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391- Acoustic improvements for podcasting

In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss the audio issues from home studios that could be rectified by implementing improvements for acoustics. The article (and an earlier one mentioned in the audio episode) was published recently about acoustics from Buzzsprout.com by Kevin Finn

We also mention the 2006 suggestion for reducing the audio or acoustic problems of podcasting from home by Paul Colligan in his earlier podcast show called Podcast Tools Weekly Update (now podfaded) — and this suggestion was to record your episode with a blanket over your head.

We hope that your audio quality will be the best and be reverb-free and hissing-free, so that this will improve your podcast episodes.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Buzzsrpout.com and Paul Colligan. All rights reserved.

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podcast

389- Remote podcast recording software — overview

In this episode of PodcastReporter.com, we discuss the different types of apps and programs that support remote podcast call recording — which was published in thepodcasthost.com

The article goes on to list the available software recording programs and apps today, with a short description of each in its own environment.

In my own environment, I did enjoy using the older program called PowerGramo. This allowed me to record remote calls over Skype, especially where one track had my audio and the other track recorded my interviewee or guest audio. However, this program is no longer available (ever since Skype was acquired by Microsoft).

So, I have tolerated using the technique of the double-ender to record audio conversations over the telephone and interviews with my co-host of 2030Podcast.com, Matt Cox of Brunch With The Brits podcast. I have also used this for an interview with Don Winn of Soldiers Stories Podcast.

So, whatever method you choose to use for remote podcast recording or interviewing over the phone or via the internet, we hope that you can get the best audio quality at the best cost for your successful podcast show.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation and thepodcasthost.com. All rights reserved.

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podcast

388- Podcast Communities — a discussion

The theme for this episode of Podcast Reporter came from a Buzzsprout newsletter and article by Travis Albritton.

The topic was podcast communities. However, I myself was disappointed to see that the community of Podcasters Society from Daniel J Lewis of The Audacity to Podcast was not included. Sad to leave out this valuable resource (as I, myself, was a member several times over the past 5 years).

As you will hear in this brief audio episode, the article lists the other communities from the opinion of Travis Albritton. But for myself, I am still suggesting the community of Podcasters Society for the best value of those podcasters that have already published several episodes of their show, but wish to take their podcast show “from ordinary to amazing.”

If you do your own research, you may find which communities in which you would like to join and participate in the area of podcasting and new media. If so, we hope that whether the community may be a mastermind, a membership site, etc., will be the right one for you to get VALUE from the community resources and communication and add to your success of your podcast show.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Buzzsprout.com and Daniel J Lewis. All rights reserved.

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podcast

387- Resurrecting older podcast solutions

In this episode of PodcastReporter.com, we address the topic of deciding to keep or re-use or just utilize older podcast “bundle” solutions within today’s environment of recent announcements and availability of the latest solutions for podcasting. And could it be worth it among all the other solutions?

For this episode, we explore my own personal situation of re-discovering and using in today’s environment a bundle called “Podcast Studio” from Behringer:

So we discuss here the following themes:

  • The price differential from the original purchase to today’s cost (which is difficult to find);
  • The description of the original bundle and its components in 2007;
  • Resurrecting the bundle solution;
  • Using the bundle today in podcasting and the quality of the offering and its results.

We hope that you can relate to comparing your own podcast equipment to the modern equivalent of products that are offered in the podosphere outlets. And then you can decide if there is still some good life and quality in the older solution, or whether you should migrate to newer solutions. For many, it is the same type of comparison that is used by those who are driving older automobiles (some of them classics) rather than obtain newer cars today.

In the world of podcasting, there are earlier hardware solutions that are available from podcasters who “broker” the older products for attractive prices — like Daniel J Lewis of The Audacity to Podcast and Scott Johnson of What was that Like.

Whatever your decision, we hope you enjoyed this brief audio episode of my own situation that may relate to some of the examples in your own studio.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Behringer and Scott Johnson and Daniel J Lewis. All rights reserved.

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podcast

386- Keeping your sanity in podcasting

The theme for this episode came from a topic found in the Podcast Business Journal, especially espoused by Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting.

These are several recommendations from Dave (and they are discussed in detail, as you will hear in this audio episode):

  • Don’t worry about things not in control;
  • Question yourself about what new situations exist today (during the plandemic);
  • Remember that your audience wants you to succeed;
  • Focus on tasks and details that will help you to make your podcast show even better;
  • Invite your audience to communicate and participate with you (e.g., with zoom or virtual communications);
  • “Dig the well before you are thirsty”;
  • Think about the hardest thing you have ever done.

Dave also has his own experience of suggestions to get motivated and take the first step toward completing your important project in podcasting.

We hope that you can keep your sanity during this plandemic, and that you can survive with flying colors to be successful, in spite of the lockdown, plandemic isolation and hardship or adversity.

As I always remind myself from my experiences and hardships that I had during the war: Remember that “each day is pure gravy.”

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation and PodcastBusinessJournal.com and Dave Jackson. All rights reserved.

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podcast

385- Fix podcasting discoverability issues

In this episode of podcastreporter.com, we discuss the issues of discoverability of your podcast shows, and especially how to try to fix them.

The post on medium.com deals with five ways to fix discoverability problems. These five thoughts are:

  • Realize that your problem is not unique;
  • Take the lead by getting in front of your audience and introduce yourself;
  • Go niche;
  • Raise the bar — for the only ones to suffer will be those podcasters who refuse to adapt;
  • Have patience

Thus, in addition to other resources already discussed in this podcast show, we hope that you can find value in these perspectives and begin to conquer the discoverability problem for your podcast show.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation and medium.com. All rights reserved.

