How to Make a Podcast on Your Phone
Podcasting has to be wacky. The basic technology isn’t much more complicated than blogging. But there is no Blogger or Tumblr for podcasting just yet to make the podcast recording available to anyone with a phone. Until yesterday’s release of Anchor 3.0 for iOS and Android.
I’ve been pondering for years the idea for a podcast, a five-minute show called What Did You Have for Breakfast ? But I was always too scared to start. Thanks to Anchor, I finally did it. He’s not perfect, but he exists, which is much better.
Anchor started out as a social app with its own ecosystem of short audio files. But its new release is based on a simplified method of recording, editing and publishing podcasts.
When you open the app (and when you create an account), Anchor takes you directly to the recording screen. To record, press one button and bring the phone to your ear, or pull up to continue recording when you sit down the phone. You can also add segments including transitions and background music.
Anchor also adds a feature that could dramatically change the way you create podcasts: a simple call. Anyone who downloads the app can call your show and talk to you like a normal phone call, or leave a voice message that you can reply to, such as an audio version of a text message. The app turns any of these formats into a segment of your series. This is a pretty elegant solution compared to getting your caller to download a regular recording app and send you an audio file.
If you really want to import an audio file, you need to use the web version of Anchor; the app does not support this feature, and Mignano is not sure if it ever will. The application also does not allow editing individual segments; if you miss a line, you’ll have to roll with it or rewrite it. As complex as this app may seem, most of its features work best if you’re just putting on a show on the fly, rather than something carefully edited and crafted.
Hosting is free – and will remain free, according to CEO Mike Mignano – at all levels, a first in the industry. As TechCrunch points out, it’s only good if Anchor stays here as long as its competitors , but if Anchor can establish itself as the best way to make quick and dirty podcasts, it should have a long and successful future.
Once your podcast is published, Anchor distributes it to all major platforms and starts providing you with analytics. You can also listen to other podcasts created by Anchor in the app. It is impressive that the company has built up an entire network of partners, including many popular “professional” podcasts.
There is still work to be done. Remnants of earlier versions of Anchor, such as conflicting terminology and workflows, continue to clutter up the publishing process. Twice while I was getting used to the interface, I accidentally posted an episode before filling out its title and description. (I’m still waiting for the fixed-release coming to Apple Podcasts.) So don’t shift your life’s work here for now; try a more laid-back show that can run softly as you get used to the process.
Anchor 3.0 | Homepage