This is super helpful information, Steven. I wish I had viewed some of those videos in preparation. Here are my two cents: You may want to plan your podcast content in advance so you are not scrambling with the frequency of publishing you decide to do. You can also bank episodes ahead of time, if you have the time to do so, and then be prepared for anything that may arise at the library that may divert your attention from producing and editing. Especially if you intend to have guests on your show. Make sure to have a consistent schedule so people know when to expect another recording. My library does not have a podcast, but I experimented a little with it myself, and the sound is the biggest factor; any sound issues will deter people from listening to your podcast. In addition to sound, I've found shorter episodes are more successful unless you have a captive audience guaranteed to listen to your whole show, no matter how long. You may also want to take notes during the show or review your recording to include notes in the show's note area. I'm guessing there is software out there, too, that may generate them automatically and transcribe the audio. Include any links you mention, books, movies, etc., in the show notes too, as people will look there. And encourage them to follow your show and interact with you through your website and social media. Overall, it's fun! The editing part, not so much, in my humble opinion. :) Katie On Wed, May 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM Steven Kish via Michlib-l < michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Hello Asako,
Librarian and amateur audio engineer here.
Depending on what your budget is, you are going to want to focus on: 1) a decent microphone, 2) an audio interface (to connect the microphone to the computer), and 3) isolation (not only from noise that bleeds in from outside of your recording environment, but also from room reverb which can muddy your audio). The microphone is by the most straight-foward of the three to understand/achieve, as isolation may not only include selecting an ideal space but treating the room with absorbers and diffusers as well. Some microphones plug directly into your computer via USB and you can skip purchasing the audio interface. Some of these may actually be pretty good too, but in my experience, I have never come across a USB microphone that produced as clean and loud of a signal as the traditional microphone/interface combo did.
I would spend exactly zero dollars on audio recording software, because there are already a lot of really great tools (like Cakewalk for PCs/Macs and Garageband for Mac users) that are completely free. These digital audio workstations possess editing (trimming audio, fades in/out, etc.) as well as really high quality audio effects (compression, EQ, reverb, etc.) to process your audio. If you can't afford (or understand how to implement) room treatment, you may wish to spend a little money on an audio plugin which you can use in the digital audio workstation to remove room reverb.
As important as buying the right gear is learning how to use the gear correctly. Here are some good YouTube videos on techniques to make your podcast sound as professional as possible.
Microphones/room treatment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h83TPkUgFag Microphone technique: https://youtu.be/ZlOmbWL0ZDM?si=AyaJ5OzD7l0vP7G5 Basic vocal processing: https://youtu.be/xfv3Jt-VkFE?si=c80ogg4NRYhysNVi Audio leveling: https://youtu.be/dlC-MnuFtVs?si=x1zM7OVbJvSgzi2l
If you have any more specific questions, feel free to email me directly. I know that some companies sell podcasting kits (usually a microphone, an interface and headphones) and I would be happy to opine on those or any other gear you are thinking about.
Best of luck.
Steven
On Wed, May 21, 2025 at 9:42 AM Asako Nakamura via Michlib-l < michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Hi everyone, I’m thinking about starting a podcast at our library and wanted to ask for your advice. What do we need to begin—would you recommend investing in a good microphone first, or focusing on computer/audio editing specs? Also, if your library already has a podcast, I’d love to check it out! Please feel free to share a link or tell me where I can listen. Thank you in advance for your insights! Best,
Asako Nakamura Program Coordinator Portage Lake District Library 58 Huron St. Houghton, MI 49931 (906)482-4570 X4111 Visit our website at www.pldl.org LIKE our FB page at facebook.com/pldl.org
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*Steven Kish*
*Systems LibrarianLawrence Technological University*
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