I've had a lot of people request a podcast. I like the concept, and have some ideas to work with, but I'd love to hear other thoughts. What would you like to hear in a podcast? What sorts of topics would you like covered? What sort of format would you prefer a podcast take.

I can tell you that it would probably be between 10-20 minutes long, and would be produced between once a week and once a month.

I don't have any idea what sort of equipment I need. I have a Mac laptop with Audacity and Garage Band, which I think covers the software side of things. But what sort of Microphone should I get? Do I need a preamp? Etc.

I'd appreciate any feedback you might have!

I think that all you really need (beyond the software and computer) is a mic and a quiet room. Of coruse, there's huge variation in quality, etc. and I don't really know anything about that. You should ask NCN. He records form his laundry room.

J.D., the easiest solution would be to use one of the USB microphones that has a built-in preamp, such as the Sampson CO1U (review here: http://www.macintouch.com/samsonc01u.html) or the Blue Snowball (http://www.bluemic.com/modules.php?op=m ... prod_id=18).

I have the CO1U myself; I bought it for music recording but in fact it's really better for podcasting as the sound quality's not up to professional music recording standards (for that it would be better to use a Firewire interface). It's a pretty good mic; you just have to jack up the levels to get a good signal....the Macintouch review that I linked to above describes the procedure. I'm actually thinking of selling mine (and would consider giving it to you for free as a donation for all your work on GRS, so if you're interested just drop me a PM).

The only additional piece of hardware you'd need with the CO1U is a microphone stand, which you can find at any music store. The CO1U is heavy, so I'd get a good quality stand.

J.D., a weekly (or so) Podcast recapping the past weeks posts and comments would be nice, especially given the amount of content it can be tough to keep up with it all. You could also give us coming attractions for the week to come.

I am not as "in" to podcasting as the rest of the world, it seems.

I like to read my news, my favorite blogs, etc. You could just as easily have a recap post each week (Lifehacker does this) and it would probably take a lot less time for you.

Podcasts, for me, are to showcase talent or to interview other people. If you don't see GRS going down this path, then in my humble opinion, keep to typing. It is less hassle for you.

That's very good advice. Podcasting is a fad that, like blogging itself, is starting to have a shakeout. Thousands of people offer podcasts for no good reason and with no good content; I strongly feel that in order to be useful a podcast is best used for interviews or full-blown public-radio-style production pieces. Perhaps some people use podcasts to listen to blog summaries while commuting to work, but I don't think it's worth the effort to do podcasts just for that kind of audience.

I would be totally uninterested in podcast that recaps stuff from GRS. If it's not standalone content (and excellent, at that) then I wouldn't bother subscribing, and I couldn't imagine it being worth the trouble.

If I did a podcast, it would most often feature short interviews with everyday folks about particular parts of their financial lives. For example, I might interview my sister-in-law about what it was like to buy her condo. I might interview my accountant about what people should do to file a tax extension. (Real exciting, that one.) I might interview a career counselor about what people should do when applying for their dream job.

I'm not interested in a podcast that would just regurgitate GRS content. If I made one, it would have to be something I would want to listen to, which means short, streamlined, and focused. I've listened to a couple of comic book podcasts and they make me want to stab my ears with knitting needles. They're just random geeks sitting around talking about how cool Wolverine is. Ugh.

I might also use the podcast to highlight "best of" stories from the past.

Trust me: I'm probably more wary of the whole podcast thing than you guys are.

Devils' Advocate: Why not just do those things on the blog? One real limitation of podcasts is that they're not indexable/searchable. This means that people won't really be able to find the content once it's been created (until Google Voice Recognition comes along, of course). By publishing it as text, people will be able to stumble onto it from web searches -- that's way more valuable and helpful.

Why not interview your GRS subscribers? Us!

ding ding ding ding

Also on the list of things I'd like to do, whether podcast or not...

Lately, I’ve found myself reading the blog posts in my head with Michael Fischer’s voice, cadence, and Canadian accent, even though it’s J.D.’s words.

I’m eager for GRS Podcasts just so I can replace Fischer’s voice with J.D.’s.

podcasts for me are great for the gym - i actually prefer video podcasts, but short audio segments are great as well - like you said, right around the 10 min mark

you will need a very quiet room, a headphone and recording software - and then compression software to get it online.

with people making longer comutes to work everyday and / or sitting on public transportation, listening to something unique (like podcasts) are a great way to break up the boredom to the same music day in and day out.

These are notes for my personal reference as I explore the podcast possibility. Paul J. loaned me the April 2007 issue of Electronic Musician, which features a review of 6 USB microphones on page 36 (the story is called "The Direct Connection"). The Electronic Musician web site doesn't have this article posted yet, but does have a microphones section.

One thing I've noticed is that podcasts require vastly different talents when compared with blogging. Ever see/hear a print journalist doing a piece on the TV or radio? Often they sound flat and uninspiring.

I have no idea what JD sounds like or whether his cadence, voice style, and enthusiasm would translate into a good podcast, but it's certainly something to consider.

If the podcast does go ahead, my vote is for a lower frequency (say, monthly) with maximum content. Take some time, JD, and make it the best it can be. This probably isn't possible if you're producing a weekly show.