Course Description

Podcasting is an exciting technology that has become very popular on the web and in the media. New services for listening to and creating podcasts are constantly popping up. This industry is seeing very exciting growth. Since podcasting became popular in the fall of 2004, thousands of shows have been created. So why is podcasting so great? You can listen to what you want, when you want, and how you want. Anyone can create a podcast. All you need is a computer, a microphone, speakers, and the Internet. Podcasting takes very little time and very little cost. We will be using Audacity software which is a FREE open source audio editor to record our podcasts. Audacity can be used on Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and other operating systems. We will be covering how to use this software in detail while learning podcasting. People will pay money for valuable information. You can listen to audio podcasts on anything that plays MP3s. This online course will take you through the basics of finding podcasts on the web, software and hardware for podcasting, listening to podcasts, writing podcasts, recording podcasts, and publishing your own podcasts on the web. Do you have something you want to share with others? Then this course is for you. This course is for anyone that is interested in podcasting. This is a 5 week, self-paced, online course. If you need additional help understanding the material presented, you can communicate with the instructor and fellow classmates. The instructor will monitor and track your progress throughout the class. LVS Online offers many wonderful learning tools to help you get the most out of your online course, including an online portfolio service that manages all your course registrations, certificate of completion option, a class discussion board to interact with your instructor and fellow classmates, free hosting account, and a student upload area. LVS is a Corel Training Partner. LVS students may purchase Corel products at a significant savings. Follow this link for details. LVS students are eligible to receive software and hardware at a discount. Follow this link for details. Students are also eligible take advantage of special offers made available specifically for LVS by famous software developers such as Andromeda, AV Bros, Extensis, Harry Heim, namesuppressed, Nik Multimedia, and Ulead. Details are provided in the classinfo link found in the confirmation of registration. Show off your LVS Online spirit with an item from the LVS Store Visit the LVS Blog for updates. If you would like to receive more information regarding this course, click on the "Contact Us" link in the Information section and we'll try to answer any of your questions within the day.

Course Requirements

Audacity Software No previous experience in podcasting is needed. All you need is a computer, a microphone, speakers, and the Internet. Students must have a working knowledge of their operating system, especially: How to create and name new folders How to locate files How to open and save files Here are a few free tutorials available at LVS which may be helpful to you: PC Users: Free Windows Class Directory Structure Tutorial Mac Users: Basic Computer File Systems Tutorial (Mac) Homework must be reviewed by the instructor in order to earn a certificate. If applicable, students have the option of using either the Student Upload Area or free web hosting made available for LVS students. Details are provided in the classroom. If you prefer to use your own web space, you must know how to upload your files to a server. Free tutorials are available: Basic HTML Page WS_FTP All lessons are available in PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view/print the lessons. Plan to devote 3 - 5 hours per week on the lesson and assignment.

Course Prerequisites

This class is suitable for all levels. The only real prerequisite is to be able to work through the lessons step-by-step using the course materials provided. Each lesson builds on the previous one so each should be completed sequentially.

Course Syllabus

Lesson 1 What is a Podcast? Listening to Podcasts Audio Recording Software Installing Audacity Lesson 2 Creating Your First Podcast Training your Voice Microphone Use Tips Lesson 3 Types of Podcasts Formatting and structuring your podcast Writing a Podcast Using music in podcasts Lesson 4 Audio Encoding Standards Encoding Software Album Art Naming conventions Protecting your podcasts Lesson 5 Video Podcasting Encoding and Compressing Video Equipment, Lighting, and production Video Editing Lesson 6 Publishing your podcasts Getting Heard Networking with other podcasters

