Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting

I've been podcasting for close to a year - a career site called landed.fm - and like most podcasters, I just started doing it - lots of trial and error - my background is in film production, and I consider myself quite computer literate - Avid, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, etc. - however, I'm a writer/director not a computer programmer - that's where this book comes in. The writing stye is straight-forward and engaging - but not dumbed-down. Although I skimmed through about 60% of the book - the 40% I read - and re-read provided extremely valuable information that I was able to immediately put into practice to make my shows sound better, using tools I was unaware of. Even if you're an veteran podcaster I highly recommend this book - you're bound to learn something that will make your shows "stand-out" - The resources the authors have provided are extremely useful. If you're just starting out in podcasting, consider "Podcast Solutions" a must-read.

Obviously I'm familiar with blogging, as I've been doing it for the last 2+ years. And I'm aware of the quick rise of "podcasting" but I have to admit I've remained willfully ignorant of the details. A copy of Podcast Solutions - The Complete Guide to Podcasting by Michael W. Geoghegan and Dan Klass arrived in the mail the other day, and I'm ignorant no longer... at least about podcasting... Contents: Podcasting 101; Listening to Podcasts; Podcasting How-To; Planning Your Podcast; Podcasting Tools; Recording Your Podcast; Putting It All Together; Preparing Your File; Serving It Up; Getting Heard; Making Money with Podcasting; Conclusion; Glossary; Podcasting Resources at a Glance; Index Geoghegan and Klass have taken a subject that can be a bit intimidating and made it extremely approachable. They don't target the techno-geek who understands all the technology. Instead, they assume that the reader is someone who is reasonably intelligent, just getting started in (or interested in) podcasting, and needs assistance to get up and running. They cover some of the more popular tools and techniques currently on the market without trying to cover every last option. Because of that, you get the benefit of their experience and can avoid the dead-ends that are so common when you get started with a new toy. I was impressed with the span of coverage they gave the subject. Everything from "what is a podcast" to "how to do preproduction" to "how to do postproduction". While you may not end up being an A-List podcaster, everything you absolutely need to know to start down that path is in here. I don't know that I'm personally ever going to produce a podcast, but after reading the book, I'm much more likely to check into listening and subscribing to a few. And who knows what will happen from there... Very good book, clear information, and great writing... Highly recommended if podcasting in on your radar screen...

Of particular interest to me were the production and post-production chapters, but if you're interested in starting your own podcast and want to learn the smallest of details without being or feeling bogged down with a lot of information this book is for you. Geoghegan and Klass are two experienced podcasters who put out high quality podcasts. They take you pretty much step-by-step on how to obtain third-party podcasts (which they rightly suggest you should listen to to learn how others do it), from downloading tools and Web sites of interest. They provide detailed information on the types of equipment you need, from a simple mic plugged into your computer to mixers and other hardware you may wish to have, and how to use them effectively for your podcast. They go into great depth into how to record your podcast effectively by setting levels and using your equipment properly, and how to edit and improve your sound quality, all the while warning you on the little pitfalls that can make your podcast difficult to listen to. They also tell you how to get your podcast on the Net, from registering your own domain and finding hosting (or using services such as Blogger), as well as how to set up the extremely important (to podcasting, at least), RSS feed. You are even given advice on how to make money as a podcaster. There is also a CD included with a number of excellent trial versions of a variety of software for both Mac (OS X) and Windows which can help you get started in your podcasting venture. The material plus the CD really make this an excellent, insightful purchase well worth the price of the book. Kudos for Geoghegan and Klass for crafting a wonderful book that will aid the novice (and slightly experienced podcasters like myself) into making well-produced podcasts.