files

Free sites like Ourmedia are slow, limited, and unreliable

Two Alternatives 1) Upload files to your own webspace using FTP

Use the free program FileZilla 2) Pay for a web host to store your files

Libsyn, Podbean, Podmachine, Globat, etc.

FTP To transfer a file from your hard drive to you

webspace, you will need a FTP program (FileZilla), and access to your website’s ftp: ftp.______.com FTP username FTP password

If you do not have this information, contact your web provider

Once connected to a remote host, drag and drop your carefully named files to a folder created for your podcasts

Find your URL http:// www._____.com/newfoldername/___.mp3

VIDEO PODCASTING

More and more podcasts are including video content

Once video content is produced, uploading it to your podcast is essentially the same

Only difference lies in formatting

VIDEO PODCASTING

Produce digital video Use a video editor with built-in converter that

can create podcast/iPod//smartphone compatible feeds

Download or purchase a converter to export your files from a .AVI or .MPEG file into a MPEG-4.

iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Quicktime http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/

ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=64813&PageNum=4 To embed video into your blog, use YouTube or

VEVO. These sites provide embed links that can simply

be pasted into your blog entry.

USING FILEZILLA

ADDING WIDGETS TO YOUR BLOG

Embed the link code into the HTML template for your blog

<a href="URL FOR THE WEBSITE TO BE LINKED TO"><img src="LINK TO IMAGE TO BE USED AS WIDGET"/></a>

Embed code below the code for the RSS feed

USING GARAGEBAND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RimJ6BfQaTE If you own an Apple computer, GarageBand is perfect

for beginner podcasters Tracks automatically formatted for vocals Royalty-free jingles Add images, video Auto-Ducking Easy export Blog/podcasting platform provided Still requires webspace Potential downside: a GarageBand podcast can look

and sound like a GarageBand podcast. Solution: use GarageBand as your audio recording software

only.

TAKING YOUR PODCAST TO THENEXT LEVEL

Blogger/Feedburner provide you with full podcasting capabilities for free, but remain limited

Affordable podcasting alternatives for serious podcasters: Libsyn

http://libsyn.com/3/plans-and-pricing/ Wordpress

http://wordpress.org/download/ Podbean

http://www.podbean.com/podcast_hosting_audio_video_blog_hosting

Podcast Machine http://podcastmachine.com/?

PodcastMachine.html&gclid=CNmEtfzRl6kCFQsCbAoda11_uA

AUDIO RECORDING SOFTWARE OPTIONS

ProTools ($200 +) Industry standard Requires interface Rather complicated to use

Logic Studio/ Logic Express ($400/$200) Apple owned More music-oriented Easy-to-use (similar to GarageBand) Easy to transfer GarageBand work

Cubase ($500) Professional Quality

MICROPHONES

Range vastly in price, quality, purpose Choosing the right kind of microphone plays

a large role in making your podcast sound professional

MICROPHONES:DYNAMIC VS. CONDENSER Many types of microphones Dynamic and condenser the two most

popular DYNAMIC

Diaphragm attached to a coiled spring, wrapped around a magnet

Rugged, do not break easily, cheap Most common type of microphone Less accuracy and clarity than condenser Does not register transient sounds as well as

condenser mic Does not require electrical power Handles louder or ‘heavier’ instruments better

than condenser (will not distort the sound)

MICROPHONES

CONDENSER 2 metal plates vibrate, charges capacitor,

creates electric charge Requires electrical power (battery or external

power) to power its built-in pre-amp, boost the electric signal

Delicate, can break easily Highly accurate and clear sound if sound being

recorded is not at a high volume Sensitive and responsive to subtlety in sound

and frequency Ideal for vocals, ‘soft’ or ‘delicate’ sounding

instrument, high frequencies, or sounds with detailed harmonic content

DYNAMIC MICS

PROS CONS

RUGGED LACK ACCURACY RECORDING SUBTLETIES

CHEAP LACK CLARITY AT HIGH FREQUENCIES

BATTERY POWER NOT REQUIRED

SLOW REGISTERING TRANSIENTS

VERSATILE

LONG-LASTING

CONDENSER MICS

PROS CONS

HIGHLY ACCURATE DELICATE

CLARITY AT HIGHER FREQUENCIES

EXPENSIVE

QUICK TRANSIENT RESPONSE REQUIRE ELECTRIC OR BATTERY POWER

NOT VERSATILE

MICROPHONESDIRECTIONAL PROPERTIES

http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/directional-characteristics.html

OmnidirectionalPattern:

MICROPHONESDIRECTIONAL PROPERTIES

Cardioid Pattern:

Hypercardioid Pattern(Shotgun):

MICROPHONESDIRECTIONAL PROPERTIES

Bidirectional Pattern (Figure 8)

POP FILTER

When speaking or singing into a microphone, bursts of air that enter the microphone creates a ‘popping’ noise in your recording.

Pop filter cuts out these ‘pop’ sounds by preventing bursts of air or breath from reaching the mic

Also prevents the build-up of saliva on the microphone

MICROPHONE OPTIONS

Audio-Technica Cardiod Condenser Mics AT2020 ($99) AT2020 USB ($155) AT2035 ($160) AT2050 ($250)

Shure SM58 Dynamic Handheld Microphone ($100)

MICROPHONE OPTIONS

Samson C01U USB ($85)

MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount ($80)

Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB($34)