Course Excerpt

Lesson 1 A Brief History Interactive media developer, Adam Curry, had been trying to find ways to use the Internet to broadcast video and audio streams. In 2000, Curry met with Dave Winer, a respected programmer who was instrumental in developing several computer and Internet applications. He was also the creator of Really Simple Syndication (RSS). Curry sand Winer thought there must be a way to use RSS to deliver audio or video files over the Internet. As a result, Winer created the tag within his RSS application. This enabled applications to fetch files off the Internet by following the URL within the code that pointed to that file. The first audio blog was posted around August 2001 by a Canadian blogger living in San Francisco named Jish. People then began posting audio posts and other recordings on their sites. Sometime after October 2003 Christopher Lydon, a popular radio host, was posting audio interviews with an RSS feed that Winer helped him set up. Curry wanted to find a way to get Lydon's interviews to automatically download to his computer and sync to his iPod. Curry, not being a programmer, could not find anyone to write a program for him so he soon found himself learning to program, and wrote the first version of iPodder. Curry released his code hoping to attract other developers. His show, Daily Source Code, was the first show produced on a consistent basis. He started it so that developers could test their software. With the launch of Curry's show in August 2004,"Podcasting" was born. By 2005 podcasting was becoming more and more mainstream. iTunes was launched by Apple in the spring of 2005. Podcasting has continued to grow ever since. What is a Podcast? Podcasting is an exciting technology that has become very popular on the web and in the media. New services for listening to and creating podcasts are constantly popping up. This industry is seeing very exciting growth. Since podcasting became popular in the fall of 2004, thousands of shows have been created. So why is podcasting so great? You can listen to what you want, when you want, and how you want. You can find a huge variety of new and interesting content from the Internet to fill your MP3 player for free. Imagine getting new "radio"-style talk and music shows to listen to on your iPod or other MP3 player every day. You wake up and automatically have new shows ready to listen to while you exercise or commute to work. This is the podcast listening experience. With podcasts you don't have to wait to hear something that interests you. You choose what you want to listen to. There are now thousands of podcasts and the number is growing rapidly. Anyone can create a podcast. All you need is a computer, a microphone, speakers, and the Internet. Podcasting offers you a powerful way to share your voice, your creativity, your thoughts, your music or whatever else you can create. Do you have a hobby? Are you in a band? Do you have a business? Maybe you just have an opinion that needs to be heard. You can create your own talk show. You can promote your product or service. You can be recognized as an expert in your field or your hobby. All over the world, people are creating podcasts on subjects ranging from movies, to technology, to music, to politics and whatever else you can think of. This is new original content made by passionate people who want to share their creativity with the world. Podcasting takes very little time and very little cost. Think of how fun it will be to create your own podcast. Podcasting has leveled the playing field. Anyone with something to say and a desire to say it can create a podcast and publish it to the web. Podcasters are not restricted by the FCC or traditional broadcast formats and regulations. The cost to start podcasting is so low that anyone can do it. Most podcasters are everyday people like you and me. They could be talking to you driving in their car, sitting in their living room or speaking at a conference. Podcasters are creating very raw and real content and listeners are responding. The length of a podcast can be 5 minutes, an hour, or however long you can talk. People will pay money for valuable information. If your podcast offers specific information with a return on investment to your listener, they will pay to get your content. You do not have to have an iPod to listen to a podcast. You can listen to podcasts on anything that plays MP3s. Once the podcast is downloaded, it's just an MP3 file. Some podcasts are "talk show" style. Others introduce you to the latest bands and music. With podcasts you can stay current on the news, get a glimpse into someone's life, listen to movie reviews, and the list goes on. Since the birth of podcasting, a huge variety of shows have shown up on the Internet. Many major media outlets are also now offering podcasts. What sets podcasts apart is that they can be automatically downloaded to your computer and synced to your MP3 player. You can wake up each morning with new shows on your MP3 player ready to listen to on your way to work. Continued... Please note: Lessons provide step-by-step instructions with detailed screen captures.

Course Goals

The goals of this course are to get you comfortable and familiar with Podcasting and creating your own podcasts. When you finish this course you will have completed several podcasts and published them on the web. You will have enough knowledge about podcasting that you can continue podcasting on your own.

Course Reviews

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