1. So You Want
to Make a Podcast
Benjamin Miller, Fall 2012

2. What is a podcast?
 Basically, any downloadable audio that
emphasizes speech (as opposed to music).
 May include video, still images, or music.
 Often episodic in nature.
 Usually, you can subscribe to episodes as a feed.

3. What is a podcast?
 Basically, any downloadable audio that
emphasizes speech (as opposed to music).
 May include video, still images, or music.
 Often episodic in nature.
 Usually, you can subscribe to episodes as a feed.
 In other words: it’s a blog post you can listen to.
 And, as with blog posts, the range of possibilities
is rather large.

4. Why not just blog, then?
 We can listen in contexts where reading would be
impossible: gym, car, dishes, etc.
 Sound can affect an audience in ways text can’t.
 It can be layered, e.g. through background music…
which can itself be layered, e.g. through harmony.
 Note that video adds another possible overlay.
 It can represent multiple voices more directly and
viscerally, by literally including multiple speakers.

5. Why not just blog, then?
 We can listen in contexts where reading would be
impossible: gym, car, dishes, etc.
 Sound can affect an audience in ways text can’t.
 It can be layered, e.g. through background music…
which can itself be layered, e.g. through harmony.
 Note that video adds another possible overlay.
 It can represent multiple voices more directly and
viscerally, by literally including multiple speakers.

6. Why not just blog, then?
 We can listen in contexts where reading would be
impossible: gym, car, dishes, etc.
 Sound can affect an audience in ways text can’t.
 It can be layered, e.g. through background music…
which can itself be layered, e.g. through harmony.
 Note that video adds another possible overlay.
 It can represent multiple voices more directly and
viscerally, by literally including multiple speakers.

7. Why not just blog, then?
 We can listen in contexts where reading would be
impossible: gym, car, dishes, etc.
 Sound can affect an audience in ways text can’t.
 It can be layered, e.g. through background music…
which can itself be layered, e.g. through harmony.
 Note that video adds another possible overlay.
 It can represent multiple voices more directly and
viscerally, by literally including multiple speakers.

8. Can you give me an example?
 Sure! In my opinion, the National Public Radio
(NPR) does an excellent job of this.
Here’s a clip from their series This American Life:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-
archives/episode/400/stories-pitched-by-our-
parents?act=4
I’ll just play a minute or two.

9. Can you give me an example?
 Sure! In my opinion, the National Public Radio
(NPR) does an excellent job of this.
Here’s a clip from their series This American Life:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-
archives/episode/400/stories-pitched-by-our-
parents?act=4
And there’s plenty more where that came from.
 What do you notice? What might you want to try?

10. Okay, so what tools do I use?
 Since you’ve all got Macaulay MacBooks, probably
the easiest thing to use is GarageBand.
 It’s pretty simple, really:
1. New Project > Podcast (press choose to name the
file something memorable and move on).
2. Press the red Record button and talk normally.
3. Drag in any additional audio or images you want.
4. When you’re ready, Share > Export Podcast to Disk.

11. Um, isn’t that too simple?
 Well, yeah, there’s a lot to be said about what
good editing looks like:
 Minimizing “dead air”
 “Ducking” one track behind another
 etc.
 But we don’t have much time now, so let’s talk
about it in office hours! I’m in the Weinstein
Honors Lounge TuTh 12:30-2:30pm, and on gchat
TuTh 10:00-11:00pm.

12. How do I post it to the blog?
1. Create a new post with some descriptive text.
2. Within that post, use the upload/insert media
button ( ) like you would for a picture.
 But instead of inserting into post, copy the URL:

13. How do I post it to the blog?
1. Create a new post with some descriptive text.
2. Within that post, use the upload/insert media
button ( ) like you would for a picture.
 But instead of inserting into post, copy the URL.
1. Here’s where things diverge, depending on the
type of file you’re uploading.

14. How do I post it to the blog?
3. a) for audio-only files, scroll down to the
podPress settings, and click Add Media File.

15. How do I post it to the blog?
3. a) for audio-only files, scroll down to the
podPress settings, and click Add Media File.
 Paste the URL from step 2 into the Location box.

