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Tech-Ease for Windows is your source for just-in-time answers for classroom technology questions. A companion Tech-Ease for Mac site is also available. This collection is a part of theEducational Technology Clearinghouse.Funding for Tech-Ease content development has been provided by the USF College of Education and various grants from theFlorida Department of Education.

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Do you want to have Audacity for Chromebook? Then, this article is for you. I will show you how you can get Audacity for your Chrome OS device. Audacity became popular in the multimedia industry and known to be the best audio recording software. Why? Maybe because it is free and made available for the users.

One of the characteristics of Audacity audio recorder that people appreciate is that it runs in almost all operating systems. Whether in a Windows OS device, Mac OS device, and even Linux-based device, you can get Audacity. There's no limit on how it will work on your particular platform. But have you noticed that I did not mention the Chrome Os? If you are using a Chrome OS device, keep on reading. I know it sounds great to have Audacity for Chromebook, so here it is.

What really makes Audacity that great? Well, first on the list is the fact that you can get it for free. Many audio recording software comes at a high price. You need to buy them or use the free version for 7 to 14 days. But that is not the case with Audacity. When you download this program, you can use it without limitations. Plus, the plugins that can add life to your recordings are also free.

Here's the sad thing, you can never have this software if your device runs a Chrome OS. There only a little possibility of getting Audacity for Chromebook. And, you have to go through a complex process of installing it in your device. Why?

Two Main Reasons Why Audacity is not for Chromebook

1. Chromebook is designed for cloud-based applications. This means the applications you can get for this device only rely on remote servers and only accessible from your web browsers. It needs a continuous internet connection to use a particular application. While Audacity is an open-source software that is made available to users by downloading the application and installing it on your computer, you can use it without an internet connection.

2. Chromebook has a small internal disk space. Audacity requires a lot of space in your device because it comes with high-quality audio data.

Like what is stated earlier, there is still a little possibility of getting Audacity for Chromebook. It is a complex process because you need to port your device to WxWidgets. It is a library that allows the developers to create applications that will run on different platforms. Audacity will also require you to port some libraries that have to be built-in with the application.

Now that you understand these reasons, you don't need to be that sad. There are other options you can do to have an audio recording tool for your Chromebook. It may not function like Audacity but it will allow you to produce high-quality sounds and edit those sounds at the same time. This option is to get alternatives to Audacity for Chromebook.

Free Audio Recording Tools for Chromebook

While many software requires you to download and install in your device, cloud-based applications only need an internet connection to be accessible.

Here are some of the free audio recording and editing tools you can get for your Chrome OS device.

1. AUDIOTOOL

Audiotool is a cloud-based application program that lets you create your music online. It has its publishing platform which allows the user to share their work with others. It comes with synthesizers, effects, and samples to create a great sound.

With this application, you are not restricted to use different effects and you can make your audio according to your preference.

2. TWISTEDWAVE

Another audio editing tool that can be an alternative to Audacity for Chromebook is the TwistedWave. This can also be accessed through your web browser. This application is made for audio editing purposes.

To edit your audio, you have to import your audio files from your computer or Google drive to Twistedwave. You can then apply effects, personalize your work and then export or save your file with different audio formats.

3. AUDIO CONVERTER

Audio Converter is a free online application that functions as a converter. This also does not require you to download and install in your computer.

From the name itself, its main feature is to convert an audio file into different formats. It also allows you to extract an audio to a video file with advance settings and customization.

Where To Find These Audio Recording and Editing Tools

Getting these alternatives to Audacity for Chromebook is very easy. Just follow these steps.

1. On your browser, go to Chrome Web Store.

2. Type in the search bar the application you want to get for your Chromebook (e.g. Twistedwave). It will display the application that associates with that name or the specific application will appear on the selection.

3. Click on the button that has " Add to Chrome " text in it.

4. A dialog box will appear. Just click on " Add extension " and the icon will appear on the right side of your browser's search bar.

5. To use the program, click on the extension and it will redirect you to the page where you can import your file and do your work. You can see the extension on the right side of your browser's address bar.

6. That's it. You can proceed to create your music.

Conclusion

There are numbers of audio recording tools that may run in your Chromebook. Just like Audacity, it will not limit you to create a good music with high-quality sound and customized effects. You don't have to download and install those applications. They are just right there in your browser. You can access them anytime as long as you have an internet connection.

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Audacity for Chromebook: Record & Edit Audio in Chromebooks

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Do you want to have Audacity for Chromebook? Then, this article is for you. I will show you how you can get Audacity for your Chrome OS device. Audacity became popular in the multimedia industry and known to be the best audio recording software. Why?

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Some of us are great communicators. Some of us are, how should I say, somewhat less than great. All of us can improve. Communication skill can continue to improve throughout our lives. I assume that anyone reading a blog called "How Communication Works" is interested in improving their communication skills.

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High School Suggestions start at 13 on the lo

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Podcasts are a terrific way to learn something new, whether you're at home, in the car, or in the classroom. They cover a wide variety of topics, so there's something to interest pretty much everyone. These podcasts for kids and teens are sure to engage young listeners and start interesting conversations. Plus, we've suggested enrichment activities to go along with each one!

Disclaimer: We've divided the list by grade level because some might be more intense or cover more mature topics than is appropriate for younger students. You are the best judge for your own kids or students, though, so we recommend vetting all material before sharing.

Best Podcasts for Kids in Elementary School

Teachers can get free access to this podcast to share with their class. The episodes focus on subjects in STEAM and language arts, all geared toward kids in grades K-5.

Activity to try: Use these educational podcasts as a launching pad for STEM challenges. Visit the Tinkercast website for lots of "podject" ideas!

On each episode, kids collaborate with famous, diverse authors to grow their story ideas. Then the author takes those seeds and writes an original story that you get to hear on the show!

Activity to try: Have students brainstorm a list of their own potential story ideas together. Then, ask each student to use one or more of those ideas to write a short story on their own.

Like Story Seeds, Story Pirates encourages kids to submit their own ideas. But instead of turning them into stories, the show transforms those ideas into songs and sketch comedy. So fun!

Activity to try: Take your students' story ideas and challenge them to write their own funny sketches and songs. This will really encourage their creativity.

In this debate podcast, participants take two different items and argue it out to determine which is best. Topics include "Hot Sauce vs. Butter" and "Palm Trees vs. Pine Trees."

Activity to try: This is such a fun way to introduce debating skills to kids. Hold your own "this or that" debates with students, or try this list of funny debate topics for all ages.

This podcast adapts folktales from around the world into music-rich radio plays for kids. Each episode explores universal themes like friendship, persistence, creativity, and generosity, and ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups. This is one of those podcasts for kids that appeals to adults too!

Activity to try: Print the free coloring page that goes along with each episode and let kids use their crayons or markers while they listen.

Life on Earth can be awfully strange, don't you think? The folks at Radiolab, creators of popular podcasts for adults and teens, produce this special series just for kids. Each episode has accompanying "shovels," which are activities to help kids dig deeper. This one is perfect for the classroom.

Activity to try: The drawing prompts for each episode are really unique. Have kids complete them, then display them on a bulletin board or slideshow for others to see.

These original audio stories are filled with whimsy and wonder for young listeners and their families. This is one of the best podcasts for kindergartners.

Activity to try: Let kids write, illustrate, and make a recording of their own original story.

Kids have all kinds of curious questions-it's one of the things we love most about them! This educational podcast for kids from Vermont Public Radio tackles such topics as Why Do People Have Nightmares?, Do Animals Get Married?, and Why Do Lions Roar?

Activity to try: Have kids start a log, using a special notepad, of all the crazy questions they can think of. They should take the notebook with them everywhere they go.

