
School of Podcasting - Podcast Tips to Plan, Launch, Grow Your Podcast
You want to start a podcast, but you’re unsure where to start. You need advice on how to grow or monetize your show, and stop being so scared that it won’t work! I can help by showing you what mistakes NOT TO MAKE and much more. Subscribe to the show and soak in the 18+ years of podcasting experience from Podcaster Hall of Fame Inductee Dave Jackson.
Latest episodes

Jun 6, 2016 • 38min
The Ultimate New and Noteworthy - Muhammad Ali - Podcastguests.com Reviewed
This week I am saddened by the lost of my champ Muhammad Ali. When I was growing up there were two things that were constant in my life. Richard Nixon was President Muhammad Ali was the Greatest Boxer of All Time Today there are lesson I feel we can learn from Muhmmad Ali as podcasters. When I hear name Muhammad Ali there is so much more to a guy that was good in the ring. He Know Both Sides of Boxing There are two ways to win in boxing Don't get hit. He ounce dodged 21 punches in 10 seconds. Hit the other guy. As a child Muhammad would have his brother throw rocks at his head. As I was watching old clips of his fights today, one of his strengths was the ability to not get hit. He also had incredibly fast hands. He punched before you even saw it coming. The Two Ways to Win in Podcasting Create content that positively impacts your audience Intelligently promote it to that audience My equation for downloads is: Value in the episode multiplied by the amount of effort put into promotion = Total Downloads. He Never Stopped Moving As I mentioned her was very hard to hit. Especially early in his career he never stopped dancing around the ring. If he did, it meant you were about to get hit with a ton of punches. Podcasters Need to Keep Moving If we are to keep up with all the other forms of entertainment that are fighting for the attention of our audience, we need to keep moving, and always looking to be better. He Was New Muhammad Ali won the gold medal in the 1964 Olympics (known then as Cassius Clay). He then did something most boxers didn't do. He spoke. He not only spoke, he made poems and boasted about how he was going to to beat his opponent. When most boxers didn't have the intelligent to put together a full sentence, here was one that was fighting to get a microphone in his fave. He Was Noteworthy He won his fist championship fighting Sunny Liston. Sunny Liston was a huge favorite with of 8 to 1. Nobody thought Ali had a chance. When he beat the champ, that was truly noteworthy, and people did indeed take note. By the way, Ali later admitted that he feared Liston, but acted so crazy to intimidate him (and he did). Podcasters: If you truly want to be New and Noteworthy, you need to come up with something new (it's not easy) and create content that is noteworthy. Something that will get your audience. If you want to be New and Noteworthy, be, um, New and Truly Noteworthy. He Was A Man of Integrity When he was drafted he refused. It went against his religious beliefs. The consequences, they stripped him of his title, banned him from boxing for three years (during the prime of his career). Later it was overturned by a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court. Integrity as a podcaster: We need to stand up for what we believe in. Can you imagine if someone said "Do this, or we are removing you from iTunes, and every other directory, we are disabling your RSS feed, and we're taking your microphone? We can't sell out to bad sponsors that don't fit our show, and to strategies that are less than transparent. You have integrity when you start podcasting, once you lose it, it is very hard, if not impossible, to get back. He Used His Authority For Good He could've taken his money, and retired. Instead he had one of his biggest fights in Africa? Why because he wanted to boost the economy. When he was banned from boxing her was a speaker at colleges. He embraced diversity. Giving Back as a Podcaster We can give back by supporting causes like the Podcast Awards, New Media Europe (which are currently struggling). We can use our microphone to help people, and to spotlight those things that need to be in the spotlight. He Apologized For Crossing the Line Ali was famous for calling his opponents names. Leading up to one fight he called Joe Frazier a Gorilla. While Ali did this to rile up his appointment and increase ticket sales (and it worked in both cases) he later would apologize to Joe's son, and eventually to Joe and the two became friends before Joe passed away. Podcasters can take back words. I know I've said things about Audello, and I once made some remarks about an article online that crossed the line of fact related, and got personal. I have since apologized for my words, removed the comments from their blog, and we have patched things up. Help These Podcast Resources New Media Europe Podcastawards.com (and while you're there, vote for the school of podcasting in the education category :) Podcast Rewind: Podcasters Roundtable Discuss the Importance of New and Noteworthy with Ray Ortega, +Daniel J. Lewis +Dave Jackson, +George Whittam and +Ian Robinson I appeared on the Super Joe Pardo Dreamer's Podcast PodcastGuests.com Review I recently heard and used PodcastsGuests.com and wasn't sure what to expect. Within a week I had over 15 people who had replied. What was I looking for? I wanted people who could answer the question, "Because of my podcast _____." I've definitely got some people who I will be contacting in the future. It is a tool to find guests, and also to be found as a potential guest on other shows. For more resources check out podcastingresources.com The School of Podcasting is Open! Save time, save your money (by not buying stuff you don't need). If you think you don't have the budget, look at your other hobbies. I looked at a gold course in Kent, Ohio it was $15 for 9 holes. If you did 18 holes twice a month that would be $60. A local bowling leagues was $15 a week. That is another $60 a month. A local bike shop had a clearance sale and the cheapest bike was $410. The School of Podcasting has step by step tutorials, a private Facebook Group (for networking), Live "Office Hours" where you can come and get free consulting, and priority email support. Sign up Today Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey

May 30, 2016 • 50min
Yes, You Can Change Your Podcast
Podcast Rewind: Podcasts on Jeopardy This week PODCASTS was a category on Jeopardy. This again shows how podcasting is growing and becoming more and more main stream.Awareness over the last year has gone from 48% to 49 % now it jumped to 55%. The percentage of people who have listened to a podcast is up to 36% (90 million people in the US) up from 33% the previous year and 30% the previous year. It's OK, You'll Be Fine So I've been holding these "Podcasting Puzzle" webinars that feature podcasting 101 information. I love talking to people about why they haven't started. You know all the reason why you should start, all the ways you can benefit from a podcast, and yet here you are... no podcast. Well I know how you feel. Now you might be thinking, "Dave you have been podcasting for 11 years, no you don't." Well, I'm here to tell you I do. Here is why. I've been planning on using Facebook Ads to promote the School of Podcasting. I watched countless videos. I know all the pros. I know not to promote a post and to use the Power Editor. I have videos that pretty much walk me through the process and yet here I am ... no Ads. Why? It's new, and I don't want to waste my money. I don't want to waste my time. I don't know what I'm doing. There have been things I've waste money on (exercise equipment over the years, guitars, etc), there have been things that I've wasted my time on (marriage, diet), but when I look back on those items they aren't really a waste. Here is why: I came out a better person with a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I learned that some things that work for others won't work for me. It got my toe in the water of a new thing, that allowed me to carry on. It was the price of a launch Rebranding Your Podcast Today