Month: May 2023

659- Podcasting studios for hire — another appearance

Post author By fcastaneda
Post date May 25, 2023

In this episode of The Podcast Reporter Show, we discuss the possible resurgence (after the virus crisis of 2020-2022) of podcast studios (where you see from their picture you do NOT have to wear a face-diaper or mask).

The ad that caught my attention was from the Third Wheel Podcast Studio in West Los Angeles, California. By the way, they also have a location in Hollywood, California, and Seattle, Washington.

In the past, I did examine and pursue other podcast studios that were close to my area. Surprisingly, none of them had anyone inside their address, and soon their web sites had disappeared, in addition to the location of their studios.

But here, this studio is available at what appears to be reasonable fees:

PRO AUDIO RECORDING – $85/HR

1 CAMERA AUDIO & VIDEO – $150/HR

2 CAMERA AUDIO& VIDEO – $195/HR

From the initial $85 per hour rate to the $195 rate (depending upon whether you want pure audio or the selection of one or two cameras for video recording), the amount seems reasonable to even a newer or aspiring podcaster.

As you can see from their web site, they provide a screen backdrop so that you can have an image in the background (for video). And from the photos of the studio, it seems that they are using quality microphones for a podcaster and guest in a co-host setting or for guesting your episode in your podcast.

And, of course, they will record and deliver your files to you.

Now, why do I hesitate in giving them a great deal of promotion?

Well, it seems that podcast studios spring up, grow, and then finally shut down (possibly due to the lack of business and growth). The virus crisis shut down all the studios that I knew about (because of the mask mandate requirements and the physical separation mandates, etc.). But now, it seems that they may spring up again to service those podcasters who want quality from a good studio — from the novice and aspiring podcasters to even seasoned podcasters that want a studio setting and studio services (especially for guesting).

Now, we do not know how long this studio will last in either Southern California or Seattle, but perhaps they can gather enough podcasters to use their facilities for good audio podcasts, as well as for recording videos for both podcasts and youtube videos.

We shall see.

But, for myself, I would be a bit cautious and depending upon the studios for the success of my podcast episodes. I still think that most podcasters have now been used to the post-virus-crisis setting of using their homes or other locations in their settings (e.g., garages converted to studios, extra bedrooms or even closets, etc.) for recording their episodes or videos — and they have also become accustomed to editing and producing their final audio files and video files for upload in their home environment.

In my experience, I had one of my daughters use a studio near her location for recording podcast episodes and delivering final audio files to her — all the way to January, 2021. I even went to see her podcast interview recorded live at a downtown grill and restaurant. But that has all but disappeared — and, again, this may be the fate of podcast studios in this city where the span of existence may be limited.

However, if you happen to be in the California or Seattle area, perhaps you may want to do a quality recording (more for video than audio) for your episodes or videos in the comfort of a reasonably priced studio.

Thank you for listening and for your attention.

Tags podcast studio, Podcastreporter.com, thirdwheelpodcaststudio.com

podcast

658- Future of Podcasting– brand safety and suitability

Post author By fcastaneda
Post date May 19, 2023

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Podcast Reporter Show, we discuss a theme related to perspectives on the future of podcasting which was published by 2 co-hosts in a show titled Future of Podcasting. The co-hosts are Daniel J Lewis from his show called The Audacity to Podcast, as well as Dave Jackson, podcaster of The School of Podcasting.

In a recent episode of the renamed podcast show now called The Future of Podcasting, the theme of podcast brand safety and brand suitability and relevance was discussed in a thoroughly professional manner from a factually-based platform, especially in the area of brand appropriateness.

What we have seen in the recent past is the radical left and democrats trying to assert that some podcasts (mainly conservative and Christian podcasts, as Daniel points out) attempt to censor and steer away both advertisers and supporters from podcasts that they don’t want to promote — and thus, they feel that no one else should even support them or listen to them. Daniel gave an excellent example with the expo center and the booths in the last Podcast Movement conference. This was a typical radical left activist experience that wanted to throw out a podcast show that had paid $20,000 dollars for a booth at the conference about a certain podcast by Mr. Shapiro.

