Expert Podcasting Practices For Dummies®

Chapter 23. Creating a Perfect mp3 File

In This Practice

• Choosing a conversion program

• Making sure your file sounds great

• Keeping your file size down

• Considering other formats

Like a true artist or craftsman, you've analyzed, poked, prodded, and nursed your master audio file into a perfect podcast episode. It sounds fantastic, and you can't wait to turn it loose on the masses and bask in their approval. The problem is that your file is still an uncompressed audio file — it hasn't been modified or made smaller in any way. All the data that was recorded is still in that file, and it carries quite a lot of heft. These files are great for editing purposes, but they're far too large to post on your Web site or through your RSS feed. The Internet would get bogged down, valuable birthday e‐mails would be delayed, and somewhere a child would cry. Avoid that if at all possible.

That's where compressed audio comes in. Even if you've never heard the term compressed audio before, you know what it is. The most popular example is the venerable mp3 format. Think of it like the tube that allows you to fit a T‐shirt into a smaller space and send it hurtling into the stands at any major sporting event. You could adjust the size of the tube for faster and easier flight, but you'll also want to make sure you don't mangle the T‐shirt inside.

The mp3 format also allows you to include a great deal of information embedded directly into the file, including title, copyright, year of creation, and more. (We look ...