we talk with Kathy Kelly of the Special Mouse Podcast. She's been doing it for years, and feels she has said all there is to say on the subject, and is having a hard time recommending Disney due to the rising cost of just attending the park, and they seem to care less and less about people with special needs (way to have integrity!), but she didn't want to quit podcasting. She enjoys her Facebook group, and the relationships she has built with her audience. So what is she going to do? She is going to create a show for mothers of autistic children. She will keep enjoying the relationships she has built, and quick talking about things she doesn't want to talk about (Disney). Because her new podcast is very similar to her old podcast she can rebrand (change the name and artwork) and keep her old audience, reviews, and subscribers. She will make a new feed for her old show (Special mouse) and keep her audience with the new show. Where I Will Be Speaking Podcast Movement July 6-8 in Chicago (use the coupon code sop40 to save) Podcast Mid Atlantic Septemeber 9-10 in New Jersey use http://podcastmidatlantic.com/sop to save 10% Because of His Podcast: Michael Butler Gets a New Computer! When Michael Butler found out his old computer needed $600 worth of parts, he turned to his audience who had someone who was able to get him a computer for free. Michael was down to recording his show on his Phone using the Bossjock app. Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey

May 23, 2016 • 59min
Compressor, Noise Gates, De Essers in Plain English
Because of his Podcast: He Discovered a Niche Who Needed A Product Got a note from Corey Fineran I just handed my boss my resignation letter! This podcasting journey started 7 1/2 years ago and it's now allowed me to leave my job and start my own business! You've probably heard me talk about Ivy Envy (my podcast on the Chicago Cubs) more than the one I did for my employer. Since 2012, I've been able to call myself a "professional podcast producer" as my employer created a new position for me to do video podcasts for teachers to play in their classrooms to help high school students with disabilities in their transition from high school to life after high school (primarily through work/employment). Well, there is a huge need for this type of curriculum and schools all over the state of Illinois have started using that podcast. I saw a need and last summer, I started working on starting my own business, creating innovative and interactive online transition curriculum and marketing it to schools all over the country. After receiving contracts from school districts and cooperatives, I'm able to leave my job at the end of this school year. Many of the people in this group have influenced me (whether they know it or not) to take this scary jump. +Bob Zerull +Ray Ortega +Daniel Hayes +Nick Seuberling +David Jackson and of course, +Tawny Fineran who has been insanely supportive over the last year as I've worked on building this. If you're curious to check out what I've been working on, you can find it here: http://transitioncurriculum.com Another Problem with Your Show's Title Headline As I now work for Libsyn (where you can get a free month using the coupon code sopfree), and I get to see some mistakes that people are making. Now I'm doing a bit of a repeat, and that is people make horrible headlines. In the past I've talked about starting off a headline with the date. What I am seeing now is people putting the name of their show at the beginning of the headline. Why this makes no sens, is any place you can see the headline (your website, a listing in iTunes) you already see the name of the show. Also here is another thing to keep in mind, on the podcasts app from Apple, you can only see 45 characters of the headline if you're not subscribed to it. Once you subscribe you see the entire headline. However, would you subscribe if every headline was: School of Podcasting - How to Podcast Today w School of Podcasting - How to Podcast Today w School of Podcasting - How to Podcast Today w You're wasting really, really valuable space. Why do we care? I had a client who had a respected media outlet that wanted to put their RSS feed on their site. They tested it and the headlines were horrible, and they wanted the producer to change all of their headlines. Want to make great Headlines, check out my Free Headlines Resources Multiple Websites Question Revisited Paul said, " Heard your comments about updating multiple websites. I have 7 x WordPress sites, have used ManageWP for a couple of years now, love it! VERY easy to update all sites at once, gives you immediate admin access to all sites without login and very simple to add and take new WP installations, with dynamic pricing. Daniel said, " I use iThemes Sync. ]But you should also check out JetPack’s built-in module for plugin updates. Then, you can login to wordpress.com/plugins (I think) and update all your plugins from there. It’s not as thorough as Sync or others. But it’s free with no limit on sites. Is Blab.Im Going Away? The quick answer is no. However, the CEO stated this week "Blab is not doubling down on broadcaster tools.” They want to focus more on equipping people to hang out. We talked about this on the Ask the Podcast Coach show that I do every Saturday at 10:30 AM EST and here are some theories of what this might really mean. They can't make it reliable Podcasters are perfectionists They are working on other projects (an app for teens) This is as good as it gets. For me it means, I'm not leaving the platform until it doesn't work for me. I will be scouting other options. Thanks For the Review "What a fantastic resource this show has been for me. As a 51 year old professional in the entertainment industry, I knew nothing about podcasting when I decided to have my own show. The School of Podcasting has and will continue to be my GPS (great podcasting source). Thanks Dave for doing your homework! Alan Bruess, Tailgate Entertainer" from AlanB-Tractor Guy. This review was sent to me automatically from My Podcast Reviews (have all reviews from all countries, as well as sticher be sent to your email ) Advanced Podcasting Recording Tools in Plain English Today I'm joined by Chris Curran of the podcastengineeringschool.com and http://fractalrecording.com/ who has spent years as an audio engineer in the music business, and is now turning his skills on podcasting. Now keep in mind, you do NOT need these items to get started. Next week I'm doing a podcast with just a microphone and audacity. No effects at all. Today we talk through What is a compressor? What do the knobs do? What does it sound like if I messed up? What is a noise gate? What do the knobs do? What does it sound like if I messed up? What is a De-Esser? What do the knobs do? What does it sound like if I messed up? Thinking of Starting a Podcast? Check out www.podcastingpuzzle.com and www.schoolofpodcasting.com Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey

May 16, 2016 • 42min
Podcasting Brings More Customers, Better Students, and More Traffic
