By using any commercial or free software, you can record your voice, a conversation, music, or anything else you'd like to podcast, and then save it as an MP3 file. You may also find that you need to do some editing afterward.
Some examples of good software to consider using are as follows:
- I recommend using Audacity, which is a free, cross-platform sound recorder and editor. You can download Audacity from https://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/. You may have to do a bit of extra fiddling around to get the MP3 part working, so pay attention to the additional instructions at that point. If you don't want to learn the basics of audio compression and equalization, you may also want to use a leveling tool, such as the Levelator, which can be found at http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator/. Although it has not been updated since the end of 2012, it still works well if you want to level the volume in a simple audio file.
- Alternatively, you can use OBS Studio, which can be found at https://obsproject.com/download. It's another cross-platform solution, it's open source, and some users find it superior to other tools in the market.
- If you are working on macOS and want some free software, take a look at Garage Band. It comes with the OS, so it will already be installed on your computer.
- If you want to examine some advanced pieces of audio software, called Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs), and are used by professional podcast producers and musicians, then look into Sonar X2, Studio One, Logic, or ProTools.
To learn more about the basics of audio recording and production for podcasters, and to make your podcasts sound professional, feel free to check the in-depth tutorial at https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/audio-production-for-podcasters/.