Podcasting tips – Audio Recording
Who are you talking to and who is listening? Podcasting is a relatively simple way to communicate with a receptive audience, if you have one – are you doing it? Podcasting is an ideal tool for American users as they have such a great ability to ‘chat’, much more so than us quiet Irish people. But there is no reason why you cannot do it. Plenty of Irish people are at it.
Here are some podcasting tips on how to do it well and what equipment is needed.
Blogs are a great way to communicate for people who like to read what you have to say. However podcasting allows you to do the same thing for people who like to listen rather than read. The content of your podcast can be used as the text content for a blog, so you satisfy both audiences.
The challenge is not really the time or the equipment, but rather who is the audience. It is important to get a ‘message to market match’. No point whistling in the dark. If you start off, you may have very few listeners initially and it may take time to grow that audience, but you can be totally sure if you do not start you certainly will have no listeners.
You may have to take a leap of faith and just go for it. So, it is an investment of your time to see if this is a good tool for marketing your products or services. Does this seem like a comfortable way for you to talk to your audience? If so, give it a shot, if you have some value to offer the listeners.
Hardware and Software Podcasting Tips
You need some hardware and the software, to record and edit audio. Some apps are for Windows and some for Apple OS and again some for Andriod.
There are loads of apps and tools for recording and editing your conversation, talk or music.
Audacity is just one of them, which is very user friendly. Unless you need very high audio quality, this will suffice.
It is FREE, Open Source and cross platform. It is also a good post production editor. Created in 2000 it is now on version 2.2.2 as of January 2018.
This is not a heavy weight audio editor, but can be used for editing Podcasts and most non commercial applications.
There is lots of help available, from the Online Manual, the Tips & tricks and even the Forum where you can ask questions and find answers from other users.
You could also use RINGR which is new, but seems to work well for audio only.
If you like to have video you can use Zoom or Youtube which is very user friendly or pay for Zencaster or even Skype..The quality does not have to be hollywood.
For Apple fans, Garage Band is in your suite of tools, so use that, although it is not ideal for exporting Podcasts. If you just want to record something such as notes or a book, you can also use REV , an app which will allow you record what you say and then offer a transcription service at a very reasonable rate.
Podcast Platforms
The large podcast Audio files are not actually kept on your website, they are on a third party platform. By adding the link in your website, you can have them play in your website.
Audio Platforms like:
1. Podbean which offers a Free version and 5 hours storage.
2. Anchor.FM which has a Free plan and is owned by Spotify
3. Libsyn from $5 a month for 50mb storage
4. Simplecast from $15 a month for up to 20,000 downloads
5. Buzzsprout for Free from 2 hours a month. Check out their free Youtube video course here. How to Get Listed in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, & Google Podcasts [2021]
Or video + audio platforms like Youtube where you can offer the video or audio options to your audience.
There are some wonderful Free or low cost tools like Descript.com that will allow you record and then separate audio and video files to push out through a variety of platforms. It also has some cool editing features. Or you could do a ‘Live’ on Facebook, apply to broadcast on ‘Linkedin Live, host a Clubhouse Audio session. This is all prety ‘mainstream’ now, so there is no shortage of help, advice and technology available to you.
Audacity
Manual online – http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tutorials.html
Tips and Tricks – http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Audacity_Wiki_Home_Page
Help – http://forum.audacityteam.org/
Audition
A paid for app from Adobe for some extra bells and whistles
Microphones recommended:
Yeti by Blue Microphones about €150
Rode Podcaster or Rode NT USB closer to €250
Shure offer a range of great equipment from the Dynamic SM58 at about €99.
Audio Technica ATR2100
Either will do. Get a smaller one for travelling.
Video recording
Screenflow or even Soapbox from Wistia or Loom which we love. Or the newest favourite Warm Welcome. Try Descript as a low cost way to record video and audio and then edit it for sharing.
RSS – Wondering how to get your podcast to appear in Spotify and iTunes? You need to use an RSS feed. You need to find a good host for the podcast which will create the RSS feed automatically and submit to Spotify and iTunes when you upload your podcast episodes. If you do it manually you need to have a bit of knowledge about XML and RSS Feeds. The easiest way is to find a good podcast host which will do it all for small fee per month. Read more at https://rss.com/blog/how-to-submit-your-rss-feed-to-itunes/
Podcasting Tips:
Use a suitable title – we used The Comfort Zone to interview people who stepped out of it. So then describe it so that people can see who it is for Entrepreneurs who want to hear from their peers who have stretched themselves. The podcast should have some form of artwork or cover,which also shows what it is about. You can add some background music for each, ideally a bit of a personalised short theme track.
On the day podcasting tips
Find a quiet spot with no background noises
Avoid any rustling of clothes against the microphone or when you move
No coughing or sneezing
Prepare well – write out your script, create an intro which you can use every time. Likewise create an outro where you finish off each time.
Plan the timing of your delivery and stick to it
Break it down in to sections and stay on plan
Speak at two thirds usual speed, to make yourself understood by your local and non local audience
Include your own “personality”
Create a House Style, so that all your podcasts have the same basic feel, so the audience can get comfortable with your way of doing things
Be consistent, keep the house style and delivery the same every time
Add any links mentioned and credits, so that listeners can find anything that was referred to in the content
Avoid sounding like a boring format with the same set of questions every week
Use Evergreen topics, items that will not date too quickly, useful information that will continually attract traffic
Optimise your content to attract more and more visitors.
To allow people book a slot with you, use a form which captures the bits of information you will need in order to have some background on your guest. Or use an app like Book like a Boss or Calendly.
Do not let the guest ramble or do an advertorial. Allow them space to expand on answers, so that you actually talk very little, but keep them on track.
Some of my current favourite Podcasts on Business, Sales and Digital Marketing are on a list here.
For more podcasting tips
Get more tips from James Rose here or Neil Patel Listen to How to Make a Professional Podcast | Ep. #444 from Marketing School | Digital Marketing | Online Marketingin Podcasts.