Today on the School of Podcasting we talk content marketing, why podcasting is a perfect tool for this strategy, and how to overcome one of the biggest hurdles for those needing interaction on their website. Podcast Rewind 2:15 I appeared on the Maximize Excellence show with Joe Hicks. Joe walks you through an Ideology of the four pillars of excellence. I really liked the show, and Joe (a graduate of the School of Podcasting) is doing a great job. Check it out at www.maximizeexcellence.com or subscribe in iTunes. Because of Podcasting 5:20 I have read the book, Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less: How to Tell a Different Story, ... and Win More Customers by Marketing Less and it had some great stories of content marketing. There was a blacksmith that worked with farmers. He would listen to them complain about how mud would get stuck on their plow. He later invented a plow made of steel that the mud didn't stick to. He listened to his audience and gave them what they needed. In 1885, he started a magazine called The Furrow. The purpose of the magazine was to educate farmers on new technology and how they could be more successful business owners and farmers (thus, content marketing). The Furrow was not filled with promotional messages and self-serving content. It was developed by thoughtful journalists, storytellers, and designers, and covered topics that farmers cared about deeply. The goal of the content was to help farmers become more prosperous and, of course, profitable. Now, 120 years later, The Furrow is still going strong. It is the largest circulated farming magazine in the world, delivered monthly to over 1.5 million farmers, in 12 languages to 40 different countries. Who was this blacksmith? John Deere, he was quite an inventor. You may have heard of his tractors. 1900: Michelin develops The Michelin Guide. This 400-page guide, now with its iconic red cover, helps drivers maintain their cars and find decent lodging. In its first edition, 35,000 copies were distributed for free. 1904: Jell-O recipe book pays off. Jell-O distributes free copies of a recipe book that contributes to sales of over $ 1 million by 1906. 1913: Burns & McDonnell Engineering launch BenchMark. This Kansas City engineering and consulting firm still produces its award-winning BenchMark magazine to this day. 1930's Proctor and Gamble started making radio dramas. This was an extremely successful strategy. It often would feature ads for Duz and Oxydol detergents. Later these would move to Television. Many people refer to them as Soap Operas. Your podcast could be the next Furrow. You use your podcast to build your brand. You use it to gain the trust of your audience. You build a relationship with your audience. Then later you can capitalize on that relationship. So content marketing is not new, but it can be tricky Podcasting Boosts Grades 12: 52 Craig from Ingleaspodcast.com shared a story on the Ask the Podcast Coach on how he had students do extra homework by listening to podcasts. The other in the class did not. Those who reinforced their learning with podcasting had better grades. He did have one student who originally did not listen to the podcasts (but his grades had improved). Later, he confessed he had been listening to the podcasts. Using Content Upgrades In Your Podcast 19:08 A content upgrade offers extra value on the initial article or content. It typically is a downloadable, email-gated piece that strikes while the proverbial iron is hot. For podcasters maybe the price of admission is not an email address, but simply a click to get back to your site, where you can then get them to subscribe, click, etc. Great Example Scott Johnson does the Computer Tutor Podcast. It is one of my favorites. It's around 5 minutes, and Scott brings cool tips that even as someone who was teaching software for a living for 20+ years, I learned things. Well in his last episode he did something that appears similar to a content upgrade. He explained that if you type in http://netflix.com/browse/genre/xxxxx that XXX can be a category number that can range from Action & Adventure: 1365 to Zombie Horror Movies: 75405 while this is helpful, if you don't have the category numbers you're stuck. So where do you go to get those category numbers? You guessed it Scott's Computer Florida Website So what does this do. You only get people on your website who really want this information. Casual Netflix users may not care. Me? I do a lot of Netflix, so I was all over it. So I went over, and I checked out some music-related categories, and then I went to documentaries. There it was. The documentary Alive Inside. Have you seen it? IT'S AMAZING. Check this out. So I find this MIND BLOWING MOVIE, and who gets credit? Scott Johnson from the Computer Tutor Podcast. I challenge you. Yes, you. I challenge you Netflix users to watch the movie Alive Inside and NOT tell someone about it. When I talk about creating content that makes people talk about your show, that's the kind of information I'm talking about. Being Real Can Inspire Real Results 33:00 In some cases, just being real can catch people off guard. Our world is one where lies are the native tongue of our politicians. When we hear someone be brutally honest, it can really catch us off guard. On Episode 701 of the WTF podcast with Marc Maron, he talks about dealing with grief as he prepares to go to a funeral and reflects on the death of Prince. He explained how he deals with his feelings, and how it's easy to ignore your feelings. He explained how it's better to deal with your feelings. It sounded as if he was at times fighting back tears. Then on episode 702 he reads a letter on how Marc sharing his feelings, and being honest, allowed someone to better deal with his grief, and to deal with a situation he is going through. It's not always about downloads and CPM rates. Sometimes, it's about connecting with people and leaving the world a better place. Money Making Strategy for Those Promoting Kickstarter Campaigns 37:38 If you are ever promoting kickstart campaigns on your show (like Rob Today in iOs) you might want to check out kickbooster.me Here is how it works. Become a Booster to get immediate access of hundreds of crowdfunding campaigns in the Kickbooster Marketplace that are offering a reward for helping spread the word about their campaign. Choose the ones you want to promote, blog, post, and tweet about them, and get paid for your efforts. You earn 10% on all successful referrals. You can even earn 10% cashback on your own pledge Mentioned in this Show Podcast Review Show More Podcast Money Kindle Book Sign up for the Newsletter Podcasting Puzzle (Podcasting 101 Webinar) Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey

May 9, 2016 • 58min
Keeping Your Podcast Legal - Gordon Firemark
In this episode we are joined by Lawyer Gordon Firemark who produces multiple podcasts that include, Entertainment Industry Insights, Entertainment Law Update, and The Law Podcasting as well as his own course that teachers lawyers how to podcast at Lawpodcasting.com. He is the author of the book The Podcast, Blog & New Media Producer's Legal Survival Guide: An essential resource for content creators (amazon) or if you want the pdf of the book go to http://www.podcastlawbook.com/ Today we talk about: How Gordon got into entertainment law How to register a trademark. How a trademark is your brand. Here is the US Patent and Trademark Office Website www.uspto.gov Understanding Copyright When is it OK to play music in your podcast? How do you avoid being sued for slander? Fair Use (Gordan has a great video about this on YouTube) Tips on Negotiating contacts Dave explains how he got fined for using an image from images.google.com (so yes, you can get busted) How to avoid "Defaming" someone. Release forms. podcastrelease.com is a free example (email address required). How he found his co-host. How lawyers are using podcasting to get more clients. Affiliate links. copyright.gov dmca agent Gordon (like Dave) recommends the Audio Technica 2100 microphone Because of My Podcast Dave Hooper of Red Podcast- I am Much Smoother on the Microphone when I'm doing promos for my radio show Ryan K park of Foodcraftsmen.com was much more confident when he appeared on the local news Question For the Audience I've heard about Manage WP and CMS Commander, InfiniteWP, WPRemote, iContrlWP, iThemes Sync, but I've never used any. If you have any insights I would love to hear them. If you have any insights that would allow you to update multiple sites from one location (and I'm not looking to get into WordPress Multi-site ). Free Podcasting Puzzle Webinars The Ultimate Podcasting 101 Live Webinar I will be holding three webinars as we prepare for registration to open at the School of Podcasting June 1. It's call "Understanding the Podcasting Puzzle" and you can sign up to get the links to the LIVE not pre-recorded) webinars. Here are the dates to attend: Saturday May 21 1 - 2 PM EST Wednesday May 25th 8-9 PM EST Saturday May 28th 1 -2 PM EST Go to podcastingpuzzle.com for more information on attending. Mentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

May 2, 2016 • 47min
What If Podcasting Was A Sport? Have You Been To Training Camp?