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podcast

383- Good SEO steps — an Evo Terra perspective

In this episode, the topic proposed by Evo Terra of Podcast Pontifications was that of SEO (search engine optimization) being hard — and whether it is worth it for a podcaster (from the April, 2020 publication in the audio episode and show notes).

From my own perspective, I have mixed feelings about the amount of effort needed for good SEO — including the education, training and implementation that includes follow-up and tracking. With the goal of being ranked in the top ten listings of search engines, this is a heavy-duty objective, knowing that there are over a million podcast shows today.

As Evo mentions in his episode, he describes the various stages of the SEO stages (and since he is an expert about SEO since 2005) in some of the following  steps:

  • Planning;
  • Pre-production
  • Recording and production;
  • Post-production
  • Publication
  • Syndication
  • Monitoring
  • End-result

We highly recommend that you consume this episode and/or show notes text. I feel that many can learn the truth about good SEO.

From my own perspective, there is one other resource with experience and technical ability in SEO that offers a course called SEO FOR PODCASTERS. And this is available from Daniel J Lewis of The Audacity to Podcast.

For your own efforts of SEO with your podcast show, we hope that you can learn good habits from whatever training or education resource you may have, and then apply good steps and have excellent results from your SEO efforts.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Evo Terra of Podcastpontifications.com. All rights reserved.

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podcast

380- Remote podcast recording — pop filters or shock mounts

The theme of this episode of podcastreporter.com was provided by Tanner Campbell at medium.com that perhaps shock mounts or pop filters are not needed.

As you will hear in this brief audio episode, I myself was taught that either a shock mount or a pop filter was absolutely necessary for good audio quality.

So to my dismay, the article stated that the rush of amateurs into the podosphere created this argument of publishing content without regard to the highest quality. As the article states, one should not have to worry about good audio quality — as you can fix it in post-production.

For myself, I use pop filters and windscreens to permit the blocking of plosives, so that the audio quality will be tolerable. Thus, I would still encourage many folks to start with the use of either shock mounts, pop filters and/or windscreens.

As a matter of fact, I encouraged a novice podcaster to use a pop filter in front of his windscreen of his mic when he records his episodes. You see, in reviewing his mp3 final files, you could still hear the plosives clearly. So my advice, in addition to proper mic technique and distance, should improve the audio quality of the podcast episode.

Remember — there are over a million podcast episodes that the audiences have from which to choose. They may prefer to listen to better audio quality of other podcast shows instead of tolerating your plosives of your “amateur” quality podcast that does not have the support of pop filters or windscreens.

We hope that you decide to make the best audio quality of your recordings — and for myself, pop filters and windscreens and shock mounts just seem to be a good alternative to being known as poor quality or “amateur” quality in audio.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved.

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podcast

378- Podcasters in MONK mode

In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss the mode that is referred to as “monk mode.” The intro provides some humor as medieval monks who were recognized with the tonsure (i.e., hair removed from the top of their head, so that they are recognized as a monk to be educated in the abbey, but also to be recognized as a run-away monk during the pandemic of the Black Death plague (i.e., bubonic plague).

Monk mode can describe the following situations:

  • Like the medieval monks, the individuals were isolated in their abbeys as they performed their work all day — which could have been to write and copy versions of the Bible or other books by hand, or to perform gardening and harvesting work in the field.
  • Evo Terra in his podcastpontifications.com podcast show promotes the similar idea of finding yourself in the situation of isolation (as is common during any plague or pandemic);
  • Todd Henry in The Accidental Creative podcast show describes this more as being able to isolate yourself for self-improvement, education and training, etc. — or even to get a book written by removing all distractions and invest all the time for yourself;
  • Monk mode is self-isolation so that you are free from all distractions or delays, and for you to focus on your high priority.

Investing in yourself can be a good method for learning and becoming a subject-matter expert — which can then make you an expert for creative self-scholarship funding.

And now we understand as podcasters the old saying that states: “brilliant work is expensive.” This can include all the steps in podcasting — from planning, to recording, editing, producing, publishing and promoting your content in the podosphere. This can be for you what is referred to as “DEEP WORK.” And you can do this by investing in yourself .

Now that the virus crisis has given us the freedom from mobility due to the isolation or lock-down, we can then redirect the time for self-education, self-improvement and going into our own “monk mode.”

We hope that you, as a podcaster, can find the value in creating your own “monk mode” for improving your podcast steps and quality of your show.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (C) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All rights reserved.

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podcast

377- Structuring intros and outros for podcasts

In this episode of PodcastReporter.com, we discuss some ideas for structuring the intros and outros of your podcast episodes.

As you will hear from this repurposed episode, some of the tips come from a recent post in thepodcasthost.com. These tips can be summarized in the following:

  • Your intro should “hook” the listener;
  • Your intro gives your listener an idea of the content of your show — you should make him WANT to consume the content;
  • Your outro can summarize the benefits of your content;
  • Your outro can have a call-to-action for your listener, especially for subscribing to get future episodes.
  • You need to create thougtful and COMPELLING intros and outros to compete with the other 1 million podcasts shows in the podosphere.

and there are other tips that suggest what you should include in your intros and outros. In fact, there is even the beginning of a template for an intro in this episode.

Remember, a poor outro can be the determining factor for your listener becoming a fan or losing interest or following your call-to-action. And yes, there are several examples for different outro calls-to-action.

One of the best podcast episodes that went into great detail about intros and outros was delivered by Daniel J Lewis in his episode 30 of his show called The Audacity to Podcast.

Although the topic of music is not touched upon in this episode, we hope that these suggestions can be value for you to implement in your show.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2020, Matrix Solutions Corporation and thepodcasthost.com. All rights reserved.