Basic Tips For Creating Your First Podcast

If you’ve ever logged in and listened to an interview with a guru or someone explaining something to the listeners, you were listening to a podcast. Quite a few experienced marketers working in most niches, have embraced podcasts as a compelling way to get information to listeners and increase sales at the same time.

You will find Internet marketers announcing the date and time of their next radio show, but it’s really only a podcast, or an audio file created in .mp3 format. But, having your own radio show is definitely bound to impress your clients and subscribers. It sounds so professional that it will impress even your mother.

Once you’ve created your audio file in .mp3 format, all you have to do is upload it, along with an RSS file to your server. There are several downloadable programs that, when installed on your reader’s computer, will let your listeners retrieve your audio file automatically. They will be able to listen to your podcast whenever they want to, using an .mp3 player or their iPod.

If you are using a computer with Windows as the operating system, you can use a recording utility called, "Sound Recorder." It’s very easy to use and will only record voice, but that’s what your podcast is: a voice recording. Don’t let the ease of use stop you from using this utility. The Windows help file says that you can record, mix, play and edit sounds. It’s already on your computer and free to use.

Your raw sound file can be manipulated in several ways to refine your file. You can add sounds to your file, delete part of the sound file, change the playback speed, volume, direction and add echoes.

You can find Sound Recorder here:

Click on: Start>Programs>Accessories>Entertainment>Sound Recorder

Because Sound Recorder will only save files in .wav format, your final recording will have to be converted to an .mp3 file. A Google search for converting audio files from .wav to .mp3 will return pages of results for free downloads. Here are a couple of links to get you started:

http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index_b.html http://www.wav-mp3.com/

Your first need is a microphone. You can find all types, quality and prices online, at most music stores, Office Depot and RadioShack. Good advice is to buy the highest quality microphone your budget will allow. The quality of your microphone will determine the quality of your audio recording.

A good USB microphone is easy to use and doesn’t require extra hardware. There are professional-quality USB microphones available. Make sure you make a selection that is flexible and has good voice-quality.

Another thing to check out is the Volume Control on both the Windows Volume Control and the control in the Sound Recorder. Get familiar with all the options already available to you on your own computer.

Here is where you can find the Windows Volume Control:

Click on: Start>Programs>Accessories>Entertainment>Volume Control

Then, Click on: Options>Properties>Select Recording and then Microphone. You can adjust the volume with the slider control.

These basic instructions will get you a good start on creating your first podcast. The tools you need are all around you. Work with them until you are comfortable with all aspects of your tools.

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Bill Vannot teaches lasting, marketing survival skills. If you need battle-tested, marketing training, stop by and see what he can do for your business survival http://www.BillVannot.com

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