Because of My Podcast: A
Veteran Got a Home
Robert Kerns produces the Living
the Vet life. He had a mortgage specialist on his show. He was
contacted by someone in another state (again, podcasting is global)
and the mortgage specialist was able to get the listener in contact
with another specialist and the veteran was able to get his loan
with a special VA Home Loan rate. None of this would have happened,
but it did because of hist podcast. Check out Rob at livingthevetlife.com
If Podcasting Was A
Sport.
I live in Cleveland. A fairly
famous sports town. Famous, for not quite being good
enough.
We were 1 pitch away from winning
the world series.
Two yards away from going to the
Super Bowl.
Over the years the Cleveland
Browns Football team has taken over leading the pack of bad sports
teams in Cleveland. Every few years we fire our coaches and their
staffs. Our players get suspended. Our coaches stink when they are
here, we fire them, and they win mutliple super bowls.
What does this have to do with
podcasting? Stick with me.
In 2014 after having a miserable
year the owners of the Cleveland Browns decided to work on the
stadium. They installed:
Massive, uniquely shaped video
boards,
Escalators that helped eliminate
congestion
and a cranked-up audio
system
The quote was they hoped these
items "Improved the fan experience."
The next year they added more
concessions and better lighting. The cost over two years? $125
million
Again they stated they wanted an
"improved fan experience."
The best way to improve the fan
experience is to put a WINNING FOOTBALL TEAM TOGETHER. The last two
years our combined record is 11-21.
HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO
PODCASTING?
At the core of the stadium is the
team. A team we come to root for, and a team we expect to win. When
they win, the fans brave insane temperatures to pack the stadium in
the winter. Everyone is talking about the game on Monday morning.
When the team stinks, they don't. I don't care if I can take an
escalator to my seat. If the team has no shot at winning, I'm not
going. I'm not watching from home, and nobody is talking about it
at work, because it is horrible.
Well, we see people investing in
a better microphone (when their original microphone was fine). They
invest in a new theme for their website (that most of their
audience never visits). They switch email list providers. They
switch media hosting companies. They get a new player for their
website. In a sense they are sprucing up the stadium of a losing
team.
They need to put a winning team
on the field. They need to create content that will impact their
audience. We need to focus on our audience, that leads to great
content, and the finally we need to promote that content (and
hopefully get our audience to promote it as well).
How Do Sports Teams Get
Better?
They
prepare.
They watch film of both their
opponent as well as watch tapes of their own games and look for
mistakes they made to help avoid them.
They
Listen
Good players are open to
feedback. They listen to their coaches. They listen to their fellow
players. They have a mindset of constant improvement. They might
take a week off when the season is over, but then it is back to the
gym to prepare for next season
They Trade Players That
Didn't Work
When a player doesn't meet
expectations (Johnny Manzel in my case) and you gave him a chance,
you cut your losses.
They Bring in A New
Set of Eyes
Tiger Woods has had numerous
coaches over the years. The Browns hired a guy from BASEBALL who
has a completely new perspective and strategy on choosing
players.
How Do Podcasters Get
Better?
They
Prepare
They Prepare. They think about
what they want to say before they hit record. I am writing these
notes way before I press record (it's the way I do it, and I find I
get better content). They listen to other podcasts. Not to rip off
the content, examine why a show works (and what they can learn from
it) and what doesn't work (and how they can avoid it). Realize this
is all subjective, but if you don't improve, and your show's
content does not inspire people to come back and listen again, your
show will die.
They
Listen
They form a "Focus group" of
listeners who are not afraid to give constructive feedback, or they
take the time to think through a negative comment to see if there
is any Merritt to it.
They Lose Segments That
Don't Resonate.
I once had a segment where I would
ask the audience to listen to three episodes before unsubscribing.
Not a bad idea (I borrowed it from radio talk show host Jim Rome).
I made a jingle for it, and it really annoyed a listener. I also
started branding myself as an "Acquired taste." In the end, I
didn't want to be someone you had to force down to consume. I
dropped the segment. I also at one point started spotlighting my
back catalog with a "This day in School of Podcasting History."
There was only one problem. It bored me.
You Bring in a New Set of
Ears
I get hired by people to consult
on their show. Why? Because I have a fresh set of ears, and I also
have an experienced set of ears. I also want you help to bring out
the best parts of your show, and tweak those parts that aren't
working. Now there are times when I'm not your target audience, but
I can still spot things that you are missing because you're too
close to see it. See podcastreviewshow.com
Focus and Dedication is
Key to a Long Career in Podcasting
Johnny Manzel had talent, but no
focus or discipline> Johnny focused on the money. Not serving
his audience (the fans).
Josh Gordon was suspended in his
College Days for Marijuana, and that continues as a pro. He's been
suspended three times (at least) He doesn't get the big
picture.
Wide Receiver for the Pittsburgh
Steelers was suspended without pay because of a failed drug test.
His second suspension for the same problem.
You have to stay focused making
great content, and looking for smart opportunities to promote your
show and create strategic partners.
A Key Point About Making
it Into the Pros
According to a Google
search:
NCAA senior players drafted by an
NFL team: About one in 50, or 2.0 percent. High school senior
players eventually drafted by an NFL team: About nine in 10,000, or
0.09 percent.
