Create your own podcast

Quick and dirty:

(http://www.tinkernut.com)

Repeating the video in writing, for PC/ Windows:

1. Download Audacity from http://audacity.sourceforge.net. This will create a folder called "Audacity" In your Program Files
2. Then download the MP3 encoder, called LAME, and extract it into in the Audacity Plug-Ins folder
3. Open up Audacity
4. Press record
5. Cut and Trim, Remove Noise, Normalize
6. Export as MP3, save under a name you choose
7. You can add tags, e.g. from http://mp3tag.de
8. Next, upload your podcast to the site that will host your podcast. This video recommends http://www.podango.com but they are currently on vacation. The one I got started with is completely free, http://www.podomatic.com. The ones recommended by Blogger are http://box.net, http://bluehost.com, http://movedigital.com and http://dreamhost.com, but it looks like you have to pay a minimal monthly hosting fee.

For Mac:

You want to simplify your life? Buy a Mac and use GarageBand, recording software that lets you export your audio file as an mp3 and upload it straight into iTunes. You could also use Audacity on the Mac to create a better-sounding mp3 file, but I don't. And you were wondering why people like Macs? Well, there's your answer.

Combining your podcast and your blog:

If you're like me, you might like to combine your podcast with your blog. If you have a WordPress.com blog, there are podcasting plugins (Podpress and Blubrry Powerpress) that go with the blogging software. And since you already have a host with a WordPress.com blog, you have a place for your audio files, too.

If you are using Blogger, you do need to find someone to host the audio files. But that works fine, too. Watch:



Again in writing:
1. Find a host online for your podcast (again, I recommend http://www.podomatic.com), but they have some other recommendations.
2. In your Blogger blog, enable "Enclosure Links" under "Settings" and "Show links"
3. When you write your post, click on "Add enclosure link" and type in the link of your hosted audio file. That turns each post into a podcast, including your text and the mp3 file.

Listen to your podcast by using RSS feeders, or "podcatchers". The easiest one to use is iTunes:
1. Go into iTunes, pull down the "Advanced" menu and click "Subscribe"
2. Enter your podcast URL, which is your blogspot address, followed by "/feeds/posts/default"
The title of each podcast will be the title of your post. The description will be the text in your post.
For more help, go to http://help.blogger.com