Podcasts have been available for some time now. If you do not know what a podcast is, then continue to read this information.
The best way to describe it is to think about a Podcast being another name for a Broadcast, only on a smaller scale. It is similar to owning your very own broadcast station in the comfort of your own home. Rather than your message being broadcast through television or radio, you are broadcasting from home. A digital media file is achieved, which can be easily uploaded onto an mp3 player or a computer.
This may overwhelm some people, but it really is quite simple to create your own podcast. All you need is:
- access to a computer,
- a microphone or recorder, and
- Internet connection.
If you are a person that is advanced in technology and rather knowledgeable, then you could add a nice introduction or certain sound effects into your podcast. However, this is not a necessity, and if you are a beginner, then a regular recording will suffice.
So, now that you are aware of what equipment you need, let's begin in creating your first podcast.
You firstly need to record the message that you require your visitors and customers to hear. After the message is recorded, you need to ensure that it is in the format of mp3.
It is rather common nowadays for computers to come loaded with sound recorders. It can usually be found in the "Accessories" folder on your computer. Connect your microphone to the sound recorder and proceed with your message.
When you are halfway through this process, it is usual practice for Windows to save your recorded file in a .wmv format. You will need to locate a program that can convert the .wmv file into an .mp3 format.
There is software available by the name of Audacity and Soundforge, which are highly recommended. You can simply search for this software online. It is also possible to do a search for "mp3 file converter", and browse the results.
Once you have successfully converted your file into mp3 format, it will need to be uploaded onto your website or blog. In order to allow others to download your podcast, you will need to share the link with others.
If FTP or uploading files is something which you know nothing about, unfortunately you will have to learn it someday. It is much easier than you may think. There is a site by the name of Godaddy which offers hosting for Podcasts at a very low monthly rate. Around the clock support is also available for beginners.
In conclusion, listed above are a few simple steps to enable you to get your podcast up and running and online. There is one more thing that needs to be shared with you, and that is, if you possess a popular podcast then your target market will take notice of this.