Final steps

1. Pick a theme song for your podcast. Why did you choose that song? If you have time, record a snippet of the song and add it to your file.
   • Pro tip: Audio clips under ten seconds in length are generally considered ‘free use’. Clips over ten seconds get a bit more complicated, and whether or not they can be used royalty free depends on factors such as type of use. More information on audio use as well as free-to-use creative commons sources can be found in the additional recommended texts section in the readings of this module.
2. Pick a one sentence slogan for your podcast.
3. Pick a cover image, logo, or mascot for your podcast. Why did you choose that image? Again, be mindful of images that are free to use and do not have associated copyright or royalties.
4. Share your podcast (or not!) with your friends and family, or on one of the many podcast-hosting platforms
   • The following article by Tal Minear (2022) gives a summary of some of the most popular platforms: https://discoverpods.com/best-free-podcast-hosting/. Note that new platforms come out often and a Google search for current platforms and reviews can help you make the best choice for your needs.

Take a few minutes to reflect on the process of creating and editing an audio file. Let the questions below guide your thinking:

• What was the goal of your podcast episode?
• What barriers or difficulties did you encounter through the process?
• Which reading aloud exercise was the most engaging or interesting? Which was the most challenging?
• How did you build access into your episode? If you had more time, what changes or additions would you make to create access?

Conclusion

Over the course of an average day we become so surrounded by audio with its sounds, vibrations, and constant stimulation, that we can easily forget that listening and attending to sound in a meaningful way is a learned and practiced skill. We hope that the theory and lessons within this module begin to capture the complexity of sound and its role in shaping our scholarship and our social world.

Reflecting on the work of sound scholar and activist Julian Treasure shows just how important that sound and listening, particularly conscious listening, is. Treasure (2018) writes,

“conscious listening is the key to everyone — individuals as well as organizations — taking responsibility for the sound they create, and for the sound they consume. Conscious listening is also the doorway to understanding” (p. 20).

Being conscious of our impact and interaction with our sonic environment and attending to the complexity of sound allows us to be better listeners, makers, and disability activists.