Podcasts are often confused with sound bites. The former are part of a series and the latter are one-off recordings. Both are downloadable sound files that can be listened to immediately or saved for later consumption. They are particularly useful for self-guided inductions to your service or as a series of skills tutorials that build into a course. Typically, they are loaded onto a web page or put within a VLE.

Ideally, podcasts should be short in order to control file length and manage boredom on the listener's part. Plan your podcast by defining its structure and give timings for each item. Decide how you will move from one item to the next. Plan any extra resources you may need, such as adding background music.

Test the voice used on people before committing to the series – it is often better to use more than one voice (in a double act) to maintain interest. The presenters should always introduce themselves and say what the podcast is about. Write a short storyboard for your podcast, but not a word-for-word script – otherwise it may sound stilted, artificial and forced. Instead, run through the things that you want the presenter to say and ask him or her to speak as if to one person rather than an audience. Often, ‘amateur’ voices from within the workplace are used and, although these can often work very well, speaking on a broadcast is a skill and not everyone can do it. Be ruthless when choosing your presenters.

Some topics lend themselves well to this format. For example: the selfguided tour asking learners to stop at pre-arranged points, short introductions to services like interlibrary loans or a series on referencing (how to reference a book and a journal, etc.).

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