Adventures in Podcasting

My first 2 recordings this year have been with co-hosts, which is great, so today's episode is about that. But first, some updates from the industry and myself

01.35 Spotify has introduced ratings.
This blog post by Anchor explains how it works and has some suggestions of how to make the best of it. Podcast ratings on Spotify: An easy way to make a good first impression—and draw in new listeners
Remember that some platforms say that if you mention one, you need to mention them too! Something to be mindful of.

By the way, I haven't been able to find how to rate a podcast on my  Spotify app...

07.20
If your show has an Instagram account you might want to fill in this form to be promoted on Amazon Music's Instagram account https://form.jotform.com/212855057995065

Samsung podcasts looks promising from a download point of view, for Adventures, but  I don't think gastronostalgia is on - there Apple, then Spotify

10.51
On Adventures in Podcasting news, I'm tweaking how I get myself out there. I've come to the conclusion that my interest in podcasting comes from it being a medium to get your voice out there, not just content marketing, creating your space to express yourself

I've also done a couple of voiceover gigs in studios recently - I talk a little bit about that too.

16.03
Adventures in Co-Hosting

My first 2 recordings have been with co-hosts, which is great, because there's a non-negotiable time to start reading (with some flexibility of course) and you've got to be on top form. Plus, it's fun to talk.

I recorded one episode of My Pocket Psych and one for Gastronostalgia
There's no way of working with someone else. MPP is heavily structured; with Gastro, we have a few notes.

For Gastro, we recorded 3 episodes, negotiating who kicks off which as we go along. I had even forgotten our staple welcome!
(I mention Notion and Trello.)

Their aims are also different: With Gastro, almost anything goes, whereas with MPP, the business' reputation, and ours as professionals are at stake.
The relationship with the two co-hosts is also interesting.
With Richard, a friendship has emerged from a professional relationship, with Tomas its the other way around.

The dynamics of the relationship are part of the content and affect the listener's experience

Finding a co-host is not easy. I've been very lucky and it's worked out well - you don't have to have a relationship beforehand, but you need to have complete interest + curiosity about your topic, regardless of why you are doing it.

Your experience as podcaster is also a consideration. You both don't need to be experienced, but at least have experience of content creation or being in front of an audience in some shape or form.

Be clear about who drives the content. With Richard, it's very clear, its his show and he keeps me updated. Also, it's all online for me to see.

With Tomas, we drop ideas and then decide what we're recording. One thing we're not currently doing is deciding who dries the episode ie who moves on the content and starts wrapping up, but organically we're finding it.

I hope this helps you to start working with a co-host - remember this is one of the services I offer.

If you find the podcast useful, and are looking for media hosting and web hosting, consider using my affiliate links to Buzzsprout and Bluehost

Pilar talks about some of her adventures when recording and editing an episode, as well as a more holistic decision she made about content. The 2nd part of the episode covers the 4th part of episode production: consolidation.

You can now sign up to the newsletter here: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/y9r4k6

Mis-adventures in recording
I talk about a recent problem with the tech recording for Gastronostalgia. I couldn't get into the recording app, I tried 2 browsers and even the phone, and it wasn't working. It's important to have a plan B that you can easily move to.

We moved to Zoom, but I think an app I had previously installed supposed to remove. background noise kicked in, and the audio was terrible. I'd forgotten to have a local recording on Audacity! Be careful with noise-cancelling apps that are designed to work with the in-built microphone, as they work in a funny way with proper microphones. Make sure you test the app with your kit.

The second mis-adventure relates to the two planes in which we might operate when we're recording: producer and host. I do get distracted sometimes when I start to think about how I'm going to edit the episode, or if there is background noise at my end or the guest's... and that leads to not being present or listening to the guest. Which can lead to embarrassing situations.  Is this something that happens to you? I would love to hear!

10.42  mins
I have an adventure about content, how personal we can get in what we share. Recently I added a piece of content to Facilitation Stories talking about my personal experience attending a workshop which took me out of my comfort zone and challenged my values. Knowing the audience of FS might share the experience, or how the experience affected me, I decided to include it.

It also helped that I had a guest on the show who's a friend, so I was able to share it with him and get his opinion, and in the process, share it with listeners. This is the episode.

