Developing Podcasts with the PC - Level 1

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1 Developing Podcasts with the PC - Level 1 Getting Started with Podcasting

2 Copyright 2010 Informa on Technology Services Kennesaw State University This document may be downloaded, printed, or copied, for educational use, without further permission of the Information Technology Services Department (ITS), provided the content is not modified and this statement is not removed. Any use not stated above requires the written consent of the ITS Department. The distribution of a copy of this document via the Internet or other electronic medium without the written permission of the ITS Department is expressly prohibited. Published by Kennesaw State University ITS 2010 The publisher makes no warran es as to the accuracy of the material contained in this document and therefore is not responsible for any damages or liabili es incurred from its use. This document is an independent document and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple, Inc. or Dominic Mazzoni. itunes is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Audacity is a registered trademark of Dominic Mazzoni. 2

3 Table of Contents Introduction... 4 Learning objectives... 4 What is a podcast?... 5 More about podcasting... 5 How can I use a podcast at KSU?... 5 How is a podcast distributed?... 6 RSS defined... 6 Ideas for creating a better podcast... 7 Legal issues... 7 Audacity... 7 Installing the Lame MP3 Encoder... 8 Recording... 9 Deleting parts of the recording Enhancing the recording Saving as a project Saving a MP3 file Managing the KSU Podcasting Server

4 Introduc on This booklet, Developing Podcasts with the PC - Level 1, will guide you through the steps to develop a podcast using your PC. Podcasting is a great way to communicate with many different audiences. In this document, you will learn how to develop an audio-only podcast. As you read through this document, you will learn about the many different ways that podcasting can be used in an educational environment. You will also find information about how to improve your podcast, as well as legal issues to be aware of when producing such a work. Learning objec ves The learning objectives in this document include: Understanding what a podcast is, what the steps are to developing a podcast, and how a podcast can be used in an educational setting. Learning how to distribute a podcast to an audience. Understanding how to subscribe to and listen to a podcast using the itunes software. Learning how to add a person s voice to the podcast. Learning how to add music to the podcast. Understanding how music can be used in a podcast and how it can enhance a podcast. Knowing the steps to saving an audio podcast. Understanding the key concepts to creating an effective podcast. Understanding important legal issues when developing a podcast. Having the ability to use the KSU podcasting server. 4

What is a podcast? A digital media file, or a series of such files, that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers.

5 What is a podcast? A digital media file, or a series of such files, that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. More about podcas ng Podcasting s initial appeal was to allow individuals to distribute their own radio shows. The system quickly became used in a wide variety of other ways, including distribution of school lessons. Podcasting is becoming increasingly popular in education. Podcasts enable students and instructors to share information with anyone at anytime. How can I use a podcast at KSU? Podcasting can be used at KSU for: Interviewing professionals Interviewing former students Emphasizing procedures Going on virtual field trips Recording guest speakers Providing audio resources for students online Student projects Student presentations Recording lectures 5

Figure 1 - Podcast Distribution RSS defined Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a family of web feed formats

6 How is a podcast distributed? Figure 1 shows how a podcast is distributed in an educational environment like Kennesaw State University. Figure 1 - Podcast Distribution RSS defined Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as podcasts. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually. 6

7 Ideas for crea ng a be er podcast Have a strong start - first impressions are important Introduce the topic in the beginning Consider the length of your podcast Sometimes a short podcast is better Sometimes a fast pace is better Be yourself - be natural Consider incorporating humor into your podcast The podcast does not have to be perfect Organize topics into short segments Introduce each segment to the listeners Consider writing down an agenda Think about the audience Imagine your listeners and speak to them Use a conversational, friendly tone Tell stories to your listeners Make the podcast enjoyable for yourself and the listeners Have a definite conclusion to the podcast When interviewing a guest, allow him or her to preview the questions before the interview Listen to the entire podcast before distributing the file Have someone listen to your podcast and provide you with honest feedback Legal issues When developing a podcast, it is important to be award of legal issues. The following website contains excellent information about legal issues and podcasting: Audacity Audacity is an excellent software package to use on your PC for podcasting. Audacity offers many excellent features and may be installed on your computer free of charge. The following instructions explain how to download and install Audacity. 1. Open the Internet Explorer browser on your computer (you can install the software using other browsers, but the instructions in this booklet will be written for Internet Explorer). 2. Go to the following website: 3. Click the following option: Download Audacity Click Download. 7

5. Click the following option: Audacity 1.3.12 installer (select the option next to the Windows 7 operating system - do not select the option next to Windows 98/ME). Figure 2 - Audacity Website 6.

Eventually, the software will open on your computer. Installing the Lame MP3 Encoder Audacity cannot save your files as MP3 files until you install the Lame MP3 encoder on your computer.

8 5. Click the following option: Audacity installer (select the option next to the Windows 7 operating system - do not select the option next to Windows 98/ME). Figure 2 - Audacity Website 6. The File Download window (see Figure 3) will appear on your computer. Click Run. Figure 3 - File Download 6. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the software. Eventually, the software will open on your computer. Installing the Lame MP3 Encoder Audacity cannot save your files as MP3 files until you install the Lame MP3 encoder on your computer. The following instructions explain how to install the Lame MP3 encoder on your computer: 1. Open the Internet Explorer browser on your computer (the instructions will be written for this particular browser). 2. Go to the following website: 8

9 3. Under the category, For Audacity on Windows:, click the following link: Lame v for Audacity on Windows.exe 4. In the file download window, click Run. Figure 4 - File Download 5. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the software on your computer. Recording The following explains how to record your voice: 1. Attach a microphone to your computer. 2. Open the Audacity software. 3. Adjust the input level for the microphone (see Figure 5). 9 Figure 5 - Microphone Input Level

