(My current audio recording setup)
I love podcasts. I mean, I love them. I listen to them on walks, in the bubble bath, at the library, at a coffee shop, in the car. They run through my veins and I don’t know how I could function without them. My podcast tastes run the span from theatre (of course) to true crime to fiction to writing (of course) to audio dramas. I love them all.
So, I thought, why not make them yourself? I’m sure I could do it. My husband and I are currently writing a sci-fi podcast that will (hopefully) have a complete Season 1 soon. I’ve also always wanted to host a theatre podcast. Winston-Salem has a vibrant theatre community, and it’s difficult to keep track of what’s playing when. I’m creating a weekly podcast that gives you all that information in one place. I’d also like to do interviews with creatives to talk about their process, what they’re working on, etc. Big dreams for this podcast. And, I listen to podcasts all the time, so how hard could it be to make one?
Turns out, pretty hard. There are so many little parts that we take for granted when we listen to podcasts. You need an intro, intro music, a script (or, if you’re brave, you just work off the cuff), an outro, outro music. If you’re doing interviews, you need to have those recorded so you can splice them into the program. Then there’s the distribution of the podcasts, what platforms are you going to use, etc. Not nearly as easy as just listening.
I am going into this process knowing little to nothing about it. I’ve recorded audiobooks before, so I am familiar with the audio program, but I’m more focused on content. Creating enough content to stay one week ahead of the game is going to be tricky. But, as with many things, I’ve decided to learn as I go. I will make mistakes, I will have rough episodes, I will likely push the wrong button and completely lose audio at one point. The messiness is part of the fun of learning to do something new. Have you ever listened to a podcast’s early episodes, or watched the first few episodes of a television show and seen how much it’s changed? In the early episodes of Will and Grace, Karen is a completely different character than what she settles as. Same thing with the character of Fiona in Burn Notice. Once I get settled in, I think the routine will become easier. Or at least more manageable.
So, stay tuned! I’m off to make a mess!