If you’re just dying to get your podcast up and running you can start right here and now by signing up with BlogTalkRadio. The service is set up so that you record your show straight down a phone line, without the need for any equipment or other faffery.

This is great for anyone who wants to record a talk type radio show, where you chat to invited guests, as everyone concerned dials into the show with specially allocated numbers, very much like a conference call. It’s all recorded for you and is editable once you’ve finished and you can even upload music and so on to make it more of a ’show’.

I haven’t used this product as I prefer my ’studio’ set up so bear in mind that what I have to say about it is just my opinion. I’d say that the upside to using this type of set-up is minimal outlay, the potential to earn a bit of shared revenue from the advertisers and the ability to dial in and go. What you do lose, however, is quality. There may be lots of people out there who don’t mind listening to audio sent down scratchy phone lines but likewise, there’ll be a lot of people who really don’t like it. 

So if cost is an issue then go for it, but if you like a more ‘polished’ sound then consider spening a little more by going for a different approach.

By the way, a colleague is about to start using BlogTalkRadio to record some shows so I’ll bring more feedback to the table once she’s up and running.