02_149263 ftoc.qxp 10/25/07 9:08 PM Page ix Contents at a Glance Introduction 1 Practice 21: Editing Audio after Editing the Session 171 Part I: Planning Out a Podcast 7 Practice 22: Taking Your Audio File Practice 1: Selecting the Right Topic into the Home Stretch 177 for Your Podcast 9 Practice 23: Creating a Perfect mp3 File 180 Practice 2: Keeping Up with the Joneses 14 Practice 24: Enhanced Podcasting 185 Practice 3: Staffing Your Podcast for Success 22 Practice 4: Podcast Studio Considerations 29 Part IV: The Final Steps Before Practice 5: Stick to the Script! 36 Episode #0 203 Practice 25: Creating and Editing ID3 Tags 205 Practice 6: Transitions, Timing, and Cues 44 Practice 26: Adding a Blog to Your Podcast 213 Practice 7: Reviewing Your Podcast with a Critical Eye 49 Practice 27: Validating Your RSS Feed 225 Practice 8: T-Minus Five Episodes . 55 Practice 28: Submitting to Podcast Directories 237 Part II: Going for a Professional Sound 61 Practice 9: Upgrading Your Headphones 63 Part V: Building Your Audience 243 Practice 29: Creating a Promotional Plan 245 Practice 10: Selecting the Right Microphone 69 Practice 30: Tell Me About It: Recording Practice 11: Upgrading Your Software 79 Promos and Quickcasts 251 Practice 12: Creating a Quiet, Happy Place 89 Practice 31: Advertising to Attract Listeners 259 Practice 13: Eliminating Ambient Noise 94 Practice 32: Networking with Other Practice 14: One-Take Wonders 105 Podcasters and Bloggers 262 Practice 15: Multiplicity: Recording Practice 33: Spreading the Word Multiple Takes 110 with Social Media 266 Practice 16: Podcasting from the Road 115 Practice 234: Soliciting and Incorporating COPYRIGHTEDListener MATERIAL Feedback 272 Part III: Post-Production Approaches 125 Practice 35: Getting Featured on Podcast Practice 17: Interviews from the Road 127 Directories 278 Practice 18: Setting Acceptable Sound Levels 137 Practice 36: Joining a Podcast Network 282 Practice 19: Adding Special Effects 147 Practice 237: Connecting with the Media 285 Practice 20: Adding Music 162 Practice 38: Talk to Me: Interviews 292 02_149263 ftoc.qxp 10/25/07 9:08 PM Page x Part VI: Creating a Video Podcast 299 Practice 46: Promotional Podcasting 372 Practice 39: Video Podcasting 301 Practice 47: Adding Advertising to Your Podcast 377 Practice 40: Editing Your Video Podcast with Adobe Premiere 310 Part VIII: Reengineering Your Podcast 387 Practice 41: Editing Your Video Podcast Practice 48: Podfade Prevention 389 with Apple Final Cut Pro 325 Practice 49: New Hosts, New Podcast? 395 Practice 42: Posting and Distributing Your Video 341 Practice 50: Change of Passion, Change of Podcast? 398 Part VII: Podcasting as a Business 349 Practice 51: The Hard Podfade 402 Practice 43: Deriving Revenue from Appendix: Bonus Content on the DVD 409 Your Podcast 351 Practice 44: Corporate Podcasting 357 Index 413 Practice 45: Podcasting for Government and Not-for-Profit Agencies 366 02_149263 ftoc.qxp 10/25/07 9:08 PM Page xi Table Of Contents Introduction 1 Successful Searching Strategies 16 About This Book 2 Google 16 What You’re Not to Read 2 Blog-specific search engines 16 Foolish Assumptions 2 Podcast-specific search engines 17 How This Book Is Organized 2 Managing Information Overload 18 Part I: Planning Out a Podcast 3 Using newsreaders 18 Part II: Going for a Professional Sound 3 Tagging with del.icio.us 19 Part III: Post-Production Approaches 3 Skimming podcasts 21 Part IV: The Final Steps Before Episode #0 3 Staying Connected to the Offline World 21 Part V: Building Your Audience 3 Practice 3: Staffing Your Podcast Part VI: Creating a Video Podcast 3 Part VII: Podcasting as a Business 4 for Success 22 Practice VIII: Reengineering Your Podcast 4 Choosing the Right Host 22 Bonus Content on the DVD 4 Taking the host’s location into account 23 Conventions Used in This Book 4 Making sure the host has the know-how 23 Icons Used in This Book 4 Assessing the host’s vocal talent 24 Where to Go from Here 5 Choosing the Support Staff 24 Producers 25 Part I: Planning Out a Podcast 7 Writers 25 Engineers 26 Practice 1: Selecting the Right Topic Designers 27 for Your Podcast 9 Other roles 28 Taking Inventory of Your Interests 9 Practice 4: Podcast Studio Considerations 29 List what aspects of your job interest you 10 Jot down what you like to do for fun 10 Designing a Studio with Built-in Flexibility 29 Filling a Niche by Focusing on a Specific Planning for hosts or guests 29 Area of Interest 10 Investing in gear that will serve you well Determining whether you’ll have enough today — and tomorrow 30 to talk about 11 Offering additional services from your studio 30 Considering whether anyone will listen 11 Location, Location, Location: Podcasting Narrowing Your Focus to Make Your Show Unique 11 from a Room in Your Home 30 Hyperspecialization 11 Studio in the upstairs office 31 Hyperlocalization 12 Studio in the basement 31 Broadening Your Focus to Appeal Unconventional Options for Your Studio 32 to New Listeners 12 Podcasting in a closet 32 Becoming multifaceted 12 Podcasting to the blanket 32 Tapping into the community 12 Podcasting in the great outdoors 33 A Professional Look for a Professional Sound 33 Practice 2: Keeping Up with the Joneses 14 Tidiness in the studio 33 Watching Podcast Directories 14 Tidiness in the home 34 Browsing within subcategories 15 Studio at the ready 34 Wading through listings 15 Performing keyword searches 16 02_149263 ftoc.qxp 10/25/07 9:08 PM Page xii xii Expert Podcasting Practices For Dummies Practice 5: Stick to the Script! 