Professional Podcasting Made Easy at the Bryan Center Studios
You’ve probably listened to podcasts before, but have you ever recorded one? Whether you’re a seasoned professional or complete beginner, the Bryan Center Studios are the perfect place to get started. Available to all Duke students, staff, and instructors, the creative potential is unlimited and accessible no matter your experience level.
Carol Jackson, digital communications specialist at the Sanford School of Public Policy, is showing her class just how fun and easy podcasting at the studios can be. Jackson took her students to the studios to show them the available resources to help them complete assignments for the podcasting class she is teaching.
“I’m a former radio producer,” Jackson said, recalling her first time in the podcasting space. “If I could have designed what my dream studio looks like, it would have been that. It’s so easy to use. The thing that puts it over the top is that there is someone to ask questions, if you’re there during normal business hours.”
Jackson said that most of her students had never recorded a podcast before but will this semester for their final projects. Each student is required to produce a 10–15 minute podcast episode that combines different audio elements, including music, sound effects, narration, and interviews.
“One student told me she’s bringing her family in—I think she has two sisters at Duke and her mother and father—and for her final project, she’s recording a family story in that room,” Jackson said.
The podcast studio features a video monitor and camera, allowing people to easily connect to Zoom and interview guests remotely, if needed.
“I had so much fun recording an interview with my parents and sister over Parents' Weekend,” said Grace Hayward, ‘25, one of Jackson’s students. “I recorded my family sharing a story about a memorable experience we all had on vacation one summer. It was so much fun sitting around the table, talking into the microphones, and listening to each other reminisce.”
Hayward said she will be using some of that audio for her final project in Jackson’s class. Some of her fellow classmates are choosing to use the studios to record audio for their projects, too.
“For a lot of students, figuring out the difference between what is passable and what is professional is a really good skill and part of that is using the right equipment,” said Mich Donovan, Duke OIT’s Academic Media Production Manager, adding that the podcasting studio is definitely the most popular.
“After receiving some guidance from the producer, I found it surprisingly easy to navigate the equipment. It's wonderful that students can access a producer in the studios to assist with any equipment challenges,” said Nia Cross, ‘25.
Cross said she had never been to the studios or recorded a podcast episode before taking this class.
Reservations are required to use the space, but making one is simple. Open the calendar in Outlook, select the date and time you want, then invite the studio room to a meeting. An automated message confirms if the room is available.
“My favorite part of recording in the studios is being immersed in an environment full of production equipment,” Cross said. “I find it difficult to work on podcasting projects in the library because the atmosphere just doesn’t compare. In the soundproof rooms of the studios, my ideas seem to come to life more, and I can fully focus in a quiet, private space.”
Instructors interested in adding media projects to their classes can reach out to the studio's staff to get started.
Learn more about the Bryan Center Studios.