How To Make Your Own Podcast For Free

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How To Make Your Own Podcast For Free: "
Have you ever thought about making a podcast, but didn’t really know where to start? Don’t stress – you’re not alone. There’s a lot of people out there who aren’t quite sure what a podcast is, let alone where to begin.
Then, when it comes to actually creating a podcast, the options are a little daunting. How do you decide how much space and bandwidth you need? Is there a free option without ads? Do I need a professional set-up just to make it half-decent? It’s a world of confusion. Today we’re going to try to clear up all that confusion for you.

What Is A Podcast?

Podcasts are essentially a series of video or audio media files which can be subscribed to using a syndicated feed such as RSS or Atom. The name “podcast” came about by blending the terms “iPod” and “broadcasting”. In fact, iPods have never been essential to subscribing to a podcast, but the term has nevertheless stuck.

How Are Podcasts Made?

There are plenty of ways to make a podcast. Essentially, you just need to get the two essential ingredients working together: video or audio media and an RSS/Atom feed.

It’s possible to find a hosting solution for the individual files (free or paid) and then feature each file in a blog post using any blogging platform you like. So, your podcasting options could include:

• A self-hosted Wordpress blog with sufficient file space for audio/video media.
• YouTube (provides video hosting and an RSS feed for free).
• Blip.TV (provides video hosting and RSS feed for free).
• Free file storage like DropBox and a free Blogger blog.
• A dedicated podcast hosting service.

What Amount Of Storage & Bandwidth Do You Need?

With audio files, space consumption does vary a lot depending on the audio compression. A generous estimation for MP3 is that you will need about 1MB space per minute of audio. So, if you record a few sessions of half an hour long (30mins = approx 30MB) to start with and intend to make a half-hour segment per week, you’ll need to start with storage space of about 100MB which increases by at least 150MB per month. Plug in your own proposed segment lengths and frequency to get your personal estimate.
Bandwidth requirements for podcasts will entirely depend on your audience. Let’s say you had 100 listeners (quite a lot for a new podcast) which means each person automatically downloads each of your 30MB weekly installments. Essentially, you’re going to need 100 times more bandwidth allocation per month than your monthly storage needs. In this case, you’ll need at least 15GB bandwidth to get you through the month.
With video files, it varies wildly depending on the compression you use. For instance, an MPEG-4 can average about 15MB per minute of video, while an AVI file can average 60MB per minute. That’s a huge difference! But, lets say you’re using MPEG-4 to make a 30 minute video. That could be 450MB! If you start with three videos that size and want to do one a week, you’d need a start-up space of about 1.5GB and an increase of 2.5GB per month.
Bandwidth needs for video podcasting? Let’s just leave it at LOTS.

Where Can You Easily Host A Podcast For Free?

With free dedicated podcast hosting you generally have peace of mind, knowing that you will not be charged more than you can afford for hosting and that a reputable company is backing up your data for you. Plus, many of these hosts will help to promote your feed wherever possible to people with similar interests.
Because of the size of video podcasting, it’s usually recommended that you use a free dedicated service rather than hosting your own. YouTube and Blip.tv are both good options.

YouTube limits each file upload to 15 minutes and 2GB at a time. There’s no limit to the number of videos you can upload. Blip.tv doesn’t seem to have a size limit or a limit on the number of videos you can upload. To submit to podcast directories though, you may need to do a little hacking.
With audio podcasting, the free podcast hosts generally come with size and bandwidth limitations. Plus, they may place adverts in your audio or on the web page your feed is promoted on. Another serious limitation is that they often require you to download their own software to upload your audio.

Due to these limitations and the much smaller size of audio files, it’s recommended that hobby audio podcasters either use a dedicated free service or a free file storage service with a free blog. Meanwhile, professional audio podcasters are recommended to use their own hosting and blog.
If you choose to host your own podcast, don’t forget that many file storage services and personal web hosts have bandwidth limitations or possible extra charges. Make sure you read all the fine print and work out your real costs.
Many of you just want a simple, free one-site-does-everything audio podcast solution, like the video hosts previously mentioned. I have seen several options and, due to the various limitations, would only be comfortable recommending Podomatic. The other options simply have too many limitations on free accounts. Also, if you ever need to upgrade to a paid pro account, Podomatic has some great options that won’t require you to relocate your podcast.

Using Podomatic

Podomatic is really easy to use. Sign up only takes a minute and you can be uploading audio or video in no time at all. Although, if you keep in mind the size of video, you’ll realise the free account is best suited to audio podcasts.

There are many uploading options, including recording the podcast using the website, uploading a file through the web interface or uploading via FTP. This means you are free to make your podcast using your favourite tools on your computer, like GarageBand. Each episode gets an individual photo for promotion purposes and the Podomatic podcast directory will help you promote your feed to people who want to hear it. What more could you want?
The above should get you well and truly on your way to starting your podcast. If you have any questions or problems, let us know in the comments below and we’ll see if we can help.
Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Is mLearning Like eLearning?