We need to sense what's appropriate and know the value it will bring to the listener.

16.00 mins
I'll be taking a break until mid-January. It's ok to take a break, many podcasters get burnt out. Listeners will stay with you, although it's worth knowing that some apps will pause downloads for subscribers if you don't release regularly.

You can republish some episodes if you want to keep your feed "warm", and add an introduction. (The Bestseller Experiment does this very well.)

Recently I did a socially-distanced voiceover job, it was a bit weird, but interesting, and a bit like recording over audio-only.

19.33mins
CONSOLIDATION of your episodes.
More show notes on this section on the website version of the show notes. 

I cover my choices and advice on using:
1. Show notes.
The text accompanying your audio, useful for both listeners and to draw listeners in. Make sure they have all links and resources you mention, as well as information on guests. I share my decisions around

29.04mins
2. Episode images
Very easy to create in canva.com and sometimes this is integrated with your media host.
3. Audiograms
4. Transcripts
Check out Otter.ai and Descript

Get in touch: https://www.adventuresinpodcasting.com/contact/

As I share my recent adventures in editing episodes, I hope there will be plenty for you to take away. In this episode, I talk about why I make  certain editing choices, the minimum you need to learn if you want to edit yourself, or the different ways in which you can work with an editor. There are even some real-time examples recorded as I went along.


I've started a new format for the co-hosted episodes I do with Maya for the 21st Century Work Life podcast.

https://www.virtualnotdistant.com/podcasts/rethinking-digital-workspace

I'm also mindful that episodes can probably be shorter now. When we started, we were one of the few podcasts in the space, but now there's a lot more choice.

Got a fab piece of feedback for the first time in a long while, saying how much they enjoy that show because it's like overhearing a conversation, that you want to know more about.
It's important to know what reaction you want your listeners to have to the material.

However, many people like myself still enjoy long-form content.
Episode 159 of podcasts roundtable is one hour 43 minutes long
https://www.podcastersroundtable.com/ads-for-everyone/
They only release about once a month, so the audience, and producer can take it!

We've reached 100 episodes for My Pocket Psych! If you are considering starting a show, you might want to listen to find out what Richard, a coach himself, has learned through the process of podcasting, and working with me.
 https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/100/

I mention two apps:

https://www.notion.so
https://trello.com

I managed to get back to editing an episode of Gastro, I love listening back to those episodes, they remind me of the true spirit of podcasting. My main concern there is to remove the mannerisms from co-host and myself, arm, arm, and myself getting tangled sometimes not being able to find the right words. It’s nice to leave mistakes in sometimes.

13.20mins

(To see some screenshots go to https://www.adventuresinpodcasting.com/adventure-of-editing-a-podcast-episode/)
I also enjoying putting sound effects in, something I can’t do in any of my other shows, except this one, hence why you might hear random sound effects, I’m still playing and seeing what works.

I mention Audacity, Auphonic and other resources. You can find the full list here:
https://www.adventuresinpodcasting.com/resources/

Should you hire an editor, I talk through the levels of help you can get with editing.

Talking of editing, three phases:
Editing the conversation
Building the episode
Polishing the sound to export

How much should you edit yourself: Learn to silence bits, to cut bits, or to duck music, and check the specs for exporting or you something like Auphonic.

The more prep you do, the less you have to edit, believe me I know this.
You cannot remove sounds from under your voice.

When you listen to other podcasts, pay attention to the editing. Sometimes you can tell when something has been stitched up, sometimes you can tell that there has been no editing, listen with a podcasters ears.

BONUS info: The original recording was 35 mins, the final episode, with all the special effects is just under 33 minutes. It took me 1.5hrs to edit it.

If you have any questions, let me know and feel free to get in touch!

If you find the podcast useful, and are looking for media hosting and web hosting, consider using my affiliate links to Buzzsprout and Bluehost.

In this episode I cover a few updates and then cover some updates that all have to do with Recording. I hope you can learn something from them.

I've signed up to Storyblocks to access sound effects.

I've also added 21st Century Work Life and Management Café to the Virtual not Distant Facebook page. At the moment, only US-based listeners can listen through the mobile app.

The 21st CWL podcast episodes now involve FOUR people in their creation .