36 Practice 8: T-Minus Five Episodes . 55 Of Intros and Outros 36 The Blog: Your Personal Hype Machine 55 Why intros and outros are important 36 Setting up a blog 56 Finding the right music or sounds 37 Posting about your podcast on your blog 56 Creating a Standard Voiceover for Your Show 37 Does It Have to Be Five Episodes? 58 Giving out general show info 37 Handling attributions 38 Part II: Going for a Professional Sound 61 Providing contact and more information 38 Practice 9: Upgrading Your Headphones 63 Middle Management: Planning the Main Part of Your Show 39 Why Focus on Headphones? 63 Sticking to a theme 39 Before You Jump for Those $300 Headphones . 64 Writing a script or preparing show notes 40 What to Look for in Headphones 64 Setting time limits for segments 41 Closed-ear headsets 64 Incorporating interviews 42 Frequency response 65 Writing for Your Podcast 42 Impedance 65 Listen Up! 65 Practice 6: Transitions, Timing, and Cues 44 Samson CH700 ($40 USD) 65 Making Transitions with Bumpers and Rejoiners 44 Koss UR-40 Collapsible Headphones ($50 USD) 66 Rejoiners 45 Audio-Technica ATH-D40fs ($71 USD) 67 Bumpers 45 Practice 10: Selecting the Right Microphone 69 Using them in your show 45 Pauses Are a Good Thing 45 Choosing the Best Microphone FOR YOU 69 Using Signals and Signs to Keep the Conversation Taking into account where you’ll use the mic 70 Flowing Smoothly 46 Doing your research 72 Fade In, Fade Out 47 Staying within your budget 73 My Mama Told Me, “You Better Shop Around” 73 Practice 7: Reviewing Your Podcast Radio Shack Unidirectional Dynamic with a Critical Eye 49 Microphone ($30–$40 USD) 73 Accessing Audio Quality 49 Marshall Electronics MXL990 ($60 USD) 73 Finding problems 50 AKG Perception 100 ($100 USD) and Deciding whether to fix them 50 200 ($160 USD) 74 Finding the Perfect Length for Your Show 51 Samson Technologies C01U Recording Pak ($170 USD) 75 Easy answer: 20–40 minutes 51 Final thoughts 76 Hard answer: As short as it possibly can be 51 Can I Take This Mic for a Test Cast? 77 Bite-size, snack-size, and meal-size content 52 Turning to Podcasts for Insight into Mics Strive for consistency in whatever standard (And Other Audio Gear) 77 length you choose 52 Critiquing the Content of Your Show 53 Practice 11: Upgrading Your Software 79 Evaluating Your Supporting Materials 53 Working Beyond Audacity 79 mp3 files 54 Working Beyond GarageBand 80 RSS feed 54 Looking at the Major-League Players 82 Web site 54 Adobe Audition 82 Apple Soundtrack Pro 83 02_149263 ftoc.qxp 10/25/07 9:08 PM Page xiii Table of Contents xiii Bias Peak Pro 84 Practice 15: Multiplicity: Recording Adobe Soundbooth 85 Multiple Takes 110 Deciding Whether to Upgrade 88 Multiple Takes: Variety Is the Spice of Life Practice 12: Creating a Quiet, Happy Place 89 (And Podcasting) 110 Common Sources of Unwanted Ambient Noise 89 Learning Tricks in the Take 111 Planes, trains, and automobiles 90 The Demands of Multiple Takes 112 Creature comforts 90 Understanding the Advantages of Multiple Takes 113 Children 90 Deciding Whether the Investment Is Computer equipment and accessories 90 Worth It for You 114 The Podcaster’s Feng Shui 91 Practice 16: Podcasting from the Road 115 Relocating your computer 91 Portable Podcasting: The Good, the Bad, Reducing your desk accessories 92 and the Ugly 115 Trying a “comforting” solution 92 Seizing the podcasting opportunity 116 Timing Is Everything 93 Finding the right setting 116 Patience, Patience, Patience: Waiting The trade-off between recording in studio Out the Noise 93 and recording remotely 117 Practice 13: Eliminating Ambient Noise 94 Taking Your Show on the Road 117 Removing Unwanted Noise with a Noise Gate 94 iRiver: The podcaster’s necktie 117 Setting up 95 The M-Audio MobilePre: Your recording studio as carry-on luggage 119 Setting your gate 96 The Zoom H4: The best of both worlds 120 Adjusting the gate 98 Could You Keep It Down?! I’m Podcasting! 122 Reducing Noise in Post-Production 100 Using Audition 100 Part III: Post-Production Approaches 125 Using Soundtrack Pro 102 Using built-in noise-reduction filters: Practice 17: Interviews from the Road 127 Too good to be true? 103 Introducing a “Live on Location” Interview 127 The Best Noise-Reduction Device: You! 104 Recording your interview’s intro 128 Take control of what you can 104 Recording the segue to the introduction 128 Noise reduction in recording versus Working with VoIP: The Voice of a New Generation 129 noise reduction in post-production 104 Using Skype 129 Practice 14: One-Take Wonders 105 Using SkypeOut 131 And You’re Recording! (Good Luck.