Customer Reviews

Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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...

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.

I bought the top three books on podcasting at the same time as I bought "Podcast Solutions." At that time, "Podcast Solutions" had just been released on Amazon and didn't even have a review yet. It turns out that of the four books, this one is the only book I really needed to buy. But let's look at it like this: I made that mistake so you don't have to.

From the most basic explanation of creating your own (podcast) audio file, to the most obscure and geeky RSS feed posting rules, this book covers it all. Even better, it's written in a very readable and entertaining style. These guys, like Brownie, have done a heck of a job.

The authors take you from the most basic concepts to your finished and posted show. In my case I had years of experience in creating clean audio files for various projects, but I knew next to nothing about posting an XML-based feed. Without that, you don't have a podcast. Dan's explanation of creating feeds is remarkable. Technical, yet very understandable. And best of all, he takes special care to help you avoid those common rookie mistakes.

As a one-stop tutorial, this is the best book I've seen by far.

Yes, it's true. I'm contemplating adding a podcast to my blog. So, I bought "Podcast Solutions" on Amazon and read it, front to back. This is a very useful book, and it comes with a CD of demo software you can use for podcasting.

Anyone who is thinking about podcasting should read this book BEFORE they start purchasing any equipment. One of the most valuable things I found in this book was information about the equipment you will need to get start. A large portion of this book is devoted to getting good quality recordings from your recording sessions so that it doesn't turn potential listeners off with popping, clicking, hissing, etc.

One of the other great things I found in this book is podsafe music. Never heard of it? Podsafe music is music from independent artists that is licensed for you to use it free of charge in your podcasts. Check out these sites: GarageBand and PodShow. The music is really good. I'm digging it.

I recently completed this book as I'm about to start a major podcasting project. Needless to say there aren't too many titles available in regards to podcasting out there as this industry has only exploded in the last year and a half and this is definitely one of the better books. Explains the various hardware and software requirements you'll need whether you're doing it on the cheap (practically everybody) or you want to dish out the bucks to really sound polished. One thing I really liked was they also dished ways to make money on your website (wow! is that possible?!) although it mainly talked about ways to get money through sponsorships of your webpage thru banner and/or Google ads. I would have liked to have seen information about dynamically placing ads into a podcast or even using couponing via a mention during the podcast or maybe even having it appear on the iPod's screen as artwork which is possible with the newer iPod's. Still these are newer forms of marketing your podcast and that's the one big problem with the book. This industry is changing ridiculously fast so no matter which book you buy it's already a bit outdated. Still you do get plenty of software and freeware on the CD-R and the information on creating your podcast and RSS feed is rock solid. But keep checking the various podcast sites out there (too many to list here) to keep up to date with the latest podcast trends. You'll need to for sure!

I've been podcasting for several months (my show is called Wine for Newbies), and I wish I'd bought this book when I started out. It would have saved me a lot of time learning things through trial-and-error. The authors devote a lot of time to issues that a new podcaster wouldn't necessarily think of, like show structure and financial issues.

The book also comes with a CD-ROM that has a number of Mac and Windows applications. I've found a few gems there.

The only thing keeping the book from getting 5 stars is I wish the authors offered more information on improving the audio quality of a podcast. There's a lot of things a podcaster can do with audio software, and some more specific suggestions would have been helpful. If they wanted to get really crazy, they could include "before and after" sound files on the CD to help illustrate how certain defects can be fixed.

Otherwise, a brilliant book that I will refer to often.

I started out knowing diddly squat about podcasting. I read "Podcast Solutions" by Michael Geoghegan (what's up with that name?) and Dan Klass and now I know everything. But much more important than my over-generous opinion of myself I got my podcast up swiftly, easily and on time thanks to this incredible book.

They answer questions with the insight of someone who really knows all the angles, who really knows what they are talking about, who has actually done it. The book will take you through the entire process and get you up and running. And isn't that what it's really all about?

I especially enjoyed Chapter 10 "Getting Heard" which offers rich detail and many astonishing ideas about how to get people to actually listen to your podcast. And isn't that what it's really all about?

Finally, the price on this book is right. Just right. Enough to make you realize you're getting something valuable (which you are) and low enough that it's well within reach of anyone who's ever splurged on a cup of Starbuck's coffee. And isn't that what it's really all about?

Buy the book. Do it now! Buy a brand new book all for yourself. Don't chintz out and get a used one from Amazon. There's a CD inside that you need and it will probably be missing from any used copy.

Whether you're an experienced broadcaster looking to enter the digital age, or a novice whose VCR (!) clock still blinks, Podcast Solutions can take you from planning to equipment to recording to marketing with ease, style and humor.

Michael Geoghegan and Dan Klass are veteran podcasters, meaning they've both been at it for more than a year, and they've already made the mistakes, which means you don't have to. The book offers advice on planing your show's content and format, buying the right gear, getting the best-sounding audio, and letting people know about your podcast.

I've been in radio for more than 10 years, and I still found quite a few useful tips and reminders about making things sound good, and about the important differences between broadcasting and podcasting.

The book is full of useful links and show recommendations, and it even comes with all the software you'll need on the enclosed CD.

BOTTOM LINE: Want to be a podcaster? Buy this book right now.

Michael Geoghegan and Dan Klass have done a great job in this 240 page book on podcasting. A great book for any podcaster. They do a good job of taking you through all of the steps necessary to learning podcasting. The book runs the gamut of the steps you'll need to preparing your podcast, to recording and subsequently publishing your podcast on the web.The book is easy to follow and has lots of links to websites for additional reference. Overall the best book on the market for podcasting.