In an era of fake news, kids need to be able to determine what's true and what's false. And what better way to do that than a game show that puts kids in the driver's seat, adults on the hot seat, and a sound-effects robot strapped to the roof? Each week, a kid interviews two experts on a particular topic, one of whom is a genuine, credentialed expert, the other a liar. Hilarious and fast-paced, the show teaches kids to ask insightful questions, weigh the evidence before them, and trust their gut.

Activity to try: Play an in-class or at-home version of Two Truths and a Lie to polish truth-telling skills.

There's a whole lot going on in the world these days, and not all of the news is kid-friendly. KidNuz informs in a way that explains but doesn't overwhelm kids. Their mission statement says it all: "To engage the next generation with news that will inform without fear and educate without opinion."

Activity to try: Pick an issue and do a "deep dive." Specifically, look for the upside of a situation-people helping people, people bonding together, etc.

A fun-filled podcast for kids all about ethical questions that get kids and adults thinking. "Do you have to love your sibling?" "Are some lies actually OK?" "Is it ever OK to fight back against a bully?"

Activity to try: Have your students write down questions to which they don't know the answers and discuss them (after vetting them, of course).

If you're looking for science podcasts for kids, this one tells stories about science discoveries with help from actual scientists. They explore things like why cats always seem to land on their feet and what a journey to the center of the Earth would look like.

Activity to try: Discuss the topic of any given episode as a class, opening it up to questions and encouraging further research.

Follow the ongoing battle between Dr. Floyd and the evil mastermind Dr. Steve (along with his sock-shaped assistant, Fidgert). During all their fighting, Dr. Floyd learns about history. With more than 400 episodes, there are plenty to choose from.

Activity to try: Have students write their own episodes, including a historical event that they love or that you have covered in class.

The host of Brains On! and her kid co-host talk with food scientists and snake handlers, put on plays, write songs, and so much more. It's a science lesson for your ears!

Activity to try: Listen to the episode " Books: How they're made and how your brain reads them." Afterward, have a discussion with your class about the many ways that reading is great for them.

This is an online treasure trove of free audio stories. You can listen to a mixture of original stories, fairy tales, and specially adapted myths and histories. Storynory has published an episode every week since 2005, so there is plenty to love and something for everyone.

Activity to try: Have students write an original short story and then present it to the class.

In search of podcasts for curious kids? Every two weeks, the creative host of this podcast takes questions from kids and spins them into an entertaining tale. Check out What If Clouds Were Made of Cotton Candy? or What If Magic Didn't Exist?

Activity to try: Make a top-10 list of your own what-ifs. Write a story, create a comic strip, or make a drawing to go with your favorites.

In a distant future that's either really bad or really good (depending on whose side you're on), two strange and unlikely champions embark on a series of adventures to stop a wicked A.I., and in the process must struggle to understand "old-fashioned" ideas like "kindness" and "just hanging out not doing much."

Activity to try: Start a discussion on how devices such as smartphones impact students' interactions with the people around them. Discuss the pros and cons of technology and the things we can do to be more connected with one another.

James Hawkins helps his mom run a motel in modern-day Montauk, Long Island. When a mysterious man washes up on the beach with a treasure map tattooed on his chest, James discovers that Billy Bones is, in fact, a time-traveling pirate from the 18th century. James and his new friends, Morgan and Max, follow the map right into a magical portal that leads them back nearly 300 years and into a swashbuckling adventure.

Activity to try: Have students write the story of what they would do if they discovered someone was a time-traveler. Would they want to enter the portal and go back in time?

In the spirit of Mayan folklore, an 11-year-old Belizean girl accidentally invokes an evil spirit that threatens to consume the rainforest. She goes on a thrilling journey to save her home and her people.

Activity to try: Ask students to write their own story of what they would do to protect their home. Do they see any similarities to the environmental problems we face today?

Finn Caspian is an 8-year-old boy aboard the Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. He and his friends Abigail, Elias, and Vale are Explorers Troop 301, taking off from the Marlowe to explore uncharted planets, help the occasional alien, and solve a mystery that threatens to destroy their space station.

Activity to try: Have students create their own illustrations of Finn's adventures. Would they want to be among his explorer friends?

Best Podcasts for Kids in Middle School

In each episode, three real middle school students team up to talk about their favorite book. Episodes also include an interview with the author, celebrity readings, and more.

Activity to try: Put your students into groups of three, and have them record their own podcast discussion about a book they all love.

This clever teen has been uncovering the mysteries of the universe in this podcast since he was 11. Several years in, he's tackling topics like how to fix recycling, why math is so hard to love, and other subjects tweens can relate to in his educational podcasts.

Activity to try: Before listening to a podcast, pose the title question to students and ask them to think, write, or discuss their initial responses. After listening, see how their opinions stack up to Tai's findings.

Though this podcast focuses mainly on Australian girls and women, their stories are meaningful around the world. Learn about athletes, scientists, adventurers, and more.

Activities to try: Challenge students to try to find girls or women in their own lives who have had similar experiences to the ones featured in this podcast.

Listen as world-famous radio reporter Eleanor foils devious plots, outwits crafty villains, and goes after the Big Story. Eleanor's pursuit of truth takes her into orbit, out to sea, and even to the halls of Congress! Her adventures are entertaining and informative.

Activity to try: Have a discussion about Eleanor and her values, especially the importance of access to information, being inclusive to different points of view, and telling the truth. Then have your students write about what their values are.

If you're looking for podcasts for kids who are into hip-hop, this one for tweens might be just their speed. Episodes follow the main character, Antoine, a boy who is bullied and finds a magical book that transports him to another world.

Activity to try: Have students create an illustrated version of the story as they follow along with the podcast.

Famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about all things space: stars, planets, humans in space, and so much more. He also interviews a lot of amazing people, from astronaut Buzz Aldrin to actress Olivia Munn to former president Jimmy Carter.

Activity to try: Have students research the science topic covered in a given episode, learning more about the topic and sharing their findings.

Explore all of the oddities of the English language! Filled with good humor and levity, this podcast will help students explore the roots of words and phrases that we use every day.

Activity to try: Have students write their own grammatical or linguistic jokes, using these as starter examples.

Looking for educational podcasts about history for kids? This title speaks for itself. Learn about people and events that are often overlooked in a typical history class.

Activity to try: Choose a popular unit of historical study, like the Civil War or Great Depression, then have students research the little-told stories related to it. They could even write a readers theater based on their findings.

This is an award-winning listening-skills platform, searchable by topic area or school subject. It advances classroom learning by providing additional content and building listening skills. There is also a focus on current events that helps keep the learning tied to the real world.

Activity to try: Each episode comes equipped with teaching resources, so pick the topic that is best for your class and get listening.

Humans are a curious lot as this educational podcast attests to in its mission statement: "True stories of inspiration, humor, and the incredible achievements of all types of people, many of which are sadly under-shared."

Activity to try: Have your students reach out to relatives, friends, or neighbors and ask them to share stories from their past.

This thought-provoking podcast tells the origin story of middle schoolers Marcus Aronson and Mondo Ramirez, also known as Cupid and the Grim Reaper. Can these two mismatched heroes overcome their differences and learn to harness the powers of life, death, and love?

Activity to try: Start a conversation about what it would be like to be a teen with superpowers. Discuss the perspectives of the main characters. How would students feel if they were 13 years old and found out they are Cupid or the Grim Reaper?

Best Podcasts for Kids in High School

This inspiring podcast celebrates all the teens and tweens who are innovating, inventing, and making the world a better place. Listening to these episodes will remind students that they can accomplish great things at any age.

Activity to try: Do some research to find more inspiring teens and tweens, locally or around the world. Ask students to create their own podcast episode about their amazing finds.