16. How do I post it to the blog?
3. a) for audio-only files, scroll down to the
podPress settings, and click Add Media File.
 Paste the URL from step 2 into the Location box.
 Enter a title, and auto-detect file size and duration.

17. How do I post it to the blog?
3. a) for audio-only files, scroll down to the
podPress settings, and click Add Media File.
 Paste the URL from step 2 into the Location box.
 Enter a title, and auto-detect file size and duration.
4. Save the post, and the player should appear
automatically!

18. How do I post it to the blog?
3. a) for audio-only files, scroll down to the
podPress settings, and click Add Media File.
 Paste the URL from step 2 into the Location box.
 Enter a title, and auto-detect file size and duration.
4. Save the post, and the player should appear
automatically!
 You can adjust the location of the player using
shortcode: just type [display_podcast] wherever you
want to see it.

19. How do I post it to the blog?
3. b) for video files, paste the URL from step 2 into
the body of the post.
4. Surround the URL with some simple shortcode,
like this:
 [video mp4=http://link-to-your-movie.mp4]
4. Save your post, and watch your video appear!

20. How do I post it to the blog?
3. b) for video files, paste the URL from step 2 into
the body of the post.
4. Surround the URL with some simple shortcode,
like this:
 [video mp4=http://link-to-your-movie.mp4]
4. Save your post, and watch your video appear!
 Again, I’m happy to discuss further in office
hours.

21. Editing audio
 You learned how to edit in GarageBand
way back at the Tech Fair: it’s a lot of drag-and-
drop, plus ⌘T to split and ⌘J to join.

22. Editing audio
 You learned how to edit in GarageBand
way back at the Tech Fair: it’s a lot of drag-and-
drop, plus ⌘T to split and ⌘J to join.
 But there’s more! GarageBand comes preloaded
with instrumental tracks that you can use for
background music or as “fills” to cover over
awkward transitions.

23. Editing audio
 You learned how to edit in GarageBand
way back at the Tech Fair: it’s a lot of drag-and-
drop, plus ⌘T to split and ⌘J to join.
 But there’s more! GarageBand comes preloaded
with instrumental tracks that you can use for
background music or as “fills” to cover over
awkward transitions.
 Just click this button in the lower right
to open a pane with Jingles.

24. Did you say “drag in” audio?
 Click the button in the lower right
to open a pane with Jingles.

25. Did you say “drag in” audio?
 Then just drag from the preview section
into your tracks.

26. Did you say “drag in” audio?
 Or click the other button to browse your iLife
libraries. Just be sure to follow Fair Use guidelines.

27. Fair Use what now?
 In general, you’re allowed to use small amounts of
copyrighted material, as long as it’s…
1. for commentary or critique
2. for illustration or example
3. captured accidentally or incidentally
4. memorializing an experience
5. launching a discussion
6. making a new work out of remixed relationships

28. Fair Use what now?
 In general, you’re allowed to use small amounts of
copyrighted material.
 Read more (or watch the short video) at
http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/fair-
use/related-materials/codes/code-best-practices-
fair-use-online-video
 (You’re generally safe if you stay under 30
seconds… and always cite your sources!)

29. Anything else we should
know?
 Always, but of course there’s no time. Email me at
benjamin.miller@macaulay.cuny.edu with any
questions.
I look forward to hearing from you, and to hearing
your podcasts!

30. Bonus slide: Ducking
 You can set one track to automatically get quieter
whenever it overlaps another track – e.g.
background music can fade when speech starts.

31. Bonus slide: Ducking
 You can set one track to automatically get quieter
whenever it overlaps another track – e.g.
background music can fade when speech starts.
 This is called ducking.

32. Bonus slide: Ducking
 You can set one track to automatically get quieter
whenever it overlaps another track – e.g.
background music can fade when speech starts.
 This is called ducking.
 GarageBand makes it pretty easy.

33. Bonus slide: Ducking
 The ducking controls are here.

34. Bonus slide: Ducking
 Click the down-arrow (blue) to set a track as
background.

35. Bonus slide: Ducking
 Click the up-arrow (yellow) to set a track as
foreground.

36. Bonus slide: Ducking
 The volume of background tracks will drop
whenever they overlap with foreground tracks.

37. Bonus slide: Ducking
 If you don’t see these buttons, turn on Ducking in
the Control menu.