Astronomically speaking - a rough guide to creating your own podcast

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Apr 15

2011

by GAMBlog

If you love astronomy and are keen to share your passion with a wide audience, one way you can go about it is through podcasting.  Creating your own podcast does not require expensive equipment, and if you are reading this then it is likely that you already have access to a computer of some description, so you're half way there.  The ingredients you need to get going are: a microphone, a computer, audio editing software, an internet connection, and an idea.

Firstly, let's look at equipment. If you have access to a stand-alone voice recorder and microphone then that is by far the best option, but you certainly don't need such equipment to get started.  Laptop computers usually come with built-in microphones which, while usable, are not always of a quality acceptable for podcasting.  If you have one, give it a try, it may be good enough for a first go.  External microphones are common and are a simple alternative, headsets are widely available and are often sold for use with programs such as Skype.

As for a computer, you need something which is capable of editing audio.  This can require a reasonable amount of disk space as audio files can be large, especially if you are recording at high quality.

Editing software is vital for cleaning up your audio before releasing the final podcast. You can remove pauses, delete mistakes, reduce the background noise level and add music or sound effects. There are many options for editing audio; one commonly used program is Audacity, a free audio editing package which does just about everything you need for a spoken-word podcast. If you are using a Mac, then an alternative is GarageBand.

Of course, before you start to record you need to have some idea of what you are going to say! If you don't already have an idea, then have a listen to some episodes of other podcasts for inspiration or have a look through the latest news items and blog posts listed on Portal to the Universe. Depending on your idea, it is probably worth writing a script or, if it is an interview, writing down some questions you want to ask before you start to record. Try to avoid (or explain) any technical terms that your intended audience might not be familiar with.

When you have your script and your equipment, you need to find a location to record. A good place is in a quiet room with plenty of furniture, as this absorbs some of the sound and reduce echos - don't try recording on the bus or in the bathroom!  If you are reading a script, try to have a practise run through before recording.  This will help you sound more natural when you record, and hopefully result in fewer mistakes, reducing the amount of editing you will need to do later.

Once you have recorded your podcast, it's time to edit.  It may be that your file needs very little editing, or you may have several mistakes to remove.  Load the file into your favorite audio editing program and remove any sections you don't want.  There are various methods of removing a constant level of background noise and it is worth experimenting with the settings to get a sound that you like.  Applying too much noise reduction will result in a distortion of the recorded speech, so don't be too heavy-handed.

Once you are happy with your audio recording, you are ready to release it to the world! If you already have a website then you're all set: post your audio and let people know where it is via channels such as a blog, Twitter or Facebook. If not, you could consider contributing to an existing podcast such as the 365 Days of Astronomy; these podcasts are created by a very diverse range of people from enthusiastic amateur astronomers to university professors and cover a wide range of astronomical topics.

That's all there is to it! Happy podcasting!

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Blogger Profile:
Megan Argo is an astronomer currently at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. She has been part of the Jodcast team since they began podcasting in 2006.