School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

Comments? 888-563-3228 Today we talk about file formats. We also talk about getting good skype recordings. Becuase Of My Podcast: Jim Harold 1:15  Jim Harold has been on one of the top syndicated radio shows (Coast to Coast AM) in America 8 times. This show is syndicated to over 600 radio stations. Check out Jim's shows at www.jimarold.com he's THE GUY for paranormal podcasting (listen with the lights on) check out his podcasts and books at www.jimharlold.com Understanding Audio Formats What is stereo? What is Mono. What is kbps mean? What bitrate should I use? Here are some things to know To figure out how much space you need, you need to know: 1. How often you will publish 2. How long your shows will be 3. What format The formats have some general numbers you can use. For example: If you publish at 128 kbps stereo, your file will take up (roughly) 1M minute If you publish at 64 kbps mono, your file will take up (roughly) .5 M a minute (and sound the "same" but won't have stereo separation). So if you do a weekly show that is 30 minutes long that is 30 minutes multiplied by four weeks. So monthly you create 120 minutes of content. At 128 kbps Stereo, you would need 120 Megabytes per month. If you went 64 kbps mono you would need 64 megabytes per month (roughly on all of these estimates). In today's show, we listen to files encoded both ways as well as mp3 files encoded using the LAME encoder and the Fraunhofer and see if there truly is a difference? Need a Media Host? Check out Libsyn.com and get a free month using the coupon code sopfree Don't Buy a Bette Skype Recorder - Upgrade Your Internet Thanks to Tory from www.theblacklistexposed.com and www.packersfanpodcast.com Skype Requirements Your processor (on a PC) needs to be at least 1 Ghz with 512 MB (so double both of those at least) See More Your process on a Mac needs to be at least 1 Ghz (core 2 duo) and at least 1 GB of Ram How much Bandwidth does Skype need?   I currently use Spectrum and I have 162 Mbps down, and 23.78 Mbps Up. I rarely have a serious skype issue. It' is typically myself and one other person, but I have been on chats with five people and no issues. What About Squadcast.fm, Zencastr.com, and all the other options? While it's true these devices record local, so if there is a weird audio glitch, in theory, they don't record the glitch. Something Zencastr states you need at least 1.5 Down, but recommend 5 mbps see more For the record, I've use Zencasr and Squadcast and never had an issue with either. I've also used Ringr which is a cool app for your phone Free Tips For Making Your Guests Sound Good On Skype This comes from Kim from www.toastmasters101.net who explains if someone is going to use their built-in microphone on a laptop, she will have them download skype to their phone and use it over wi-fi. I like this idea, and here is a twist to make it easier. All it takes to create a free Skype account is an email address. You can create a free Gmail account, sign up at skype.com and make a second account. You provide the login and password to your guest, now they don't have to create a skype account. You don't have to ask for their skype ID (as it's yours). Afte the conversation have your guest I Need to Move if I Want Free TV I tried using a digital over the air antenna to receive free channels. I've tried three different versions of these. Most of them you sparking pictures of TV stations that are involved with shopping and/or Jesus. Couldn't I get NBC? Why because I live in Akron (about 50-60 miles from the nearest NBC signal). So any solution that starts with, "get an HDTV Antanea isn't going to work because of where I live. So Skype may not work for you because you Internet blows. Swapping to a new system (much like switch antennas for me) didn't help. Michael Delaney from Baby Mountain Radio (Care Giving for Dementia)  let me know about Silicon Dust about the HD Home Run ($66) but it requires an  HDTV Antanea and then allows you to stream that signal to any device. It's cool, and inexpensive (you can have a DVR for something like $35/year) at least from what I've seen I still need an HDTV Antanea. Stargate Pioneer told me about Tablo DUAL OTA DVR for Cord Cutters - 64 GB with WiFi - For use with HDTV Antennas that again requires an HDTV Antanea (they do make Outdoor HDTV Antenna), but living in an apartment, I didn't want to go there) How I Saved MySelf $44 and Got Faster Internet Want to see a popular topic? Start talking about cutting off your cable television, or "cord cutting." Oofah! I just mentioned it on a live podcast that hasn't been released and I got two replies (with really good information. I was spending at one point over $200 on cable but got it down to around $176, but I don't watch a ton of TV. So I contacted my Cable Company (Formerly Time Warner Cable - Now Spectrum) and found out that while I was on TWC fastest internet there was faster Cable available. So I downgraded my cable to $109 which now includes a much faster Internet. But I lose the ability to record anything (and you know us podcasters we love to time shift). After some comparisons of YouTube Live, Sling, and Hulu, I went with Hulu with the Live TV streaming for $44. So my now faster cable and channels is $153. This week I'm going to shut off my basic channels (and cut the cable tv completely) which should make my total expense $133. So I went from $176 to $133. I come down and ask Alexa to play Hulu which fires up my TV and tunes it to Hulu. This is going to be a fun space to watch as different companies (Googe is now rolling out YouTube Live).

