Creating a podcast is easy enough now that nearly anyone can do it. Unfortunately, creating a quality podcast isnit quite as easy to do. Luckily for all of the aspiring podcasters out there, Secrets of Podcasting, Second Edition from Peachpit Press is ready and waiting to help.
This is the second edition of Bart Farkasi podcasting guide, and it is a continuation of a good thing. The simplicity of getting into podcasting hides all kinds of technical surprises, like choosing a microphone, capturing audio from multiple sources, working with editing applications, and more. Secrets of Podcasting takes all of those topics - and more - and breaks them down into digestible and friendly sections.
When I first joined Ricky Spero on the Apple Weekly Report podcast, I had no idea how to pick out a microphone. Omnidirectional, cardiod, condenser, dynamic... I was at a loss. My decisions would have been so much easier to make if I had known about Secrets of Podcasting back then.
Picking out the right gear wonit do you any good, however, if your podcast isnit structured well - or if nobody knows itis there. This book takes care of those topics, as well. It includes a great section on organizing your podcast and writing scripts, and also covers everything you need to know about RSS, syndication, and raising awareness about your podcast.
Since video podcasts are mainstream, too, thereis a chapter devoted to video bloggers. Just like the sections on creating audio podcasts, youill learn about hardware requirements - in this case video cameras and microphones - and how to stitch together a complete video podcast.
The Bottom Line
Podcasting should be fun, not daunting, and Bart Farkas has done a great job of making the more technical aspects understandable in a friendly and approachable way. If you are new to podcasting, or even just interested in learning more about how you can take advantage of the podcasts that are already available, Secrets of Podcasting, Second Edition is worth a look. Secrets of Podcasting keeps the fun in podcasting, and thatis what itis all about.