| How to Start Your Own Podcast Posted: 16 Apr 2020 05:00 PM PDT Creating, promoting, and distributing your podcast to reach an online audience of possibly millions is relatively easy. Podcasting is becoming more popular as many bloggers turn to Internet radio shows to get their music/message out. You can get your podcast online in just 5-10 minutes! All you need is yourself, some recording equipment, Internet access, and an interesting topic to talk about! [Edit]Before Recording - Determine the nature of your podcast. What will the content be? Write it down so you don't forget. Come up with an outline or some sort of organizer to keep track of what you will discuss and/or promote.
- There are countless examples among the podcasts already in existence. Podcasts.com lists podcasts by categories, which include comedy, news, health, sports, music and politics. Some examples include Mugglecast, which covers "Harry Potter" novels and films; The Word Nerds, who discuss the etymologies of words and other linguistic matters; Fantasy Football Minute, a podcast to help all fantasy football coaches and general managers; and NPR Science Friday, a podcast version of the weekly show broadcast on local public radio affiliates, just to get your mind rolling.[1]
- Listen to some of the more popular podcasts to get a feel for style and content. Draft up an outline to keep the awkward pauses at a minimum. If you're going to be doing interviews with your pets, this will be something you probably want scripted.[2]
- Choose the products you'll use to Podcast. Most podcasts include a microphone (USB or analog), mixer (for analog mic) or even a new computer. There are different podcast starter packages out there you can buy for around $100.
- Don't rely on the standard (and iffy at best) microphone your PC came with if you want to sound as professional as possible. You'll want a full headset with a noise-canceling mic to be positive your listeners aren't getting distracted by the sound of your air conditioner in the corner.[2] For affordable voice recording, a unidirectional, dynamic-type microphone is good. Radioshack sells inexpensive ones and you'll also find a good selection of higher quality mikes at most music stores.[3]
- Is your podcast going to be portable or will you record at home? Maybe you want to podcast using your smartphone or tablet (Android, iOS). But the basics you'll need are a microphone and voice recording podcast software. You'll only need a mixer if you have multiple inputs. Smaller units with around four inputs will suit all but the most ambitious podcasts.
- Pick your software. If you have a Mac, you can record using Garageband (it comes free with every Mac as part of the iLife suite). There are free software packages (like Audacity) and expensive software (Adobe Audition). There are also tiered versions of software, like Sony Acid (music studio is only $50 whereas Acid Pro is $200). Some mixers and microphones come with free software to use.
 - Industrial Audio Software's aptly named iPodcast Producer is super podcast friendly. It takes care of the whole process from recording to uploading the finished product via a built-in FTP client. However, it's just about the opposite of free.[2]
- Audacity (is free!) has an easy learning curve and there are Windows, Mac, and Linux versions available. It has a number of useful features and plug-ins.[4]
- If this is more than you bargained for, Sound Recorder (on Windows) does everything you need it to do, but only saves files in .wav format; you will still have to convert your final recording into an .mp3 file. MusicMatch Jukebox can also do this for you.
- If you go with Adobe Audition, you can get a monthly subscription through the Adobe Cloud that offers the entire Adobe site (with lower costs for students). Additionally, Lynda.com has an excellent video tutorial (about 5 hours or so worth) on everything Adobe (and lots of other technologies, too) that you can access with a month to month subscription that you can terminate at anytime.
[Edit]Creating Your Podcast - Prepare your content. You may want to put together scripts for what you will say at the beginning of a show and when you transition from one story to another. Put your content in order so you can read down the list.
- Whatever it is, make sure you enjoy it. You probably won't become rich from this endeavor. Spend your time discussing or promoting something you really care about; the reward will be in feeding your knowledge/humor/music to others.
- Record the audio for your podcast. This is probably the biggest step for without your voice, your podcast doesn't exist. Talk in a consistent pace and show passion in your subjects. Read the scripts and don't forget to thank people for being part of the show.
- You can have the perfect podcast delivered, but sometimes technical glitches run the show, ruining all your hard work. Before you begin the actual recording session, take a few samples to test the software, mess with the volume controls, and just plain make sure everything is functioning.[2]
- Save the audio file to your computer desktop. Make sure it's in MP3 format; a bit rate of 128 kbps is probably sufficient for a talk-show podcast, but podcasts featuring music will want bit rates of 192 kbps or better.[1]
- Do not use special characters (such as # or % or ?) in the file name. Open it up into your sound editor and edit out extra background noise or long periods of silence. Put in intro/outro music if you'd like.