Got Comments? 888-563-3228 Today we have insights from Diana McCallum from the Talk From Super Heroes show, Lou Mongello from WDW Radio and Gordo from Those Conspiracy Guys on how they are designing T-Shirts that actually sell. Neil then shares some insights into what he's doing to create a show that allows him to do podcasting full time, and how insights into his Patreon Account. Jim Harold from the Paranormal Podcast has a "Just a Podcaster" T-shirt on Amazon Marc from the Resourceful Designer podcast has quite a few cool shirts for sale on Amazon I created a store and a t-shirt in about 10 minutes at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/podcast-clothes You can hire a designer at the site SPONSOR: Podcast Movement Podcast Movement is the world's largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way – Join over 2,000 podcasters from around the world in Philadelphia this July 23 through 26 for three days of workshops, panels, parties and more – The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show. – The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out It's July 23 – 26th in Philadelphia PA. Use the code SOP when you sign up at www.podcastmovement.com and get $50 off any level of registration Access and Exclusivity: The Power of Patreon Neil Rochford explains how he is working with his audience using Patreon to go deeper with his Super Fans. This includes: Live video chats Extra content Early content Behind the scenes "What is happening in my life" content. Patreon has the ability to have an RSS feed for each person (so if they leave they lose access) Butt Stuff Neil is working on a trip to the US via a Crowdfunding Goal He wants to come to the US to interview the people instead of using Google. The goal is to film the trip and turn the trip into a dozen documentary type segments See https://www.gofundme.com/tcgtv Where I'm Heading I'll be at Podfecta in Nashville on April 20th Nashville Craft Content Event on April 21st Ready To Start Podcasting? Work with me, I have multiple options to support many budgets  

Got a Comment? Call it in 888-563-3228 Social Media Marketing World Reflections Looking back on social media marketing world, I wanted to share my thoughts as this was the first time I was there and there are some things we can learn from this mammoth event. The first impression was WOA. I walked in and got my badge and as they started to hand me a swag bag (you know the thing you throw on your bed, leaf through once and then ditch) and they asked what gift I would like. One was a cool cable organizer, and the other was a battery backup pack to charge my phone or tablet. This wasn't a cheap bottom of the food chain device. For me, this was awesome as I was going to buy one at Best Buy before leaving and ran out of time. To me, this shows they know their audience. Either gift was valuable. Becuase Of My Podcast Becuase of my podcast, I know Paul Colligan, and Paul Colligan knows JJ Virgin who is now coming on my weight loss show (and I got to sample some cool stuff) SPONSOR: Podcast Movement Podcast Movement is the world's largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way – Join over 2,000 podcasters from around the world in Philadelphia this July 23 through 26 for three days of workshops, panels, parties and more – The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show. – The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out It's July 23 – 26th in Philadelphia PA. Use the code SOP when you sign up at www.podcastmovement.com and get $50 off any level of registration Look at All The Icing At first glance, one might say that the major draw of SMMW is icing. For example, the opening night you have a networking event on an aircraft carrier. This is not something I had ever done. It made the event unique. Now, you might say, but in the end, you still have a bunch of people talking, drinking, and networking.  I see that point of view, but every corner had a sense of adventure. I toured the top of the ship with Ray Ortega and Lou Mongello. If this had been in a restaurant back room, I was still hanging out with Ray and Lou. If I was doing this at another conference, it would be an event. I great event, but throw in that we are talking to a veteran about planes and now this is not only an event - it's an experience. It is a stronger memory than hanging out in the hotel bar. The second networking event was at a club that had a live band playing Karaoke. It was very loud, but I was walking in with somewhat of a "What am I walking into? experience." I was with Ray so we ventured further into the club and found ourselves on what looked like an outdoor patio except we were inside. This again brought on kind of a "What is this place?" feeling. We then walked through a hallway of white Chrismas lights into a room with booths lit up with neon green. We picked up some awesome cake in a cup and enjoyed our sugar rush. We walked over to one station where they were making some sort of dessert that was part ice cream cone meets cinnamon roll, meets strawberries and chocolate, meets, WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING. You could even walk into the giant vault. Did we need an exotic building? No, but did it add to the experience? Sure, as now Ray and I felt like we were in a live dungeons and dragons game waiting to see what the next room would bring. Their networking room was categorized by subject. There were three tables for podcasters, more tables for YouTubers, etc. It made it very easy to meet your tribe, and then introduce yourself to a new one. The one that was really above an beyond, I was in the speaker's room (a lovely quiet place to go with refreshments and snacks). When the crew I was sitting with mentioned walking over to the place where you could pick up your lunch, a staff member took our order and brought it over to us. This wasn't necessary, but as this was day two anyone had put a few miles in their shoes and this was a super nice touch. Don't Write Off Icing - It's Important. According to Betty Crocker's Website, 2 tablespoons of chocolate icing is 130 calories and 95 grams ug sugar. According to the Fat Secret website, a