Podcasting Media Practice

Exploring the Theory and Craft of Podcast Production

A mini-course of 4 workshops presented by the Sound Studies Institute and the Department of Media and Technology Studies at the University of Alberta

Podcasting as Media Practice is a 4-part series of workshops on the topic of podcasting, designed to guide aspiring artists, scholars and academics through the full journey of creating and distributing a podcast episode. Participants will gain skills in audio storytelling, technical audio production, and distribution. Whether you are interested in podcasting for academic research dissemination, reporting or interviewing, arts engagement, or the variety of other podcasting genres, this course equips participants with the tools and concepts needed to create a podcast or other documentary sound work.

Learning Objectives

Understand the podcast medium, its history, and its various genres and formats
Understand listener expectations and listening practices
Develop a podcast concept complete with episode structure and branding elements
Gain hands-on experience with recording, editing, and mixing audio
Learn about various forms of podcast distribution
Complete and publish a podcast with supporting materials

Fees: $50 per session, $175 for all four.
Fees are not collected at time of registration.

Course sessions are held 9:00am-12:00pm every second Monday starting September 22, 2025.
Winter term sessions TBA.

Workshop 1: The Podcast Genre & Structure – Building a Foundation
September 22, 2025: 9:00am – 12:00pm
This workshop will introduce the podcast medium, its varieties of genres and structures, and what makes a podcast successful, unique, and effective.

Workshop 2: Audio and Recording Basics
October 6, 2025: 9:00am – 12:00pm
This workshop will focus on audio as a sense, medium, and as digital data. We will explore the microphone and the art of recording audio.

Workshop 3: The Digital Audio Workstation – Editing and Mixing
October 20, 2025: 9:00am – 12:00pm
This workshop will introduce the DAW: digital audio workstation, where all of the work of editing, mixing, and production happen.

Workshop 4: Polishing, Publishing, and Promotion – Sharing Your Story
November 3, 2025: 9:00am – 12:00pm
This final workshop will focus on fine tuning, publishing, and promotion.

As a capstone project, participants publish a pilot episode with intro/outro music, edited content, show art, and metadata. Episodes will be shared during a follow-up listening session and receive feedback.

Please feel free to email sounds@ualberta.ca with any questions