Podcasting Requirements: Technology, Online, and Passion

What does it take to podcast on a low budget? According to a panel discussion at this week’s Long Beach Comic Con, it takes recording equipment, a place to put your podcast online, and passion. “How to Create Your Own Podcast with a Low Budget” was the title of a panel discussion led by Alan Bailey and Chris Grayson Norman, the hosts of the Nerdgasm podcast. The discussion, which was recorded as part of their most recent podcast (yes, it was live), went through the requirements, the benefits, and more of podcasting.

Why podcast? “Because it’s an awesome form – you can do whatever you want with it,” said Bailey. “You are not constricted by the same rules as radio,” added Norman. “With radio or TV, you’ll have sponsors which can constrict” what you can discuss and how you discuss them, said Bailey. Also, said Bailey “it’s a platform where you can put your own opinion out there.”

“Podcasting is more interesting to me than radio,” said Bailey, “just because of commercialism” in radio. Also, “there’s more creativity, there’s better content, and more freedom”, said Bailey, not to mention that there are no time limits. “Podcasting is my favorite platform because you have so much creative freedom,” said Bailey.

Starting out, you can pick up a microphone for as little as $20 – “it won’t sound great, but it’ll get the job done,” said Bailey. He also noted that you get what you pay for with microphones. They also recommended checking out online sites, including Amazon for people trying to sell their used microphones.

After you record, you can do some editing using software, including Audacity, which is free. Once you have an episode ready, you will need to get it up online. While you can host it on your website and pay for hosting, an easy way is to upload it to SoundCloud. Once you get it uploaded, then you’ll get a link and you can provide a link to your RSS feed to iTunes, Stitcher, or any other such service. They can either approve or deny your podcast, but once you get on all those platforms, you can tap into those people who use just those apps.

When recording, “you need to know how to position your microphone and speak into the microphone,” pointed out Bailey. He said it’s important to figure out how to make it work. “A lot of what podcasting is doing whatever you need to do to make it work,” said Bailey.

One of his biggest pet peeves in listening to other podcasts is low audio quality. One example that Bailey pointed out was people harshly speaking their “p”s into the microphone. “That’s why mic placement is important,” said Norman. He also added that “when you are talking, you have to realize you are spitting”, so you shouldn’t directly speak/spit into the microphone.

An important element that Norman warned was that, “if you have no passion, it’s going to come across in the podcast.” Asked from the audience what the most difficult part of podcasting is finding the free time to do it, but “as long as you do it out of the love and passion of it,” it’s fine. “Don’t make it into work.”