Clipped: Your Content Creation Toolkit

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Before you spend time and money launching your own podcast, consider this: guesting on other people’s shows might actually be a more effective podcast marketing strategy. In this solo episode of CLIPPED, I’m breaking down why guesting can deliver faster and more targeted results than hosting—especially if your main goals are audience growth, brand visibility, or selling a product or service.

Launching a show from scratch is no small feat. Between content creation, editing, publishing, and promotion, hosting your own podcast can turn into a full-time job. That’s where podcast marketing strategy through guest appearances comes in. It allows you to tap into existing audiences, establish credibility instantly, and focus your energy on spreading your message—without the burden of managing an entire production schedule.

Guesting is one of the most underutilized tactics in any effective podcast marketing strategy, yet it can deliver faster results than hosting your own show. By appearing on podcasts that already have a loyal, niche audience, you gain access to warm leads and engaged listeners who trust the host. It’s a shortcut to podcast discoverability, helping you reach your ideal audience faster than if you tried to build one from the ground up.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through:

• Why hosting a show is often more time-consuming and less impactful early on
• How guesting gets you in front of high-intent audiences with no upfront costs
• When guesting should be your core strategy—and when it makes sense to start your own podcast later on
• Tactical tips on finding the right shows to pitch and getting booked
• How this fits into a broader content creation and audience growth strategy

Whether you’re a content creator, business owner, or part of an enterprise podcast team looking for smarter ways to grow your reach, this episode is for you.

🎯 This episode also touches on:

• Podcast marketing techniques
• Audience growth for podcasts
• Content creation education
• Tools for content creators
• Podcast production workload vs. return
• Effective podcasting techniques for brand building

🛠️ Resources Mentioned:

• Podcast Name Checker Tool - Starting a podcast? Use our Podcast Name Checker to ensure the name you want is available across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and the web

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This week at The Podcast Haven, we delve into a topic that's vital for every podcaster – picking the perfect microphone. It's a decision that can shape the sound and quality of your podcast, and we're here to guide you through it.

This episode is sponsored by  Riverside.fm - With Riverside you can record high quality audio and video podcasts remotely. Use promo code CLIPPED for 20% off.

The Top Ten Microphones For Podcasting

• Shure SM58
• Shure SM7B
• Rode Podcaster
• Audio-Technica ATR2100x
• Heil Sound PR 40
• Rode PodMic
• Electro-Voice RE20
• Shure MV7 USB
• Rode NT-USB Mini USB Condenser Microphone
• Rode Procaster
• Samson Q2U 

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If you're juggling spreadsheets, Slack threads, and random Notion docs to keep your podcast on track—this episode is for you. Today, I’m joined by Fran and Taly Melo, co-founders of Northflow, a new project management platform built specifically for podcasters and creative teams. We explore how they’re developing a focused, no-fluff podcast production tool that helps simplify messy workflows, reduce tool overload, and organize everything from guest management to content planning.

This Episode Is Sponsored By Riverside.fm

•  Record remote podcasts in 4K video
•  Create clips automatically with Magic Clips
•  Export transcripts instantly
•  Use code CLIPPED at checkout to get 20% off at Riverside.fm

This conversation is a must-listen if you’re looking for a better podcast production—one where your pre-production process doesn’t slow down your publishing schedule or burn out your team. Northflow aims to be the central hub for podcasters, offering a smarter way to plan episodes, manage guests, and collaborate without bouncing between five different apps.

Taly shares how her deep love for podcasts led her to start solving the pre-production problem firsthand, while Fran takes us behind the scenes of how they built Northflow through user interviews, testing with agencies, and real-time creator feedback. We also dig into what it’s like to bootstrap a SaaS company while raising a family—and how podcast professionals are shaping the future of the product.