Music-loving teens will be fascinated by this podcast in which musicians talk about the songs they've written, telling the stories of their creation. With guests that range from Billie Eilish to Yo-Yo Ma, everyone will find music they love here.

Activity to try: Have students choose a song they love, and see if they can find out more about the story of its creation and recording. They can record their own podcast or write an article about their discoveries.

We all have moments in our lives that we'd rather forget, but there's something reassuring about knowing other people feel the same way. This podcast invites adults (including celebrities) to share embarrassing things they wrote as kids. Teens will feel a real connection and also get an important reminder that we really do live down even the most embarrassing things.

Activity to try: Invite students to write a journal entry or letter to themselves about an embarrassing time in their lives. Encourage them to return to it in a few years to see if they still feel the same way.

Ever wanted to know more about your subconscious, the part of your brain that influences and manipulates you without your even knowing it? This podcast dives deep into exactly that topic.

Activity to try: Encourage students to take some time to reflect on their own subconscious, perhaps in a journal entry. Can they identify times when it had a real influence on their actions?

This long-running NPR favorite is one of the best educational podcasts for kids in high school. They'll get a chance to challenge their own knowledge of news and current events while laughing at the show's guests as they try to do the same.

Activity to try: Host your own segment of the show each week, with one student responsible for coming up with a series of current events questions to test their classmates.

Help students connect with this centuries-old play using this new bilingual podcast version. It's ideal for schools where Spanish is just as prevalent as (or even more common than) English.

Activity to try: Ask students to select a passage from the original play and translate it into another language. Rather than insisting on word-for-word translation, encourage them to rewrite the passage in a way that captures the rhythm and emotion of the original.

Teens will especially enjoy Adult ISH, a culture, advice, and storytelling podcast produced entirely by youths who are almost adults. They tackle a wide variety of topics from a late-teens point of view.

Activity to try: Have your students select a topic in the news today and write their own podcast that shares their take on the news.

A podcast created by the co-author of Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics, Stephen Dubner, invites listeners to explore the hidden sides of everything. And given his almost 300 episodes on topics ranging from "Millionaires vs. Billionaires" to "How To Win a Nobel Prize," he is well on his way to talking about everything.

Activity to try: Have students pick an episode and find how it affects their everyday lives. These can be written or presented to the class, allowing for discussion and questions.

Tune in to the community radio of this desert town for the news on local weather, the mysterious lights overhead, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, a dog park that prohibits dogs, and dark-hooded figures with unknowable powers.

Activity to try: Challenge students with this prompt: You have been hired by Night Vale Community Radio to write a segment. It could be a continuation of a segment that already exists, like "The Children's Fun Fact Science Corner" or "Community Calendar," or a report of a strange happening in the town, told in Cecil-fashion. These could be performed in front of the class, written, or put in podcast form.

This podcast brings you the "ins and outs of everyday things," from the "Pledge of Allegiance" to Mexican jumping beans to "Your Limb Is Torn Off" (obviously for teens and older!).

Activity to try: Ask each student to give a short presentation on something they think all their classmates should know about-whatever they find fascinating!

Sarah Koenig tells one story week by week. The first season covers the true story of Adnan Syed, convicted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore. The problem: Adnan cannot remember what he was doing the day of the murder. And as if that weren't bad enough, there's someone claiming that he helped Adnan hide the body.

Activity to try: Have students find a famous crime in history and write a dialogue between themselves and the accused, having the accused tell their side of the story. These projects can be handed in, performed in front of the class, or put into podcast format.

The incredibly popular Radiolab is a show about curiosity, where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.

Activity to try: Listen to the episode Sight Unseen about a soldier's last moments and the photographer who captured them. Divide the class in half, and have them prepare and then conduct a debate on whether or not the photographer has the right to publish the photos.

Stories of people who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Phoebe Judge explores topics from owls killing people to how to fake your death to the life of a police dog.

Activity to try: Have students pick an episode that interests them and do more in-depth research on the topic, presenting their findings to the class.

Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers and The Tipping Point, looks back through the overlooked and misunderstood in history, reexamining the past and asking whether we got it right the first time.

Activity to try: Listen to the three-part series on college (season one, episodes 4-6), and have a class discussion. Trust me, there will be plenty to talk about.

Each episode of This American Life centers around a theme. Most are journalistic at the core, but some are comedic. This podcast is hard to generalize, especially after hundreds of episodes. But the number of episodes and the podcast's massive popularity should speak for themselves.

Activity to try: Have students take a theme from an episode and write their own report or story surrounding that theme.

Hosted by Roman Mars, 99% Invisible is a narrative podcast about all the thought that goes into the things we don't think about-the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.

Activity to try: Ask students to pay closer attention to the buildings and infrastructure in their town or city. Have them make a list of things they had never noticed before.

Covering the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies, Science Friday shares news about science, technology, and other cool stuff. Host Ira Flatow mixes it up by featuring people in the know and those who want to be. The podcast frequently features listeners that call in with their most riveting science questions. If you're looking for the best science podcasts for kids in high school, this is a winner.

Activity to try: Choose from a wide range of topics such as Racism and Mental Health, Privacy and Big Data, and Structure of Conspiracy Theories, and spark a discussion.

Will and Mango have lots of questions. Will we ever live without sleep? How do rats keep outsmarting humans? Where are the sunniest tax havens to hide your money? Join these Part-Time Geniuses as they dive into ridiculous topics and discover some pretty smart stuff along the way.

Activity to try: Ask students to come up with an interesting question. Then, once their topic is approved, have them share the answer with their classmates.

This highly acclaimed podcast is one of the best podcasts for kids because it delivers honest and unfiltered conversations with celebrities, activists, athletes, and influencers focusing on real-life issues-from mental health and political activism to pop culture and more.

Activity to try: At 18, Sammy Jaye became the youngest person to host her own podcast on iHeartRadio. Have students write a short paper on whether they'd want to have their own podcast while reflecting on the challenges they might face.

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50 Best Podcasts for Kids in Elementary, Middle, and High School

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The best podcasts for kids and teens are perfect to listen to at home, or use them in the classroom with our accompanying activity ideas!

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High school is perhaps one of the biggest turning points of a person's life. Sure, there's still college after that, but not everyone gets the chance to move that stage forward.

So while you're all in the stage where you go wonder what you really want to be like in the years to come, why not try listening to Podcasts to give yourself some insights about life. There are scores of podcasts that you could find all over the internet. Topics range from Academic Related stuff where you could be able to extend your knowledge in any particular class that you like, to inspirational ones which would give you some great things to think about how to live your life and how to enjoy what you have.

So here's a collection of 50 Podcasts that any high school student should listen to, categorized into the four general topics would help you focus on what you might choose to become in the years to come.
Academic Related Podcasts
Not everyone can be a History Buff, a Grammar Nazi, a Science Geek, or a Poetry enthusiast, but a person could try listening to one of these podcasts to have a bit more of new things learned from among every classes like Science, Math, English, History and Literature.

There are things that we can't just learn in a four walled classroom, which is why these podcasts could offer you more practical applications of the theories they discuss to you. Apart from that is you get to know more advance stuff that could help you appreciate learning these classes more.
General and Special Interest Podcasts
Everyone has their own sets of hobbies and interests. Some might be more of into arts (in all sorts of forms) or perhaps photography, or knitting and crocheting. Others might be interested in the latest innovations in technology. Others are superbly curious of how things work so they could make videos of it on YouTube. There are those out there who like stuff about Animals, the Universe, the Mind, Documentaries and Conspiracy Theories and so on and so forth.

So for the sake of having a lot of youngsters out there who are into several things, here's a list of podcasts for those various hobbies and interests.
Entrepreneurship
Isn't there a saying about starting up a business while you are young?

