Podcasting on a Budget – Part 1
4 min read
Okay, I’ll admit that I’m not a complete amateur when it comes to producing videos. I’ve been in the business and around the block a couple of times. And some of the things that I’m about to tell you might sound a little basic, but then again maybe they won’t. So you say that you have this wonderful idea about wanting to tell the world about your product, idea, slant, skill etc, but you have no idea how to get that idea out there. You don’t have a lot of money. You don’t have a lot of resources. Or you’re just plain on a budget. Well here’s your quick introduction on how to broadcast your ideas (on a budget) to the world and create a quality podcast using resources that are free or nearly free. All you need to do is supply the idea and we’re in business…so let’s begin, shall we?
Since this article is entitled “Podcasting on a Budget” we’re also going to assume that you already own or have access to a Mac or a PC. The other thing that I’m going to assume is that you already have that million dollar idea that is going to fill someone’s niche market and make you rich and famous beyond your wildest dreams. Because let’s face it, as far as DIY guides go, I’m not here to tell you how to come up with an idea. I’m here to tell you that if you already have that idea, the next steps are actually the easiest to implement. All it takes is a little bit of knowhow and the ability to follow through on those ideas. But before we delve into the tools you will need, let’s talk about your product(s) and how you can take the same information and not just release it, but unleash it into the world.
In the digital age you don’t just have one product. You need to realize that you have one product that you can market multiple ways. For instance, let’s say you have a goldmine of an idea – let’s just call it a show for the purposes of this illustration – which you want to get out there and all you have is a microphone, a webcam and a computer. Well, you can record that show put it up on YouTube as a webcast, take that same webcast and turn that show into an mp3 and put that up as a podcast and then you can take that podcast and have it transcribed and now you have an article. Now that’s one product that you can release into three different markets if you’re willing to create with the end in mind. Yes, that’s one product that has turned into three products that in turn reaches a larger audience than any one of these ideas could alone. Are you seeing the potential? Yes? Good. So let’s talk about how you can do this with a tiny to modest budget. All you need is a mic for your computer, a webcam, recording software and then depending upon your genre a screen capturing utility and that’s it. That’s great, but isn’t this expensive? Nope. You can download much of the software for free.
So what do I recommend?
One of the more versatile audio programs available for free on the internet is a program called Audacity. I would call it the best kept secret on the internet except that it isn’t really much of a secret anymore. For many just starting out, this program has more than enough bells and whistles to get you off and running. And the best part about Audacity is that no matter what platform you are running whether it’s Windows, OS X or Linux – Audacity has a version that works for your operating system.
For video we have reached an era where webcams have gone high def. So if you price it well, you can probably find a webcam that already comes with preloaded with its own proprietary software. But given that electronics will come and go long after this article is completed you can’t go wrong with brands like Logitech and you can generally find them for as cheap as 15 dollars and as high as 100 dollars. My rule of thumb is that if you can get at least 30 frames per second out of it, you’ll generally get an acceptable image for your viewer. Remember you’re doing this on a budget, but that doesn’t mean that people will accept an image that is strobes in front of them at 8 frames or less. Besides, if you have that great idea, at least present yourself like can afford a portion of it. Now if your webcam doesn’t come with capturing software, there are still options. Microsoft offers Windows Media Encoder or VLC (offers freeware for you Mac users). And there are undoubtedly many others that are a Google search away. The point is, finding freeware isn’t that difficult. So start capturing your ideas and indexing (and cataloging) them so that you can edit them. So what about Screen Capture Utilities? Yes. If you plan to dazzle your audience with tutorials from your desktop you can add CamStudio for you PC users or Capture Me for my brothers who use OS X.
Okay…so now that you have your hardware and software…now what? In part 2 we’ll talk about the basics of composition, aesthetics and general rules for production values. Until then, have fun setting up your rigs. You’re almost a star!
