Post on 22-May-2020
Podcasting With Your Teens: How a Teen-centered Podcast
Began and GrewLisa ZuenaYoung Adult LibrarianMassapequa Public Librarylzuena@massapequalibrary.org 516-799-0770 ext. 1@LisaZuena
Who Am I?
● Young Adult Librarian, and half of the Teen Department, at the Massapequa Public Library○ Also Adult Reference
● NCLA YASD - Technology Chair
● Not a podcast expert!
What is a Podcast?
“a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet” - Merriam-Webster dictionary
“New Radio” - listen primarily through your phone; great for when you’re doing something else
Teen Podcast Club
● Idea to do a teen podcast for a while, but made my dream a reality over the last year.
● I began the club knowing very little about podcasts
● If you’re intimidated by the idea, don’t be!
● I learned, and so can you!
Why a Teen Podcast?
● Teens are content creators - making vs. consuming
● Ownership over something they create & then share with the community○ Community service credit for each meeting
● Learn skills that they can use in school and beyond
Teen Podcast Club Program Outline
Goal: Create short (15-25 minutes long) podcast episodes semi-regularly, made up of several segments, with teens being the ones to create the content.
Ideally, we’d be on a strict once a month schedule, but we do what we can!
Outcome: The Pequa Podcast
Teen Podcast Club Program Outline
Age Group: Teens in 6-12th grade (members have been in 6th-9th grade so far)
Facilitated by: One teen librarian (me!)
Teen Podcast Club Program Outline
● Meets once a month○ Additional informal meetings when needed
● Format: Record short segments with the teens talking about things they enjoy - within reason!○ Intro -> Segments -> “Commercials” -> Segments ->
Outro
● Rules: appropriate topics, clean language, & stay positive
Some Topics They’ve Discussed...
● Book Reviews● Movie Reviews (Into the Woods)● Game Reviews (The Sims, Roblox)● Anime Reviews● NYCC Summary● Cosplay tips● “Product Pitch”● Dinosaurs● Discussion about world hunger
This is a lot of work… why do I keep going?
● The teens are creating, not just consuming
● They talk about it at other programs
● Their smiles & enthusiasm = priceless!
They deserve to be heard
Let’s Talk Money...
Budget: Technically, this could be done for free (with access to a laptop or computer) but it’s not advised!
Initially Spent: ~$285 (covered two microphones and accessories)
You can start with 1 mic if you don’t plan on having multiple people talking at once
Technical Equipment
USB Microphones: connect directly to a laptop or computer with a USB cable
I Use: Blue Yeti
Also purchased two windscreens for $12.95 each to improve the audio quality of the recordings
Also recommend: Blue Snowball (~$55.00)
~ $128.00 each
Just a Head’s Up!
You (generally) cannot use two of the same type of USB mic at the same time on one computer!
You can: use two different types of USB mic at the same time
You can: download software (such as: VoiceMeeter), but the audio will be on the same track
How to Get Your Podcast Out There!
● Make a logo: you can use any image editing software you’re comfortable with. Make it at least 1400 x 1400 pixels
How to Get Your Podcast Out There!
● You’ll need to upload and host it somewhere.
● I chose a free Soundcloud account to host it. ○ Free account gives you 3 free hours○ Other (paid) options: Blubrry, Libsyn
How to Get Your Podcast Out There!
● Optional: have a website for your podcast
● I use a free WordPress blog to house the podcast. www.pequapodcast.wordpress.com/
○ If you want a domain name (www.yourpodcast.com) you’ll have to pay for it.
○ You can also host it on your library’s website if you have the space. Ask your tech person!
How to Get Your Podcast Out There!
● Make your podcast visible on services such as iTunes and Stitcher so that people can listen to it on their mobile devices. ○ Many podcast apps pull from iTunes, so even if your patrons don’t have
iPhones, they can still find your podcast!
● Hosts such as Soundcloud are where you upload the podcast○ Get an RSS feed that services use to pull your podcast into their service
Putting it All TogetherAll you really need to start is:
● An idea!
● One USB microphone (or a few xlr mics & a sound board)
● A laptop or computer with a USB input
● Audacity to record and edit the podcast
● A place to upload the episodes (Soundcloud)
Challenges, Tips & What’s Next...
● Sometimes you have to say no
● Consider how much time you have to edit the podcast
○ You need to be off-desk to do this
○ Alternatively, ask a teen!
Tips & What’s Next...
● I will probably have to consider paid hosting in the future. ○ The free Soundcloud account supports up to 3 hours
of content
● I may also consider a paid WordPress subscription to eliminate ads and to get a custom domain name.
Tips & What’s Next...
Let your teens sit in the driver’s seat!
They have great ideas -
you just have to listen