Whether you're into selling things for auction at eBay, or having garage sales on weekends, making homemade cookies and cupcakes for deliveries, it's about time you get to learn more on the techniques on how to make your business flourish into something bigger. Who knows if you could make your business your career if you decide not to go further into college.

Since it's never just about learning the theories about business, but having the ability to be quick and efficient in decision making, why not invest a bit of your time listening to pros on how they handle their business?
Inspirational & Motivational
There are plenty of days we feel down. High School is probably among those days when you feel like everything isn't going how you want them and that you feel like there's no point to all the things happening around you. Now, remember that people around you are having the same struggles too. Some of them have worse things to think and feel about themselves but they still push themselves to go on with their lives. Get to know their heartwarming stories that would tug on your heartstrings. Live by their examples and inspire others like how they inspired you.
Dennis Lee is the lead teacher at - where they provide hundreds of video lessons and tutorials for any kinds of maths, including Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus and more.

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50 Of The Best Podcasts For High School Students

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50 Of The Best Podcasts For High School Students by Dennis Lee, StudyPug.com High school is perhaps one of the ... 50 Of The Best Podcasts For High School Students Read More

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We don't expect you to be experts. In fact, we expect that most of you are putting a podcast together for the first time.

And even though this is a contest, it's also about learning new skills in a fun way. We want to make that learning easier - so we've put together a guide to help you along the way.
Getting Started Your Toolbox Podcast Examples Planning Your Podcast Getting Your Ideas Together Brainstorming Sounds Podcast Structure Podcast Production What Makes A Good Interview? Preparing For Field Recording Scripting Your Podcast Voicing The Podcast Production Tips Before we get started, we know you might have a few questions. Let's talk about a few basics. What's a podcast?
Podcasts come in all shapes and sizes. That's good news for you, because it means that you have lots of room to be creative and make something you're excited about. Some podcasts, like This American Life, are long - sometimes an hour or more. Others, like Kind World, a podcast from WBUR, are less than 10 minutes. Some podcasts, like NPR's Up First, are about news. Up First comes out every morning, and the hosts talk about the news and feature stories from guests reporting on the news. Other podcasts tell stories. Lots are funny. Some feature people having conversations. Many are educational: They teach listeners about a specific topic. NPR's Hidden Brain is about science and human behavior. And there's Planet Money, a podcast all about money and life.

Think about sound. We're challenging you to work with sounds - interviews, narration and recorded sounds from the world around you.
Don't I need fancy equipment to make a podcast?
Nope! There are ways to make a podcast without buying expensive microphones and recorders. We're writing this guide with the idea that you can make a podcast with two tools: a smartphone and a computer.
How many people do we need, and what roles are involved?
There isn't a set number of people needed to create a podcast, but it helps to have a team of people who work in different roles.

The role of producers frequently varies between podcasts and radio shows. Often, producers are in charge of the sound: They record the sound and edit it to put the podcast together. You'll also need writers to write out questions for interviews or the script. (Sometimes, producers or hosts pitch in to help write for podcasts.) Hosts also "voice" the podcast by acting as the narrator and conducting interviews with subjects. Depending on the size of your class or group, some team members may work as researchers or spend time organizing interviews. After you record the conversations or interviews, your team will want to make sure you talk about what you want to cut out and keep in - that's all part of the editing process. You might choose to have editors on your team or assign editing duties to teammates who have pitched in in other ways.

You can divide up these duties in a way that makes sense for the size of your team. You might decide to have multiple people host and multiple people work as producers.
What does it mean to mix audio?
Mixing is the process of editing and arranging audio clips in a way that sounds seamless and natural to a listener. After you and your team record sounds from interviews, events or other sources, you'll need to arrange them in a sound-editing software, like Audacity, which you can download online free of charge.
I've been reading lots of training guides that use tons of words I don't know. Help!
This glossary from NPR's training site has lots of words that you might come across if you're reading up on podcasting.

Your Toolbox

Before you think too much about your podcast, you're going to want to think about how, exactly, you'll record the sounds you need.

Here at NPR, we use lots of equipment when we leave the office to record interviews or sounds for our stories and podcasts. But we don't expect you to have all that equipment - and you can make a podcast with a few basic tools that you already have.
1. A phone
If you carry a cellphone with you, chances are, you've got a recording device in your pocket. And if you use it the right way, you can record high-quality sounds that work just fine for your podcast.

You can record sounds, conversations or interviews with sound recording apps on your smartphone.

You can also use your phone's built-in recording app. If you've got an iPhone, go to your "utilities" folder and click on "voice memos" to begin recording.

You'll want to make sure you have enough storage on your phone to do this and that you can either email the sound file to yourself or plug your phone into the computer to upload the recording.

If you're recording a person speaking, hold the phone a few inches from his or her mouth. Not too close, but not more than a few inches away, either.
2. A computer with sound editing software
Once you've recorded your interviews or the sounds you want to use, you'll need to put them all together into your podcast. To do this, you need to use audio editing software to "mix" the sound files together. The good news is that there are lots of software options out there.

If your school already provides editing software on the computers, feel free to use that. If not, we recommend Audacity, which is a free software download available online. You can download it here. As you learn to use it, lots of tutorials are available from Audacity.

If your school or podcasting team has other tools available to use, it's important that you use them correctly to create the best product that you can.

Listening

Have you ever listened to a podcast or radio show before?

If you've listened to podcasts before - take a minute to think about them. What keeps you listening? What bores you?

Let's take a few minutes to hear a few examples. As you listen, think about the different ways that these segments are structured. Is there a host? Is it an interview style - or is a narrator telling a story, with clips of interviews in between?
Morning Edition: Hidden Brain: Hidden Brain: How Labels Can Affect People's Personalities and Potential The Haunting Effects of Going Days Without Sleep Reporting Live From Miami: A Bunch Of Fourth-Graders Tell Their Teacher's Story
How I Built This: Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger

Getting Your Ideas Together

Now that you've listened to a few examples, start to gather ideas. We've given you a few prompts to get you thinking. They aren't required, but you may choose to use them.

Here they are again:
Before you settle on one idea for your podcast, ask yourself:

1. Tell us a story about your school or community: about something that happened there - recently or in the past - that your audience should know about.

2. What is a moment in history that all students should learn about?

3. Show us both sides of a debate about an issue that's important to you.

4. What do you want to change about the world? What's a big change that students today will make in the future?

5. Explain something to us that kids understand and grown-ups don't.

Before you settle on one idea, take a few minutes to brainstorm. Try to come up with an idea that might work for each of these prompts. Be sure to think about how you might structure your podcast.

Would it be an interview with someone? Would one host narrate the podcast, using clips of interviews to tell a story? What sound would you use to give listeners a full idea of the story you're telling?

Is this podcast idea realistic?

If the idea involves traveling somewhere far away or interviewing someone famous, it might be difficult. Make sure you can do it before you settle on one idea.

Our friends at YR Media have a handy list of sounds that all podcasters should consider recording while planning their podcast. Scroll down to "what sounds to gather" on this page to find that list.

Does the timeline work? Can you complete your interviews or record other sounds well before the podcasts are due - so that you have time to edit the audio and submit it?

Sounds Like You're Making a Podcast

OK, so you've settled on a topic or idea for your podcast.

Now it's time to start thinking about the sounds that you'll use. Regardless of how your project is structured, it helps to feature a variety of sounds.
Here are a couple of examples of radio pieces that use sounds to add to the story.
Try to record sounds relevant to your story. If I'm telling a story about the mayor of my town, I'll try to go record him leading a town hall meeting, talking to his constituents, and even doing day-to-day activities, that I can play during my podcast.

