Creating and publishing a podcast episode

The diagram below illustrates the stages in the process of creating and publishing a podcast. From this diagram you should note:

  • It is important to start your podcast with an overall plan for its role within your teaching (see the planning a podcast page).
  • The activities related to the creation and publishing of each podcast episode are cyclic being repeated for each episode.
  • Once you have uploaded your first podcast episode file on the Elgg system you can then distribute or publish your podcast feed. You only need to do this once as this feed web address (URL) will then remain the same and all those who have subscribed to it will be automatically alerted to the podcast episodes you publish later.

Diagram of the stages in creating a podcast

The detailed instructions below take you through the process of preparing for and creating your first podcast epiosde:

Prepare podcast episode

  1. Now you should prepare to make your podcast recording. Ensure that you have thoroughly planned your podcast episode and have a set of notes or a script to work from.
    Perhaps the most difficult skill involved in recording a good podcast is in using your voice to convey your personality and enthusiasm for the subject. This is because when recording ourselves without a real audience we tend to speak in a stale monotone and uniformly paced manner. One way to try to improve this is to involve a real audience when recording our initial podcasts. For example recruit an understanding friend or relative who is willing to appear interested in your rendition.

Record audio using Audacity

  1. Before starting to record you should test your recording set-up. Connect your microphone to your PC and start the Audacity software (double click on the Audacity short cut or Start > Programs > Audacity). Click the Red record button and make a short initial test recording to check everything is working and that the recording levels are appropriate. Press the Yellow stop button to stop the recording. Press the Green play button to listen to your test recording.
    Audacity screenshot
  2. Record your podcast episode. Aim initially to record your entire podcast episode in one take and so don't worry about pauses and mistakes. These can be easily edited out later and also your final audience is unlikely to be critical of minor flaws.

Edit audio with Audacity

  1. The Audacity software provides easy to use audio editing facilities. For example the software can be used to:
    • Remove mistakes, pauses and umms errs etc.
    • Add pauses for reflection.
    • Reorder sections of the audio.
    • Incorporate background music, pre-recorded audio files etc.
    There are a number of tutorials covering using Audacity for common audio editing tasks (access the Audacity tutorials).
  2. As you work on your podcast episode make sure that you save your work as an Audacity project (use the Audacity menus File > Save Project). This will allow you to return and continue to edit your episode at a later date.

Export MP3 audio file from Audacity

  1. When you are happy with your podcast episode you will need to export the audio as an MP3 encoded audio file. Use the Audacity menu File > Export as MP3...
    Export to MP3 menu item in Audacity
    You will be asked for a filename and location to save the file. The first time you use this export facility you will then be prompted to locate the lame_enc.dll file on your PC. Browse to where you saved this file in step 3 (see above) and select this file.
    Locating the lame_enc.dll file
    Finally you are asked to provide some optional descriptive information for your MP3 file. Click OK to produce your MP3 file.

Upload audio into your Elgg filestore

  1. Log in to your Elgg account with your username and password and click on the Your Files tab near the top of the page.
    The Your files tab in Elgg
  2. This section of the Elgg system allows the upload of files of any type and then make them available on the Internet. In addition it automatically generates an RSS feed for the uploaded files which can then be used as a podcast feed.
    Scroll to the bottom of the page to view a form that allows the uploading of files:
    • Browse to the File to upload.
    • Provide an appropriate descriptive episode title in the File title text entry box.
    • Give a breif description of the podcast episode in the File Description text entry box.
    • IMPORTANT - Set the drop down list of Access restrictions to Public (NB - Elgg only includes files with Public access in the RSS feed so access to podcast episodes cannot be restricted with this system).
    • Add any appropriate keywords in the Keywords entry area.
    • Finally ensure you tick the check box to confirm that you have the right to share the file with others.
    • Click the Upload button to publish your first podcast episode.

    File upload form in Elgg

Distribute podcast feed URL

  1. Your podcast episode is now live. To allow your students to subscribe to this podcast you need the web address (URL) of the podcast feed. To obtain this click on the RSS feed for files link near the top of the Your Files page.
    RSS feed for files link in Elgg
  2. The feed page should look like the example below. Highlight the page URL in the browser web address text box and and use Ctrl C to copy the web address on to the clipboard.
    RSS feed generated by Elgg
    You need to distribute this URL to potential users of your podcast. This should be made available as a link on a web page, a link in a blog post or sent within an email. You should also ensure appropriate instructions on how the podcast is to be subscribed to and used are provided.
  3. When you wish to release a subsequent podcast episode follow the above instructions for using Audacity and upload the file into your Elgg filestore as before. You will not need to alert you podcast users as their podcast aggregators wil alert them via the updated feed provided by the Elgg system.

Providing an alternative version of your podcast

It is good practice to provide an alternative version of each podcast episode to cater for students with hearing difficulties, but also to provide an alternative method of accessing, searching and using this content for all users. The blogging facility within Elgg provides one method of doing this:

  1. Click on the Your Blog tab in Elgg.
  2. Click the Post a new entry link
  3. Complete the form to create a new blog posting:
    • Post title - the title of the podcast episode (you could add "Podcast episode - " to this title to distinguish between normal blog entries and those relating to podcast episodes).
    • Post body - ideally a transcript of the podcast audio.
    • Keywords - appropriate keywords to faciltate finding this information on the Elgg system.
    • Access restrictions - in most cases this would be set to Public as for the podcast audio file.
    • Embed a file from your Leeds Elgg file storage - here use the drop down list to embed a link to the audio file within the blog entry. Clicking the Add button adds a text string within your blog post (e.g. {{file.421}} ). This text is replaced by a link to the file when the blog post is published. You can reposition this text within your blog post.
    • Click the Post button to publish this blog posting.
  4. When you have provided such an alternative you should ensure that your podcast users are aware of it and have a link to also access this version. Click on the Your Blog tab and use the web address of this page in your information to podcast users.

Next - Example student guides?