How to podcast using your Apple laptop

Rough draft, in progress! Note that this entry applies to using an Apple laptop. A guide to using Windows laptops will be written soon! This entry will also be updated with screenshots and more information about installing the different applications needed.

All feedback is welcome!

How to create a podcast

There are 3 main steps to podcasting:

Record

Process

Upload

Sounds easy, right? Don’t worry, it is, mostly.
Before you get started, you need to make sure you have the correct equipment. The main requirement is that you have a way to record audio.
Here is the setup that we use at Lafayette Square:

Hardware: Apple Powerbook G4

Software:

Audio Recorder – Download link

LAME Framework for use with Audio Recorder – Download link

Audacity – Download link

iTunes

If you have an Apple iBook or Powerbook, you should already have iTunes installed. Click on the download links for Audio Recorder and Audacity if you don’t have them installed already. Follow the installation instructions.

To create your podcast:

Record

Open Audio Recorder

Make sure that it is hearing the audio (the red meter line moves)

Press Record when you’re ready to begin

Press Stop once the service is over

Click Save

Process

Open Audacity

Open the mp3 file in Audacity

Highlight each section where the volume is lower

Click on Effects > Amplify > Ok (maybe somewhere around +5.0 db)

The audio waveform should be mostly evened out so the overall volume is consistently audible

Click on File > Export as MP3

Click Save

Drag file into iTunes

Click Apple + I to Get Info on the file

Enter the correct meta data for Artist, Composer, Year, Genre (Podcast)

Copy and paste the album artwork

Click Ok, then drag the file back into your Finder window

Remove any spaces from the filename

The final file size should be approximately ~20-22 MB

Upload

Click on the Login or Site Admin link for your site

Click the Write tab

Enter a title. Suggested: either “Wednesday Evening Testimony Meeting – December 12, 2005” or “Sunday Service – December 18, 2005” for style

Copy a pre-existing post template, paste and edit

Click Save and Continue Editing

Click the Category checkboxes for the entry

Click the Browse button in the Upload tab

Give the file a descriptive title

Click the Upload button

Wait until you get a link back. This may take up to 10 minutes, depending on your connnection speed

Drag the link into your entry body and edit so that it says what you want

Click Save and Continue Editing, then scroll down to review your new entry.

Once you have proofread your entry and tested the link to the mp3 file by clicking it and seeing if Quicktime loads, you are ready to publish.

Click the Publish button.

Click the View Site link to see your new entry. You’ve now published the podcast.

Go to iTunes, and click on Podcasts, then right-click on your subscribed podcast, then click Update Podcast. You should see the new podcast begin to download.

That’s all!

Any questions, comments or suggestions, please leave a comment below! Thanks!