Let's say you're heading to a protest in front of my local town hall. You're heading into a "scene" that you might want to describe - and include sound from - in your podcast. What sounds should you include?

Compile a list of sounds you'd like to record - and bring that list with you when you go into the field.

Listen to this "Radio Field Trip" from New Hampshire Public Radio. What sounds do you hear? There's narration from the show's host, Rick Ganley - but there's a lot more than that.

And here's this one, from Radio Rookies, a series from WNYC. Listen to the sounds that Radio Rookie Edward uses and weaves between his narration.

Let's Talk Structure

Now that you know what your podcast is going to be about, and you've got an idea of the sounds you want to use, it's time to think about structure.

Before we start planning the podcast - before we get to scheduling interviews or scripting pieces - let's ask a few basic questions. Head to this link, from NPR's training site, and think about your answers.
Before you get there ...
Of course, the structure of your podcast will depend on the idea you've chosen. Will hosts from your class narrate the podcast? Then you'll start differently from the way you would have a conversation on tape.

What Makes A Good Interview?

There's a good chance that you're interviewing someone for your podcast. Maybe you're even talking to lots of different people. It's important to make the most out of the time you take to record them.

Do your research.

Make sure you understand why you're interviewing this person. Read up on who the person is, what he or she does, and the subject you're making a podcast about.

Prepare questions.
When you arrive ...

Come up with a list of open-ended questions you'd like to ask during your interview. It's OK to veer off course and good to ask follow-up questions that you haven't planned. But a list will help get things started.

Clarify the terms of the interview.
When you start recording ...

Make sure your interviewee knows you're talking to him or her for the NPR Student Podcast Challenge. The person should understand that you're recording audio.

Meet somewhere quiet (unless you want to record the noise!).

Don't choose to meet for an interview in a busy mall or a windy park. If you're indoors, head to a quiet room and close the door. If you're interviewing someone at an event, it's OK if there's some noise in the background - as long as it's the sound you want to have in the background. But try to avoid recording when there's music in the background - it's hard to edit around that sound.

Ask the interviewee to introduce himself or herself on tape.

The person should give his or her name and job title (what he or she does). A student should give his or her age and grade.

Record your own questions.

You'll want to hear these questions when you listen back to the tape later on.

Be curious.

You'll have some questions prepared - but that doesn't mean you're following a script. If the person says something you're interested in, ask questions. That's why you're there.

Remember: It's normal to be nervous. The person you're interviewing is probably nervous, too. It helps to be prepared. The better you know your questions and the better you know your equipment, the better you'll feel.

Before You Record Sound ...

Make sure you set aside time to:

Whether this is your first podcast or you're an audio pro, some basic tips can make your project a lot easier.

Test your equipment before you start.

Don't get stuck in an interview with a phone that doesn't have any storage or a microphone with no batteries.

Bring a teammate along to help when you're going to an interview or to record sounds.

Ask this person to time the interview and make a note of the interesting or compelling moments. Make a note of the time at these moments. This will help when you're cutting the audio and looking for these moments later.

Listen to the audio soon after you record it.

Save it somewhere you'll remember, and label it so you know exactly what your recording includes.

Checklist For Field Recording

Before you head out for an interview or sounds for your podcast, make sure you've got everything you need.

Download a checklist for field recording here to take with you when you're getting ready to head out to record.
Starting the story
Scripting Your Podcast

At NPR, some podcasts are scripted. That means that we plan the order that everything will be in before the host gets into the recording studio and records the narration. That can happen only after getting "tape" - sound from lots of interviews and audio from other recordings.

Let's take a look at the script of an audio segment. Here's one from the NPR Training team featuring a story from NPR's Ailsa Chang. There's not one correct way to write a script for a podcast - but it helps to indicate where your narrators will speak, and where you'll be using sounds or interview clips recorded beforehand, and how long these clips last.

First things first. So, you've figured out how you want your podcast to be structured and you've gathered the sound you need. Whether you're scripting the entire podcast or not, you probably need to write out at least one part: the very beginning.

Here's a post from NPR Training with some ideas about how to start, no matter how you're structuring your podcast.

Voicing The Podcast

After you've scripted the podcast, it's time to record the narration from the host or hosts from your group or class.

If you're hosting or narrating the podcast, you might be a little nervous about recording your voice. But here's something important to remember: Your voice is what makes you - and your podcast - sound unique. You want to sound natural, alert and energetic. You want to sound like you - the real you. Everyone stumbles over their words. And when that happens here at NPR, we often go back to the script and write shorter sentences that are easier to read and won't leave you feeling out of breathe. The key is to try to sound how you would if you were talking to a friend.
Some tips:
Here's another tip: Keep the frogs out of your throat by keeping a glass of water next to you while you're recording.

Production

Mixing is the process of editing and arranging audio clips in a way that sounds seamless and natural to a listener. After you and your podcasting team record sounds from interviews, events or other sources, you'll need to arrange them in sound-editing software, like Audacity, which is available online as a free download.

Don't leave audio mixing until the last minute. Mixing is time-consuming, especially if you're using new software or listening to long recordings. It can take many hours just to edit a few minutes of a podcast. Give yourself sufficient time to mix audio before you need to submit the podcast. Remember, the deadline for this contest is March 24.

Take the mixing process step by step. Prioritize things you need to do to make your podcast sound the best it can. Before you can do anything else, you need to cut your sound down to the clips you need, get them in order and adjust their volume levels so they're not too loud or too soft in a listener's ears. These are all things you can do in any audio editing software.

If you're already an audio mixing pro and you want some more guidance, check out this guide put together by Rob Byers of Minnesota Public Radio and NPR's training team.

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Starting Your Podcast: A Guide For Students

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Podcasts can be used across grade levels and content areas. This tool provides the nuts and bolts of creating a podcast, including links to video tutorials with thorough instructions and free software. Peruse the Extras section to access resources with free audio and images to use with your podcasts.

Have students create class podcasts of favorite books through the use of "book chats." Younger students can complete these as a class or in small groups. Older students can create small-group or independent podcasts. Topics can vary. For example, students can discuss their favorite characters and how they changed throughout the story, or they can discuss elements such as plot, theme, and setting. Students can also create thumbs-up/thumbs-down book reviews by providing a thumbs-up or thumbs-down rating and stating reasons for their choice.

Visit the ReadWriteThink.org podcast page for great examples of "book chats." In particular, listen to Chatting About Books: Recommendations for Young Readers and Text Messages: Recommendations for Adolescent Readers.

Have your middle and high school students create their own podcasts about persuasive messages they find in their favorite books, television shows, video games, and movies. Have students identify the persuasive message and describe what makes it persuasive (answers might include convincing ideas, well thought-out arguments, or strong opinions). You might also ask them to identify any propaganda techniques in use (such as assertions, bandwagon, card stacking, glittering generalities, lesser of two evils, name calling, pinpointing the enemy, plain folks, testimonials, and transfer). Have students critique these messages in their podcasts.

Set up a class podOmatic site and have your students create podcasts about current events or classroom happenings so they can share with family and friends.

Use podcast assignments across the curriculum. Podcasts can connect to:

Writing: Have students create their own recipe podcasts or critiques of recipes they have tried. For ideas, view Spatulatta, which includes podcasts about creating recipes. You can also have students write biographies of significant figures in history, authors, or characters, or even their own autobiographies, to podcast.

Reading: Have students create book review podcasts for a book the class just finished reading or individual book reports. For ideas, view Just One More Book!!, which includes example book reviews.

