Daunted by technology, but interested in podcasting? A pro breaks down what you'll need to get started -- and it's easier than you'd think. This is an excerpted transcript of mediabistro.com's "Podcasting 101" seminar held June 1, 2006 in New York, conducted by video/DVD producer and podcaster Duy Linh Tu. Register now for Duy's popular courses: The Multimedia Journalist and Going Solo: How to Start Your Own Media Business.

So what do you need to create a podcast? It's pretty simple. You need a computer of some sort. It can be a PC or Mac, it doesn't really matter. Some of you are Mac-heads and some are PC folks. If you're going to do video podcast, a Mac is just better because the software's free. It comes with IMovie and you don't have to pay [a] bundle to get editing software. On PC, I'm not so sure that there is a free solution out there. I don't believe there is. So you might have to spend $99 or something like that to get some really limited version of free editing software. It's your choice. If you have a PC, go with it. If you have a Mac, go with it. In terms of plugging in all the gear that you'll need, we'll go through that in a little bit. A Mac is easier. When I say easier, I just mean that when you plug in the stuff, it'll work right away. As some of you PC users might know, you have to download, plug in this, download driver that. That can slow up the process and really stop you before you get going. But either way, both computers' platforms do it. So just because I have a Mac here doesn't mean anything, or that you'll need that. Your computer will have a sound card. Or, it most likely will. If you bought your computer in the last five years, it'll have a sound card for you to work with. You'll need a microphone to record you. The analog in terms of video podcast is that you'll need, instead of a microphone, a video camera. It's the same thing.

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