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Podcasting - From Idea to Publication (updated)

This post was created to help teach podcasting to a few classes.

What is a podcast?
A podcast is an on-demand video or audio clip that is usually published sequentially. A listener/watcher can download or have the media automatically pushed to their device.

The key to a great podcast is creating a show about something you are super passionate about but not necessarily an expert in.

What does it sound like?
It is sometimes hard to define something that really should be experienced. To understand you first must listen.

Task

  • Listen to a tenish minute portion of one of the podcasts listed below. Some of the links require you to log into Google Play Music on the web. If you are signed into your school Gmail account it should just pop open. Make sure you scroll to the proper episode.
  • Use the Listening Guide to help you focus on specific elements of the podcast.
A sample of the sheet we used to guide their thinking. You can just have them listen for one or two elements.

Dream Big Podcast - Episode DB 104: The Secret Is To ....SHOW UP!
But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids - Episode: Why Do People Like Different Types Of Music?
Tumble Science Podcast - Episode The Snapdragon Hunt

Talk
  • Share out what you found and how this new learning shaped your vision of what a podcast could be.

Creating a podcast.
We recommend using Anchor to create and publish your podcasts. It is free, works on mobile, has an app and aggregates across all the major platforms.

Your first step is to create an Anchor account. You must be 13+ to create the account. You can also have a teacher log into Anchor and publish through that shared account. If you are in a K-8 classroom then you will need to create and control the Anchor account.
When you login click New Episode to begin creating.


1. Click if you do not have any audio clips already. It might be a good idea to have an external microphone as the ones built into the laptops are not very good. We do recommend recording on a mobile device, like an iPad or phone.
2. Already recorded some clips in Anchor? They can be found in the Library tab.

1. Clicking the Record button leads you to this page.
2. Click Record A New Segment to capture your first audio clip.

The first time using Anchor on a laptop/Chromebook might seem to take forever. Just wait about a minute or less and you may see this popup. Make sure you allow the site to use the microphone.

It is wise to just choose the default.
If you have an external mic, select that one.

Click to start/stop recording.

Click the small pencil next to the recording to change the name of the clip.
This tiny move will save you hundreds of hours worth of work.
It would be wise to be descriptive when naming the files.

Assembling the show.
1. Click Library.
2. Click the + sign to add tracks.
You can drag and drop the clips to reorder them.


Transitions
You can add short tracks of music to transition between different clips.
On the Anchor mobile app, you have more options such as Sounds and Songs.


Click the big purple button at the top when you are ready to publish.

Fill in the episode information.
Publish the episode.

The Magic
The initial syncing of the podcast took 24-48 hours to show up on Spotify and Google Play Music. Now it only takes minutes to sync my podcast across the platforms.

Check this Anchor page for all the places your podcast will show up.

Resources
     Anchor's YouTube channel is a great place to start learning about the app/site.
     Anchor's Socials: twitterfacebookinstagram
     Anchor's How To Start A Podcast
     A handy guide to starting your podcast - A newer Medium article written by Anchor's head of production.

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