Vocabulary: Have students create a podcast by crafting sentences using new vocabulary words they learn in content areas. Older students can listen to the podcasts at Just Vocabulary for examples. Younger students can listen to examples at Claymont Fourth Grade Podcasts Social Studies Vocabulary Words. Students can also create songs using vocabulary words. Have students listen to the Princeton Review Vocabulary Minute Podcasts for examples. The "junior" words are more suitable to younger students and the "senior" songs for middle and high school students.

Science: Have students write a research report or brief narrative on a science topic you're studying, then create podcasts about these concepts. Have them listen to the podcasts at Science Update for examples.

Math: Have students create podcasts to help each other understand how to work through problems and concepts.

Economics: Have older students listen to the podcast, You Can't Always Get What You Want. This podcast is a short economics tip based on the Rolling Stones song by the same title. Have students take up the podcaster's challenge to find a short clip from one of their favorite pop songs that deals with economics and base a message around that idea that they can then podcast. For more economics podcast ideas, visit Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education and scroll down the page to "Stavros Center on iTunesU." Their podcasts are for multiple grade levels and include an economic concept, teaching tips, and activity ideas.

Social studies: Have students create a podcast on an historical topic. Direct students to The Education Podcast Network: History for examples. Find many more social studies podcasts for the classroom on The Education Podcast Network.

Grades 6 - 10 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Creating a Persuasive Podcast
Students learn how to get their voice out on the web when they research issues important to them and compose a persuasive podcast to post online.
Audio Broadcasts and Podcasts: Oral Storytelling and Dramatization
After exploring Orson Welles' 1938 broadcast of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds, students create their own audio dramatization of a text they have read.

Grades 8 - 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Analyzing and Podcasting About Images of Oscar Wilde
Students analyze images of Oscar Wilde used to publicize his 1882 American lecture tour. They then compare a caricature to another researched image, sharing this analysis in a podcast.

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Podcasts: The Nuts and Bolts of Creating Podcasts - ReadWriteThink

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Podcasts can be used across grade levels and content areas. This tool provides the nuts and bolts of creating a podcast, including links to video tutorials with thorough instructions and free software. Peruse the Extras section to access resources with free audio and images to use with your podcasts.

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Teaching Podcasting: A Curriculum Guide for Educators

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Guidance on planning classroom instruction.

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will need to download

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Downloads

This is a hotfix release. It fixes the following issues:

* #5568 Fix a crash when opening projects with zero-length clips.

* #5032 When exporting a file, the sample rate of the tracks is now considered, and last-used sample rate is remembered.

* #5555 Copy-pasting now pastes into audio again by default. This can be changed via Preferences - Track Behavior - Always paste audio as new clips.

* #5549 Mix and render now also resets the gain for the resulting track.

* #5571 Fix clips shifting to the right when effects are applied to them.

* #5106 Fix clicks occurring when overdubbing a project with muted tracks.

* #5533 Fix files being exported without a file extension in rare cases.

* #5539 Show all sample rates possible for MP2 exports.

* #5518 Fix pasting into labels.

* #5543 Fix a crash when clearing loops.

* #5529 Fix copying when "select all audio if selection required" is enabled.

* #5598 #5552 Fix GTK detection and compilation for wxWidgets 3.2.4.

* #5551 Fix Nyquist-related crashes.

* #5604 Fix EQs in macros.

* #5511 Fix a crash when closing Audacity.

* #5476 Fix builds on armhf.

Description

Download Audacity ® a free, open source (cross-platform) digital audio editor, recorder, and mixer. It is a sophisticated software application that comes with an extensive list of features.
Features
- recording (from a microphone or mixer)

- import/export of WAV, AIFF, AU, FLAC, MP3 (via LAME encoder) Ogg Vorbis files

- advanced editing (cut, copy, paste, delete commands with unlimited "Undo" and "Redo," multitrack mixing)

- digital effects (change the pitch, remove background noises, alter frequencies, remove vocals, create voice-overs for podcasts, etc.) and plug-ins (support for LADSPA, Nyquist, VST Audio Unit, including VAMP analysis plug-ins).

The full list of Audacity® features can be found on its official homepage here. Audacity is available under the GNU General Public License (GPL), offers support for over 20 languages and it runs on Microsoft Windows®, Mac OS X®, and Linux®.

Trademark Note 1: Microsoft®, Windows® and other product names are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Audacity® Review

Setup: Please note that when you install Audacity® for the first time (in Windows), you will be prompted to install two shipped DLL effects (hard limiter and sc4) which are not VST's, and they will load in Audacity whatever you decide in the dialog. You can find them in "Plug-Ins" folder, and if you need to add a new effect later, you should check the manual, section " Adding a new VST effect in Audacity(R)."

Important: I've seen a lot of useful programs without a proper help guide. Audacity® is a positive example of how support should look for the "regular" user. When you open this application for the first time, there's a dialog window named " How to Get Help." The first two support links "Quick Help" and "Manual" point respectively to the "Getting Started" section and the front page of the Manual. The Manual is present if you get the Windows Installer or Mac DMG file, so no internet connection is needed to start learning and experimenting.

If you download the ZIP or the source code, you can still download and install the Manual. Otherwise, you will need an Internet Connection for the online version of the Manual.

Introduction: Audacity® is a sophisticated tool, you can achieve a lot of things, but still, unless you're an audio engineer, a passionate or advanced user, you have to spend some time with the help files. I believe most (novice) users use this software to perform only one or a few functions. For those who never used this program before, I thought it might be a good idea to list a couple of things that Audacity® can accomplish.
Copy tapes, LPs, MiniDiscs and other legacy media
You can preserve old recordings by transferring them from many sources.

Cassette tapes, Vinyl LPs, reel-to-reel tapes, video cassettes, mixers, portable MP3 players, digital voice recorders, personal video recorders, etc.) to a DVD, CD, external storage device (USB HDD or memory stick) or even on your computer.

If you want to use this function, you ought to check the Audacity® tutorial - " Tutorial - Copying tapes, LPs or MiniDiscs to CD."

Create and edit live tracks: Manipulate tracks recorded from various sources before copying them to another source such as a DVD or CD. You can split long tracks (that would not fit due to their size) in multiple individual songs, cut certain portions between your songs and unite them in a single track.

This was just a primary example of a process that can get even more complex. You can check this tutorial - " Tutorial - Recording and Editing."

Create Podcasts: If you're interested in producing podcasts, Audacity® is an excellent choice. You have two options: first, you can use another device such as a digital recorder and then edit the file in Audacity(R), or you can record it on your computer. All you need is a microphone or a headset for recording process (the sound quality might vary depending on your equipment), and again, you can use Audacity(R) for making podcasts.

You can create a simple podcast and choose to export it to a compressed lossy format such as MP3 or Ogg Vorbis. Additionally, you can use other lossy formats such as WMA, AAC, and AC3. The FFmpeg library provides the support for such formats in Microsoft Windows and Linux. For more info on creating a podcast check this Tutorial - " Creating a simple voice and music Podcast with Audacity(R)."

Create Ringtones: Right now, individual mobile operators are charging their users if they want a customized ringtone. Those who do not wish to pay for this, usually search for an alternative; such as a free site that offers free ringtones. Unfortunately, most websites that I know delivers a bonus (besides the free ringtone): adware or malware. Now, why would you pay or download from an untrustworthy website when it's easy to do it using this free, clean digital editor?
Three simple steps:
(1) create the audio file (you can import an MP3, MP2, WAV, AIFF, OGG and FLAC files including MP4 files on Mac OS X® - without additional libraries)

(2) Check the audio file format supported by your mobile phone

(3) Transfer the file(s) on your cell phone (it's a good idea to check the manual/website of your phone as the audio file formats, including the folder where you need to copy the new files is different from one manufacturer to another). Again, there's an excellent tutorial covering this subject here - " Tutorial - Making Ringtones."