Now, this recent episode discusses how the future of podcasting will have the radical left continue their blatant divisiveness by asserting that some podcasts and their content should not even be promoted, nor even listened to by others (the latter being blatant censorship).

So, while the radical left feels anger when they are triggered by the conservative viewpoints, instead of a conversation or dialogue, they seem to be wanting everyone in the world to follow their own snotty noses and desires when they do not agree with a differing point of view. In this case, where is the respect for diversity in thought and ideas? Where is the inclusiveness of everyone’s opinion and a fair conversation in a balanced forum?

As you can surmise, the radical left wants to quash any and all differing points of views with censorship while protecting its own views. A clear example of this was the behavior and attitude of Twitter before Mr. Musk obtained ownership and finally started promoting free speech.

However, we feel that both Dave and Daniel are exercising the right discussion of appropriate advertising and sponsorship with podcasts by sticking to the correct themes. As Daniel said “Tell me about your product (in this case a good hot dog or burger) by stuffing your food down my throat, but do not try to stuff your political agenda down my throat…”

“Recreational Outrage and appropriate sponsorship”

Now, I feel that the best part of the 43-minute episode was the section where they differentiated the popular triggered mechanism by the activity radicals (the recreational outrage) that is so easily available where one tries to censor the podcast and de-platform the actors, as well as the rational views of what is (and is not) appropriate sponsorship for a podcast.

Thus, I highly encourage you to consume this episode #16 of the podcast show called The Future of Podcasting (previously known as Leading the Bleeding). The balanced approach to AI, appropriate sponsorship, brand suitability and brand safety (with rational and logical thinking and conversation) is very well done. Kudos to Dave and Daniel for that.

Thank you for your attention.

Tags brand safety, brand suitability, Daniel J Lewis, Dave Jackson, Future of Podcasting

podcast

657- Future of Podcasting — perspective on trends and tips

Post author By fcastaneda
Post date May 14, 2023

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Podcast Reporter show, we deliver some thoughts about the FUTURE OF PODCASTING. Now, we do this from both the perspective of myself as a podcaster, as well as include some thoughts from a post. We introduce that later we will reflect ideas from a podcast show with both co-hosts of Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting show, along with Daniel J Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast show.

But here, in this episode, we look at the internet post from jupitrr.com dealing with the trend to the future of the podosphere and podcasting is called “What is the future of podcasting?”

This post presents and discusses both current trends and 5 tips for a podcaster to prepare for the second half of 2023 and beyond. And there is a bit of content to elaborate on each of these in the post. We recommend that you review each of these for their relevance in your world of podcast shows.

Here are the TRENDS:

Creators have more control over their audience;
Private podcasting with a subscription model;
Short-form audio;
Social media as a distribution or hosting channel;
Podcasting as a means of marketing.

By looking at the explanation given for each trend in the article, you may see if your show will be ready for the future and able to withstand any changes that may come forth to challenge you in podcasting. One of these is the FORMAT of the show, both in length and tone.

For myself as a podcaster, I firmly stand on the micro-cast model of having an episode be 10 minutes or less — and that is most of the time, for there are no absolutes in podcasting. The article states: “Future of Podcasting is about bite-sized content, and shareable video formats.”

The future growth of this medium will also skyrocket, especially as more people now understand podcasting and can easily begin their own shows to promote their content — whether as a hobby or in trying to monetize: “Studies show that the number of active podcasts and available episodes are continuing to climb, with over 2 million podcasts and over 48 million episodes available as of 2021 (Podcast Insights, 2021).”

Podcasting has already earned a spot in both communication and distribution of content for companies, and now is highlighted as a medium for marketing. And they usually begin with producing what are called “intra-casts” — that is, producing podcasts for their employees and stakeholders: “A recent survey found that 70% of companies are already using or plan to use podcasts for internal communication. With the rise of remote work, podcasts offer a convenient and engaging way for teams to stay connected and informed.”

