Since I can’t do the usual Sunday afternoon vinyl afternoons in the local cafe, I’m thinking of doing it by podcast or Youtube live or something similar. There are quite a few disabled living in the village who don’t get out on a Sunday at the best of times.
I’ve only ever downloaded podcasts or contributed to AW pods while Twang did the heavy lifting.
I am familiar with recording hardware and editing software like Audacity. But where do I start with the rest of it?
For a pod you need a podcast hosting service – we use Libsyn here. Then you record and edit your podcast, remember it as an MP3 and upload it with the blurb and they do the rest. They also provide a basic front end for customers so you don’t really need a website too unless you want one for other purposes. Ours looks like this
http://theafterwordpodcast.libsyn.com/
There are different packages and ours has a limit on storage per month so I try to plan the pods so that we make the best use of it. Lowering the MP3 bit rate helps too as 198k is fine for us lot blathering on over Skype.
Do you just want to do audio?
Yeah, that’ll do. Ideally FOC as the whole thing is done on a shoestring to raise a few quid for the local air ambulance.
I haven’t yet worked out how I’ll do the charity collection tin in the virtual sphere.
Also have not considered royalties of playing whole albums.
Easiest way for a webcast is surely YouTube? Not live but almost. Facebook live is crap to be honest, I wouldn’t bother.
You say that like I know how – I’ve never done one of those, either!
Set yourself up a YouTube channel, then you just upload. If you want to have a skype to talk this stuff through I have plenty of time on my hands.
Any top tips about a webcast right now would be very useful. My boss has just asked if I can set up an anxiety management group, and as we can’t use our usual venue (or all sit in a room together) it would seem to be a good idea to put groups online. We’re looking at webinars as well, but I suspect that this will cost a whole lot more!
Yes, please anyone who can provide a numpty’s guide here, please do.
I can cue a record and know all kind of arcane guff about electronics and audio, but Youtube has rather passed me by. There’s little overlap between designing industrial printers and hosting webcasts.
Do you have a Google account? That is step one.
Not really my field but I do work with people who stream live content sometimes. Webcast usually implies that this is just a lecture or presentation streamed live over the internet with people connecting to watch and listen and doesn’t allow for interaction between participants.
I think that Skype will do what Paws needs ie, be able to see and hear each other
https://www.skype.com/en/features/group-video-chat/
Steve, are you hoping for a live chat about what you’ve just listened to, with people making their own contributions?
No, they can listen to my thoughts and opinions and consider themselves lucky!
You need to decide if, you’re going to do it live like a lecture or just make a recording available.
I know I can easily do an audio-only recording. I even have some web hosting space available with my domain name (I just use the email). I suppose I could do a short video, if one of my kids could teach me how to make a movie file.
Or I could do a live lecture type thing, but I’d probably cock it up.
You need a video editing package. I use a free one called Shotcut which is reasonably intuitive. They are all awful, iMovie being the worst.
Windows Movie maker was excellent but is no longer available, sadly.
Can’t you just use Skype meeting? Works pretty well.
Probably. I need something that others will be anonymous on from each other and preferably they don’t have to log into. After that it’s all presentation and slide show (I suppose).
mm yes Skype probably wouldn’t do it then.
Do you all need to talk to each other Paws or do the participants just watch and listen to one person?
Watch and listen and (I suspect) feel that no one else knows they are using the service. Had a look at webex, which looks good. Just hoping that it is idiot-proof!
I used to use WebEx at work, I struggled with it, but then I am an idiot.
I use Teams now. I don’t know if it can be made anon.
I don’t know if this is of any help whatsoever, but in Edinburgh, local musicians have set up a facebook group. Every hour or so, a different musician does a 45 minute show, from their own house. They have a virtual tip jar so the viewers can leave some dosh using a PayPal account. I know some of these guys, and their ability to make a living is gone, so I have been following them.
I don’t know if this is of any use to paws and steve, as it’s not perfect, but it works pretty well.
https://m.facebook.com/QuarantineGigs/?refid=52&__tn__=~-R
By the way, I don’t have a facebook account, but I can still connect to the group and watch.