NCAA senior players drafted by an
NBA team: Less than one in 75, or 1.3 percent. -- High school
senior players eventually drafted by an NBA team: About three in
10,000, or 0.03 percent
Less than eleven in 100, or about
10.5 percent, of NCAA senior male baseball players will get drafted
by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Approximately one in 200, or
approximately 0.5 percent of high school senior boys playing
interscholastic baseball will eventually be drafted by an MLB
team.
only 132 out of those 22,000 made
it into the top feeder leagues for the NHL (.6%). Of those 132
players, only 7 played in the NHL. .0312%
Those are astonishing
numbers.
These are people who have been
playing the game all their life.
Number of podcasters who get
enough downloads to get a "big" advertiser: 8% (source Rob from
Libsyn.com). (You can make a good living with smaller sponsors see
Glenn Hebert Interview)
Special
Thanks
Thanks to Kim for playing the
part of the female reporter in the skit today. Kim does the
Toastmasters 101 podcast at toastmasters101.net
Podcast Conferences Where
I Will Be Speaking
Podcast
Movement – Chicago – July 6-8 Use coupon (sop40)
Podcast Success Summit – Online May 16th June
9th
Podcast
MidAtltantic – NJ – September 9 -10th
Great Notes From Tim
Ferris
His goal is to not make money,
but build his relationship with his audience. In this article he says:
"I want to convert casual
listeners into die-hard, fervent listeners, and I want to convert
casual sponsors into die-hard, fervent sponsors. This requires two
things: 1) Playing the long game, and 2) Strategically leaving some
chips on the table. As a mentor once told me, “You can shear a
sheep many times, but you can skin him only once.”"
Later he added:
Novice podcasters (which I
was) and bloggers get too distracted in nascent stages with
monetization. In the first 3-9 months, you should be honing your
craft and putting out increasingly better work.
The recording gear is better
and cheaper every year. It’s extremely easy for me to travel with a
small recording studio in my backpack. If you’re on a budget, even
an iPhone will do, but–bang for the buck–the ATR-2100 is hard to
beat.
My mantra for gear is
borrowed from my podcast with Morgan Spurlock: “Once you get fancy,
fancy gets broken.” Keep it simple.
Simple Can be
Astounding
Here are some songs that are
incredibly simple.
Who Made Who by AC/DC The first
15 seconds are one note, and one chord.
Lick it Up by Kiss- Most of this
consists of two chords and one note on the bass.
Turn Me Loose - Loverboy - The
beginning of this song is one chord and some hi-hat hits
And yet, when I was a young boy,
people would run -not walk - to the dance floor to "get their jam
on."
Ready to Start
Podcasting?
Check out www.planningyourpodcast.comMentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey

Apr 25, 2016 • 48min
You Can't Change - What You Won't Start
Because of My Podcast: I'm Getting
Married
Today Matthew Cox from Brunch with the
Brits explains how he went to a podcast event who eventually
became his wife.
Why I Turned Down My First Podcast
Sponsor
I had been contacted by a sponsor at
advertisecast.com. I decided to low ball my pricing ($10 an
episode) just to see if anyone would jump. An advertiser did. They
wanted 10 episodes of my Weekly Web Tools podcast. That would be
almost three months and the advertising would pay for my hosting
(minus the 20% that advertisecast take). I would take home $96. My
hosting will cost me $45 for three months. I might have some gas
money. Here are some of the bullet points:
To get started and receive a $50 signup
bonus
You’ll earn $1 for every new email lead and up
to $200 for every new member you refer from your
computer
Has already generated millions of dollars for
over 200,000 happy entrepreneurs
My audience is predominant male, and I know I
have some entrepreneurs in my audience. So far this sounds like a
great fit. Then I went to see what I was promoting.
It turns out the product was a video chat and
dating service. Hmmm, that doesn't really fit, but maybe I would do
this as an experiment. Then I dug a little deeper. You see this
wasn't some ordinary video chat/dating service. It was porn, oh I
wait I mean adult chat. Can we just call it what it is?
Porn.
Beside my religious beliefs there are lots of
non-religious reasons that porn is a cancer that most people feel
is "not a problem." Well I disagree. It's an opinion, and we're not
here to talk about that. Let's get back to podcasting.
I will not have a sponsor on my show that I
can't go to bed at night feeling I served my audience by sending
them toward a product I fully endorse. So I turned them down. I
also contacted advertisecasts.com and suggested they put in a way
for podcasters to save people time so I can say, "No porn,
cigarette, alcohol, etc)
Every podcasters starts with two things in
common. Zero listeners, and they have integrity. When you lose your
integrity, you may not ever get it back.
Don't Be Afraid To Start Your Podcast and Find
Your Voice
When I started college I thought I wanted to
"Fix stuff" so I went to an electronics school and got a degree in
electronic engineering. The other thing I got was a clear
understanding that I wasn't very good at fixing stuff. I fixed
copiers, but luckily got an opportunity (based on relationships I
had formed in the company) to go out and set up the equipment and
train the users. I was a customer service rep. Had I not gone to
college to be a technician, I never would've ended up in
training.
I later would go back to School to get a
Bachelor's Degree in Education. My dream job was to get back to
training people on Microsoft Products. I had the most fun doing
that in the past, and I was good at it. I could be funny and
educational. Because of my knowledge of computers I start to dabble
in building websites, and the Internet. That lead to me a guy who
had come back from a conference who told me about
podcasting.
I started podcasting, and got to know people in
the industry. Using my strongest skills of serving and teaching, I
created value. I developed relationships with all of the podcasting
companies. I remember one day about a year and a half ago when a
student asked me a question about combining two features in
Microsoft Excel. I explained I had never tried those two features
together, to which he pulled out his iPhone and asked Siri. Right
in front of my eyes, the phone solved my customers problem. I
thought, I'm going to be replaced by a phone. A year and a half
later what was once a staff of five trainers, what cut down to one
(and it wasn't me). However, because I had been playing with
computers, and playing with the Internet, that lead me to
podcasting. Those relationships I built over ten years lead me to
being employed by Libsyn.com (A podcast media company).
Now I would never have though my life would
turn out the way it has. Anything that put me into position to help
me later began by starting something. Knowledge is only power when
you act on it.
Richard Prior is considered by some to the THE
best comedian ever. Richard launched his career being very safe,
and incorporating a lot of physical comedy in his routines. He was
basically trying to be Bill Cosby. There was only one problem. He
was Richard Prior and being Bill Cosby-ish was not easy, and
eventually Richard walked off the stage mid-performance cause he
couldn't do it anymore. But he wouldn't have known that if he
hadn't started stand up. You can manage, pivot, adjust, something
that you never start.