cupcake without icing has 105 calories. With this in mind, 55% of the calories come from the icing, but I'm pretty sure the part of the cupcake that gets people drolling is 100% the icing. This got me thinking about the phrase, "Icing on the cake" and I did some googling as to items that draw people's attention. Here is what I found. Physical need. When we’re hungry and we see food, we pay attention. We wake up in the night when we need to go to the bathroom. Self-made choice. We decided to buy a new BMW 325 and suddenly see them everywhere. This effect is also called priming. Your name. We notice the name dearest to us. Emotion. If something evokes an emotion in us, they have our attention. Ask anyone about the show this is us. Contrast. We pay more attention to things that are in contrast to other things. Novelty. The brain pays more attention to things in the environment that are new to a person’s experience. (see) Another website stated: 3) You can't understand it: Do you remember the last time you were searching for some information online? Do you remember when you stopped? Most probably you stopped when you got your answers. The things that we don't understand quickly grab our attention and force us to think about them even more. 4) Because you want to run away: Sometimes things catch our attention because we want to run away from the current moment. Nostalgia is a great example where something pleasant that happened from the past quickly grabs our attention and forces us to indulge in thoughts about the beautiful past 5) Because it's cute: You might wonder what does cuteness have to do with attention-grabbing but in fact, studies have shown that we are wired to get distracted by cute little things. Whether it's a small cat or a beautiful baby the algorithm in our brains gets us hooked quickly when we encounter cuteness (See also 7 psychological reasons cats are so popular on the internet) A Cupcake Without Icing is a Muffin Although cupcakes and muffins are strikingly similar in appearance, the taste and texture of the two are quite different. Cupcakes are a small, individual cake. They are lighter, cake-like and sweeter. Muffins are defined as a quick bread, usually denser. Another difference between cupcakes and muffins is that cupcakes are almost always topped with frosting and muffins are not. What Kind of Icing Can Podcasters Provide to Their Show? Keep them Informed One of the things at SMMW is I never wondered what was going on. They had an app for your phone and an army of volunteers. I knew when buses were leaving and coming back. I knew where to go, etc. I listen toa lott of podcasts and many of them are like a bus. My friend Erik K Johnson from podcast talent coach says it's like getting on a bus with no name on the front. You have no idea where it's going (so you probably wouldn't get on), and if it took off with you on it you might be a little nervous. At SMMW I felt taken care of. When Emily Prokop of the Story Behind to a Hiatus to have a baby, it was well planned out, and here audience was aware of what was happening. She has some shows in the can to carry us over, and we knew there would be a small break. Get Your Audience Involved I know you are probably saying, "I would love to get my audience involved but I haven't got a single bit of feedback." End your show with a question, and ask them to respond. MAKE SURE you have an EASY way to leave feedback. Did you know that in some apps if you put your voicemail number (say from www.podcastvoicemail.com ) your audience can often click it and it will dial your number? If you do get feedback, RESPOND. If possible play it on the show. For the person that hear's their name on a show, it is a mountain of icing. I was listening to Podcast Junkies with Harry Durran and they ended up saying my name three times before the show was over. Did you notice I counted? Do you know why? Icing. Did you notice what else happened? I just mentioned his show. How is the Subscription Experience? Contrary to popular belief, rating and reviews are great social proof, but don't do much for really building your show or boosting you up the rankings of Apple. The muffin, in this case, is "Find me in Apple Podcasts." The icing is having an EASY TO FIND subscribe page with step by step instructions on how to subscribe or do it live on Facebook and embed the video. Guide your audience by the hand. Give Them What They Need My gift from SMMW was something I needed. It was so cool, and it made a great first impression. How did this happen? This was their sixth year doing this conference. I have a few conversations with Michael Stelzner and he's no dummy. He doesn't rest on his reputation and tries to make each year better than the last. Keep in mind this means when you first start your podcast it may not be hitting a home run, but work with your audience and you can create a podcast they start telling their friends about. Do What Other People Don't Jordan Harbinger has a popular show. His interviews are great. Jordon does something that most people don't. Some call it, "the work." For example, if Jordan is interviewing an author, he may put the episode out of few weeks so he can read the author's book. What does this do? First, it is going to be OBVIOUS to the author that Jordan read the book. This will make Jordan stand out in a sea of podcasts hosts who want to do as little as possible in hopes that said author will share their show on twitter. This also leads to better questions and a better interview. Now put yourself in the author's shoes. Which podcast do you want to promote to your audience the one where the host read the book, or the other guy? Who has a better chance of building a relationship with that author? When the author has a new book out in a few years, which podcast is he going to want to appear on. Why? Icing. Go One More Level Deeper I sat in Jason Van Orden's session on how to grow your email list. Jason used a word that really hit home for me. The word resonates. You want your content to resonate with your audience. How do I know his talk resonated with me? Well, I'm telling you aren't I? Exactly. He said when it comes to your content you need to know the following Why does it matter to you Why does it matter to your audience? Why does it matter to the world? When you know WHY it matters to your audience it shows you really know your audience. Mentioned In Episode 609 Alive Inside Documentary Official Website Jason Van Orden Jordan Harbinger Emily Prokop Podcast Talent Coach The Feed Libsyn Podcast Podfecta Nashville Conference Craft Content Nashville Paul Colligan - the Podcast Report Gary Leland

