Now that you’ve got the hardware, it’s time to start recording. Meet Audacity. It’s a free alternative for sound recording that will work for most people. First, you’ll need to download and install the program. Here’s how:
- Go to the Audacity website.
- Click Download Audacity 1.3.6 (Beta) (It’s ok, this beta is pretty stable).
- On the left sidebar, click the version you want to download. Most people will need the Windows version, which should be the default.
- The first bullet in the Recommended Download section contains the link you’ll want. Click “Audacity 1.3.6 installer” next to your version of windows. Most people will be in the first bullet.
- Save the file to disk.
- Double-click the downloaded file.
- Follow the install instructions, using the default options.
Next, download the LAME MP3 Encoder. There are directions on this page at Audacity’s site. The first LAME page you land on will warn you about needing a license. If you aren’t selling your sermons or other media, you do not need a license.
Once this is done, you’re ready to start recording. Turn on the mics, plug them in and start Audacity. Here’s a quick video walk-through of Audacity for you:
Up next, we’ll look at how to publish your audio file to the web.