Conclusion: There is much more to explore and discover in Audacity®. You can perform multitrack recording and editing, create mono/stereo recording and even surround sound. The plug-ins (also known as add-ons) helps Audacity® to offer even more features: special effects, filters, tone generators and analysis capabilities. I will jump over a lot of other features that I didn't list, and I will say that you can customize this editor in many ways but this is a territory for advanced users.

My simple review is trying to reveal only a few things that you can achieve using this free digital audio editor and recorder. Dumb for an audio engineer but, I am confident that users who never used an audio editor, might feel overwhelmed about this excellent but complex tool.

My intention was to list only a few features that can encourage the regular home user to use this software, even if it's for a simple task such as a ringtone creation. Once the user feels comfortable, it might be tempted to explore other advanced functions.

Finally, please don't forget that Audacity® was and it still is a clean, free, open source software for the last 16 years! There's a whole dedicated team working on a daily basis so, a donation will help and encourage them to release new, better, improved versions in the future. Therefore, " please" donate for an excellent piece of software!

Found this software useful? Please consider a donation to the author.

Description

Download Audacity ® a free, open source (cross-platform) digital audio editor, recorder, and mixer. It is a sophisticated software application that comes with an extensive list of features.
Features
- recording (from a microphone or mixer)

- import/export of WAV, AIFF, AU, FLAC, MP3 (via LAME encoder) Ogg Vorbis files

- advanced editing (cut, copy, paste, delete commands with unlimited "Undo" and "Redo," multitrack mixing)

- digital effects (change the pitch, remove background noises, alter frequencies, remove vocals, create voice-overs for podcasts, etc.) and plug-ins (support for LADSPA, Nyquist, VST Audio Unit, including VAMP analysis plug-ins).

The full list of Audacity® features can be found on its official homepage here. Audacity is available under the GNU General Public License (GPL), offers support for over 20 languages and it runs on Microsoft Windows®, Mac OS X®, and Linux®.

Trademark Note 1: Microsoft®, Windows® and other product names are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Audacity® Review

Setup: Please note that when you install Audacity® for the first time (in Windows), you will be prompted to install two shipped DLL effects (hard limiter and sc4) which are not VST's, and they will load in Audacity whatever you decide in the dialog. You can find them in "Plug-Ins" folder, and if you need to add a new effect later, you should check the manual, section " Adding a new VST effect in Audacity(R)."

Important: I've seen a lot of useful programs without a proper help guide. Audacity® is a positive example of how support should look for the "regular" user. When you open this application for the first time, there's a dialog window named " How to Get Help." The first two support links "Quick Help" and "Manual" point respectively to the "Getting Started" section and the front page of the Manual. The Manual is present if you get the Windows Installer or Mac DMG file, so no internet connection is needed to start learning and experimenting.

If you download the ZIP or the source code, you can still download and install the Manual. Otherwise, you will need an Internet Connection for the online version of the Manual.

Introduction: Audacity® is a sophisticated tool, you can achieve a lot of things, but still, unless you're an audio engineer, a passionate or advanced user, you have to spend some time with the help files. I believe most (novice) users use this software to perform only one or a few functions. For those who never used this program before, I thought it might be a good idea to list a couple of things that Audacity® can accomplish.
Copy tapes, LPs, MiniDiscs and other legacy media
You can preserve old recordings by transferring them from many sources.

Cassette tapes, Vinyl LPs, reel-to-reel tapes, video cassettes, mixers, portable MP3 players, digital voice recorders, personal video recorders, etc.) to a DVD, CD, external storage device (USB HDD or memory stick) or even on your computer.

If you want to use this function, you ought to check the Audacity® tutorial - " Tutorial - Copying tapes, LPs or MiniDiscs to CD."

Create and edit live tracks: Manipulate tracks recorded from various sources before copying them to another source such as a DVD or CD. You can split long tracks (that would not fit due to their size) in multiple individual songs, cut certain portions between your songs and unite them in a single track.

This was just a primary example of a process that can get even more complex. You can check this tutorial - " Tutorial - Recording and Editing."

Create Podcasts: If you're interested in producing podcasts, Audacity® is an excellent choice. You have two options: first, you can use another device such as a digital recorder and then edit the file in Audacity(R), or you can record it on your computer. All you need is a microphone or a headset for recording process (the sound quality might vary depending on your equipment), and again, you can use Audacity(R) for making podcasts.

You can create a simple podcast and choose to export it to a compressed lossy format such as MP3 or Ogg Vorbis. Additionally, you can use other lossy formats such as WMA, AAC, and AC3. The FFmpeg library provides the support for such formats in Microsoft Windows and Linux. For more info on creating a podcast check this Tutorial - " Creating a simple voice and music Podcast with Audacity(R)."

Create Ringtones: Right now, individual mobile operators are charging their users if they want a customized ringtone. Those who do not wish to pay for this, usually search for an alternative; such as a free site that offers free ringtones. Unfortunately, most websites that I know delivers a bonus (besides the free ringtone): adware or malware. Now, why would you pay or download from an untrustworthy website when it's easy to do it using this free, clean digital editor?
Three simple steps:
(1) create the audio file (you can import an MP3, MP2, WAV, AIFF, OGG and FLAC files including MP4 files on Mac OS X® - without additional libraries)

(2) Check the audio file format supported by your mobile phone

(3) Transfer the file(s) on your cell phone (it's a good idea to check the manual/website of your phone as the audio file formats, including the folder where you need to copy the new files is different from one manufacturer to another). Again, there's an excellent tutorial covering this subject here - " Tutorial - Making Ringtones."

Conclusion: There is much more to explore and discover in Audacity®. You can perform multitrack recording and editing, create mono/stereo recording and even surround sound. The plug-ins (also known as add-ons) helps Audacity® to offer even more features: special effects, filters, tone generators and analysis capabilities. I will jump over a lot of other features that I didn't list, and I will say that you can customize this editor in many ways but this is a territory for advanced users.

My simple review is trying to reveal only a few things that you can achieve using this free digital audio editor and recorder. Dumb for an audio engineer but, I am confident that users who never used an audio editor, might feel overwhelmed about this excellent but complex tool.

My intention was to list only a few features that can encourage the regular home user to use this software, even if it's for a simple task such as a ringtone creation. Once the user feels comfortable, it might be tempted to explore other advanced functions.

Finally, please don't forget that Audacity® was and it still is a clean, free, open source software for the last 16 years! There's a whole dedicated team working on a daily basis so, a donation will help and encourage them to release new, better, improved versions in the future. Therefore, " please" donate for an excellent piece of software!

Similar Software

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Audacity: The ultimate free, open-source digital audio editor, recorder, and mixer for all platforms. Download now!

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17 Tips to get started

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Whether you're just starting out or have been podcasting for years, this is the easiest way to host, promote, and track your podcast.

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Info applies to high school too

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When a colleague forwarded a notice back in January about a podcast contest that NPR was hosting, I was immediately interested. It sounded like something my students and I would enjoy doing. The fact that I had never created a podcast before didn't deter me. Back when I was doing my own student teaching, I had my students create radio shows. Wouldn't this be similar?

The idea of having the students prepare a script that didn't rely on visuals was appealing. They would have to make sure they spoke in ways that complemented what they were saying. They would have to think about the words they were using and not just assume that the orthography terms they use every day would be familiar to their listener. They would have to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse so that they sounded more like they were speaking than reading. And in my mind, I knew they would need to write a script that was longer than anything they've written to date! What a lovely marriage of research, writing, revision, reading, speaking, and collaboration this could be!

NPR supplied a well-thought-out plan for guiding educators and students through this process, so I decided to present this idea to my students. Since I teach three groups of 22 students each, I wondered how many of the students would be interested. I needn't have wondered. It turns out they were ALL interested! Okay! We were in!