We are joined by Glenn "The Geek" Hebert from the Horse Radio Network. Glenn has appeared on the show many times and always brings gold. Today he is sharing insights into choosing and working with co-hosts. He also talks about a new podcast he is working on and how he is getting to do TONS of free adventures for free - because of his podcast. Because of His Podcast - He Went on a Cruise Glenn was able to get enough of his audience to join him on a cruise. He thought it would be hard with everyone trying to talk to him, but they had a great time networking together. He used one of his guests to help others who had never gone on a cruise (and she got a free ticket). In addition to that free ticket, Glenn had two additional free tickets. Glenn shares some tips on having a cruise with your audience. 5:00 Glenn also was also asked to do a presentation for media people They Never Asked About His Downloads and He Got Free Hotels and Passes 7:50 Gleen is doing a new show called Finding Florida  9:30 They asked for press passes and got a whole lot more. Tourist bureaus are arranging everything - he just needs to show up They use a Tascam DR-40 to record and use an app on their Android phone called hi-q recorder for his android phone Choosing and Working With Co-Hosts 15:30 Glenn had a co-host leave for a better job 17:45 You have to like each other Get someone better than you 23:40 Prepare, Prepare, Prepare But don't prepare too much 26:25 Compromise is not a dirty word 27:00 Don't be afraid to try new things 28:30 If you're not excited to work with them, it's time for them to go. The Wake-Up Test... 31:30 Glenn's most targeted audience is also his most profitable Why You Shouldn't Always Put a Ton of Emphasis on Stats Danica Patrick did not finish (wreck?) in 16% of her races She was in 191 races and won 0 She only lead any of her races .12 percent of the time Best finish was 24th in 2016 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series She has a strong fan base and has been voted the IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver from 2005 to 2010, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver in 2012 Patrick was voted the Favorite Female Athlete at the Kids Choice Award in 2008, 2012 and 2013. One more thing.... #3 Top earning female athletes in 2017 coming in at 9.2 million Mentioned in This Show Harry Durran Podcast Junkies Michael O’Neal's Solopreneur hour Natalie Jennings Photography Social Media Marketing World John Lee Dumas - eofire.com Kare Erickson Finding Florida  Horse Radio Network  

Got comments? Call them in at 888-563-3228 The School of Podcasting is Now Available as an Amazon Skill Just ask Alexa "Enable School of Podcasting." I got this through Libsyn.com (use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month). To hear what you need to do to get your own Amazon Skill listen to this episode of the feed (go to this post - it starts at the 48:00 mark) My Opinion On The New Anchor.fm Yes they are adding more features Yes, they still make it way too easy to add your show to Apple under their login and password (BOO+++!!!) Their business model is not a business model. It's free 100% unlimited hosting. There is a name for companies that use that business model: CLOSED - stay away using this for your "main" podcast. See my full insights into this Is This Adulting? My Interview with Chris and Steven I love that this show is unlike any other show. they combine discussion on mental illness with comedy. I love that they put some time and effort into the show and both come to the microphones with ideas (and not just "turn on the microphone and wing it). Today we talk about: Their struggles with mental illness and why they started a podcast to debunk the stigma's What goes into an episode - combining  mental illness and comedy Why they call their listener base is "Best Friends" Who is Karen? How starting a podcast has affected their life How the podcast has affected their listener's lives. How their podcast enables them to see their progress Their podcast is saving lives How being vulnerable is powerful to the audience What are the biggest stigmas? Have they ever gone too far? Why Steve walked away from his job to do the podcast Who they use for merch (teepublic.com) Advice for new podcasters Dealing with Haters   SPONSOR: Podcast Movement  Podcast Movement is the world's largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way – Join over 2,000 podcasters from around the world in Philadelphia this July 23 through 26 for three days of workshops, panels, parties and more – The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show. – The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out It's July 23 – 26th in Philadelphia PA. Use the code SOP when you sign up at www.podcastmovement.com and get $50 off any level of registration  

