Audio

If you choose an audio format then you'll want to know about some of the basic tools you can use to record and edit audio. The following are just a few examples.

Software

Audacity is a very popular and free recording and editing program that works well on both Windows machines and Macs.

Garage Band is very popular with Mac users. It is simple, powerful and is only available on the Mac as part of the iLife software suite.

Magix Podcast Maker e-Version is a very basic, two-track audio recording program designed for
Windows computers. The software costs $19.99 but comes with a 30-day free trial.

Hardware

The Cyber Acoustics USB Headset provides a basic and reliable microphone interface to your
computer at a very reasonable price of around $30.

The M-Audio Podcast Factory provides you with a more advanced interface that includes a microphone, desktop stand and software for under $200.

 Portable Devices

The Samson Zoom H2 – Handy Recorder lets you record on the go in a very small package. This recorder can be had for around $200.

The iRiver S10 is an ultra portable music player that has 2GB of memory and doubles as a voice
recorder.

Media Formats

Audio podcasts are almost always encoded in MP3 format. MP3 format plays on all audio players and has the best balance between compression (meaning smaller file sizes) and quality.

Other audio formats can tempt podcasters since some formats have better audio quality and/or smaller file sizes. Keep in mind that most formats are software and/or device specific which will limit who can consume your content. For this reason, we recommend publishing your content in the MP3 format.

Recording and Editing Tips

Beginner's should exercise lots of patience when recording and editing media for the first time. Plan several dry runs. Make the episodes short. And make the goal to become comfortable with the recording process and familiar with the tools you are using. You may not like the finished product the first time around. That's okay. Take it as a learning experience and commit yourself to doing better next time.

Before publishing your recordings in MP3 format, it is important to edit the MP3's information such as the artist, song title, album title and cover art image. Detailed information how to edit this information may be found on the ID3 Tags page.