I Want My Podcast to Be Original
It's hard to really come up with something
completely original. Why? Because talking and entertainment and
education have been around for a long time. In the movies most
plots can be summarized by one of seven plot lines.
Overcoming Monsters - Dracula
Rags to Riches - Cinderella
The Quest - Lord of the Rings
Voyage and Return - Alice in Wonderland, The
Wizard of Oz
Comedy - Four Weddings and A Funeral
Tragedy - Breaking bad
Rebirth - The Grinch who stole
Christmas
Source
Create an Original Combination
As I write this, the musician Prince died last
Thursday. Some might say there was nobody like Prince, and that is
true. What was original about Prince was his mixing of Genres and
styles. If you ever saw him live, he borrowed a lot from James
Brown. If you watched him play the guitar, he reminded you a lot if
Jimi Hendrix. There was a hint of gospel an blues. What Prince had
that was unique to him was his vocal range. He took that range and
surrounded with the stylings of James, Jimi, and his own
influences. So the way he paired these genres was
original.
Learn From Others Who Are Doing it
Well
I've spoken in the past about grabbing people's
attention right up front. One of the longest running shows on
television does this the best: 60 minutes. They pull at your heart
making it near impossible to turn off the channel. Can you
incorporate this into your podcast? You sure can.
Podcast News:
Google (Yawn) Play
What should have been a tidal wave of
opportunity was a drop of technology as Google Play Music was
"Launched" kind of. Here is what's missing:
70% of podcasts are listened on a portable
device but Google is using Flash technology which dosn't work
on mobile devices.
You can't download the podcasts.
It's not really available anywhere except on
the web
The good news is starting today (28th) you will
be able to have more stats to obsess over. HOORAY!
Music MTV Is Getting into
Podcasting
MTV announced five new podcasts focused on
film, politics, pop culture and, obviously, music that will roll
out over the next week. The shows will be hosted by a mix of
current MTV News journalists including Anna Marie Cox
and several new hires.
For MTV, the move into podcasting shows how
it’s targeting young people who are staring at their phones, rather
than the television. Dan Fierman, MTV News’ editorial director,
told Digiday that of its young target audience, 80 percent of all
content they consume is on their phones and that the audience
has been underserved with podcast options.
Customer FeedBack
Multiple Feeds of a Podcast
How do you handle more than one feed with
Libsyn or Blubrry?
WordPress as a Free Website Option
John Wilkerson comments on last week’s show and
wondered why I didn’t mention WordPress.
BTW, I have a new favorite podcast because of
your “favorite podcast” episode at year end. Never heard of
No Agenda until I heard someone mention it on your end year end
show, actually it was last years show i listened to after
downloading the transcript. I know shame on me for being a
podcaster and not knowing of Adam Curry’s show until recently, but
I have not missed an episode since hearing about it earlier this
year and have also sent a few dollars their way. ? it’s
exceptionally good given the upcoming presidential
election.
Hope all is well and I’m sending money your way
too via Amazon shopping. ?
Thanks,
Richard Warfield, Jr.
RDubStudios.com
LoudPipes.net
Podcast Conferences Where I Will
Be Speaking
Podcast Movement - Chicago - July 6-8 Use coupon
(sop40)
Podcast Success Summit - Online May 16th June
9th
Podcast MidAtltantic - NJ - September 9
-10th
Check out Dave's Course
Planning Your
Podcast
Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyI Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey

Apr 18, 2016 • 32min
The Two Most Important Parts Of Your Podcast
The Podcast Award Are Open
If you've ever benefitted from this podcast, do please take the time and nominate the show (school of podcasting) in the EDUCATION category.
The Two Most Important Parts of Your Podcast
I was watching an episode of Live From Daryl's House (Daryl Hall of Hall and Oats Fame). He has all sorts of musicians of different styles and genres. There is always a small segment where you hear them getting ready. They have had time to prepare. They know the music, but there are two things you always need to figure out and this is no different in podcasting.
How to start a segment.
How to end a segment.
Why because the first part is your first impression. A bad first impression can really lose your audience for the rest of the song (podcast in our case). A bad last impression and we've just blown all the positive mojo we just created.
We talked a couple of weeks ago about the Podcast Interview Wizard software and how it helps you get to the point quicker. It gets you focused on the meat of the interview.
One strategy is to pick your main point, the one that really inspires people to laugh, cry, think, or groan and come back to that with a tone that signals to the audience that we're moving on, we are done, this is the final thought. Unless you're Jerry Springer, you don't need to announce "here are my final thoughts," you can just say them.
Likewise if you are transitioning to another segment, just transition. Get yourself some royalty free music, fade it, etc, (or just leave a pause of silence). There was only one person who could get away with announcing a transition and his name was James Brown. Why did he do this? Because his band would launch into a groove, and just repeat it over James's singing. So James would be in the middle of the song and ask "Can we take it to the bridge?" and eventually they would take it to the bridge. In other cases James would "hit it and quit it."
Announcing a transition is about as stupid as someone asking, "Can I ask you a question?" (cause they just did). At least that is my opinion.
Because of My Podcast Troy Henritz & Nick Seuberling
Troy does the blacklist exposed (theblacklistexposed.com), and recently he's been getting flooded with swag. He got an album (as in an LP) and a Blacklist encyclopedia.
Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/510 to see swag
Nick Seuberling - First Advertiser Check for Minor League Soccer Podcast
I was able to seal my first podcast/website sponsor. I've been podcasting for 11 years now and this is my very first sponsor. On a podcast that only has 8 episodes produced. I recently launched a new podcast that covers FC Cincinnati (http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com ), the newest soccer team in Cincy and I approached them about marketing their team store and ticket sales on my podcast. They immediately jumped at it. Today I received my first check in the mail, and I don't even have a signed agreement yet with the team. I'd say they're eager. Just goes to show, if you're in the right niche, you can sell it to anyone no matter how many episodes you've produced - Nick Seuberling
New and Noteworthy Update - Corey Finneran
Corey did a push for iTunes reviews for Ivy Envy. He gained 56 reviews this week. He now has 226 ratings and 191 reviews. He did not budge from #3 when you search "Chicago Cubs" in iTunes. The two that rank ahead of us?#1 - 150 ratings, 128 reviews and the last published episode was 11/11/2010.#2 - 7 ratings, 4 reviews.
Promote your show like iTunes doesn't exist. Use it. It's a tool. But I wouldn't put all my eggs in that basket.
