Creating a Podcast Using Audacity

NOTE: To do this project, you will need to either have an internal microphone on your laptop or computer, or you will need to use an external microphone to do your recording. Follow these directions to download and install Audacity to your own computer.

Download Audacity--this is a free software you can use to create podcasts. If you prefer, you can go to the Mac Lab in Woodard Hall and use Garage Band to make your podcast.

GarageBand Tutorial: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2012?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Use the tutorial information below to learn more about Audacity. You must also download the LAME MP3 Encoder, too.

Audacity Tutorial: http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/17-audacity-tutorial.htm

It is important to save the Audacity file as you work. First, you will save the podcast as an Audacity file (.auf), so that you can come back and make changes. Secondly, you are done editing your podcast, then you will convert it to an audio file (.wmv or .mp3), so that you can upload it to our Class Ning.

Note--you can use this type of program to create your own ringtones. You simply import in the soundtrack, then you edit the recording to create the ringtone.

1. Before recording your podcast, write down the script you will follow while recording. You should

identify: a. who you are, b. your area of certification, c. where you teach, and d. any areas of interest.

2. Open Audacity. Go ahead and save your file to your flash drive!! Create a folder on your flashdrive

called Podcast, then save all of your files to this folder. Audacity will create a folder in this folder that contains key files necessary for you to be able to edit the podcast if you choose to do so at a later date.

3. You are now ready to record. You should see this on your screen.

4. Click on the red circle button to record your audio track. When you do this, you will see the sound track appear as the recording begins. Remember to talk clearly and articulate each word. Click on the yellow square button to stop your recording. Click on the green arrow to hear your podcast. (These buttons are shown framed in the box below. Remember to save!

5. If you wish to revise a part of the podcast, then you can click and highlight the part you wish to delete.

You should place the cursor where you will begin to record again so that there is no overlap in voice. The example below shows where two seconds of the podcast is highlighted. I can either click Delete on my keyboard or select the scissor icon and cut that segment out of the overall recording. Remember to save!

6. Next, click on Project, then select Import Audio. Go to the Resources folder saved on your flash

drive. Look in the Windows Sampler file, then click on Wav Files. You can select one of these wav files to import in as the music background. It is also fine to use a wav file of your own. The picture below shows the sound file that I added, Bonanza, as the second track. Notice that the Bonanza soundtrack is noticeably longer than the other sound track. We will come back in a later step and delete part of this recording.

7. Next, we are going to shift the voice recording over five seconds, so that your music will start first. To

do this, highlight the whole voice recording from start to finish. Click on selection tool first. Next, click on the double arrow on the left side of the menu bar (look underneath Edit). Remember to save!

This track is recording of my voice.

This track is the audio that was imported.

The selection tool looks

like a capital I. The shift

tool looks like a double sided arrow. Click to the left of the part you want to select, then hold down on your mouse as you move to the right to highlight what you want to shift. Since I want to shift all of my voice recording over, then I have highlighted the whole track.

You can adjust the volume level of each tracking by either moving to the left (-, decrease) or right (+, increase). This is important to remember, since you do not want your sound track to compete with your voice narration.

8. Now click in the middle of your voice recording (hold down and drag) and move it over about five seconds.

9. You are now ready to fade in the beginning and fade out the ending of the audio soundtrack. I highlighted the first five seconds of Bonanza (click on selection tool-looks like capital I, then I selected Effect followed by Fade In. I then highlighted the last five seconds of Bonanza, then selected Effect, followed by Fade Out. Remember to save!

10. The last step is to decrease the level of the music background, so that your voice is not drowned out

(also mentioned in #6). You can do this by clicking on the “-“ symbol on the left side of the sound track. Adjust the sound level down a bit. Play your podcast to see if the sound level is now sufficient. If not, then adjust the sound level again.

11. If you are satisfied with your voice recording and music background, then you are ready to convert

your podcast into a file format that can be uploaded to the web or played on your media player. Select File on your menu bar, then select Export. You will see a pop-up window appear. If you didn’t download the Lame Encoder, then you will not be able to save the file as an mp3 file. You could select Export as WAV instead.

12. You will see a pop-up window appear. You can type in general information about your podcast. Once you are done,then click OK.

13. You are now ready to upload the file to our course Ning.