How to Record an Internet Radio Show & Turn it Into a Podcast

With more and more households becoming connected to the Internet each day, the popularity of listening to and viewing podcasts is soaring. Also, with the advanced software and blog sites available, it is increasingly easier to produce your own Internet radio show and turn it into a podcast for anyone with a high-speed Internet connection to enjoy. Although there is still a bit of technology to learn, the process is fairly straightforward. Follow the steps below to produce your own Internet radio show podcasts.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with microphone
• Recording software
• Blog account

Instructions

1. Using a computer with a microphone, record your radio show using appropriate software. Apple computers usually include a program called GarageBand that you can use for this. On a Windows computer you will have to install a third-party application such as Audacity, Acoustica's Mixcraft, or Sony's Acid.

2. Edit your recording, removing mistakes and repetitions, and adding sound effects or music.

3. Save your recording in .MP3 format. Each software application has its own method for this, but usually the command will be something similar to "Save As," and then you can choose File Format MP3. Consult the instruction manual for the software you use.

4. Upload your MP3 file to an Internet host server. To do this manually, use an FTP client and upload to a server on which you have an account. If you do not have an FTP client or a host server account, or you do not know what these terms mean, use a free hosting site such as Box.net, Fileden.com, and Ourmedia.org. In addition, there are some sites where you can pay for hosting and other services such as Xtreak.com, DreamHost.com, BlueHost.com and Fileden.com, as well as many others.

5. Copy the Universal Resource Locator (URL) address of the file you just uploaded. This will vary depending upon where you uploaded your file. If you use a hosting site as listed above, the interface of the web site that you use will show you this address once the upload is complete. The address will begin this way: http://www.

6. Make enclosure links in your blog and paste in the URL of the audio file you uploaded. The instructions for making the enclosure links will vary depending on what blog site you use. Consult the Help link on your blog site to find out exactly how to do this. Save and publish your blog containing the URL.

   Once you publish the blog, podcast readers such as Google Reader and iTunes will detect your podcast on the blog page and present them to others in their Internet browsers as embedded music players.

7. Upload a podcast feed, or a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) file. Although this is considered optional, it is important to have the RSS file present in order to make your podcast as visible as possible to Internet browsers. The RSS file contains not only a link to your podcast file but also a title and description of it, and allows you to track listeners and other statistics. In addition, people can use the RSS file to subscribe to this podcast and future ones as well.

   You can create an RSS file by programming one using the XML language, or you can use a site such as Feedburner.com or TDScripts.com to generate the file. Also, some podcasting software includes RSS generators, too.

Tips & Warnings

• Listen to other podcasts that are similar to the podcast you want to create to get inspired about how to present your subject matter.

• Invite guests to speak on your podcast to increase interest.

• If you make a mistake in speaking during your recording, just start the line again. It is easy to edit out mistakes later.

• If you use music or other sounds in your radio show recording, make sure to respect copyright laws. Do not use any music or other recordings unless the maker has given specific consent that it can be used in the manner in which you are using it.

• The listing of software and websites in this article is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Use these products and websites at your own risk.

References

• Apple.com: GarageBand Support: Recording Your Podcast
• CNET: Create Your Own Podcast
• Blogger: How do I post audio/music to my blog?

Resources

• Flash Kit: Sound Loops
• MSGilligan.com: Feed Enclosure Generation