Software Tools You Can Use

Cheap or free options for creating podcasts

The following are some of the tools available for use with creating podcasts. This is by no means a complete list and new tools are being released all the time, but this is a good start for finding software that is easy to use and in most cases free.

Audio Editors

Audacity - (Win, Mac) Open-source audio editor that allows you to record and edit a variety of audio formats including WAV, AIFF, and MP3. Free.
GarageBand - (Mac) Apple's entry-level recording suite, version 3 has built in features supporting the creation of enhanced podcasts. Free with new Macs, otherwise $79 with the iLife Suite. (Check with your institution for educational discounts)

Video Editors

QuickTime Pro - (Win, Mac) Apple's media player allows you take video and compress it for a variety of uses including streaming over the Internet or downloading to an iPod. $30.
Windows Movie Maker - (Win) Microsoft's video editor for Windows XP allows you to create movies and compress them for web delivery using Microsoft's Windows Media Player format. (Note: does not allow compression for playback on newer Macs or an iPod.) Free.
iMovie - (Mac) Apple's entry-level video editor allows you to create movies and compress them for web delivery or delivery to the iPod. Free with new Macs, otherwise $79 with the iLife Suite. (Check with your institution for educational discounts)
HandBrake - (Win, Mac) Open-source DVD media ripper that converts imported content to MPEG-4. Free.
iSquint - (Mac) Another video conversion app that supports MPEG-4 and h.264 compression for the iPod. Free.
Podner - (Mac) Allows you to take video and compress it for iPods using presets. Very easy to use and a cheaper alternative to QuickTime Pro. $10.
Videora - (Win) Allows you to compress video for iPod. Free.

Enhanced Podcast Creators

GarageBand - (Mac) Apple's entry-level recording suite, version 3 has built in features supporting the creation of enhanced podcasts. Free with new Macs, otherwise $79 with the iLife Suite. (Check with your institution for educational discounts)
ChapterToolMe - (Mac) A GUI interface for creating simple chaptered podcasts. A good alternative for those who don't have GarageBand. Free.

XML Editors/RSS Generators

Dircaster - (Win, Mac) A PHP-driven script that will automatically generate the RSS feed for MP3 audio podcasts. Simply drop the MP3 files in the same directory as the script on a PHP-enabled web server and let Dircaster handle the rest.
FeedForAll - (Win, Mac) Make, edit and publish RSS feeds. $40.
Textwrangler - (Mac) A general-purpose text editor that can handle HTML and XML. For those who don't mind doing a little cutting and pasting to generate their RSS feed manually. Free.

Aggregator Software

iTunes - (Win, Mac) Apple's music directory software handles your music library and your podcasts as well. Free.
Juice - (Win, Mac) The aggregator formerly known as iPodder. Free.

Miscellaneous Tools

Slapcast.com - A paid service that allows you to record podcasts by simply making a phone call! Great for those professors on the go. $5/month.