Do you have comments on this episode? Call them in and we will play them on the show (unless you specify not to). Call 888-563-3228 (courtesy of podcastvoicemail.com ) Great Content To Consume Capturing the ears and hearts of hundreds of thousands of monthly podcast listeners doesn't happen overnight. But once you know Danny Peña's story, you'll understand it was inevitable. Sunday, 2/25 is going to be an important day for the Gamertag Team. Gamertag Radio turns 13 years old AND Twitch is going to feature my first film on the front page for the world premiere. The first event of its kind on Twitch's front page. Watch it live and help them make history. http://twitch.tv/gamertagradio If you listened to the podcast Startup, the first season was all About Alex Blumberg and quest to start a podcast company. That has now been made into a TV show on ABC called, "Alex Inc.  It stars Zach Braff who you might know from the scrubs TV show. He is also the executive producer. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28th at 8:30|7:30c on ABC! Set you DVRs as hopefully, this will get more people asking, "What is this thing called podcasting?" Podcasting Is Grooming People For the Big Time In a recent article on mediapost, it stated that "Oxygen sourced Missing Maura Murray, the true crime podcast, for a six-episode television series, which featured the podcast’s hosts. In Britain, No Such Thing As A Fish, a fun talk-show podcast, was made into a BBC Television show. Lore, the podcast that explores frightening history folklore, became an Amazon original series, and Gimlet media’s Homecoming is also being developed into an Amazon TV show for Amazon. This trend isn’t just exclusive to television, says the report. Blink Publishing in the UK turned Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder podcast into a book. Los Angeles talent management agencies are getting involved in podcasting, and are helping podcasters break into TV and publishing, says the report." I've already reported on Emily Prokop wh does the story behind podcast getting a book deal. Quick Lesson on Apple Earbuds I had an audio technica plugged into a Zoom H1 using a special cable and it sounded fine. To make a long story short, I ran it through auphonic.com which always seems to fix everything, but it still sounded bad. The issue? I was plugging my Apple earbuds into the laptop and Apple earbuds should not cause an issue, but either the laptop didn't like the earbuds or vice versa, but in my ears the audio was unreleasable. It turns out it was fine. The bottom line is you need to use the right tool for the job and monitor through a "regular" set of headphones. Squadcast.fm - Recording Great Sounding Interviews This is a tool that records you and your guest (up to three people total) and gives you a recording of each person that you can then stitch together in your software (which makes it easy to mute the dog barking on one track). It's $20/month for unlimited recording (it's BETA - brand new so use at your own risk).  The interface is super simple, and it records in WAV Format (Sample rage 48 khz 32 bt).  When someone joins your call they are prompted to pick their microphone to connect the service to the microphone they have plugged in, and then connect the system to their headphones. It's super simple.  They have a calendar that you can choose to pick a time (although I was bummed I couldn't manually pick a time like 10:45, I only had 10:00 or 10:30). At first, I had a hard time to getting back into a previous session, but when you first login it prompts you to start a new session, and you can choose to go back to an older session from that screen (and then get access to the previous session) Squadcast can dominate this area by doing one very simple thing: JUST WORK. Tools like tryca.st and zencastr.com have had some issues over time. Podcasters are not very forgiving, so all you have to do is make a system that we count on and it just works.  This system is in beta, so you might need an extra amount of patience. I had zero problems with the small amount time I spent testing it.  Check it out at www.squadcast.fm Special Thanks to My Podcast Buddies David Hooper from redpodcast.com and the new Podcast event in April in Nashville podfecta.com  John is from Audio Editing Solutions How Much Should I Share About My Personal Life? I got an email from a listener who recently had a spouse die. He needs to take care of his child who has special needs. He can't go back to his old job working 50 hours a week.  How do I turn it into a business so I can take care of my child? When it comes to making money with a podcast you Sell your stuff Sell other people's stuff (affiliates) Donations Crowdfunding (Patreon) Sponsors The bad news is to build an audience that can truly support a full time takes years (typically, your mileage may very).  "If I mention this on the show I'm afraid people will feel I am cashing in on my tragedy..." Your audience wants to help you as there is no spam in podcasting, and they know you and will know you are NOT trying to capitalize on your situation (there may be someone who feels you are, ignore that person, they know you, and probably have a negative disposition).  Using Personal Stories I like to use personal stories to make a point. It allows my audience to get to know me while making a point to help educate them on a point.  It's Your Podcast - Not Your Family's A person I met at Podfest is starting a show about sex. I told her she better check with her husband as if she talks about her own sex life, she is (I'm assuming) talking about her husband as well. Be careful with what you share as the Internet writes in ink. I've pulled some episodes in the past, but someone has those episodes.  Mentioned In This Show Podcast Engineering School Building a Better Dave - Grief is Like a Website Is This Adulting You Wanna Do What? Audio Editing Solutions redpodcast.com podfecta.com 

So this week I spent some time this week at the Podfest Multimedia expo in Orlando Florida. This was a fantastic event. Today we hear: A Podcast One Year After Launch Carol from speakingyourbrand.com explains what life has been like after starting her podcast at last years Podfest 2017. The first 6-12 months are really tough due to lack of feedback. While the podcast numbers are growing slowly, the engagement in her community is going up Because of my Podcast: Kyle from Merchants of Dirt and Gagglepod explained how he landed as a speaker at Podfest. Rent Before Your Buy Podcast Microphones Dave interviews Stephen Arruda from MicRentals.com This is an interesting service that could be used to help you test a microphone for less than $100 and avoid making a $300-$500 mistake. Sponsor: Podcast Movement 50% of what you paid to rent the mic will be used if you decide to buy one. Use the coupon code rent15 to save on your rental  Podcast Movement is the world's largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way – Join over 2,000 podcasters from around the world in Philadelphia this July 23 through 26 for three days of workshops, panels, parties and more – The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show. – The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out It's Jule 23 – 26th in Philadelphia PA. Use the code SOP when you sign up at www.podcastmovement.com and get $50 off any level of registration Mentioned In This Episode Podcasters Survivor Guide

