Various professional podcasters talk about how they make great podcasts…
Jason Snell is a tech writer who hosts several podcasts while guesting on many more. He has written several excellent blog posts about podcasting, starting with some general advice: Don’t be intimidated.
“The great thing about podcasting is that anyone can do it. You don’t need to have access to a broadcasting company’s radio transmitter and studios packed with equipment. You can reach people with your voice right now.”
QuickTime Player is a great podcast recording tool, and it’s on every Mac.
Jason then followed up with How I podcast: Recording and Editing, two posts full of practical advice.
“Not to get all philosophical on you, but editing audio is a lot of work, and depending on what kind of a podcast you’re producing, most of it is probably not necessary. Just because you can edit a podcast within an inch of its life—clearing out pauses, removing every um and uh and awkward pause and spoken digression—doesn’t mean you must.”
Marco Arment has some strong opinions on the importance of improving the technical quality of your podcast:
“Making your podcast easy to listen to is worth some effort.”
“Just as blogs need sensible fonts, colors, layouts, and spacing to be comfortably readable, podcasts need to be listenable. And you can’t make easily listenable podcasts without at least basic equipment and production.”
Dan Benjamin is founder of the 5by5 podcast network and has shared a great deal of information at podcastmethod.co. There’s a comprehensive equipment guide, a series of podcasts (of course) and this video on proper microphone technique…
Alex Blumberg is a public radio producer known for his work with This American Life and Planet Money. He recently co-founded Gimlet Media, a podcast network. Alex documented the early days of his new company in the network’s first podcast, StartUp).
Tim Ferriss interviewed Blumberg for his own podcast: How to Create a Blockbuster Podcast. It’s a special two-part episode, and the second part is a 40 minute excerpt from a masterclass Alex taught on creativeLIVE, on the art of the interview, what to ask, the power of the right question, and more.
Amongst other things Blumberg advises that you don’t ask yes or no questions, instead ask “tell me about the time when…” or “tell me the story of…” questions.
Those links again:
- Jason Snell: Want to do a podcast? Don’t be intimidated
- Jason Snell: How I podcast: Recording
- Jason Snell: How I podcast: Editing
- Marco Arment: Easy Listening
- Dan Benjamin: The Podcast Method
- Alex Blumberg: How to Create a Blockbuster Podcast
- Alex Blumberg: StartUp
See also: How to script and record narration for video.
