Setting up a Podcast... NEED HELP!?

Question

What are things that I will need to set up a podcast?

I am working on my church's website, and I am going to set up a podcast section. What will I need to record each church service, and then what will I need to get it onto a website?

Please help, and thanks!

Answer 1

Our church uses these guys: http://nanercast.com/

Answer 2

You need some kind of recording device, and that will depend on what you are recording. Is it just the preacher giving a sermon from a lectern? A digital recorder sitting on the lectern would work well. I use my ipod nano 1st-gen with the optional voice memo microphone. The mic was $60.00 above the cost of the nano. If the preacher walks around, you'll need something with a mic that he or she can wear. Maybe a small pocket recorder with a clip-on.  If you are recording a choir, then you would want to invest in a stereo recorder. They're small but they cost a few hundred dollars. Whatever you get, make sure it's cd quality, not telephone quality.

After it's recorded, get it into your computer via a cable - either the one that it came with, or take it to Radio Shack and ask them to show you the right cable. Save it as a file. Import the file into an editing program. There is a free editing application at http://audacity,.sourceforge.net  give yourself several weeks to learn how to use the software. It comes with instructions.

When you have edited the file and added any music or other extras, save it in your computer. Save as .MP3 .

Next you will need to find a web host. If you want, you can upload to your own website. Just make a link to the file. You could also upload to a blog host each week for free. Then you can embed the podcast on your own site, or send parishioners to the blog.

If you want them to be able to subscribe and/or to be able to put the podcast on a player, and since you are a beginner, I recommend one of the many hosts that exist just for podcast hosting. They give you many options for embedding the podcast on their site or yours, and they will write the all-important RSS code for the players and subscriptions. If you go that route, expect to pay $5.00 - $10.00 a month for storage and bandwidth.

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