Podcasting Resources
Podcasts to listen to for inspiration
This American Life was one of the first to break out onto the podcasting scene. It is known for its incisive-yet-quirky reporting and engaging storytelling, each week on a different theme. Its fairly simple production makes it a good inspiration for students looking to understand the rudiments of frame narration and interview skills.
Short Cuts is a BBC podcast featuring “short documentaries and adventures in sound presented by Josie Long.” The podcast is very poetic and atmospheric, with an often dreamy vibe. It is very useful in showing students how they can use juxtaposition, collage and soundscapes in their work.
Secret Feminist Agenda is written and hosted by Hannah McGregor, one of the leading academic podcasters in Canada. Each week, Hannah and her guests tackle a different feminist topic, informed by theory and scholarship. It is a great example of a smart podcast with simple production values that will provide a good template for student work.
You can also take a look at the New York Times’ “A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Into Podcasts” for more ideas!
Free music and sound effects online
My favourite place to go for royalty-free music is the Free Music Archive. My favourite artist to search there is Blue Dot Sessions. They make high-quality ambient music that is used in many professional podcasts (once you get familiar with their tracks you will hear them everywhere!) There are tons of albums to choose from, each with a different vibe. The only downside is that the titles of the album and tracks are fairly conceptual, so sometimes you have to do a lot of listening to find what you’re looking for.
Bensound is another good place to look for royalty-free music.
Freesound is a site where you can find sound effects of varying qualities. It is a bit more difficult to use.
Archival audio
Google is often your best friend when looking for archival audio, but here are a few sources I’ve used in the past:
PennSound and SpokenWeb are two great resources for finding archival audio of literary readings and interviews.
American Rhetoric is an online speech bank with audio files of famous historical speeches.
Sample podcast assignment
Here is a sample podcast assignment and rubric I designed for a third-year Canlit class.