Multimedia Specification Design and Production 2013 / Semester 2 / week 01 Lecturer: Dr. Nikos Gazepidis

2 Definition “A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video-vidcast) that are released episodically and downloaded through RSS feeds. These media files can be distributed over the Internet, such as direct download, or streamed webcasting.” Podcasting

3 What a podcast is? A list of all the audio or video files currently associated with a given series is maintained centrally on the distributor's server as a web feed, and the listener or viewer employs special client application software known as a podcatcher that can access this web feed, check it for updates, and download any new files in the series. This process can be automated so that new files are downloaded automatically. Files are stored locally on the user's computer or other device ready for offline use, giving simple and convenient access to episodic content. Commonly used audio file formats are Ogg Vorbis and MP3. Podcasting

4 What a podcast is? (cont.) The term "podcasting" was first mentioned by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian newspaper in a February 2004 article. It is a combination of the words: 1."pod“ (derived from iPod), a portable media player produced by Apple and 2."broadcasting". Podcasting PODCAST iPodbroadcast

5 Use of a podcast Podcasting  Listen/Download podcast or watch through computer or mp3 player or.  On-demand use by listeners or viewers (select content) from a series of episodes. Podcasts allow users to subscribe to feeds.  Passive approach on learning (self-learning).  Independent publishers

6 Use of a podcast Podcasting Several uses of podcast technology:  Training – Educational purpose  Music – Music Band promotion tool for songs  Story – Story telling for kids / useful for visual impaired users  Talk Shows – Industrial/Business/Sports News or discussions

7 Podcasting Technology Podcasting Feeds  Basically written in XML  Usually it contains summaries of podcast, links to the podcast (article on the WEB) Aggregators  Software for downloading podcast feeds (XML List)  Check for updates on the WEB for new episodes  Alternatively called RSS Readers RSS  It can be defined as Rich Site Summary (RSS)  Form of XML syndication in a simple way

8 Basics steps for podcasting (planning) Podcasting Production Methods  There are two ways of producing your podcast:  Record on-the-fly  Edit in post-production Writing a script  Some people feel like they need an exact script. Some can read from a script and sound natural  Other outline their script and keep them on track but allows them to be free and natural in the way they speak. Try both ways to find out which works well for you!

Podcasting ProsCons Recording On-the-fly 1.Can save you a lot of time by cutting down on the amount of recording and production needed. This is a big benefit if your time is limited. 1.Takes more experience. 2.Takes a lot of planning. 3.Can be harder to go back and fix mistakes. You may just have to live with them. 4.You need more expensive equipment to use audio processing going into your computer/recorder. Editing in Post-Production 1.You will probably end up with a more polished product that sounds more professional. 2.You don't have to think about so many things at once while you record. You just talk and add the other things later. 3.You can try different audio effects and processing on your audio after it is recorded to get it just the way you want it. 1.Takes more time after you have finished recording. Recording is usually the fun part for most people. The longer it takes you to record, the less likely you are to get around to recording. 9

Podcasting 10 Collect & Organise your information that you will podcast Pre-Recording phase 1.Research on the topics you'll be talking about (make your own notes on the information you have found) 2. Collect the audio files and save them on your computer (News, stories, music, etc.) 3. Prepare your script Recording phase 1.Use Audacity for recording & audio editing 2. Set the volume for each clip so that when you play a sound it's not suddenly louder than the segment before it. Writing an outline will make the recording process easier!

Podcasting 11

Podcasting 12 This podcast tutorial is broken down into four steps: 1.Plan 2.Produce 3.Publish 4.Promote (Not required for the coursework) Basics steps for podcasting

Podcasting 13 In the planning section we will raise a few questions for you to consider and help you make some important decisions about: 1.Podcast Topic Choose something that excites you. This will make creating your podcast fun now and in the long run. 2. Podcast Format Video or Audio? Solo or discussion? Speech or mixed-up with music sounds? 3. Podcast Length Duration of each episode. Number of episodes. Frequency of recordings (daily/weekly/monthly) 4. Choose location for your podcast Avoid noisy environment free from distraction. Avoid echoes. Implement your recordings. Basics steps for podcasting [1. Plan]

Podcasting 14 This is where you will fire up the mic and start talking. Record your voice and try to adjust your ear to it. We will use Audacity’s tutorials for the following tasks: 1.Recording Setup 2.Editing Tools 3.Basic editing and trimming tools 4.Adjusting Levels & Use Filters 5.Importing audio & adding music to your podcast 6.Saving project & exporting the mp3 file Basics steps for podcasting [2. Produce]

Podcasting 15 Once you have created your first podcast, you need to prepare it for publishing and post it to the internet or play it local to your computer. 1.Create mp3 file 2.Use ID3 Tags 3.Name your podcast episode/file 4.Write posting notes for each episode 5.Publish it Basics steps for podcasting [3. Publish]

Podcasting 16 Recording Tool for podcast

Podcasting 17 Recording Tool for podcast Audacity is a free, easy-to-use and multilingual audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:  Record live audio.  Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.  Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.  Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.  Change the speed or pitch of a recording.

Podcasting 18 Recording Tool for podcast MP3 Encoder: LAME 1.Once you create your podcast, you need to convert it to MP3 format before you upload it to the internet. 2.An MP3 recording makes the file size smaller and easier for others to download and listen to. LAME is a program that works with Audacity to convert your audio to MP3 and the word LAME stands for: "LAME Ain’t an MP3 Encoder” Download it at:

Podcasting 19 Recording Tool for podcast  Click on the red Record button to begin recording.  Click on the blue Pause button to pause the recording. Press it again to continue.  Click on the yellow Stop button to cease recording. The cursor will return to its previous position, before the recording was started. Remember that you can use the Undo function almost without limits whilst the project is open!

Podcasting 20 Recording Tool for podcast Zoom tools = Silent Segments Time shift tool Selection tool Envelope Tool gives you detailed control over how tracks fade in and out you use to select audio allows you to change the relative positioning of tracks allows you to zoom in or out of a specific part of the audio. Draw tool enables the user to draw in to the actual waveforms