WorthBroadcasting
How to record a Podcast part 4
Saving and editing your recording
Once you have finished your recording you should save it in whatever format your software uses as its default format. Once completed you will export your finished Podcast as an MP3 file.
It is also a good idea at this stage to make a back up of your recording and to work from that, additionally during editing you should make periodic backups of the files that you can return to should you need to.
Editing
Editing for most Podcasts is a simple process of removing any passages that you no longer want to include, where possible editing out long pauses or excessive "umms and errs" and adding in any extra pieces of audio such as music and sound effects.
Music and sound effects should be used sparingly, if at all. Short pieces of music in particular can give structure to a Podcast and allow listeners to get used to the flow of your episodes. Always remember copyright issues though and ensure that you have the necessary permissions to use any items you include. There are libraries of usable music and sound effects available on the web.
Saving your file
Once you've created the audio for your podcast, you should export it to MP3 format. MP3 is the standard file format for podcasts. Using other audio formats may stop people being able to hear your podcast.
For this tutorial we are assuming you are using Audacity, however the procedure should be similar in other software.
Selecting MP3 Export Settings
Before exporting your file, you should check Audacity's MP3 file export settings and the file's ID3 tags. When you are satisfied with your settings you should use them for all your podcasts. The ID3 tags need to be different for each podcast you create.
Adjusting the Bit Rate
Adjusting the bit rate controls the quality of the audio and the size of the file. The lower the bit rate that you use, the smaller the file will be. In general, you should use the lowest bit rate that meets your audio quality expectations. Here are some suggested settings for different types of content:
- 48 - 56k Mono - sermons, audio books, talk radio
- 64k+ Stereo - music, music & talk combinations
- 128k Stereo - good quality music
The bit rate is selected from the Edit menu. Click on Preferences and select the File Formats option. At the bottom of the dialog box you can set the bit rate. (See the screen shot below:
In this shot you can see that Lame v3.97 is installed. Without this you will not be able to export your file as an MP3.
ID3 tags
ID3 tags give information about your Podcast to software such as iTunes and hardware such as MP3 players. You can find the ID3 tag editor under the Project menu. Not all of the tags are required but to make the most of the Podcast and the Worthbroadcasting submission system the ID3 tags should be filled in as follows:
Track: Enter the name of the EPISODE of your Podcast in here
Artist: Enter your Organisation's name in here
Album: Enter the name of your CHANNEL in here
Track number: If you are starting a series of Podcasts then ordering these sequentially will help some listeners catalogue them.
Year: If you wish the year of production can be entered here but it is not essential
Genre: We suggest that you choose Speech as your genre.
Comments: You can add comments if you want but they are not essential
The screen shot below shows you these tags filled in:
Once you have completed the tags click on OK. You are now ready to export your file as an MP3 ready for your Podcast.