And final update: the Adventures in Podcasting website is coming along nicely. Take a look:
https://www.adventuresinpodcasting.com/

06.20 minutes
In this episode we'll cover the next stage of the episode creation process: recording.

The most important thing is to find a room with good acoustics - and if you're recording with someone else, use headphones.

Soft furnishings are great too, as well as carpeted floors.

Make sure you're comfortable. I stand and face the microphone, but keep the camera off. Many guests prefer the camera on, even if we're not looking at each other.
With some co-hosts I record with the camera off, but some prefer to have it on, even if it's just for presence, or to gesture to each other if we're going on for too long, or speaking too fast.

For a list of tech to record with, check out the Resources page: https://www.adventuresinpodcasting.com/resources/


15.25 minutes
Recording with a guest

Pick your guests carefully. As your show grows, you'll get lots of requests to be on your show - pick guests carefully, have fun with them.

Recently I recorded with someone who had a relatively high profile, even though she wasn't 100% sure he was suitable. Turns out he wasn't...

And then there was the time when myself and Lisette recorded with someone who would not share anything on the show... plus didn't know who he was recording with (as his follow up email of "when are we recording" showed...)

In this episode of the Self Publishing Show, there's an example of when a guest almost takes over the show: https://selfpublishingformula.com/episode-295/

24.50mins
Recording with a co-host

I recently recorded episode 100 of My Pocket Psych, with co-host Richard!!!!
Our roles are defined, and he lays down a really good plan of each episode, with just a few bullet points to guide us through.

With other co-hosts, I prefer a more spontaneous approach, but then it's easy for us to take the episode in different directions.

If you have any questions, let me know and feel free to get in touch! https://www.adventuresinpodcasting.com/contact/

In this episode, I talk about my latest adventures in podcasting and share what you need to think about when preparing your episodes. 

Gastronostalgia is going well, we've recorded our weekly episodes until mid January 2022, which is such a great (and unusual) feeling!
We also released our first episode with a "full menu". We've incorporated an "apperitif", as listeners (mainly our friends) were requesting more content!

When we listen to a podcast, if we don't know the hosts, it helps us feel like we know them; and if we know they hosts, it helps us feel like we're with them.

Putting this together made me realise how unorganised I've been with the labelling of audio files and folders. Even if you're at the beginning of your podcasting adventure and don't have much material yet, it pays off to get organised for when the show continues to grow.

Gastronostalgia has helped me capture the joy of podcasting; having a conversation with friends, that you share with others. Even if your show is for your business, it's worth capturing that joy, the joy of creating your own show where you can share what you are up to with the world.

As the Gastro podcast is hosted on Anchor, where you can include polls and questions for the audience, but do listeners know that feature is there? Another thing to look out for with Anchor is that you can't have more than one show per account, and you can't grab the embed code for each episode when you schedule it, you have to wait until it's published.

10.51
If you are in love with podcasts and podcasting, you must listen to this episode from Buzzcast, 6 Aug 2021 The Life-Changing Power of Podcasts with Elsie Escobar. Elise is a podcast veteran and a very strong advocate for the medium - she's been doing it for ages!

She talks about how listening to podcasts made her feel like she was connecting with people who were nothing like herself.

Adventures in Podcasting is changing the schedule!
I will publish an episode every two weeks, while I pay some attention to the business side. I now have help to build the social media, and the website.

I'm also in danger of overpodcasting, I have a lot of recording waiting for editing, and the audio is just piling up!Plus, the bad posture when using the mouse or writing by hand means that I've hurt my right shoulder - although the pain went during recording with a friend.

16.20 Preparing for your recording

Preparation starts right at the beginning of your idea generation phase. Some podcasters love to plan everything in advance, others start working on the individual episodes, one by one.

If you're recording with someone else, you might want to use:
Calendly
OnceHub
Doodle

For more resources, check out the Resources page.

20.10
Creating guidelines for your guests. Don't spend too much time on making these pretty, as Pilar has seen some new podcasters create amazing PDF for their guests... but the show never gets off the ground.

You might want to include things like wear headphones, switch off notifications, etc.

How much should you script your podcast content?
Up to you - depends how good you are at sight-reading, and how much spontaneity you can take. I used to script the segues between guest questions for Spain Uncovered, because I was really nervous.

