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Create a Podcast

Activity 1: What is a podcast? 

(10 minutes)

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Have you ever listened to a story on the radio? Or a podcast online? If not, check out this list of podcasts. Chose any podcast and listen to it for a few minutes.​

Activity 2: What do you want to share?

(15 minutes)

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There are podcasts on SO many different topics, everything from critiquing restaurants to debunking urban legends. What do you want to share with the world? Are you an expert in something, for example, tongue twisters? Is there a subject that you are really interested in, like the influence of Greek mythology in comics? Is there someone in your community you’d like to interview? Do you have advice you like to share about common problems or maybe opinions about music or art? Brainstorm several ideas and then narrow it down according to which topic you are most excited about.


Try to think about a topic that a few people might have different perspectives on. For example, if you were creating a podcast about your neighborhood, you could interview a young child and an older person to ask what they think.

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If you ask the right questions and create a safe and comfortable conversation, you'll find that everyone has a story to tell. 

Activity 3: Write a Script

(20 minutes)

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Listen to the first few minutes of the podcast episode Choosing Wrong from the series This American Life. Which parts sound scripted? Which parts sound off-the-cuff? How can you tell?

 

Sometimes, you’ll want to write a script in order to tell a story clearly. If you’re interviewing someone, you just need to write a list of questions and be willing to improvise depending on the answers you hear.

 

Read through this tip sheet for writing podcast scripts. What is the most interesting or useful thing you learned?

 

Write your script. If you aren’t sure about something you wrote, try saying it out loud. Remember for podcasts, it’s all about how it sounds. Keep your first podcast short, simple, and to the point.

 

If you want a little more guidance for your script, try this:

  • What’s a quick story you could use to introduce your topic in one minute? Most podcasts use a quick opener to hook the listener’s interest. Want some more advice? Check out this list of tips for podcast intros.

  • Introduce yourself. Tell us the name of your podcast.

  • Tell your first story on the topic or interview your first guest.

  • If you want, add a second story or a second interview.

  • Close out your podcast by summarizing what you think about the topic or by leaving your audience with a final question to think about.

Activity 4: Record

(25 minutes)

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Before you record your interviews, think about a time when you had a very personal conversation with someone, and you felt comfortable sharing your story. Maybe you remember talking with a friend or family member about an experience, and you felt like they were really listening to you. When you interview people for your podcast, how could you help them feel comfortable? How could you help them trust you as an interviewer? Think through ways you can set the tone and invite people to trust you with their stories. 

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When you have a script and you’ve rounded up some people to interview, you’re ready to record.

 

Here are some options for recording audio content:

  • Record directly in Audacity, available by free download

  • Use a digital recorder which you can connect to a computer

  • Record with a smartphone

  • Use the built-in sound recorder on your computer

  • Record online (no download required) at Soundtrap.com To learn how to record a podcast in soundtrap, check out this tutorial.  

 

You don’t need to make one long recording. You can record for a minute, and then take a break, and then make another recording when you’re ready. You’ll be able to string all the recordings together later.

 

If you make a mistake or there is a noise disturbance, like sneezing or a door shutting, don’t start all over again. Just roll with it! If it is a major interruption, continue recording but pause for a few seconds. Then go back to start the sentence again from before the interruption.

Activity 6: Share and Submit

(10 minutes)

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Ask someone to listen to your podcast. Ask your listener to jot down ideas, thoughts, questions, and suggestions while he or she listens. Think about how you could use this feedback to improve your podcasting. If your listener had questions, maybe answering them would be a good place to start for your next episode. If you like podcasting, don’t stop! Keep creating episodes.

 

Want to earn a few digital badges in audio production? Email the digital media you created to BGCAmediamaking@gmail.com 

Still Interested? Take a look at these resources: 

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Podcast: http://www.radiolab.org/story/110079-lost-found/

Video: Should you podcast or make videos?

Video: How to Start a Podcast (Equipment, Hosting on Wordpress Tutorial, Getting on iTunes)

Article: Podcast Party: A Curated List of Nine Teen-Friendly Podcasts

Guide: How to Make a Podcast

Video: How to - Radio & Podcasting - Scripting

What You'll Need: 

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Broadcast your Ideas

Activity 5: Edit

(25 minutes)

 

Listen to what you recorded and take notes about what you’d like to edit. Remember to include timecodes (numbers that represent the time in the recording) in your notes so you can jump back easily to the place you want to make an edit. If you recorded an opener separately, add it to the beginning to the recording. This means you are adding a new track to your recording. If you aren’t sure how to do something, all you have to do is ask . . . either another person or the internet. First check out these Audacity-created tutorials. If you still have questions, try search through a general search engine or YouTube.

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