- Of course, you can always save it as a WAV file first, to give you a master backup to work from if something were to go wrong.
- Tag it, give it ID information (artist, album, etc.) and give it album art. Either make it yourself, find some free, non-copyrighted images online, or have a friend make one for you.
- Be careful to name the audio file so that the name of the podcast and the date of the episode are clear. You may also want to edit the ID3 tags of the MP3 file to help people find and catalogue your podcasts.
- Create your RSS podcast feed. The feed must meet all industry standards for a valid 2.0 feed with enclosures. Try using a complete solution and service such as Libsyn, Castmate or Podomatic (see the external links below). For longer podcasts, you'll be paying a small fee.
- The easiest way to do it is to use a blog. So hop on over to Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, or another blogging service, and start a blog with the title of your podcast. Don't make any posts just yet.
- If your host has limits on the amount of bandwidth you can use, you could incur overage charges if your podcast becomes very popular (fingers crossed!).
- A feed acts like a "container" for the MP3 file that tells feed aggregator programs where to get new episodes. It can be done manually with some XML coding. It's similar to HTML. You can copy another RSS file and use the template to make your necessary modifications.
[Edit]Uploading Your Podcast - Put your RSS podcast feed on the Internet. Go to Feedburner and type in the URL of your blog and click "I am a podcaster!" In the next screen, configure the elements for your podcast. These are the elements that directly relate to the podcast. Your feedburner feed is your podcast.
- Go to one of the hosts you can find online and sign-up there (this may take a while). Then go to your files, and upload your MP3 file.
- Make a post on your blog/website -- the title of the post should be the title of that episode of the podcast, and the content will end up as the "Show notes" or the "Description." Put in a little about what you talk about in your episode. At the end of the post, put a link directly to your media file.
- Give it a second. In a few minutes, Feedburner should add this to your feed, and now you have an episode! You can submit it to iTunes or a number of other podcast directories to get it known. You may want to wait, however, until you have some experience, so that your podcast will be compared as a fifth episode to another's first.
- Submitting a podcast to iTunes is fairly simple. The podcast page in the iTunes store has a large button that asks for the RSS link and some additional information about the podcast. A podcast can also be submitted via the Web through the link in the iTunes FAQ.[1]
- Ping the appropriate podcast directories when a new show is updated.
- Put the appropriate subscription buttons on your website so people can subscribe to the RSS podcast feed.
[Edit]Making Money from Your Podcast - Sell the podcast. You can set up a Web store to charge subscribers for each episode. However, a pay-per-listen podcast is competing with thousands of free podcasts. The content would have to be very compelling to convince very many people to shell out cash, so very few podcasts profit with this method.[1]
- In case you were thinking it, podcasts cannot be sold in the iTunes store.
- Sell advertising. If you insert a commercial into your podcast, listeners can easily skip over the ad when playing back the show on their computers or MP3 players. One option is to get sponsorship for the podcast, or even separate segments of the podcast. You may need to change the title of your podcast to allow the sponsor their due.
- Be sure you're not bombarding the listener with commercial after commercial. If your podcast is relatively short, a listener isn't going to want to hear three commercials in that small time frame. Especially at the beginning.
- Get into web advertising. This requires extra effort, because once someone subscribes to a podcast, it is downloaded directly into their RSS reader. They might never see the website again. The key is to tie the podcast into a blog or website and mention it frequently during the show. This will drive click traffic to the site and hopefully create some advertising revenue.[1]
- Think about banner and sidebar ads. The latter has a bit more impact because it's longer and you can't scroll away from it. As a result, it has a higher click-through rate.[5]
- Make sure your feed is in the directories. All Top, Digital Podcasts, All Podcast, and Gigdial are all good choices.
- Make sure you ping the appropriate services such as FreshPodcasts (see below) after you update your show.
- If you decide to use Audacity, download and install the LAME MP3 encoder so that you can save your recordings as MP3 files, the preferred format for podcasts.