10 3. Press the Record button (see Figure 6) and begin speaking to record your voice. 4. When you are done speaking, press the Stop button (see Figure 6). Stop Record Figure 6 - Record and Stop Buttons 5. To listen to your recording, press the Play button (see Figure 7). Play Figure 7 - Play Buttons 10

11 Dele ng parts of the recording The following explains how to delete parts of the recording: 1. Using your mouse, select the segment of audio that you want to delete (see Figure 8). 2. Press the delete key on your keyboard. Select the segment of audio to be deleted. Figure 8 - Deleting Audio Enhancing the recording The following explains how to enhance the voice on the recording: 1. Click Edit from the menu options in the Audacity window. 2. Next, allow your mouse to hover over Select. 3. Then, click All. 4. Next, click Effect. Then, select Bass Boost. 5. In the Bass Boost window that appears, accept the defaults and click OK. 6. When you press the Play button, the bass boost applied to the voice will enhance the sound. Saving as a project The following explains how to save the project so that it can be edited later: 1. Click File from the menu options in the Audacity window. 2. Next, click Save Project. 11

12 3. In the window that appears, determine where to save your file, enter a file name, and then press the Save button. 4. This will save the project with the.aup extension. You will have the ability to open this file and edit it later, if necessary. Saving a MP3 file The following explains how to save the project as an.mp3 file: 1. Click File from the menu options in the Audacity window. 2. Next, click Export. 3. In the window that appears, determine where to save your file, enter a file name, and then press the Save button. 4. This will save the project with the.mp3 extension. This is the file format that you will want to place on the server, which is explained below. Managing the KSU Podcas ng Server Accessing the server 1. Go to the following website: 2. Login using your NetID and Password. 3. Click the following link: Podcasting 4. At the next screen, you will see your name. Click your name once. 5. At the main menu, on the left side of the window, you will see a category named Administration. Under Administration, click the link Turn Editing On. 6. You will now be at the main menu, which will give you a variety of options to manage your podcasts. The instructions in the next two pages explain how to manage your podcasts. Creating different podcasting categories The podcast server provides you with the ability to create different categories for your users. For example, suppose you are working with two different groups of students on campus - one group is studying business while the other is studying psychology. Now suppose that you have decided to create one podcast series for the business students and another podcast series for the psychology students. The steps below will guide you to create a different category for each different group. 1. In the lower-left area of the screen, under the heading Administration, click Settings. 2. Then, on the next screen, you will see the Format setting. The default for Format setting is Weekly format. Change this to Topics format. 3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click the Save changes button. 12

13 4. Underneath the Topic outline heading, you will see the topics are numbered To the right of Number 1, you will see a drop-down box with the label, Add an activity. Click this box and select the option Podcast. 5. Enter a Title, Description, and Category for the podcast. 6. Click the Save changes button. 7. In the upper-left corner of the window, you will see your user name in blue. Click your user name so that you will return to the main menu. Adding a podcast to a category Once you create a category, you can make as many podcasts as you wish available for your audience in that category. The steps to accomplish this are explained below: 1. From the main window, click the category where you want to add a podcast. 2. At the top of the window, click the Add an item tab 3. Enter a Title and Description for the podcast. 4. Click the Browse button to locate the podcast file to be uploaded to the server. 5. In the next window that appears, click the Upload a file button. 6. In the next window, click the Browse button. 7. A window will appear on your screen allowing you to search your computer for the podcast file. When you locate this file, click the Open button. 8. Next, click the button, Upload this file. 9. Then, in the next window that appears, click the blue text that reads, Select file, which is located under a section heading named Action. 10. Next, click the Add item button. 11. At this point, your podcast has been added. 12. In the upper left corner of the window, you will see your user name in blue in a link. Click your user name so that you return to the main menu. 13. Follow steps 1-12 above to add additional podcasts to a particular category. Obtaining the RSS Address for your Podcast The following instructions explain how to obtain the RSS Address for your podcast so that you can distribute the address to your audience: 1. From the main menu, click the podcast category for which you want to obtain an RSS Address. 2. In the next window, you will see a label on the left side of the screen that reads, Subscribe. Underneath this label is a button labeled RSS Podcast. Click this button once. 3. At the very top of the browser window, in the location where you usually type a web address to go to a particular website, you will see the RSS Address. Copy-and-paste this address so that you can distribute it to your audience so that they can subscribe to your podcast using a software package like itunes (below is an example of an RSS Address). 4. Press the back button on your browser twice to return to the main menu. RSS Address Example: 13

14 Deleting a podcast from a category 1. From the main menu, click the podcast category where you want to delete an individual podcast. 2. At the top of the window, click the Edit items tab 3. Here, you will see a list of the podcasts. Next to each podcast title, you will see red text that reads, Delete item. 4. Click Delete item for the podcast that you wish to remove. 5. In the upper-left corner of the window, you will see your user name in blue. Click your user name so that you return to the main menu. Removing the entire podcasting category 1. From the main menu, you will see your list of podcast categories. 2. Next to each category, there are six icons. One of these icons appears as the following: X 3. Click this X once to remove the category from the server. 4. A window will appear asking if you are sure you want to remove this podcast. Click Yes. 5. You will return to the main menu. Logging off of the server 1. On the left side of the window, under the category Administration, click Turn editing off. 2. In the upper-right corner of the window, click the blue text that reads, Logout (this is located next to your name). 14

Developing Podcasts with the PC - Level 3

Developing Podcasts with the PC - Level 3 Including Video Copyright 2010 Informa on Technology Services Kennesaw State University This document may be downloaded, printed, or copied, for educational use,