My presentation for the talk delivered to Jennifer Bowie's class at Georgia State University, March 1 2010.

1. Podcasting 101½
Stephen Eley
Georgia State University
March 1, 2010

2. Who Is This Guy?
Escape Artists, Inc.
Escape Pod
http://escapepod.org
Pseudopod
http://pseudopod.org
PodCastle
http://podcastle.org

3. The Really Short Version
1. Think of something to say
2. Record with a USB headset into Audacity
3. Upload MP3 to http://libsyn.com ($5/month)
4. Submit your feed to the iTunes directory
5. Do it 5 times, then start telling people about it

4. Step 0: Purpose
“Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied
with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop
to think about whether they should.”
– Jurassic Park (the movie)

5. Step 0, Part 2: Planning
Think about your message
Define your audience for your message
Plan your structure around your message
Size does matter (shorter is better)

6. Vonnegut’s Rules of Style
1. Find a subject you care about.
2. Do not ramble, though.
3. Keep it simple.
4. Have the guts to cut.
5. Sound like yourself.
6. Say what you mean to say.
7. Pity the readers.

7. The Golden Rule
Create the podcast you would
want to listen to.

8. What You Need
Quiet space
Microphone
Computer
Reasonable headphones
“Radio voice” is optional

9. Editing and Production
Sound editing software:
Audacity, GarageBand (free)
Adobe Audition, Soundtrack Pro (expensive)
Editing needed depends on content
Be respectful of your audience’s time!
The Clicker Trick

10. Publishing Content
Hosting services (LibSyn.com)
Web presence -- most blog software supports
enclosures for podcasting
RSS (“Really Simple Syndication”)
iTunes University
Podiobooks.com

11. Copyright and Permission
Inside the university: may be special issues
Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org
Music and other work may require permission
“Podsafe” music and effects

12. Promotion & Marketing
Word of mouth is the single best marketing plan
iTunes Directory, Zune Marketplace
Online communities specific to your subject
Create your own community
Cross-promote with other podcasts
Other directories: Podcast Alley, Podcast Pickle

13. The Rule of Five
Your first five episodes will suck.

14. The Rule of Five
Your first five episodes will suck.
Good News #1:
This is true for everyone else, too.

15. The Rule of Five
Your first five episodes will suck.
Good News #1:
This is true for everyone else, too.
Good News #2:
Nobody’s listening yet.

16. The Money Thing
“On the one hand information wants to be expensive,
because it's so valuable. The right information in
the right place just changes your life. On the other
hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of
getting it out is getting lower and lower all the
time. So you have these two fighting against each
other.”
- Stewart Brand (first Hackers’ Conference, 1984)

17. Why It Matters
“The worst thing that could possibly happen to
anybody would be to not be used for anything by
anybody. Thank you for using me, even though I
didn't want to be used by anybody.”
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

18. Have Fun.
Any questions?
http://slideshare.net/SFEley