Am I missing anything here? Would love to hear from you! 

Today I share what's involved in the podcast episode production process: from having an idea to appearing in listeners' ears.
 
Facebook continues to play strong in audio, with an "audio hub", which includes not just podcasts, but also "rooms". This is one space to look out for, thinking about different ways in which us audio people can find new audiences.

Much of this is still only relevant to the US, and to mobile apps, but worth keeping an eye out on.  Audio continues to be strong, and it looks like podcast listening is back up to pre-pandemic levels.

Another recent piece that's important to us, not as much regarding information but because it raises some important questions: Spotify is breaking podcasts.

Even though as indie podcasters, we're unlikely (never say never!) to be poached by Spotify, it's important to consider whether at any point we should go exclusive with only one platform, and when we should offer podcasts behind some kind of paywall.

There is also a parallel with the indie author industry, where writers make a decision between being exclusive to Kindle Unlimited, and not publishing more widely, vs not being part of that membership programme, through which they could make some royalties. (By the way, you can find the ebook Plan Your Podcast on all online bookshops and libraries.)

12.24 mins
My own adventures

Thinking of restructuring 21st Century Work Life: there are loads more podcasts now and these episodes are loooong. Shorter episodes do better and My Pocket Psych is proof of this, as the new shorter episodes are getting more listens than our previous one.

General shows about leadership also have content about online collaboration and leading remote teams. So I'm thinking about how to make the show work more for the business - I know, a bit late, isn't it, after more than 284 episodes! But I love doing the show so much that I've gone for enjoyment over ROI! 

Every now and then, it's worth reviewing your content strategy to change with the times - general context and podcasting.

Adventures in Podcasting - I launched into the podcast, ignoring my plan which is around 2 years old!.Quite pleased because original plan didn't include all these industry updates - but the space was smaller when I made that plan. 

The plan was also to interview others, for the book, and so I'll start that around episode 20. I'll start with my friends!

20.06 mins
The "helpful section": a quick overview of the podcast episode creation process

In a nutshell: 

Preparation

- Decide on the topic/angle of the episode.

- Prepare an outline or a script.

- Schedule the recording.

Content Creation

- Record the audio.

File Creation

- Edit the audio. (Chop out any unwanted bits; move around sequences.)

- Stitch the different audio parts together.

- “Polish” the audio and make it podcast ready (I mention Auphonic).

- Create mp3 file. 

Publishing and Consolidation

- Publish your file through your podcast media host. (If you sign up for Buzzsprout, use this link to support this show. Thanks!)

- Create show notes (however short). (If you're looking for a website host, this site is hosted on Bluehost, and that is my affiliate link.)

- Create audiogram, share on social, etc. (optional)

I'll cover each stage in detail over the next four episodes.

Download the PDF here.

Even though I've been trying to keep these episodes short, the last episode was 30 minutes long. I'd like to keep them short as a challenge for myself, and also, because there are so many shows out there that you might want to check out quite a few!

Today I'll talk through my adventures, with reference to 3 pieces of news:

- Did you know that  YouTube is hiring its first executive focused only on podcasts?
https://www.slashgear.com/youtube-podcast-plans-could-muddle-things-over-at-google-again-06694220/

I've been posting episodes of 21st Century Work Life on YouTube, with no joy, but many people do listen to audio only podcasts there.

Now that YouTube is  going to be opening up that space it's worth considering it as a destination.

Are podcasts becoming a commodity, the same way as sometimes we search for information, find a blog post, read it and never come back to it. The same might be happening with podcasts. Something to bear in mind.

And audio search is growing, so worth bearing that in mind when you create your episodes. For example, I've been giving a clear headline summary at the beginning of each episode of 21st CWL for that reason.

- Anchor has introduced polls and listener questions, so that they show up in Spotify.
https://www.theanchorshow.com/spotify-adds-polls/

This is great because it's difficult to get listeners to reach out, so it's great if they can do it straight from the app. I'm trying this for our new show, Gastronostalgia, in Spanish, so I'll keep you posted.

