Sherbert Posted June 16, 2016 Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 Hey guys, I brought this up last tuesday night but I wanted to start a topic mostly to organize stuff for myself. I want to start a history podcast that will focus on the Middle Ages and will deal with a number of things including talking about lesser known historical events, trying to clear up myths, and presenting historical theory in a easy to understand way. Now I have no idea how to go about this, so I was hoping I could get some input from people who are more tech oriented and those who have podcast experience. Loren mentioned that I should use audacity for editing and I like that it is free. Are there any other options or is audacity the easiest for newb beginners and cheapest? What equipment do I need? obviously a mic, but since I will be talking alone should I look into a headset setup or look for a mic set up like you guys use in Skullandbones? Is there any other equipment that I need that Im not thinking about? And maybe the biggest question, what to I use for hosting? Should I try and create my own website like some of the more well known podcasters or is there something a little more practical for starting out? As far as formatting the episodes I was thinking of making them between 15 and 30 minutes long, maybe a little longer for 1 off episodes. I would try and follow a series or a couple of series at a time and release an episode once a week or once every two weeks. Jim- I listened to the Hardcore history episode you suggested and really liked it. Dan has a really good presence which is understandable because of his radio experience. I like that he includes both primary and secondary quotes and that he mentions prevalent historians by name. What I dont like is how much comparative and speculative history he includes. Ive never liked either of those types of history and they are generally not used by academics for either lectures or books. thanks guys 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigurdBC Posted June 17, 2016 Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 Hey Sherbert, Kudos to wanting to make a history podcast. As a fellow historian I salute your effort. In regards to recording/hosting your podcast Streamcloud is a good website/recording software to use. I had to make a podcast for an IT class in my Ed. program this past quarter and I ended up recording it using Streamcloud. It's completely free and you should be able to post the podcast to your account page once you are done recording. Just for simplicity sake, I would recommend recording simply using a headset and a mic, if you are doing this solo. On the other hand if you feel that your mic/headset is a pos, well then I would recommend just getting a cheap new one which would work just fine for recording. You don't have to go too overboard on it. It's what I used for making my podcast so it hopefully will work for you. I hope this helps and best of luck informing all of us about the Dark Ages. Huzzah!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smashthedean Posted June 17, 2016 Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 Super excited for this. The only advice I can really offer is that as a listener of podcasts, shows that do put out content on a weekly basis are a lot easier to keep on my mind as things I want to check up on. If you're doing short episodes like that another thing you could do is record 2 or 3 episodes at a time and always run an episode ahead or something so if you needed to take a week off from recording you easily could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alindahl Posted June 17, 2016 Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 I think this is a really great idea! I would definitely listen to it. I second Smashthedean's comment, I think weekly casts are the best. I can't really give advice about equipment and whatnot, but I would suggest doing a few pilot episodes and sharing them only with a handful of people (or on this forum for example) and seek input before going completely "live" with it. It would probably help a lot to make it start smooth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fix Posted June 18, 2016 Report Share Posted June 18, 2016 I can bring you the usb mic I mentioned on Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherbert Posted June 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 I wont be needing it for awhile since I need to put together some topics and scripts for episodes. thanks for the offer though. How much was the mic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fix Posted June 20, 2016 Report Share Posted June 20, 2016 They list for $150, but I bought at a pretty deep discount. Half that, probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr. Bigglesworth Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Some advice, test your recording location. listen for background noise and possible acoustic issues. talking in a big open room will likely sound way different than in a small closet. See which you like and stick with that location to keep your sound consistent. You also want to learn the distant the mic needs to be. A headset is great for someone solo because it gives you a bit more liberty to move while talking. A stationary mic requires a consistent posture. Make a schedule and stick with it, so make sure that you pick dates you know you won't likely have conflicts with. It is easy to fail early by not properly prioritizing. Good luck, I look forward to your end product. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathonicus Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Hey man, first off - HELL YEAH! DO IT!!!! You've got a great voice, delivery, and sense of humor, as well as a passion for your subject. I would recommend contacting Mike from "the History of Rome". You could probably work the fellow WWU grad angle and get some pointers. He seems like a nice enough guy, and has been really successful with his podcasts and growing them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherbert Posted February 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2017 hey guys, I finally got around to putting this thing together. I posted in the warpspace section but realized that some of you only come here to look at stuff. Here is a link to the website http://therealmiddleages.libsyn.com/ and the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/The-Real-Middle-Ages-podcast-1882898955318733/?notif_t=page_invite_accepted¬if_id=1486697921788803 and you can get the episodes on itunes. thanks for checking it out. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fix Posted February 11, 2017 Report Share Posted February 11, 2017 Downloading for the flight back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koyote Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Needs more Joey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fix Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 Needs more Joey. Is true of most podcasts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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