Podcast Rewind
I appeared on Creative Studio podcast on narrative podcasting
Glenn the Geek and Jared Easley on Starve the Doubts check out Jared Easley Books on Amazon
Wordpress as a Free Website Option
John Wilkerson comments on last week's show and wondered why I didn't mention Wordpress.
BTW, I have a new favorite podcast because of your "favorite podcast" episode at year end. Never heard of No Agenda until I heard someone mention it on your end year end show, actually it was last years show i listened to after downloading the transcript. I know shame on me for being a podcaster and not knowing of Adam Curry's show until recently, but I have not missed an episode since hearing about it earlier this year and have also sent a few dollars their way. :) it's exceptionally good given the upcoming presidential election.Hope all is well and I'm sending money your way too via Amazon shopping. 😎Thanks,
Richard Warfield, Jr. RDubStudios.com LoudPipes.net
My Podcast Episode is Not Appearing in iTunes!?!?
Here are some things to keep in mind.
It takes up to 24 hours for your show to show up in iTunes
Your subscribers get it instantly
If you have the file on your website, your visitors have instant access
Is your feed valid? Check it at feedvalidator.org
Is your artwork in spec?
1400x1400px (minimum)3000x3000px (maximum, anything in between as long as it’s square)Under 500kbUse sRGB color spaceBe a JPG, JPEG, or a PNG file
If so, you can go to podcastsconnect.apple.com and click on your artwork, click Refresh (and then leave immediately - this is a very dangerous place).
There is a video on Libsyn's support page to explain more
Check out
planningyourpodcast.com for Dave's COurse
Mentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

Apr 10, 2016 • 41min
Create a Podcast Website For Free - Are You Making a $200 WordPess Mistake
Feedback from Last Week's Show About Video Podcasting
Hey there! I checked out your podcast today where you spoke about video podcasting. I think the way you explained it makes perfect sense. I was actually looking for a way to upload videos faster to YouTube and found a specific way to do it where you compress the file.
There is free software called Handbrake that people suggest. (I think it has been used in the past to rip DVDs illegally, but that is not what I am using it for.) Basically, once you create the HD file (which is usually about 1GB for videos I have made that are about 5-7 minutes at 1080p) and then use Handbrake to compress the file. I can usually get it down to around around 100-150mb (yes...MB) and less if the file is smaller.
I was wondering if you thought this was a good option so you can have HD on all platforms. It doesn't seem to lose in quality especially with simple "blog" type videos.
Anyway, just thought I would check in on that. Thanks for all the hard work!
-Derek Daniel
Free Websites For Those Podcasting on a Budget
I had someone contact me this week. They were on SoundCloud, they didn't have a website, and yet, they wanted to end up making a living from their podcast. Their topic was "talking about movies and video games with my friends." Not to say that you it is impossible to do this, but without hearing your show it I would say it is highly unlikely. Why do you need a website to do a podcast?
1. Easy Clicks If you are going to force people to search for the item that will bring your revenue, you're making it too hard. It has to be easy - peasy.
2. Email List Growth IF you want to build an email list (and as they say the money is in the list, why? Easy Clicks) you have to have a sign up form. No website- no form.
3. Reputation It's $10 a month if you go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/hosting and go with the cheapest plans it's around $9. If you drink 5 20 oz bottle of Mountain Dew a month, you have spend close to $10 on soda. Switch to water, and you have the money. Would you buy a car from someone selling it out of a tent (and it looked like they were going to bolt the minute they got your money). You don't date someone who is going to leave it two weeks. You get the point. In a nutshell If you don't have $10 a month (.03 a day) then don't start a podcast expecting it to pay your mortgage. Seriously. In the immortal words of Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want."
4. Ease of Listener Subscriptions When you have a website, you can put a link to your iTunes listing, and make it easier for people to subscribe in iTunes, Stitcher, etc. Without a website, you're saying things like "Find my show in iTunes." Have you tried the iTunes search? I've typed in the exact name of someone's show and still had zero results.
5. Easy Contact The one page you need on a website is a contact page and and about page. We all want interaction with our audience. While you can say your phone number and email address in your podcast, when it is a clickable link on your websites, it's super easy and requires no memorization.
I Am Always Open To Other Points of View
So when a client told me they were using Tumblr as their website I thought, "Really?" Then I looked at the website notold-better.com and yeah, that's a free tumblr website. Now to be honest, he had his graphics made by a graphic designer, and that graphic matches the artwork of his podcast. So if you have 2-3 hours to learn how to adjust a tumblr site, check out their themes, and go from there. Keep in mind, you won't have all the flexibility of a Wordpress site, but you will be saving $9 a month. You can even put Google Analytics code into a tumblr site for stats. So if someone is really pushed for a budget, or they just wanted to test the waters, I would Tumblr is a platform I would recommend.
Time Saving Tip Using Libsyn
If you decide that you are going to use Tumblr as your website, you could use Libsyn as your media host (use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month at Libsyn.com) and Libsyn will automatically publish your content to Tumblr.
One More Thing about $9 a Month
Just so I know we're on the same page, you say you don't have 30 cents a day to spend on your podcast. Thirteen dollars a year on a domain (another .03 a day), and you'll use Canva to make your artwork for free, and you want the product and art you provide enough income to generate enough money to live on. Can you please enlighten me of anyone who has put out no money, and generate a business that provided enough income to live on? Even a lottery player has to buy a ticket, and the chances of you spending no money and generating a podcast that will generate enough income to live on is about the same odds as winning the lottery.
Not Updating My WordPress Cost Me $200
I've always said to keep things simple. Remove any plugins or themes you are not using on a WordPress website. I thought I had done that, but I forgot to do it on one website. I do a show about Jillian Michaels. She has raving fans, and they love to buy her stuff. The best part is most of that is sold through places that have an affiliate program. When her book came out on Audible, I made a four figure affiliate check. You can be an audible affiliate by clicking here. Well on my website for Jillian Michaels I had been using the Thesis theme years ago. I now use themes from Appendipity which runs on the Genesis Framework. I never removed the Thesis theme, and my site got infected with Malware. I got blacklisted by Google. I went to my hosting company who in 2013 DID remove the malware for free, only to find out they no longer offer that. I went to a few different places, and could not find anyone who did a one time cleaning. I ended up going with sucuri.net who (like everyone else) charges $200 for the year. It's a great system, and they keep me more than updated on the status of my site. They even have a security tool to help block hackers. If you're website is healthy now you might look into the plugin Wordfence. It can help keep you safe (and it's free).
