Creating Your Online Radio Station

Podcasting has leveled the playing field for people around the world. With just a few tools, you can quickly and easily set up your own talk show on the topic of your choice. All you need is a computer, a microphone, and a passion to share your knowledge with others. Whether you are a sports buff, a political guru, a part-time comedian, or a fitness professional, there is an audience waiting for your voice on the Internet.

As an online marketer, podcasting allows you to step into a market that is largely untapped. However, please don't take it for granted. A quality podcast can garner the attention of thousands of listeners.

By now you may be wondering how podcasting is different from radio. I am delighted to tell you that podcasting stands head and shoulders above radio by eliminating the many barriers found in traditional radio.

For example, through podcasting, any person with an MP3 player can choose from a huge number of talk shows and music varieties. One of the biggest differences is that they can listen to the content on their own schedule. It's like the Tivo for radio. In addition, as a podcaster, you don't have to worry about the FCC rules and regulatíons of radio. Simply plug in your microphone and go to town.

Podcasting is primed for growth, with many big names already entering the arena. Here are just a few of the voices you might be familiar with who are involved in the podcasting revolution.

Business Week
Wall Street Journal
RealMoney Radio with Jim Cramer
Rich Dad Podcast by Robert Kiyosaki

Even colleges are getting involved. Duke Universíty gives all incoming freshmen an iPod preloaded with Duke-related content such as information about orientation and the academic calendar.

There is an unlímited variety of what you could do with your podcast. Whether you want to do expert interviews, tutorials, news broadcasting, sports commentary, or coaching and consulting, podcasting is an excellent platform for your marketing message.

Best of all, podcasting is simple enough for anyone to get involved. Here are the 5 basic steps to creating your own podcast.

1. Get the right equipment.
2. Produce and save your podcast.
3. Create an RSS feed.
4. Upload your podcast to your website.
5. Publicize your podcast.

So, let's dig in. If you want to create a quality radio station, you'll need some quality equipment. Although the built-in microphone in your computer will work, for better quality, you'll want to invest in a good microphone. I would suggest the following:

Audio Technica 3035 Microphone
If you're looking for something more portable, chëck out the Edirol R-9.

As far as software goes, Audacity is a great audio editor and recorder that you can download for frëe at http://audacity.sourceforge.net. Using this software you can record live audio, edit MP3 files, cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds.

However, if you want to go for higher-end recording software, try out Sound Forge Audio Studio software. This professional software offers advanced audio mixing, editing, and effects processing capabilities.

Now that you've got the right equipment, it's time to start recording your show.

This is the fun part, so let your creative juices flow. Have fun with it and your listeners are sure to enjoy.

If you want to add music intros to your podcast, you can find some Podsafe music at

http://music.podshow.com
http://www.podsafeaudio.com
http://www.audiofeeds.org

These resources will help you to stay out of any lëgal trouble.

Once you've finished perfecting your recording, you'll need to export it as an MP3.

Keep in mind that your subscribers will be downloading your podcast from the Web. Therefore, you don't want your file size to be too large. You can save a lot of bandwidth by using the proper settings during your MP3 conversion.

For talk shows and audio books, I would recommend a bit rate of 48 - 56k Mono. However, if you are recording music or music/talk combinations, you'll want to choose between 63 - 96k Stereo. A high bit rate (around 160kbps) is great for music but overkill for a talk show.

Once you convert your audio file to MP3, you also need to edit the ID3 tags. These tags identify the artist, title, and genre.

Now it's time to upload your audio file to your web server.

Once you've done that, you must create an RSS file. This is a crucial step because it allows listeners to subscribe to your podcast and have it automatically synched to their MP3 players. This is the step that transforms your audio into a true podcast.

An RSS file is created in XML and will contain four main items: title, description, link, and enclosure. You can also use your RSS feed to provide your listeners with additional information, including file length, file size, file name, category, topics, and channels .

You can see an example of a podcast RSS feed at http://scottp.podomatic.com/rss2.xml.

If you don't want to write your RSS file from scratch, there are plenty of RSS file generators available. One of my favorites can be found at TDScripts.com.

However, if you are using Wordpress to distribute your blog's RSS feed, then turning your blog into a podcast station is quick and easy. Simply link an audio file (MP3) from your web server into one of your posts.

Once you have linked to the audio file from within your post, WordPress will automatically add the necessary enclosure tag to your RSS feed to make it useable as a podcast.

If you would like to provide your visitors with convenient play buttons for your podcast, you can do this using Odeo.com or Audible.com.

How to Publicize Your Podcast

A podcast isn't much use if no one is listening to it. Creating the podcast is just a small part of being a podcaster. To be truly successful, you must promote your podcast to an eager audience. You can do this in a number of ways.

First, you should tell your website visitors about your podcast. You can do this using a podcast chicklet. Create a custom chicklet at TwisterMc.com.

Next, complete the ping förm at http://audio.weblogs.com to get your podcast listed there.

Then, submit your podcast into iTunes. This alone can bring you a nice subscriber base.

However, you'll also want to get your podcast into all major and minor podcast directories. You can find a complete list of directories at: MasterNewMedia.org.

If you are persistent in your promotions, you should see your subscriber base rise fairly quickly.

Podcasting is one of the best ways to increase your online audience. If you do not keep up with these exciting changes, you will quickly get left behind and your online business will certainly suffer. Therefore, have fun and dig into what I expect to be a massive transition in the way we communicate online.