Podcasting workshop
FOR IAS, 23 RD OCTOBER 2014
DAVID BECK, D.C.BECK@WARWICK.AC.UK
Download and install audacity
Google “audacity”
Find the correct version for your machine, download and install it
Click on the “download” tab of the audacity website, then either
windows or mac as appropriate.
Download/install the LAME MP3 codec for your system, following
the instructions.
Tips
Microphones matter:
◦ Headsets are best for individual podcasts.
◦ Directional microphones or mp3 recorders for multiple participants.
Pick a good space:
◦ Quiet and relatively low-echo (furnished, ideally with curtains and carpet!)
If interviewing over skype or phone:
◦ have both participants record using their own PCs,
◦ then use audacity to overlay the audio (and perhaps pan one voice slightly right, one slightly
left)
Record something
Record a few seconds of audio, just to check the microphone etc. settings and to play with.
Simple Editing
If you make a mistake, clap or tap the microphone then pause for a second or
two, to give a clear “trace” that you can see on the volume stream.
Select, cut, paste- self explanatory
Trim - removes audio to either side of the selection
Silence- silences the selection (useful for multi-track editing)
Tips
Effect – Compress
◦ compression is a filter that reduces the volume of the loud parts of your podcast so that they
are closer to the volume of the quiet parts of your podcast
◦ You’ll have to play about to get the settings right.
Effect – Normalise
◦ Normalization boosts the volume of your audio so that it uses the full volume range of which
speakers are capable
File – Export Audio (“save as type” MP3)
◦ 96kbps for a simple voice-only podcast. 192kbps if including any music.
Useful sites
http://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
www.howtopodcasttutorial.com/17-audacity-tutorial.htm