Podcasting Pulling in Some Big Names
Tony Robbins (famed motivational speaker and New York times best Selling Author) now has The Tony Robbins Podcast.
Jeffrey Glaser who has quite the TV resume. He oversaw such hit shows as “Glee,” “Empire,” “Arrested Development,” “Modern Family,” “New Girl” and “American Horror Story” at the network’s production arm, and guided more than 25 shows to syndication. He has been named president of content at podcasting network Wondery, spent 19 years at 20th Century Fox Television, where he oversaw many hits and guided more than 25 shows to syndication. More info
The New York Times has launched a podcast team. Full Report. They launched a Modern Love show that is getting 300,000 downloads a week.
Podcast Rewind
I appeared on the Podcaster's Roundtable where we talked about Show Prep I appeared on the first episode of the Podcast Producers Jessica Rhodes is the person behind interview connections, and she has her own Rhodes to Success podcast, Corey is the man behind Podfly.net a podcast editing service.
Thanks for the iTunes Reviews
I was turned on to SOP by Daniel J. Lewis, Cliff Ravenscraft, & Ray Ortega. Dave's content is solidly produced from a technical POV. Great audio as one would expect from a podcast about podcasting. The flow of the show is superior and feels like radio but no commercials :-) As I've made my way through the back catalog I am picking up so much information as I look to take my own podcast, House of #EdTech to a higher level! ~ Chris Nesi Host, House of #EdTech Podcast chrisnesi.com To leave a review go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/itunes (view in iTunes, and then rate and review). Want yuor reviews from all countries and stitcher coming to your inbox? Check out My Podcast Reviews
START YOUR PODCAST
Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/startMentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey

Apr 4, 2016 • 50min
DBS 286 Vs Aphex Channel Master - Video Podcast Settings - Advertising Platforms
Because of My Podcast: My Audience Fixed My Website
Cale from Fotimepodcast.com was having a problem with his website (using Wordpress) when an audience member offered to help out. It turns out the audience member works for the creators of Wordpress.
The DBS 286X vs Aphex 230 Master Channel
Before I even start, you do NOT need either one of these to start podcast. It's a nice piece of icing on the cake. It makes you sound better, but you will not gain a single subscriber by using these. If you have poor content, great sounding garbage is still garbage.
I've got the older version of the DBX 286 (I have a 286A which has now been replaced by the 286S). Likewise I recently picked up a used Aphex 230 Master Voice Channel (which is now replaced by the Aphex Channel Master
What's the difference?
Cost: The Aphex is 999, the DBX is 199. So you are looking at $800 in difference.
The Aphex's gives you more options in regards to inverting polarity, changing the phase polarity. It also offers a low cut filter.
The Aphex noise gate is super easy to set and sounds great. You simply talk and turn the dial until a red light illuminates, and then turn the other knob to scale back any background noise. I love the sound of the gate more than the DBX. Anytime I set the DBX to be aggressive, the cutting in and out was a bit more noticeable. Yes you can hear the Aphex's gate, but to me it's less noticeable.
With the DBX you have low and high enhancers. You have the same thing on the Aphex, but you can choose what frequency to boost. You also have a parametrix equalizer so you can find a frequency that you either want to boost or cut from your voice and the determine how much you want to cut/boost. This is the same for the Aural Exciter on the Aphex. It does what the DBX does with more control. You can "tune" what frequencies you want to boost on the high end.
I never will get de-essers. I know what they are supposed to do, I don't hear any difference on either unit. I swear this is a feature that manufacturers build into units so they can charge more.
While appreciate what the unit does, for the money, I would recommend the 286 for most people unless you really, really want total control.
Video Podcasting? How Would I Go About Doing This?
I currently don't do any video podcasts, but that doesn't mean I don't think they are worth doing. I just know they take more time. So how would I do it if I did?
Video Podcasting Software
If you're on a mac, try Screenflow or even iMovie.
If you're on a PC check out Sony Vegas or Camtasia.
What Format?
I would create my video for my podcast (downloads) you are exporting a "LD" version for phones, so you could go 640X480. You can do this in QuickTime if you want to as there are tons of presets. I would try to stick with mp4 if possible as it seems to have less conflicts. You take this format and put it in your RSS feed, so it goes to subscribers. You might put at the begining of the video that to see ah HD version go to your website (and provide a pretty link so they don't have to search for it)
The Format For Your Website
Now you create an HD version (1280X720) that you can upload it to YouTube (it's free, let them eat the bandwidth) and put that video on your website. Now your subscribers don't hate you for sending a 5 gig file to their phone, and your visitors get an HD version that also happens to be on the #4 search engine.
Podcasting Lessons I've Learned From My Cat
I'm a dog person. Always have been. I inherited a cat in my recent divorce, and I love Bernie, but I do hate cleaning the litter box. I actually hurt my back cause I was leaning over so much, and for an extended period of time. I just hate, hate, hate, cleaning the litter box. I did it about once every 5-7 days. I thought to myself, "Dogs are so much easier as I don't have to deal with this." Then it came to me.
What a pain it would be if my dog only got to "do his business" once every 5-7 days. In thinking about it, I would take my dog out three to 4 times a day. So I started treating my cat like a dog, and checking his litter box in the morning, when I got home, after dinner, and once before bed. Now it takes me seconds to clean his cat box and it's not a big deal.
So what does this have to do with Podcasting?
If you wait until the last second to record your show, you're going to have to do all the prep, recording, editing, promotion, at the same time. It's a lot of work, and it can be overwhelming. So instead, start planning it earlier in the week. Start writing show notes during the week and flushing out the best parts of your topic. Then later record it, and edit it. Then publish on another day. By doing a little every day, it's not that big a deal, and it's not so cumbersome of a job. It will avoid burning out and quitting your podcast.
Advertising Platforms
Advertisecast.com is rolling out this week.
Cast.market has been our for a bit.
Blubrry.com has been around since 2006.
Libsyn.com has been around since 2004 (you need at least 5K downloads per episode with Libsyn)
Audible Trial
Get the new Gary V Book #AskGaryVee
http://schoolofpodcasting.com/audibletrial
Earn Money With Audible on Your Podcast
www.schoolofpodcasting.com/audible
Schedule One on One Coaching
Have a question you need answered? You can purchase coaching in 15 minute increments. For more information go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule
Mentioned in this episode:I Want Your OpinionI 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/survey252025 Audience Survey2025 Audience Survey