- If you're going to play music, make sure you have the rights to it. Even though they can't really crack down on podcasts for putting music in their show, if you don't have the rights to use the song, you can be sued.
- One of the most well-known video sites around is YouTube. This is a great place to start a video podcast.
- You can use the popular social bookmarking tool to create and manage the RSS feed for your podcast. Once you have your mp3 files hosted somewhere on the internet, create a bookmark for each one.
- There are places on the Internet where you can find music free to use (as long as you're not trying to make money from your podcast), such as Free Music Archive, and try Creative Commons.
- If you wish for the RSS feed to work in Apple iTunes, you must add special fields. Make sure your feed is iTunes valid!
- Fun podcast topics include sports, movies, school, friends, and video games! (These are basic ideas).
[Edit]Warnings - The bandwidth consumption can be astronomical. Make sure your podcast is hosted with a reliable server that can handle huge bandwidth spikes. Most cheap hosting services will not work for this.
- Some podcasters delete episodes older than a certain length of time. People who have subscribed will still have the old episodes, but newer subscribers will only get the current ones. You may want to consider this.
- People won't want to listen to boring, run-on podcasts, or podcasts that don't have anything interesting enough each show, so vary and edit your material.
- Make sure the RSS podcast feed is valid -- especially if you wrote it yourself. Go to http://rss.scripting.com/ and type in the address of where you uploaded your RSS file; it'll let you know if it's valid.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Microphone
- Audio recording software
- Podcast Manager & Hosting
- A computer and mixer (if using multiple inputs)
- A webcam/camcorder (if video podcasting)
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Maintain a Garden Posted: 16 Apr 2020 09:00 AM PDT Gardens of all types can make your yard look beautiful, but they may get messy or overgrown if you don't properly maintain them. Every kind of garden has different requirements and growing needs, so make sure you use the proper equipment and materials for them. If you're growing vegetables in the ground or a raised garden bed, provide enough food and water to help them thrive. For flower gardens or general landscaping, remove weeds and get rid of dead growths. If you're maintaining a water garden, ensure that it doesn't get contaminated or dirty, or else your plants may not survive. With a bit of regular care and maintenance, your garden will look great! [Edit]Supporting Vegetable Beds - Look for companion vegetables to plant together for a better harvest. Some plants work well with others since they may repel pests or they won't compete for nutrients. As you plan out your vegetable beds, try to mix larger vegetables with smaller ones to keep them protected from the wind. Try using basil or lavender in gardens that attract pests, or plant cilantro and sunflowers to help attract beneficial insects.[1]
- Use plants that have pungent odors, like onion or garlic, in your vegetable beds to deter other larger pests.
- Make sure you check if plants are compatible before planting them together since they may compete for nutrients.
- Water soil to a depth of when it dries out in the summer. Use a trowel to dig into the soil and touch it with your finger to see if it feels dry. If it does, slowly pour water into the garden bed and allow it to soak in the soil. Continue watering the garden until the soil feels wet at least beneath the surface. Check the soil every 1–2 days to make sure it hasn't dried out again.[2]
- Avoid overwatering the garden since it can cause your plants to develop rot and prevent healthy growth.
- If you're able, install a drip irrigation system so the soil stays moist.
- Raised garden beds usually dry out faster than ones that are in the ground.
- Sprinkle 5-10-10 fertilizer on the soil 3–4 weeks after planting vegetables. Go to your local gardening store and look for a granulated 5-10-10 fertilizer that's made for vegetable gardens. Use about 1–2 tablespoons (14–28 g) of fertilizer per plant and spread it into the soil so it's away from the vegetable stems. Water your garden immediately so the fertilizer soaks into the soil.[3]
- Wear gloves while spreading fertilizer since it may cause skin irritation.
- If you're growing vine plants, such as melons or squash, spread fertilizer as soon as the vines begin spreading.
- Spread of mulch over the soil. Opt for organic mulch, such as leaves, hay, or bark, and get enough to cover the entire area of your garden. Look for mulch that has smaller pieces rather than large chunks since it won't be as effective at retaining moisture. Use a rake to create a thin, even layer of mulch, leaving about between the mulch and the vegetable stems to prevent rot. Throughout the season, [4]
- Mulching also prevents weeds from growing in the spaces between your vegetables.