In addition to the trends, these are the 5 tips that are given to you about podcasting’s future for you as a content creator:

Always have an email list of your audience: a key to building strong relationships and promoting your content across different formats effectively.
Interact more with your power users or audience: Engage with your listeners regularly, know what they want more from you. Being interactive also makes your audience feel they have your attention.
Try short-form video podcasts: Experiment with shorter, bite-sized audio content in both podcast and video formats. This format is well-suited for social media and can help you reach new audiences.
Distribute on 5 social media channels: Don’t just pick one or two at first. Experiment. Experiment. Experiment. Then, narrow down to the ones that perform best for you.
Build your audience as early as possible: Building an audience takes time, so start early and focus on consistently producing high-quality content. Growing your audience has a multiplier effect, remember also to take advantage of the organic reach of new platforms like Instagram Reels.

So, thus, we reflect on the trends and tips given by this article.

In a future podcast episode, we will explore the perspective of two of the pundits and podcasters from the podosphere since 2005 (Dave Jackson and Daniel J Lewis), since we will reflect on the content of their show as co-hosts when they discuss THE FUTURE O.F PODCASTING.

Thank you for your attention.

Tags Daniel J Lewis, Dave Jackson, jupitrr.com, micro-cast, Podcastreporter.com, short-form podcast

podcast

656- Podcast — a crucible from A SMART BEAR

Post author By fcastaneda
Post date May 8, 2023

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Podcast Reporter show, we deliver some thoughts from a developer and author in Austin named Jason Cohen in which he has a premise that a startup is like a new celebration of life. His article is titled “What a Startup Does to you – or – a celebration of a new life.”

Now, I have interviewed Jason way back in the late-2000s when he had an office in Austin, Texas. I had introduced him into the podcast interview world, and we all were able to take advantage of his technical abilities and success with information delivered in the podosphere.

However, in this article, the topic is what a startup means to you — as Jason compares it to the beginning of life (e.g., birth of a child, either son or daughter). As he said in his article:

“People compare building startups with having children. Could that be right? ….

Both spend the first two years of life trying to kill themselves, while you frantically run around doing everything possible to prevent it….

Both are a combination of your own creation and their own direction. They’re malleable in certain ways and stubborn in others. Every one is different, even when created by the same parents. Each needs the freedom to find their own way, even if aided and shaped by loving guides. They go through macro-level stages which are predictable and obvious to those who have trod the path before, but also micro-level stages unique to each creation.”

Jason compares the two in the amount of time they take, as well as the patience they take.

Yes, a startup for me was the experience that I had to make me state to others who wanted to begin their own businesses. I told them that it takes 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, for at least one to two years before it can be on the road as a “well-oiled machine.” And during all that time, the burden of being a startup weighs more heavily on your shoulders every day — that is, until your positive breakthrough results (which may take much longer than you had planned or imagined).

I have always tied in my 18 podcast shows (since 2006) to my startup businesses — and as a podcaster, sometimes the two of them are so intermingled that it is difficult to separate one from the other.

As a matter of fact, I did promote in a prior episode a whitepaper that has evergreen content that describes the top ten issues for me of a struggling entrepreneur.

But in the Jason Cohen article, the main theme is that a startup and the birth of a child are important:

“Both are a crucible.

Meaning, a fiery place that will test your limits, not by probing them but by violently exceeding them, all of the time.”

And he goes on to explain. And when your patience is nearly at an end, as well as when a startup appears to be the beginning of a failure that you start to consider as a possible mistake, he continues: “ but don’t quit when it’s hard because winners push through the pain…You’ve read the words, now you see that they’re only words. Words that don’t help much, not really. You have to live it.”

Jason give you food for thought, and he ends his article with a passage that tends to describe the conflict of thought:

“Awake my little ones, and fill the cup,before life’s liquor in its cup be dry.

—Omar Khayyám“

Again, from my own experience of having been a serial entrepreneur since 1980, the learning process is a valuable one. And like most of the valuable learning in our lives, the ability to experience the hardships, as well as successes and failures, may be the key to your strength and successes in startups and entrepreneurship.

You may find the comparison some food for thought as a podcaster.

Thank you for listening and for your attention.

Tags asmartbear.com, crucible, Jason Cohen, Podcastreporter.com