GETTING STARTED

Complete the script for your Podcast.

Plug your microphone into the computer before you open Audacity.

Open Audacity from the Apps folder on the desktop.

RECORDING YOUR PODCAST

Use the microphone to record your voice in Audacity. Your audio recording will appear as a waveform in

the work area.

PODCASTING WITH AUDACITY

Pause

Play

Stop

Rewind

Fast Forward

Record

SAVING YOUR PODCAST

When you are finished recording your podcast, you should save your file as an Audacity project. Choose

the File dropdown menu and then choose Save Project As…

*This is important because it will allow you to come back to your audio file if you make any mistakes when

you are editing it.

EDITING YOUR PODCAST

Delete any unwanted noises and mistakes

or add music as an introduction or ending

before you convert it to a podcast.

To be able to edit accurately, you need

to zoom to the waveform section you

want to change. Use the Selection Tool

to highlight the bit of audio you want

to delete.

Use the Zoom Tool to enlarge an area of your audio waveform you want to edit. Keep clicking to make the section big enough for you to work with. Use the Cut Tool to permanently delete a section of your podcast (i.e., a cough, or “um”)

Use the Undo Tool if you need to return a change to the original recording.

The Trim Tool deletes everything that isn’t highlighted.

The Silence Tool deletes everything that is highlighted.

HAVE FUN AND EXPERIMENT AND REMEMBER—The Undo Tool is your friend!

ADDING EFFECTS TO YOUR PODCAST

To manipulate the volume highlight the clip with the

Selection Tool.

Then go to Effect Dropdown Menu and choose Amplify

or one of the other effects.

ADDING MUSIC TO YOUR PODCAST

Go to the File Dropdown Menu and choose Import Audio

and navigate to the folders where you have saved

copyright free MP3 music files. Double-click the file you

want to import. (You can access additional songs/sounds by going to the TOHICKON_SHARES network loca-

tion. Open the folder labeled FOX. Then open Podcast Sounds. Listen and make your choice.)

Since you only want about 10 seconds of music at the beginning of your podcast you will need to use the

Selection Tool to highlight the section of music you don’t want and then use the Cut Tool to delete it.

Use the Selection Tool

and the Timeshift Tool

to fade in/out or replay your music.

Use the Timeshift Tool to grab your intro music

and drag it before your spoken audio. (That way

the music won’t be playing over your talking.

If you can’t drag the music track make sure that

Sync Lock Tracks isn’t selected under the

Tracks Dropdown menu).

EXPORTING YOUR FILE AS AN MP3 FILE

To turn your Audacity file into a podcast you need to go to the File Dropdown Menu and choose Export…

choose .MP3 as your file, create a name, and choose Save.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have completed your Oral History Podcast.

Timeshift moves the spoken portion after the intro music so they aren’t

playing over one another.