We began by listening to some of the podcasts recommended by NPR. We listened to one a day for several days, pausing to discuss the kinds of information we felt was important to have been included, the overall feel of the podcast, the seriousness of the overall information sharing, even when humor was involved, and the sound effects. Each day, the excitement grew in regards to writing their own. Many were regular podcast listeners and were especially enthusiastic. The majority of students, though, had never listened to a podcast before this. But they too became enthused as they listened to the well-put-together podcasts each day.

The first thing we had to do was think of our topic. For me, that was obvious. The students would be randomly placed in groups and would each investigate a word of the group's choosing. They loved that idea! The students had investigated words on their own several times and were familiar with the resources to use. This idea gave them a level of comfort as they began. Putting them in groups of 4-5, meant there were five groups in each class. That meant we would be creating a series that included 15 podcasts. The students wouldn't just be looking at the word's etymology or root, they would also be looking at how the word's use or spelling might have changed over time. It would also be important to include current information about this word's meaning and its use. In other words, they would be providing a broad look at a single word. This was going to require a lot of research before script writing could even begin!

The students took a few days to think about what word they would choose. Some were inspired by what they had been learning about during their study of the Civil Rights Movement (segregation, peace). Others brainstormed a list and then looked up information on each to see which sounded more interesting to them. One group paged through a copy of John Ayto's book, A Dictionary of Word Origins, and found their word (eureka). As soon as each group had decided, they let me know and then started learning as much as they could. As they found out things, they shared the information with the group.

Several days in, each group started writing a script. According to the NPR guidelines, the podcasts were to be a minimum of 2 minutes long with a maximum length of 12 minutes. These scripts were no doubt the longest scripts any of these students have been a part of writing! When they would tell me they were finished, I would ask them if they timed themselves practicing their podcast. When they did, they would realize their podcast was too short. So then the real digging began. The search for related words. The search for changes in spelling over time or changes in meaning over time. The search for the word to be used in different ways depending on a context. The search for how the word is used today and perhaps which people have become associated with the word.

And with this renewed digging, this need to find more, came some surprising facts which were surprisingly satisfying! I could feel the level of engagement increase among the students. They would enter my room each day with the same question ready for me, "Are we going to work on our podcasts?" After a quick progress check (making sure each person knew their role and each group was focused), they grabbed their Chromebooks, found a table or grouped desks together and got to work.

Every once in a while I would hear an extended patch of laughter coming from one or another group. When I went over to check it out, it was always related to their script or the misreading of it or some information they found that seemed funny. They were still engaged, just enjoying the team work atmosphere and the shared experience of creating something worth creating!

A few groups included interviews. The group that was looking at "segregation" interviewed their social studies teacher. The group that was looking at "frog" interviewed me. (My fondness for all things "frog" is obvious to those who enter my room!) And the group that was looking at "lexical" interviewed the creator of The Online Etymology Dictionary, Doug Harper. That interview was something we all benefited from. It was a Zoom (online) interview and the whole class was able to meet and listen to Mr. Harper!

After three weeks or so (I kept reassuring them that the research and writing should be the most time consuming of any part of this project) the first of the groups finished, and said they were ready to record. It was time to start the next phase of this project.

According to the guide at NPR, I could have recorded these audio files on my iphone, but with 15 groups, I could imagine running into problems with space on my phone. So I purchased a recorder. I'm so glad I did! I would get it set up for the students and they took it from there. Most all of the groups recorded more than once. That was fine. We were all getting used to the equipment, being loud enough, being slow enough, and having enough expression in our voices. We turned a small storage room into our "recording studio." You can see my recorder on the inverted tin can in the center. The students read their scripts from their Chromebooks so they wouldn't have to worry about the added sound of papers shuffling.

Next we went down to the computer lab and uploaded the audio file into Audacity which is a free software for editing audio files. The students had never used Audacity before, and neither had I. So the students learned to use the HELP tab. When they couldn't find their answer there, they tried looking for a video at Youtube that would walk them through editing at Audacity. Sure enough! They not only found answers, but could watch someone do what they needed to do. They became pretty confident at editing and offered help to other groups who became stuck. So not only was I seeing cooperation within the groups, I was seeing cooperation between the groups! This experience just kept getting better and better!

The trickiest part of this editing was that at some point we had five groups in the lab all trying to listen and edit their podcast. If headphones were used, that meant that only one person would be making decisions, so the groups usually used headphones only for listening to the instructional videos at Youtube.

But one by one, the groups finished the editing and I saved the file to a flash drive. Then it was back to the classroom for the group. Once they finished their podcast, I asked them to present their same script as a video. They now had the opportunity to add pictures, images, and matrices to enhance their information. This seemed like another way to share their word investigations in a slightly different platform!

As the groups finished, I uploaded each podcast to SoundCloud. From there, NPR will be able to access them as part of their judging. Then I filled out the entry form for each group. They will be judged in the 5th-8th grade category. Will one of these podcasts win? Who knows. All I know is that in the hearts and minds of my students, they have already won. When I hear students say, "I am really proud of our group! I'm proud of me!" then I know that this learning experience has been rich and worthwhile. We all know that learning isn't just about learning the content. And this experience was no different. These students had to persevere when the editing got confusing or they just couldn't figure something out. They had to ask for help when needed because this project had a deadline and there wasn't time to waste. They had to use patience when one member stumbled over speaking parts or pronunciation of words. (They were so helpful and kind to one another and never minded practicing just one more time before recording.) They had to be willing to go back and re-record if the group felt that was the best option. You see, with every group I saw a serious goal of turning in the best version of their podcast that they could. I was constantly proud of their attitude, work ethic, and respect for members in their groups. Were there moments of chaos and discord? Absolutely! But all in all, the students learned to redirect their attention, be accountable for their contribution to the group, compromise with members in their group, and compliment each other for little things done well!

In other videos my students have created, I have been the script writer. This time the students can proudly say they did every facet of this project themselves. Mind you, if I noticed that something was incorrect or mispronounced, I spoke up and the students willingly amended their podcast. But I'm sure I missed a few things as well. Just today I was listening to the episode about "Eureka!" About three fourths of the way through, I realized that the name of the city they were mispronouncing was Syracuse! Made me chuckle. Their mispronunciation made me think at first that it was a city I didn't know! It is still one of my favorite podcasts in this series. Okay, so in truth I have around 15 favorites in this series!

Here is a link to my SoundCloud channel. I hope you will listen to a few of these podcasts. If you are wondering where to start, you might enjoy "Lexical" which has the interview with Doug Harper. Some other great ones are "Hippopotamus," "Not so Nice," "Kerfuffle," "Eureka," and, well, all of them! You can either listen here by clicking on the arrow in the top left corner, (in which case the podcasts will play in the order they are listed) or you can click on my name and it will take you to my page on SoundCloud where you can see the full name of each episode and choose the one you'd like to listen to. You can also scroll through the list below my image and choose one (although the full name of each episode isn't always showing.)

If you prefer the video versions, there are about four finished so far. I am busy editing more and will be adding them to my Youtube channel in the next two weeks. Here is a link to my Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/MaryBethSteven/featured

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When a colleague forwarded a notice back in January about a podcast contest that NPR was hosting, I was immediately interested. It sounded like something my students and I would enjoy doing. The fact that I had never created a podcast before didn't deter me.

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Huge list of how to do stuff!

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on You

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Audacity Basic Audio Editing Tutorial 🎧 2019

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Audacity How-to Video for Complete Beginners

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Audacity How-to Video for Complete Beginners

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The Importance of Communication in the Workplace

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The Importance of Communication in the Workplace

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Why do I need to do this?