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The first edition of “Podcasting for Communities” was published in September 2016. It forms the basis for this book but the name change is to make it clear that the expected audience and readership will be from community organisations.

The “Podcasting For …” project includes the podcastingfor.com blog and podcast interviews with experienced radio and podcast professionals. Additional information related to this and other books in the “Podcasting For …” series is added regularly to the blog. You are encouraged to visit it and engage with the author and other readers.

The book is mainly about producing audio content. It is also relevant to people producing programmes on local or community radio stations.

Even if you are an individual who wants to learn and produce a solo podcast, or a couple or three friends who want to record a weekly discussion, the information here will be relevant and I hope useful to you.

The emphasis is on producing audio podcasts – or as we usually call it … radio.

If you are new to the concept of podcasts, or already have some radio production experience then this book is for you. Even if you are not exactly sure what podcasting is, but think it sounds like it is a good idea, you can begin your exploration here.

It is largely intended to be a reference book. Rather than start at the beginning and work your way through, it is set out so you can easily find relevant information, which is why the Contents covers so many pages. However, it is set out with a production logic and can be read as a step by step “How To …” book.

We can all be podcasters now because the tools to produce a podcast have never been so cheap (and free.). The access to distributing our radio programmes on the internet has never been easier. Even the process to get our podcasts listed on iTunes is simpler than ever before. There are more tools available to us and they are easier to understand.

You will find plenty of guides on the web about creating mp3 files, about XML files and RSS readers, about hosting podcasts and so on. There are fewer websites and guides on producing content – the audio programme that will be our podcast.

The main part of this book is about

•Forming your production team, then planning and recording your programme.

•As you are making your radio programme we explore the 5 key skills that producers, presenters, reporters and sound recordists need. They are writing, reading, interviewing, recording and editing.

•We will discuss different podcasting systems and web hosts to transform the recording into a podcast.

•Then we discuss promoting your podcast and developing and managing your online community. Developing and managing an online community is rarely covered in any depth in articles and books I have read about podcasting. Yet I believe that a healthy positive and supportive online community is central to the sustainability of a podcast.

You will also read about blogging and some of the simple technical stuff.

I have already said several times what “we” will do through this book. By “we” I mean you who are reading it, and me writing it because the book will continue to expand after it is published and you will have the opportunity to contribute your ideas and stories.

The PodcastingFor.com website will have more information and updates, conversations, podcasts with other podcast producers. It will be a place to ask and answer questions and somewhere to support other new podcasters. The idea is that this “how to” manual will also kick off a conversation on the web.