- Descript has added loads of new sound editing features, becoming a really strong contender in the editing space
https://www.descript.com/blog/article/new-in-descript-studio-sound-overdub-model-pro-audio-effects-and-more

I don't use it myself, but from what I understand you can edit in there in the normal way, by tweaking the sound waves, or you can edit like in a text document, by editing the transcript it generates.

Remember that if you're looking for a media host and you decide to go with Buzzsprout, you can support Adventures in Podcasting by using this affiliate link.

My personal updates

We've published the first couple episodes of Gastronostalgia and would you believe it, I still forgot to carry out some of the steps, so I'll be putting together a checklist for launching a show.

Luckily I have my co-host Tomás who looks after show notes, social media and lots of other stuff, so it's a joy to only look after the audio. We've recorded the first eight episodes and we'll be releasing one a week.

We need to re-record the intro and outro for sound quality, but I'm going to leave the first 4 episodes as they are, or else we'll never get the show off the ground properly. Not many people listen at the beginning anyway, so it's the time to experiment to get things right.

If you need help with your podcast, maybe I can help you, especially if you're a coach, trainer or facilitator. adventuresinpodcasting.com

In today's episode, I talk about NaPodPoMo, what it means to improve your voice as a podcast host, as well as industry and my own updates.

To start with, an inspiring tweet I came across on my feed, it's in Spanish, so here is the translation. 

"A podcast is more than a distribution format - it has to do with your narrative, with your business, and above all with the ability to communicate a message in an intimate and personal way."

Partly, this is due to the fact that audio is a medium that doesn't take lying very well, so listeners will hear if you are not being yourself, or at least, a true version of yourself.

What do you think? Do get in touch with your thoughts.

03.33mins
Have you heard of NaPodPoMo?

09.02mins
Check out this article if you are looking for a podcast media host: The Best Podcast Hosting Sites of 2021
Some new podcasters are getting confused between podcast hosts and directories, thinking you upload directly to the directories.

If you are looking for a new host and would like to support this show, I recommend Buzzsprout.
They have a free plan for you to give them a try and they're very easy to use. I used them for the first time for the exercises of the Plan Your Podcast Challenge - which by the way, opens up again on 18 October.

By the way, in the episode I refer to an episode from Podcast Insider, (I couldn't remember the name of the show...) it's called Crutch Words in Podcasting, it's episode 259

Pilar worked with a client who'd been told she needed "voice training".
First of, be specific about what that means.

Then consider:

- Your microphone and your recording environment.
It's not just about audio quality, but about how you "play" with the microphone, how you use the microphone to connect with the audience

- Diction and breath
This is something you have to work on before you start recording, and in between recordings. Check out these videos to help you work on them.

- Listen to yourself
Even if you are planning to outsource the editing of your show, edit your speech yourself at the beginning, so that you can start listening to your own mannerisms, and changing anything you think is necessary.

I would love to hear from you - your adventures, your questions... get in touch. 

In this episode, I talk about how great it is that listeners feel more like old acquaintances than strangers when you first meet them, and how developing relationships with listeners is one of the unexpected benefits of podcasting. (I'd love to hear from you by the way: here's my contact page.)

I've started working on Gastronostalgia - working with a co-host is hard work, as you develop your personas and dynamics. (It's also a lot of fun by the way!)

At 12.37 mins, I go into how to create your Intro and Outro, for those of you new to podcasting.

I'm still deciding whether to have a stock Outro to end THIS show, as I quite like the post-roll feature in Buzzsprout.

I recommend Buzzsprout as a media host - if you do sign up to them, you can use this affiliate link to support Adventures in Podcasting. 

Thank you for reading (and listening if you have listened to this episode) -
Keep podcasting!

Today's episode is packed with news, and a little bit of commentary too!

Joe Rogan, confined to Spotify, is losing influence
Your own influence as host

Using music to cover your difficult edits

Amazon Music's helpful email

Zencastr Introducing Smart Filters: Remove Long Pauses

Samsung's new app

I'm particularly happy to see this one: Head of Podcasts at the Prison Radio Association in the UK. Check out the job in the PodJobs.net website,

And my own updates! I'm starting a new show in Spanish, and you can sign up to the email sequence for Adventures in Podcasting here: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/a7x2c7

And if you're looking for a media host to host your show, check out Buzzsprout through this affiliate link.