Fast, free and easy podcasting with Podbean & PodOmatic

This week, I was speaking about podcasting to a group of social enterprise entrepreneurs. These are the heroes and heroines of our communities, in my opinion, yet even those who knew what a podcast was were nervous that the technology might be beyond them.

So for those I met at the UnLtd/Media Trust event (and maybe a few others), here’s a way to connect your passion with some of the most committed online communities using two simple, free platforms: PodOmatic and Podbean.

First, though, what’s it all about? Podcasts can be audio or video – anything you can imagine on your iPod, really. But let’s keep it simple for now and focus on audio.

OK, so why not just plonk your latest rant, recipe or review on your website as an audio file. You can. And that’s fine. But wouldn’t it be nice if people could listen to your latest masterpiece anywhere, anytime? And how neat would it be if your podcast popped up in iTunes, where people could download it and become regular subscribers?
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SIDE BY SLIDE 2: Creating audio slideshows with Soundslides

Part 2 of a comparison between audio slideshows created with Soundslides, iMovie, Windows Movie Maker and Picasa. Other pages: Introduction, iMovie & Windows Movie Maker, Picasa, the Verdict.

Meet the benchmark for professional quality and ease of use, with a well-earned reputation to match.

Upload a folder of jpeg images and an MP3 file and Soundslides spaces the timing of images to match the audio (in other words, your project is as long as your MP3 file). On export, Soundslides creates a ‘publish to web’ folder which must be uploaded to a server. Armed with the folder’s URL, you then visit the online Soundslides utility, which generates an embed code for your blog or website. (more…)

SIDE BY SLIDE 3: Creating audio slideshows with iMovie and Windows Movie Maker

Part 3 of a comparison between audio slideshows created with Soundslides, iMovie, Windows Movie Maker and Picasa. Other pages: Introduction, Soundslides, Picasa, the Verdict.

iMOVIE 09

iMovie 09 is streets ahead of iMovie 08 in my book and a deceptively-powerful editing tool.

To create an audio slideshow just drag images and an MP3  file directly to the project window. It’s then easy to change the order of images, add transitions (one-second dissolve in this case) from the extensive library, and adjust the timing of images. When complete, the slideshow can be exported direct to YouTube. (more…)

SIDE BY SLIDE 4: Creating audio slideshows with Picasa

Part 4 of a comparison between audio slideshows created with Soundslides, iMovie, Windows Movie Maker and Picasa. Other pages: Introduction, Soundslides, iMovie & Windows Movie Maker, the Verdict.

I am impressed. Assuming you have already downloaded Picasa 3 and been amazed by the way it ferrets out and catalogues every image on your computer, creating a slideshow is as easy as clicking on the ‘Create movie  presentation’ icon next to every album.

Tabbed windows make life simple and logical. Upload an audio MP3 (selecting ‘fit photos into audio’, which spaces the images to fill the length of the audio), set the transition type and the final project dimensions, drag to re-order your images, add captions and full title screens, and you’re ready to upload your completed slideshow direct to YouTube or export as a .mov file. (more…)

SIDE BY SLIDE 5: The audio slideshow verdict

The last part of a comparison between audio slideshows created with Soundslides, iMovie, Windows Movie Maker and Picasa. Other pages: Introduction, Soundslides, iMovie & Windows Movie Maker, Picasa.

This wasn’t intended to be a head-to-head comparison. Comparing a Flash-based, hosted Soundslides project with a movie file compressed by YouTube is a little like comparing, well, an Alvis with a scooter.

But not everyone has server access or the Flash skills to build their own audio slideshow.

So the first thing to say about iMovie, Windows Movie Maker and Picasa is that they could all do the job, but with shortcomings in the caption department. On the other hand, captions don’t look too hot in movie format. So, unless you have Soundslides, consider using full-screen text display if required, but otherwise focus on the quality of audio and images to tell your story. (more…)