There are many ways to help students develop their writing styles and find a voice. Technology now plays an increasingly useful part in this. Creating a podcast is a fantastic way for students to develop their creative storytelling, speaking, and technical skills. Here’s a list of ten great tools that can make the podcasting experience easier and more effective for students.
Anchor
Anchor is a user-friendly platform perfect for beginners. It allows students to create, host, and distribute podcasts for free. Beyond its free hosting and distribution capabilities, Anchor provides an intuitive interface for recording and editing. Its device-agnostic approach ensures that students can work from smartphones, tablets, or computers, making it versatile for classroom settings.
Audacity
This free, open-source, cross-platform audio software is perfect for older students. Audacity offers a wide range of features for recording and editing podcasts, enabling students to produce professional-level audio.
GarageBand
Available on all Apple devices, GarageBand is an easy-to-use tool that offers a wide range of pre-recorded loops, synthesizers, and an array of other effects. Students can use this tool to create interesting, high-quality podcasts.
Soundtrap
Soundtrap is an online recording studio that allows students to collaborate in real time, making it perfect for group projects. It provides an easy-to-navigate, intuitive interface, with plenty of music and sound effects to choose from. Educators can create classes and add students within, which is a great way to set assignments and manage tasks.
Podbean
Podbean provides both podcast hosting and a user-friendly recording and editing software. It also provides an app that students can use to record podcasts directly from their phones or tablets.
Canva
While Canva is not a podcast recording or editing tool, it is an excellent resource for creating attractive podcast cover art and promotional materials. Its easy-to-use design features and wide selection of templates make it perfect for students.
WeVideo
WeVideo is a video editing tool that can also be used for audio files. It has a simple interface, and it allows for easy trimming, splitting, and arranging of audio clips. It’s an online tool, so students can access their work from anywhere.
Adobe Audition
For more advanced students, Adobe Audition offers professional-level editing capabilities. This powerful digital audio workstation enables students to mix, edit, and create audio content with a comprehensive toolset that includes multitrack, waveform, and spectral display.
Auphonic
Auphonic is an automatic audio post-production web service for podcasts. It helps in improving the sound quality of the podcast by controlling the audio levels, reducing the noise, and more.
Headliner
Headliner allows students to turn audio files into engaging videos by adding transcriptions, images, gifs, and more. This can be particularly useful if students wish to share their podcasts on social media platforms that prioritise video content.
So What?
Each of these tools offers unique features that can help students create podcasts that are engaging and polished. The range of tools I’ve covered gives you a variety of sophistication levels and difficulties. By introducing students to these tools, we can encourage their creativity, boost their technical skills, and help them share their voices to a wider audience.
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