- Remove weeds or crowded seedlings when you notice them. Check your garden every1–2 days and look for weed sprouts coming through the soil. Grab the base of the stem and pull up as much of the root system as you're able to so they don't grow back. Then pull any vegetable seedlings that are closer than to another growth since they may compete for nutrients. Pick out the weakest growths so you're more likely to have successful crops.[5]
- If you'd rather not pull the weeds by hand, cut into the soil with a hoe just below the weed or vegetable's roots.
- Spray plants with soapy water to remove and prevent pests. Fill a garden sprayer or a spray bottle with of liquid dish soap and of water. Apply the homemade pesticide to the entire vegetable, including the stems and underneath the leaves. If you have trouble reaching all parts of the plants with a spray bottle, wet a clean rag with the solution and wipe the areas that you missed clean.[6]
- Try hosing your plants down with a gentle stream to clean off pests that stick on the leaves.
- Avoid using chemical pesticides since they will stay in the soil or on your vegetables and make them unsafe to eat.
- Put fences around your garden to keep out larger pests. If you have rabbits getting into your vegetables, use a chicken wire fence that's buried underground and extends up . If you're dealing with raccoons or possums, opt for wire fences that are tall and extend underground. Put lightweight plastic netting around the base of the fence to deter animals from getting close to it.[7]
- If you have deer entering your yard, look for a mesh fence that's tall and anchored to the ground.
- Till the soil and old plants in the fall to add more organic matter. After you've harvested the vegetables, drag a hoe through the soil to turn it over. Mix in the roots or stems that were left over from your vegetables so it decomposes and adds nutrients to the soil. Smooth out the soil and spread it evenly in your garden bed so it's ready for the next growing season.[8]
- If you want to add more nutrients, spread a of compost to the soil as you till it.
- Don't leave any diseased plants in the soil since they can introduce bacteria to the next season's growth.
[Edit]Sustaining Flowers and Landscaping - Water the soil to a depth of if it feels dry. Dig a small hole with a trowel that's deep and feel the soil with your finger. If it's dry to the touch, use a watering can or garden hose with a sprinkler attachment to water the plants. Let the water soak into the soil until it's wet below the surface.[9]
- If you can afford it, purchase an irrigation or sprinkler system for your garden so you don't have to worry about watering it yourself.
- If you notice plant leaves turning yellow or drooping, you may have overwatered your garden. Let the soil dry out before you water it again.
- Pull weeds out by hand or with a hoe weekly. Look for growths in the soil between your plants at least once a week so your plants get the nutrients they need. Grab the base of the weed's stems as close to the ground as you can and pull them straight out of the ground to remove the roots. If you want to use a hoe, push it in about into the soil to cut the roots before removing them from your garden.[10]
- Don't throw weeds in a compost bin since they could still spread seeds or take root again. layer of organic mulch over the soil to prevent weeds from growing through. Mulch can also help your garden retain more moisture so you don't have to water it as frequently.}}
- Cut the turf around your beds to maintain the garden edge. Stand so you're facing your garden and keep your spade vertical. Place the sharp edge of the spade against the turf around the edges of your garden and push it into the soil. Pull the handle toward you to remove a wedge of turf so your garden has a clean edge. Continue around the entire garden bed's perimeter with the spade.[11]
- If you have an electric garden edger, you may use that instead.
- Top-dress the soil with compost in the spring and fall. Start spreading the compost before the main growing season starts, or else your plants may not have the nutrients they need to bloom.[12]
- Compost adds more nutrients to your soil and keeps your plants healthy.
- You may buy compost from your local gardening store or you can make your own.
- Prune shrubs to help thin them out and enhance growth. If you have shrubs that flower in the summer, choose to prune them in the late winter. If your plants bud in the early spring, then trim their branches right after they bloom so they have time to recover. Use hand pruners to trim up to a third of the plant's growth. Make your cuts at a 45-degree angle so water runs off them and reduces the risk of rot.[13]
- Be sure to reach into the middle of the plants to remove some of the interior branches to allow air flow through the plant.
- If you notice branches or leaves shriveling or yellowing from heat during the summer, prune them so they don't kill the rest of the plant.
