Podcasting - What DOESN'T Work

Michael Quinn Sullivan

Sometimes what NOT to do is as valuable as knowing what to do...

Here are a list of things that didn't work in podcasting due to cost or quality:

  1. Recording totally off the telephone. This is an enticing option because telephone recorders are cheap. However, they lose a LOT of quality and tend to make both persons sound like they are in a cave.

  2. Plugging two mics directly into the computer. This is a tempting option, but the sound quality is diminished depending the mics you use.

  3. Plugging the mixer into your computer's mic-in port. This does work, but it does create pops and clicks. For only $50, the inPort USB plug-in is a great investment for a major boost in sound quality.

  4. Adobe Audition. This is a VERY high-quality program, but it is also very expensive. For the purposes of podcasting, the WavePad and Propaganda programs do the job for a fraction of the cost.

  5. Webspace. If you use hosting company that does all the work for you, you will want to think very carefully about using them to host your audio-archives for podcasts. The amount of outflow is huge, and the rates from a hosting company can quickly add up. 

    We actually use "NameSecure.com" as our hosting provider for PolicyCast. No frills service, but reliable and cheap.

Michael Quinn Sullivan is vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.