Welcome to episode 604 of the School of Podcasting Listen here Update on the PreSonus StudioLive AR12 USB Mixer The last episode I explained how I had purchased at PreSonus StudioLive AR12 USB Mixer. It's not cheap ($499) but there is an AR8 that is $150 ($350) less. The problem I had was when I record to the built-in SD card, there was a very faint (but noticeable) high pitch whine. In working with tech support that has been resolved and after updating the driver, it seems to have quit freezing up the audio on my computer. All in all, I'm happy with it. This is partially due to me having a DBX 286 which adds extra gain. I am using an Electrovice RE320, and it just seemed odd that I needed to really turn every (almost) all the way up to get things to peak. The fact that these units have built-in SD records can save you from buying a Zoom H1 (or any portable recorder) to get the recording off the computer. The Zoom H1 is typically around $100. Look for the price of the Zoom H1 to go down (more on that later) as they just announced a new Zoom H1n which will be available soon (that unit is geared a bit more towards musicians) Sponsor: Podcast Movement I am so looking forward to Podcast Movement. This is the largest Podcast Event that is solely geared toward podcasting. Being face to face with people is the best way to grow your network, and take advantage of all the opportunities. Starting a podcast is a great way to build your network, and coming to an event is like building your network on steroids. I got to talk to Marc Maron a couple of years ago. He just showed up to one of the networking parties, and I said hello and started talking. I can't do that sitting in my chair in my office. - Podcast Movement is the world's largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way - Join over 2,000 podcasters from around the world in Philadelphia this July 23 through 26 for three days of workshops, panels, parties and more - The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show. - The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out It's Jule 23 - 26th in Philadelphia PA. Use the code SOP when you sign up at www.podcastmovement.com and get $50 off any level of registration Getting Productive With Jess Sanders I've been listening to The 5 AM Miracle by Jeff Sanders and I'm already taking steps to get more things done. Jeff is been nominated five times for a podcast award and comes highly recommended by some friends. I started listening to his podcast and soon bought his book the 5 AM Miracle on Audible (also available on Amazon) How long did it take him to get his sponsor The difference between his blog audience vs his podcast audience What goes into making an episode How does he pick his subjects Does he make more money selling his own products or sponsorship? Jeff shares how his podcast brought him a book publisher - TWICE Does Jeff have any radio experience? How Jeff inspired his mail carrier who is now a giant fan of his show Why he decided to kill his first podcast What got him hooked on his subject Does he really get up at 5 AM? Jeff's Tips on Getting Focused A simple tip for starting your day in the right direction What is the difference between his first book the 5 AM Miracle and his new Book The Free Time Formula How does he achieve work/life balance? What if you don't have time to write all this stuff down? How do you make yourself go to bed? Jeff has been using wavve to share his podcast, but that's not the thing that's been delivering more listeners How did he approach popular websites to get his show mentioned? Jeff has a TON of bonus content for those that pre-order his book at his website His membership portal is built in Digital Access Pass and Learn Dash What is his favorite Todo List Task Manage? Why Getting Organized is Important It only makes sense to go fast when you are headed in the right direction. For me, being somewhat A.D.D. I get new ideas all the time. If you walk into my kitchen, you will find the cabinets open as I have moved on to my next task (eating ) without completing the last 1% of the previous project (closing) so I'm taking some of this year to get more focused, identify what is important to me, and then put the gas pedal down so I'm going fast, in the right direction. My favorite tools are Todist and Evernote. I'm currently taking a class on getting the most out of Todoist and Evernote. Check out Carl Pullein's channel on YouTube For learning how to use these tools. How did I learn about his channel and content? I told someone I was listening to Jeff's book, and he had been watching Carl's videos. Tell people what you are up to, they may have some great insights. My favorite example of Todoist is I can read an email and turn it into a to an item. For example, we previously had an episode with Clay Groves from Fishnerds.com on the show and he was talking about doing appearances. Another listener (who asked to be nameless) wrote in that "When I was in radio, the standard appearance rate was $250 an hour and you couldn't book talent for less than 2 hours. When I got my first speaking contract (for a very large health company) it was $750 for a half day, $1350 for a full day, with expenses and transportation covered. These rates are about 5 years old and may not apply to everyone.. but in case you were wondering.. that's one perspective." I've had that as a "to do" item and when I went into Todoist, I clicked a link and it took me to the actual email in Gmail.  Great Advice on Growing Your Podcast Audience and Community Danny Pena has been on this show (amazing interview). He has a documentary coming out in February as he celebrates 13 years in podcast. He appeared on one my favorite shows about podcasting called the New Media Show with Todd Cochrane and Rob Greenlee. It's definitely worth a listen Mentioned In this Podcast Jeff Sanders Website Red Podcast The 5 AM Miracle Book and 5 AM Miracle Podcast Free Time Formula wavve  audio sharing tool Todist and Evernote New Media Show  

