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Podcasting Blog
Voice Over Training
5/10/2008
One of the obvious aspects of podcasting is using your voice. And using it properly. If you’re looking for some more information about how to improve your voice technique in your podcast, I’d suggest checking out the Voice Over Experts Podcast from Voices.com.
Audacity Updated
5/09/2008
The very popular among podcasters audio recording application, Audacity has received an update. Podcasting News has a full rundown of the changes, including many bug fixes. It is nice to see some interface fixes, too, as I’ve felt Audacity has always suffered on the UI side.
Got a Podcaster Birthday Coming Up?
2/14/2008
Don’t forget that I’ve put together the finest collection of gifts for your favorite podcasting friend, family member, neighbor, or stranger! This isn’t just a list for holiday gifts, but great to find something to buy for a birthday gift or something for yourself, too. Filled with books, hardware and more, the store is broken out into … Continue reading »
Hardware Recommendations
- Kustom KM4 Mic with Cable
- Behringer XM8500 Microphone
- Shure SM58 Mic
- MXL MXL V63MBP Computer Desktop Recording Kit
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Ryan Irelan, Editor - listen@podcastfreeamerica.com
I - ABC of Podcasting: Intros and Outros
I is for INTROS and OUTROS
Intro
An “intro” or the music, voice, sound effects (or combination) is the sound clip that introduces your podcasts. You will use the same intro on each podcast, effectively created a brand and giving the listener something to immediately recognize your show.
You can use any music or sound effects that are legally distributable (see the Buyout Music Resource for more information on royalty-free music to use for your intro). A good intro should indentify your podcast by name and optionally the website that is affiliated with the podcast. The length of your intro is important. As a general rule of thumb, I would reccomend that you keep the intro less than 30 seconds in length (15 seconds is ideal). A lengthy intro that does not add anything of value to the podcast will only bore listeners and cause them to possibly skip your show and move on. And remember, your listeners will hear this intro every time they listen to your podcast.
Outro
An “outro” is similar to an “intro” except that it is the audio that signals the end of your show. I recommend this be similar to the intro, so there is some symmetry in your podcast. If you use music in your intro, use the same in your outro, but maybe shorter. You may also wish to include any credits or sponsors in your outro, but remember that it is recorded and you should only include things that won’t change in the near future (like the name of the website affiliated with the podcast, or the host). I would recommend that outros be limited to 15 seconds in length. If you have music in your outro, don’t let it trail on for minutes. This is not valuable to the listener and also unnecessarily increases the file size of your podcast.
You should also take care to produce your intro and outro, creating the highest quality audio possible. For some examples of intros and outros, check out AudioBag.com, a audio production service that does podcast intros and outros.
This is part of the series ABC of Podcasting from Podcast Free America.
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