Podcasting Hacks

Professional-Quality Podcasting

Podcasting is new, but broadcasting isn’t. Learn the established secrets of the broadcasting trade that will help you create professional podcasts with basic hardware.

Without even thinking about it, you are taking on the role of producer, writer, host, engineer, and editor of your own show. Understanding the different roles in a radio show can help you compartmentalize your work so that you can concentrate on each job. While you are in the host role, your mind should be fixed on the job of hosting, without thinking about the engineering or the production aspects of the show.

In this hack, I’ll cover each role and give you some tips from the professionals that you can use in your own podcast.

The Producer

There are two levels of producer: the show producer, and the segment producer. The show producer is in charge of deciding how shows are organized, the theme of a show, and putting it all together. The segment producer handles an individual portion of a show, such as an interview or a comic bit.

A producer will tell you that a show needs a general theme and some structure. The theme is simply the subject of the podcast: some observation you had, a movie you want to review, or a story you want to tell. The structure of the show can be equally simple, with an introduction at the beginning, the show segment in the middle, and the credits and any plugs at the end.

The segment producer has two responsibilities: to research the topic and to author the show ...