- Deadhead dying flowers in the summer to help promote future growth. Wait until the blooms in your garden start shriveling up, or when they turn yellow or brown. Pinch the bases of the flowers and carefully twist them to pull them off of the plant. If you have difficulty removing the blooms by hand, cut the flowers at the base with a pair of hand pruners.[14]
- If you leave dead flowers on your plants, they may not bloom fully during the next growing season.
- If you have perennial plants, cut them to a height of at the end of the growing season, or else they may not grow as well in the next year.[15]
- Rake debris out from the garden beds in the fall. Remove any dead plant matter that's fallen into the soil since it could easily contain diseases or cause weeds to sprout in the area. Drag your rake gently over the soil and collect any scraps or debris into a pile. Throw everything you rake out into a trash can so it doesn't spread anywhere else in your yard.[16]
- Cleaning up debris in the fall ensures that bacteria don't absorb into the soil before the next growing season.
- You don't have to remove plants that have died or withered naturally after the growing season since they can add nutrients back into your garden.[17]
[Edit]Caring for a Water Garden - Cut plants back once or twice during the growing season. Use a pair of hand pruners to cut off any growths that look yellow, brown, or diseased. If the plant looks healthy, then opt for cutting back the oldest stems or branches to encourage new growth. Aim to trim about a third of the plant's growth in the beginning and near the end of the main growing season.[18]
- If you need to reach plants in the middle of the water garden's pond, walk through it with wading boots. Go slowly so you don't slip or fall.
- Some plants, such as water hyacinth, may need more frequent trimming since they are more invasive.
- Remove dead leaves or plants as soon as possible. Check your water garden daily to make sure there isn't any foreign debris that fell into the pond since it could cause algae to grow. Pick out floating debris with a pond skimming net and throw it away in your trash. If you have dying plants, trim off any stems or leaves with your pruners before they fall into the water.[19]
- If you want to prevent debris from falling in the water, stretch a piece of mesh netting over the water to catch it.
- Clear and rinse the filter weekly. Look for the pump along the edge of your water garden and remove the lid to access the filter. Take out any leaves or debris that are stuck inside the filter and throw them away so water can flow easily through it. Then pull the filter straight out and spray it with your garden hose to clean off anything that's stuck to it.[20]
- If the debris doesn't rinse off of the filter, buy a replacement from a gardening store or online.
- Refill the water garden with your garden hose once per week. Water will naturally evaporate from your pond, so place your garden hose in the garden. While the amount of water you need to refill the pond varies on the weather, try to add about each week.[21]
- Avoid replacing all of the water at once in your garden since you could remove beneficial bacteria or stress your plants.
- Some water gardens automatically refill depending on the type of pump or system you have.
- Place fertilizer tabs in the aquatic soil to stimulate plant growth. Fertilize your plants at the beginning of the growing season so your plants get the nutrients they need. Reach into the water and push 1–2 fertilizer tabs per plant into soil underwater and cover them. Over 3–4 days, the fertilizer will dissipate in the soil and water and keep your plants healthy.[22]
- You can buy fertilizer tabs from your local gardening store or online.
- Avoid using standard garden fertilizer since it could cause algae to grow on the surface.
- Add beneficial bacteria to help maintain the natural ecosystem. Put the bacteria in your pond at the beginning of the growing season and follow up with more every 5–6 weeks. Follow the directions on the package and add enough beneficial bacteria based on the size of your pond. As the bacteria grow in your pond, it will eliminate algae and provide nutrients for your plants.[23]
- You can buy beneficial bacteria for ponds online or at specialty gardening stores.
- It can take around 4 weeks for the bacteria to grow, so your pond may look green or algae-filled at the beginning of the growing season.
- Feed fish in your water garden daily. Get premium fish food for the species you have in your pond and toss a handful into your pond each day. Make sure you don't overfeed the fish, or else they may not eat algae throughout the day.[24]
- Avoid feeding fish after temperatures get lower than since they will go dormant and have trouble digesting solid food.
