STOP THE PRESSES. The headline is correct: The Sportscaster Central Podcast Series is nearly underway! I have a great group of sportscasters lined up, each of whom has a unique position in the industry and a good story to tell. In the meanwhile, I’ve created this 1-minute teaser so that you can get a sense of what the podcast series is—and what I’d like it to become.
I had a lot of fun building the audio clip, mainly because this is what I do. I’ve been a radio broadcaster since my first time in front of a microphone, and TV stations have been wary of allowing my face on their screens ever since (that was a joke, I hope).
As a bit of background regarding how I created the teaser, I used my pre-recorded voiceover and a free beat I found on Free Music Archive, an essential site for anybody considering making a podcast. The site has thousands of free songs that are archived in the public domain or Creative Commons-licensed. There is certainly a beat or song there that you can incorporate in your podcast’s intro and end that will give it a much more professional sound. I then edited the two audio tracks together in Audacity, another free, essential tool for sportscasters looking to make their no-budget podcast sound every bit like The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Surprisingly or not, Audacity stands up pretty well to “real deal” audio editing software that will cost you hundred of dollars. Programs like Adobe Audition and Sound Forge do offer more editing features and tend to have a more intuitive layout, but the basics of combining tracks and adjusting volumes are all packed together in Audacity. With the teaser slapped together, I was able to upload it to the Sportscaster Central Soundcloud page and embed that track into this post for you to hear. Simple as that!
As I have with all of my initial postings, I will mention that acquiring audio editing skills and creating a podcast are both great ways to continue to differentiate yourself in the job market. Most radio jobs, especially entry-level positions, will demand that you edit the audio packages you produce, so learning the basics through Audacity is a great start. Who knows, your next encounter with audio editing could come with different software in a “real-world” job setting. Similarly, it’s also easier than ever to create a podcast, especially considering every laptop and headphone set comes with a built-in mic. Use Free Music Archive and Audacity to create a strong product around your voice, and your no-budget podcast can instantly become resume material.
I hope you enjoyed listening to the teaser, and I hope you’re even more excited to get to the podcasts! I know I’ve having fun putting them together. Expect to see the first installment of The Sportscaster Central Podcast Series go up in the coming days. Until then, are there any podcast series you already listen to regularly? Have your own podcast? Let me know in the comments section below!
SPORTSCASTER CENTRAL 