You Never Know Who Is Listening

Today we in this episode:

We have a great because of my podcast story that has someone getting paid to do something they would do for free

We tackle some of the podcast jargon starting with the A's

We revisit the File For Download debate in a podcast smack down!

A tale of sleazy guests

And we remind you that you never know who is listening.

Because of My Podcast Lucas Apps

Podcast leads to relationships, and those relationships lead to opportunities. Those opportunities can lead to more relationships (you get the idea). Lucas ended up getting paid to do something that he loves - because of his podcast. Check out Lucas’s show at triangletactical.com

Can I Podcast With a Built-in Microphone?

8: 53 If someone invites you to go golfing. The host shows up with their golf club, and another friend shows up with a pool stick, and you show up with a hockey stick. Sure you can attempt to golf with a hockey stick and a pool stick, but compared to the other people who are using the proper equipment it is going to be obvious that you are not using the right equipment. This doesn't mean you need to spend $1600 on equipment. You can start with an Audio Technica 2100 with a pop filter and mic stand for $93 (full disclosure bestpodcastinggear.com is my amazon affiliate site).

The Wrong Podcast Gear Can Mess With Your Head

I did an hour session for International Podcast Day and to make a long story short, I brought along a microphone (as I was on the road) and then locked it in an office. I HAD to use my built in microphone. I was embarrassed. While I think most of my presentation was OK, I would be the first to admit that this was not my best presentation. I had notes in front of my, but in my head, I just kept hearing a voice in my head shouting that I sounded like a hack using a built-in microphone. Had I had access to the Audio Technica 2100 with a pop filter, I would've been relaxed and more focused.

I Can't Believe ____ Is Listening to my Podcast!

14:20 Try not to use the word "only" when talking about your audience. I "only have" 20 downloads.

Check out Podcast Legends by Todd Cochrane Here is the Episode where he talks about his phone call with Steve Jobs.

I share a story about talking with Michael Hyatt at the New Media Expo and finding out Michael Hyatt listens to my show. Check out Michael's Book Platform

Sting explained on the Tonight Show how he had three people in the audience of a "the Police" show. He interacted with them and made it very intimate. It turns out two of them were DJs who started playing their music.

Cal Nelson of Ham Radio 360 had Adam Curry (one of the people who helped invent podcasting) listens to his show.

The Libsyn File For Download "Discussion"

24: 15 A few episodes ago Mike Dell (a friend of mine who I've known for years) stated my advice about when and when not to use "File for Download" on the Libysn platform was "bad advice." Mike is a great guy, and we are going to have to agree to disagree on this. The fact that I work for Libsyn as a support person and he works in support for blubrry.com is probably not a coincidence.

Two years ago (roughly) I had severe problems with my Wordpress install. One of the things I did was move my RSS feed (which was getting pounded at the time). Luckily at the time I had been publishing my episodes on Libsyn (and copying and pasting the link) into Powepress. Now because I set these episodes up using the "Add New Episodes" in Libsyn, when I switched my feed from PowerPress to Libsyn, my Libsyn feed looked just like my PowerPress feed.

Last week I talked about how using File For Download option in PowerPress is not a great idea. People Like Pat Flynn and Cliff Ravenscraft have recommended that strategy. That makes sense for them as they have multiple podcasts and they are using ONE libsyn account and using their Powerpress. But they are missing out on some automation that would not hurt their WordPress install.

So here is my point, if you go to Libsyn and create an episode as an episode (not a file for download) you are not hurting your podcast at all. Some might argue that you are creating a second feed and that could be confusing. To this I say, for 11 years I've been having to hand hold people to subscribe to ONE feed, let alone two. Some might say that this might damage my SEO. To this I say, I've been using the Internet almost since it was invented, and I have NEVER pulled up an RSS feed in a search result. Google Chrome doesn't display RSS feeds in a way that makes then readable, so why would Google pull up something you can't read?

A file for download is meant for people who want to restrict access to a file. A classic example is someone who has a podcast, and they also have a membership site. They only want members to have access to this file. In this case, they can upload the files as a "File for download only" and only the people who have the direct link can access that file.

So when you upload a file in Libsyn, you CAN use the Add New Episode option and have it do zero harm to your Wordpress feed. You can copy the direct link into PowerPress. Much a like driving around with a spare tire doesn't harm your car, having a second feed available doesn't hurt your Wordpress install (you'll only use it if you need it). PLUS you can also have that episode go to Twitter, Facebook, LikedIn, YouTube, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Tumblr, and more. When you make a file for download, you now have to promote to those sites using another tool. So you are missing out on a TON of automation.

To those who think, "Who would watch an audio file on YouTube?" according to Tory Heinritz of the Black List Exposed podcast people who are deaf. Because YouTube attempts to transcribe the audio in the video,  deaf people can now read your podcast (with some noticeable imperfections).

Get a free month of hosting at Libsyn.com or Blubrry.com using the coupon code sopfree

Podcast Glossary

36: 46 Today we will tackle the terminology beginning with A

Audio Interface (XLR to USB/FireWire) You will hear phrases like XLR and quarter inch, 3.5 MM USB, and Firewire. So let's cut off the fat. Firewire was a connector used on old Macintosh computers and no longer is used on new equipment. XLR and Quarter inch are typically ways to plug things into a mixer. An XLR has three holes in it to line up the plug. A quarter inch is a thick plug about the size of your pinky finger. A 3.5 MM connector is better known as a headphone jack. If you are looking to purchase a mixer you want an XLR input jack for every person. USB is another way of connecting things primarily with computers. To use these in a sentence, the Sure SM58 microphone plugs into your mixer via an XLR jack. You can connect the Audio Technica ATR2100 microphone using its XLR jack or via its USB jack. If you think of extension cords, some have two prongs and others have a third prong.

Audition/Audacity Audacity is a free software that runs on Mac or PC that is used by many podcasters to create podcasts. It has many, many options. Most of them you will never use.

Audition is a software from Adobe that runs on a Mac or PC that you rent to use each month. It has some features that make it easier to use than Audacity, and it is considered by some to be "More Professional" but that is up for debate as both are very powerful. Audition has many, many options. Most of them you will never use.

Auphonic/Levelator Auphonic is free software (for PC or Mac) with premium options that you can run your audio through, and it will remove noise and adjust audio levels. Auphonic is great for interviews where one person is louder than the other, or you recorded yourself, and you were too quiet. Find it at www.auphonic.com

The Levelator software is free (for PC or Mac) that adjusts the volume of your file to be equal. So if you have two people and one is quieter, it will boost the quiet person to match the volume of the other person. You can find it at http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator

Sleazy Guest Who Hijack Your Website

44:27 Jon Buscall shared a story on episode 48 titled "Integrity" of his Online Marketing and Communications podcast about a guest who kind of used a special link to overly promote themselves on Jon's website. It was so intrusive that Jon eventually pulled his episode. It's a very fascinating story. Maybe in the future we will have to spell out the common sense details to guests who come on our show and explain how they are allowed to link to our websites.

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Mentioned in This Episode

Platform by Michael Hyatt

Podcast Legends by Todd Cochran

Podcast Junkies Podcast

XV - King's X

Mentioned in this episode:

I Want Your Opinion

I am doing an audience survey and I want your input to help me make this show exactly what you want. If you have a few minutes, I have a quick survey at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey25

2025 Audience Survey

2025 Audience Survey