- Wear gardening gloves while you're working since soil and fertilizers can irritate your skin.[25]
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Supporting Vegetable Beds - Trowel
- Watering can or hose
- 5-10-10 fertilizer
- Hoe
- Spray bottle
- Dish soap
- Wire fencing
[Edit]Sustaining Flowers and Landscaping - Watering can or hose
- Hoe
- Rake
- Compost
- Hand pruners
- Spade
[Edit]Caring for a Water Garden - Hand pruners
- Pond skimmer net
- Garden hose
- Fertilizer tabs
- Beneficial bacteria for ponds
- Fish food
[Edit]References |
| How to Tie a Loop Knot Posted: 16 Apr 2020 01:00 AM PDT It's easy to create a loop on the end of a thread or line for a loop knot. These types of knots are particularly useful in fishing for attaching the hook to the line. Some common loop knots you can try are the Kreh loop knot, which can keep your line from snagging, and the perfection loop knot, which is an easy, tight knot. The surgeon's loop knot is a great beginner's knot since it relies on movements you likely already know. [Edit]Using a Kreh Loop Knot - Make an overhand knot. Cross the end of the thread back over itself. Leave about of thread toward the end of the line. Wrap it around the other side, and then pull the end back towards you through the middle of the loop. Tighten it up until the loop is a bit smaller than a dime.[1]
- This knot is also called the non-slip knot. It's a tight knot, and it doesn't snag on weeds when fishing because the tag end of the line faces down towards the hook.
- Thread the hook on if you're using one. If you're using the knot for fishing, push the end of the string through the eye hole in the top of the hook. Pull the hook toward the knot you made earlier.[2]
- Push the end of the thread back through the loop. Keep the hook between the end of the line and the loop. Thread the end of the line back through the loop and up toward the main, longer part of the line.[3]
- When choosing where to push the thread through, pick the side that's facing slightly downward toward the end of the thread.
- Wrap the thread around itself. Moving up the line toward the main part of the thread, take the tail end of the line and wrap it up and around the main part of the line 3-5 times. Turn the end back toward the bottom, and slip it through the loop again.[4]
- This time, push it through the side of the loop that's facing slightly upward toward the rest of the thread.
- Tighten and adjust the loop. Pull on the end of the line slightly to tighten it and then add a little bit of water on the main part of the knot so you don't burn the line against itself. Pull on it until the knot tightens up completely, and chop off the end, leaving less than .[5]
- To adjust the loop, pull on the end of the thread to make the loop smaller. Pull on the main part of the line to make the loop bigger.
[Edit]Making a Perfection Loop Knot - Create a simple loop by passing the line behind itself. It's easier to do this loop on a table the first time. Lay the line out, and bring the end of the thread up toward the main part of the line. Pass it underneath the main line, creating a loop.[6]
- You'll need to leave enough room at the end of the line to make another loop, so leave at least .
- Pass the end of the loop back over the top end of the other loop. Pick up the end of the line. Pass it over the main line again, including the top of the loop you just made. Create a second loop by tucking the end underneath the main line. The second loop will overlap the top of the first loop, like scales.[7]
- If you want to add a hook, thread it onto the second loop before you pass the end of the line underneath the main line.
- Bring the end of the line between the 2 loops you've made. Cross the end over the main line again, but make it go between the edges of the other loops you've made. The end should come out the other side.[8]
- Be careful not to stab yourself if you've added a hook to the line.
- Pull the second loop through the first loop you made. Stick your fingers through the first loop. Grab the edge of the second loop, including the hook. Pull it over the line you just pulled to the other side and out through the large loop.[9]
- The second loop becomes the main loop of the knot.
- Tighten the knot. Make sure the hook is where it needs to be. Pull on the end of the line and the loop end until the knot forms. Keep pulling to tighten it up, completing the knot.[10]
[Edit]Tying a Surgeon's Loop Knot - Pull the end of the line back up toward itself. You're going to double the line on itself to create this knot. Therefore, tug the end of the line back toward the main part of the line.[11]
- Add the hook to the line now, keeping it at the bottom of the loop you just made.
- Be sure to leave at least to tie the knot.
- Make an overhand knot with the doubled line. Keeping the doubled line against itself, wrap the new "end" (which is now a loop) over the line and back around the other side. On the other side, push the end through the circle you've just created and out the other side. Tighten it up slightly.[12]
- Wrap the "end" back through the overhand knot again. Take the loop end and wrap it around the back of the overhand knot. Pull it back through the overhand knot a second time. Tighten up the knot.[13]
- The loop you've been using as the "end" of the line now becomes the main loop.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Line or thread
- Fishing hook, optional
- Water, optional
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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