Last week we talk about media hosts, this week we are talking about your Web Host, and what to do if you hate yours. Sponsor: Podcast Movement I am so looking forward to Podcast Movement. This is the largest Podcast Event that is solely geared toward podcasting. Being face to face with people is the best way to grow your network, and take advantage of all the opportunities. Starting a podcast is a great way to build your network, and coming to an event is like building your network on steroids. I got to talk to Marc Maron a couple of years ago. He just showed up to one of the networking parties, and I said hello and started talking. I can't do that sitting in my chair in my office. - Podcast Movement is the world's largest gathering of new and veteran podcasters, or anyone looking to start their own podcast the right way - Join over 2,000 podcasters from around the world in Philadelphia this July 23 through 26 for three days of workshops, panels, parties and more - The conference offers over 100 sessions on topics ranging from the technical aspects of setting up your equipment and the audio production to marketing and monetizing your current or future show. - The expo hall features over 60 podcast service and equipment providers, so whether you're in the market for a microphone, or trying to figure out where to host your podcast, anyone who matters will be on site to help you out It's Jule 23 - 26th in Philadelphia PA. Use the code SOP when you sign up at www.podcastmovement.com Do You Need a Podcast Website? After all, can't I just use a media host and a Facebook page? To this I say, would you buy a car from a person selling them out of a tent? If you ever plan on telling people where to find something, you NEED a website. Case in point, if you do a real estate podcast and say "Find me in Apple Podcasts" you have a very good chance of not being found. Not because the search tools bad (it could be improved) but because there are so many real estate shows. The same goes for Entrepreneur shows.  The solution is instead of saying "Find me in (whatever) app" is to say go to mywebsite.com/subscribe and I've got a tutorial that will walk you through the process. You Can Get A Website For Free Of the media hosts I recommend (Libsyn.com, Blubrry.com, Podbean.com) they all have a basic website that comes with your plan. How basic is basic? You can listen and have people subscribe to your show. If you're looking to add products, newsletters, scripts to see what they click on, etc, then you need your own website. You can do some of that with their basic site. For example, while you can't put a MailChimp sign up form on a site that doesn't' allows javascript, you can use the link they provide to link to your sign up form that mailchimp provides. With this in mind, there are ways to work around some of the things that are out of bounds. What Do You Need On Your Podcast Website? A Play button. An About page A Contact page A subscribe page A Play Button You need a play button because asking someone to subscribe to a show they've never heard is like asking someone to pay for a sandwich they've never eaten. Your play button is like the person at the mall who gives out samples of chicken at the food court. They give you a sample and hope your purchase. With podcasts, you make it easy to play and hope they subscribe. One other note, there are still some people who do not have smartphones. An About Page Your About page should explain how your audience is going to benefit from listening to your show. Think of your target listener looking at your listing. What are you going to say to convince them? I recently look at my description of the School of Podcasting and it needs work. In the first sentence, I mention that I've been podcasting since 2005. I often introduce myself that way is it speaks to my experience, but I'm not sure that is the first thing to lead with. In general, most people don't' care how the sausage is made. Explain what they are going to get, how they are going to benefit or fell upon listening to your show.  The beauty of this is you can always change it late The tough part is some consultants have a website for their consulting, and then add a podcast. Do you have a paragraph for the show or for the host? The answer is both. The harder question is which one is first? If your goal is to get hired as a consultant, then put your paragraph first. If you are hoping to use your podcast to build that relationship that leads to more consulting, then maybe you put the podcast paragraph first. Your Contact Page I put every way you can contact me on my contact page. Email, voicemail, social media, etc. This way if someone wants to contact me, they only need to look in one place. If you are using some sort of form, be sure to use the form yourself and make sure you get the message. A Subscribe Page As more and more podcasts are added to different directories, telling people to find you is becoming less and less of a good thing to say. As more NEW podcast listeners get involved with podcasting telling them to subscribe may fall on deaf ears. Instead, make a page that shows people how to subscribe to your show with links directly to your show on the top platforms. Currently, in 2018 I recommend Apple Podcasts/iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, and Google Play Music (I have tutorials for all of these inside the School of Podcasting) Web Hosting Has a New Breed In past, I've used Hostgator (and was even a reseller), and BlueHost (I've never had great luck with them), Godaddy (I am a reseller at www.coolerwebsites.com). Recently I new breed of websites came on board and these were geared to host sites built on Wordpress. I tried a few using Godaddy as a platform and thought I saw some increase in speed. Then I put a Wordpress website on what I will now call "Traditional" hosting, and can say the difference is notable. The fees are typically a little higher (A few dollars more a month), but the speed is higher. That's the good news. The bad news is most of these