Podcasts
Create and edit a podcast You can create a professional podcast on a Mac with the right equipment and software DifďŹ culty
Time needed
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You have many options open to you when creating a podcast and on macOS you do actually have everything you need to build one in an hour. The problem is that the vast majority of podcasts are now professionally produced and edited in such a way that producing a quick and dirty audio offering will just not cut it in 2017. We will show you what you need to do to create a high-quality podcast and what equipment and software you need without going into too much detail. The real trick is starting with the right tools and then experimenting and finding your own style. Take as much time as possible until you are happy and the results will be more than worth the effort.
Step-by-step Create a professional sounding podcast
1 Purchase a microphone
2 The default software
3 Professional software
All Macs have a microphone, but it is crucial to buy a professional quality option such as the Blue Yeti (blue.com). This will greatly improve the resulting audio quality.
You can use QuickTime to make recordings which is especially useful if you want to rehearse your tone and pace before committing the final product for the world to hear.
You can spend a fortune on professional recording and editing software or you can download Audacity (audacityteam.org) for free. It’s fully featured and fairly easy to use.
4 Hijack the audio
5 Think about hosting
6 Promote your work
If you are recording a conversation through Skype to broadcast as a podcast episode, check out Audio Hijack (rogueamoeba.com) as a solution to capture any audio source.
Audio files take up a lot of space so consider using a hosting service like PodBean to host your files. The experience for the listener should be reliable at all times.
Consider building a website and making the most of social media to promote your work. Hosts such as Squarespace will even let you upload your podcast files for sharing.
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