Is mLearning Like eLearning? This is a question I recently responded to as posed by Janet Clarey, Technology Editor from ELearning! magazine from a LinkedIn group she moderates (The ELearning! Magazine Network). In one of Janet's comments, she thinks the key in in the "m," - I agree. It's an important question and because we've discussed mLearning several times in this blog, so I thought I would share my response...

Great question and to Janet's response, the "m" is very relevant right now. To answer directly, mLearning is a form of eLearning in that it's electronic but should otherwise be treated as a very different medium. At the same time, some are making many of the same mistakes made when eLearning first came out...

 
For instance, efforts and tools designed to convert and deliver PowerPoint and traditional eLearning into mLearning eerily parallel efforts to convert traditional classroom training and later PowerPoints straight to eLearning. We all now how that turned out... Why did they do it that way? Because it was new, shiny, and at least in the beginning, eLearning differentiated itself from classroom training as the latest and greatest... (and probably also because true instructional designers were not used to develop). However, it also resulted in very expensive and time-consuming development cycles along with content that often did not address the needs of its learners. Yet now, we are seeing new mobile products designed to develop and deliver "rich mobile media" that allow conversion of PowerPoints or include interfaces that are either not intuitive or are hard to use because they were really designed for use in a standard PC, Mac, or Linux browser. Some have come full circle...

 
For mLearning as with any medium, instructional designers and course developers need to ensure the medium will meet the needs of the organization's business context and learner. Mobile is useful when it is short, simple, and can be agnostically delivered to many devices. Think 2 minutes with content that's light to stream or download. Think MP3 for audio, think MP4 for video, think HTML or PDF for talking points, process diagrams, checklists, sales positioning, etc... As opposed a large PowerPoints or movie files that are large to download or stream, too long to maintain an attention span on a smart-phone, and are just plain not appropriate for the mobile learner. Mobile is meant to be augmentative and add value as part of a larger and blended learning path. It's for the learner on a plane, train, or automobile; for sales person on the way to propose a new product, for the field-tech who is making an on-site repair. Mobile is for the learner on the go. It needs to be designed, developed, and delivered that way.

 
So in the end, mLearning can be like eLearning if we make the same mistakes we did 10 years ago, or we can make it different... ;]

How to Play MP3s or MP4s on a Mobile Device for mLearning: Part 4 - mLearning Playback on a BlackBerry

My apologies for being away and not continuing the series. Work has had me very busy and frankly, I am quite thankful for that. When we last hit this topic, we reviewed how to play on laptops, MP3/MP4 players such as the Zune and iPod Touch, most smartphones, and even how to burn to CD so that simple media like this can be played by execs who have been living under a rock and probably want to bring back the 8-Track! So now we get to BlackBerries...

Part 4: Play mLearning on a BlackBerry

Play MP3 > Play on BlackBerry > Play Direct from browser on a BlackBerry
These instructions assume your BlackBerry model has the ability to browse the Web and store downloaded file data. Some BlackBerry models require you set the default browser to Internet Browser as opposed to BlackBerry browser so that the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) does not impose limits on file types or bandwidth affecting file size.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for mobile content.
2. Click on the MP3 title-link you want to listen to.
3. When prompted to Open or Save select Open.
4. The MP3 should play from the BlackBerry audio player.
5. (Note that depending on your connection strength and file size, the file may need to load before it starts to play.)

Play MP3 > Play on BlackBerry > Save to BlackBerry and Play
These instructions assume your BlackBerry model has the ability to browse the Web and store downloaded file data. This solution is useful for playing files locally from the BlackBerry if you expect to lose data connectivity, such as when traveling on a plane.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for mobile content.
2. Click on the MP3 title-link you want to save.
3. When prompted to Open or Save select Save.
4. Click Save again when prompted again at the Save file applet.
5. The MP3 file will save to the default audio directory (device media storage or on a media card if enabled).
6. Click Music.
7. Navigate to your MP3 and click to play.

That's it for BlackBerries.

How to Play MP3s and or MP4s on a Mobile Device for mLearning: Part 3 - mLearning Playback from a CD

In Part 2, we reviewed how to transfer and play audio files and videos on MP3/MP4 players and smartphones. With updates of the Android platform, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Zune out, that was pretty relevant and timely material. For Part 3 however, “relative” is the key word…

During a recent needs assessment I was conducting in a discovery of learner profiles and required mLearning media types, I was surprised to identify a need for a transfer and route-to-play on of all things, a compact disk. We assumed we would be focused on the latest and greatest - playing mLearning on BlackBerries, iPods, iPhones, off the cloud…, but I discovered that some, and some in very high places (including an EVP of Sales who reported to the CEO), wanted to be able to take a CD with them so they could play it in their car stereo, laptop, or other CD-capable player. My first impulse was “wow, we need to upgrade some technology around here and train folks on how to use it,” but the reality is, that is what those learners needed and quite frankly, a little bit of training or job-aide assistance makes those baby-boomer execs equally capable of accessing the same mLearning media the typical millennial would access through more modern means. Bottom line, know who your learners are, know how they learn best, and know their work environments and the tools they use to do their jobs so that the solution you provide is relevant to the learner. The only way you can know these things and save time, effort, and pain is through a needs assessment. I love instructional systems design!…

That all being said, if a CD player is all you have handy and that is your preferred mode of learning, this tutorial is for you.

