My Top 12 Web Tools of 2006 - Number 6

For delivering audio files and/or podcasts over the web, I prefer to use Odeo. This is another of those areas where there is a multitude of choices. Odeo allows you to record simple audio files, or to upload files that are created locally. I usually choose the latter option since I prefer to record using Audacity and then upload using Odeo and embed the file into a blog post or other webpage using the Odeo players.


powered by ODEO

The audio file above is just a short example of delivering audio with an embedded Odeo player. The recording is a bunch of sound bites from the old Andy Griffith Show. Just some stuff that puts a smile on my face when I listen to it.

There are actually two different Odeo websites (at least). Odeo.com is where you would find audio to listen to. Odeo Studio is where you would record, upload, or otherwise manage your own audio files and podcasts.

One thing that you cannot currently do in Odeo is edit your audio file. Again, I use Audacity for that function. The Odeo help and FAQ sections are not terrific. Here is a fairly useful item from their Support area: Using the Odeo Studio

Odeo can be used in combination with iTunes. I don’t do this because I am becoming increasingly anti-Apple. Here is how.

Step-by-step tutorial at the betterdays blog by Preetam Rai.

13 minute screencast of creating a podcast in Odeo by Kathryn Dirkin.

You can easliy add an audio file to a blog post with one click from inside Odeo. You could literally make a recording and have it posted within 30 seconds of completing the recording. They are trying to make this dead-on simple. Now if they would only figure out the two website deal-ee-o, then it would be really simple.