Wordpress Hosting Packages come with email addresses. This was the case when I hosted a WP Engine. I solved this by getting email through Google at the price of $5 a month per email. WP Engine is a fine company, but to make a long story short, if you get any kind of traffic you pay through the nose (At one point I was paying between 50-70 a month). This is why I liked Godaddy's Wordpress Hosting as it was around $10 a month for 400,000 visitors. I've been using them (again my reseller is www.coolwerwebsites.com) but then I heard about Siteground. Siteground has Wordpress Designed packages, and they offer your email addresses as well. I moved some sites to their platform to test, and again noticed a speed increase with my pages loading. I finally chose to move the School of Podcasting to their platform (from WP Engine) and again saw an increase, plus I got as many email addresses as I want. Their support is AWESOME And I couldn't be happier. Oh yea, the price? $11.95 a month.  I am very happy to be saving some cash each month and getting more services. How Do You Move Your Site? The good news is most web hosts will move your site for free. Siteground did the School of Podcasting for free. However, I wanted to move more sites. They charge $30 to move your site over. So here is how I did it. I used ManageWP. I love this service. I installed a free plugin to my site, and paid $2 to back it up. I then installed WordPress with a few click on Siteground and updated my domain name to point at my blank site. Here is a video that shows the power of Managewp I know, there are all sort of ways to do this without having your site go offline, but this is a way to do it without having to go into a cpanel, use ftp, etc I put a message on the front of the website saying we are moving and we would be going temporarily offline. I would refresh my screen every five minutes, and the minute I saw the deal Wordpress screen, I went into ManageWP and had them restore website from my backup. It worked flawlessly. So instead of paying $30, I paid $2. If I had used their service, they probably could do it without the site going offline, but you can choose your own path. How Many Sites Can You Have on One Site Ground Plan? (images at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/603 ) Currently, on their biggest plan I loaded the following sites: http://podcastreviewshow.com http://betterdave.com http://davesblanksite.com http://feedingmyfaith.com http://podcastingresources.com http://powerofpodcasting.com As you can see on the left, I've got some room to grow. Most of these sites are fairly dead. You can see this information by going into the cpanel and looking on the left-hand side of the screen. Wherever you host your website, be sure to have a backup, keep your themes and plugins up to date, and remove any plugins and themes you are not using (don't just deactivate them).     Adding Apple Podcasts Episode Numbers How Last year Apple added the ability to add episode numbers to your show. These may come in handy later with different apps. Currently, you can now ask Siri to subscribe to your show. That makes it easy. In the future, there is speculation that you will be able to request an episode number if it is in place. There is also speculation that this field may be used by Amazon in skills for your podcast. What if you already have a bunch of episodes? If you're on Libsyn, currently ask Rob Walch (rob@libsyn.com ) to send you the secret link (as it's not public) and he will send you a link that makes it super easy to add your episodes to your entire back catalog in minutes. If you're using Blubrry, you can edit your episode to enter the information   In terms of where do you start? I would start with the latest episode and work backward. It's not as easy to count that way, but for me, I feel your latest episodes are getting the most attention. If you are using Wordpress, you can right-click on the edit link and open in a window. This keeps you in the same location.    Start Your Podcast at  www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start Got a Comment? 888-563-3228

As a podcast consultant, I like to try all sorts of technology to stay informed with what is going in the space. Today I'm going to talk about things to keep in mind when you move, how to move, and why or why not you should move. I also have a resource if you're moving your entire website without learning any code.  First the disclosure. I was a customer of Libsyn.com for 10 years before becoming an employee almost two years ago. So when I talk about Libsyn competition, I do my best to keep my Libsyn employee hat off, and keep the Dave Jackson School of Podcasting hat on. I also have taken extra effort to base my comments on what happens. Now what I think should happen. I will be sure to tell you when something is an opinion and when something is a fact (as I know it).  Here are my Updated Criteria for Podcast Media Hosting  Don't mess with my file name* Don't mess with my file format (bit rate, ID3 tags) Give me the ability to have an unlimited back catalog (unlimited storage) Don't limit my audience size (unlimited bandwidth) Don't control my feed, and make it easy to leave if I choose to do so. I need to be able to put in a 301 redirect. Give me support. Preferably within 24 hours. Charge me for your service so you can stay in business Give me stats so I can see what's working. It would be nice if they were accurate. Support the iTunes Serial, Episodic, Season, and Episode Numbers Be IAB Compliant (please note as of 1/2017 certification is not in place, when it is, I want me Podcast Media Host Certified) *Some media hosts offer to inject your mp3 file with an advertisement and in those instances, they get a pass on this criteria. So if I look at the following media hosts Amazon S3  Buzzsprout.com  Podomatic.com Libsyn.com Blubrry.com Podbean.com Spreaker.com Soundcloud.com Simplecast.com Podmio.com Pinecast.com Whooska.com  Here are the ones who made the cut Libsyn.com Blubrry.com Podbean.com Use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month at any of these services. Full show notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/602