Part 3: Play mLearning on a CD Player

Play MP3 > Play on CD

The instructions that follow assume you have a CD or DVD burner and Windows Media Player installed as the default media application for audio. The instructions are similar for iTunes, or other CD burning software. See the instructions specific to your software or preferred application if you are not using Windows Media Player.

1. First, you want to save the MP3 or MP4 files to your laptop or workstation. Save as you would any file, but if you are accessing from a web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided (assuming you trust the source).
2. If prompted to display non-secure items, click Yes.
3. Click on the title-link you want to save.
4. Select Save Target As…
5. Navigate to the directory of your choosing from the Save As window.
6. Open My Computer.
7. Click and drag the MP3/MP4 file(s) from the directory to the CD/DVD drive in My Computer.
8. Right click on the CD/DVD drive.
9. Select Write these files to CD. The CD Writing Wizard opens.
10. Name the CD (optional).
11. Click Next.
12. Select Make an audio CD.
13. Click Next. Windows Media Player opens.
14. Click Start Burn (at the lower right).
15. Once the disk has completed burning, you can play it in any disk player that supports MP3 and or MP4 files for audio and video codecs.

In Part 4, we’ll review routes- to-play mLearning on the BlackBerry.

How to Play MP3s and or MP4s on a Mobile Device for mLearning: Part 2 - mLearning Playback on an MP3/MP4 Player or Smartphone

In the last entry, we discussed how to play mLearning media such as MP3 audio files and MP4 video files from a laptop; whether direct from an enclosed link in a browser and email, or if saved locally to the hard drive. Rudimentary stuff for some of you, but it's good to start simple. What's great about knowing how this is done from a laptop is that very similar methods and applications are used when playing from an MP3 player such as an iPod Nano, an MP3/MP4 player such as an iPod Touch or Zune, or a smartphone such as a Droid or iPhone. Most such devices have a local web browser or at least synchronize through one on your laptop, and each has local storage capacity in the form of a hard drive. Thusly, the tutorials we discuss moving forward are very similar in that we will access media directly from a browser on each device, or save locally and play later – just like music.

Part 2: Play mLearning on an MP3 or MP3/MP4 Player or SmartPhone

Play MP3 > Play on an MP3/MP4 Device or SmartPhone > Play Direct from Browser

These instructions assume your device has the ability to browse the Web and store downloaded file data, such as with an iPod Touch or Droid.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for the MP3 or MP4 files.
2. If prompted to display non-secure items, click Yes (assuming you trust the source).
   
3. Click on the title-link you want to listen to.
4. The MP3/MP4 you selected should open and play in the device’s default audio player. Note that depending on your connection strength and file size, the file may need to load before it starts to play

Play MP3 > Play on MP3/MP4 Player or Smartphone > Save to Device and Play

These instructions assume your device has the ability to browse the Web through WiFi (a wireless internet connection) or mobile network and store downloaded file data, such as with a Droid, Palm Pre or a iPhone.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for the MP3 or MP4 files.
2. Click on the title-link you want to listen to.
3. If prompted to Play or Save, select Save.
4. Navigate to the new MP3 or MP4 file on your device.
5. Press the Play button. The MP3/MP4 should play from the device.

Play MP3 > Play on MP3/MP4 Device or Smartphone > Save to Media Player and Play

First off, if you use media player software such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, or Winamp, (which is my personal favorite), save your mLearning audio and video files to your respective music and video libraries. These folders are referenced by the application so it automatically knows to add new files to the device. You may want to add a sub-directory entitled “mLearning” so it's all easier to find. These instructions assume your MP3/MP4 player has the ability to store file data when synched with a media player application on your computer workstation or laptop.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for the MP3 or MP4 files.
2. If prompted to display non-secure items, click Yes.
3. Click on the title-link you want to save (assuming you trust the source).
4. Select Save Target As… (or Save link As... depending on your browser)
5. Navigate to the default directory for the audio or video files referenced by your media player from the Save As window. Follow your media player’s instructions for exact location for synchronization. In most cases, this is typically the MyMusic or /Music folder, however you may want to create a sub-folder, name it mLearning or MyPodcasts, and store your MP3/MP4s there. For Windows Media Player, this is a folder monitored by the Library as accessed from the Library tab. For iTunes, this is the iTunes Music folder location indicated on the Advanced tab under Preferences.
6. Click Save.
   
7. Follow the specific instructions for synchronizing audio files from your media player to your MP3/MP4 player. If you are using an Android based phone, you will need to "Mount" it first. This may involve simply clicking the file(s) and dragging to your device or clicking check-boxes and or setting up play-lists for synchronization after connecting your device to the computer.
8. Once the files are saved to your MP3/MP4 device, disconnect based on its instructions.
9. Navigate to the new MP3 or MP4 file on your device.
10. Press the Play button. The MP3/MP4 should play from the device.
    

In the next part (Part 3), we'll review how to create an audio CD for those who prefer to listen in car or some other type of disc player. Then we'll discuss BlackBerries in Part 4 because they are a different animal.