This episode dives into what makes Northflow different from other tools like Trello, Notion, and ClickUp, and how they’re planning to evolve it into a full-stack solution that includes pre-production, podcast production, and distribution.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why traditional task managers fall short for podcasters
• How Northflow is purpose-built for podcast production
• Guest tracking and planning workflows that actually make sense
• How Northflow fits into a scalable content creation workflow
• Their future plans around AI, automation, and podcast discoverability
• What makes Northflow part of a winning podcast marketing strategy

🛠️ Try Northflow:

Northflow is currently invite-only, but free to try. If you run a show or podcast agency, visit https://northflow.io to request access. They're onboarding new users weekly and iterating fast with real feedback from the podcasting community.

📣 Connect with Northflow:

• Website: https://northflow.io
• Instagram: @gonorthflow

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ChatGPT's image generation has evolved from mediocre to impressively good with recent updates that transform how content creators can produce visual assets. The improvements include more accurate prompt responses, editable images through feedback, reference image uploading, and finally, reliable text rendering on images.

A Word From Out Sponsor:

This episode is brought to you by Riverside.fm the best platform for recording high-quality remote podcasts and videos. With 4K video, AI-powered tools like Magic Clips, and automated transcriptions, Riverside makes content creation seamless. 🚀 Get started with Riverside and use promo code CLIPPED for 20% off at Riverside.fm.

What You'll Learn:

• ChatGPT Enhanced prompt accuracy delivers more faithful visualizations of complex descriptions
• New editing capability lets you modify specific elements without regenerating entire images
• Upload reference images to maintain brand consistency or transform existing photos
• ChatGPT Text on images finally works correctly—a game-changer for blog posts and podcast artwork
• Perfect for creating podcast cover art, social media templates, video backgrounds, and merch designs

Try the new features yourself and share your AI-generated creations with me on Instagram @thepodcasthaven—I'd love to see what you create and discuss your prompting techniques!

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Creating short-form video clips for social media can be exhausting and time-consuming. Thankfully, Riverside.fm makes it easy to transform your videos into engaging clips using AI-powered tools. In this episode, Eric, founder of The Podcast Haven, walks you through exactly how to use Riverside's Magic Clips feature, streamlining your content creation workflow and saving you valuable time.

🎉 Get 20% off Riverside.fm Use the promo code CLIPPED at checkout to enjoy 20% off any individual Riverside plan and elevate your content creation today!

• Automate Your Clip Creation: How Riverside’s Magic Clips leverages AI to generate high-quality social media clips automatically.

• Easy Upload and Edit Process: Quickly upload videos, select clip length (30-60 seconds recommended), and let Riverside handle the rest.

• Optimizing Clips with Keywords: Tips on using keywords effectively to focus your clips around specific topics.

• Customizing Your Clips: Learn how to fine-tune the AI-generated clips, add captions, brand elements, and customize design effortlessly.

• Exporting and Quality Assurance: Best practices for exporting clips, ensuring optimal quality, removing watermarks, and managing audio levels.

• Riverside.fm simplifies your workflow by doing 80% of the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus only on small tweaks.

• Ideal for creators looking to rapidly expand their social media presence without the stress of extensive editing.

Resources Mentioned:

• View This Video On YouTube

• Ten Thousand Hours: The Hard Truth About Mastery, Success, and Why You’re Not Winning

• How To Record a Video Podcast On Your iPhone: Easily Podcast In 4K!

• How To Get Your Show Featured on Apple Podcasts: Follow These Tips!

• Homepage

• LinkedIn

• Blog

• YouTube

• Instagram

Social Media Clips, Riverside.fm, Video Editing, AI Editing, Content Creation, Magic Clips, Short Form Video

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This week on CLIPPED, I’m refreshing one of the most popular episodes from the past year—updated with fresh insights for 2025. It's all about how to start a podcast in 2025.

If you're thinking about starting a podcast this year, this is the perfect place to start. I’m sharing 12 things I wish I knew when I started, including a few new lessons I’ve learned recently. From prepping and planning to editing, video SEO, and finding your voice, this episode is your blueprint for launching smarter. Whether you're starting a podcast for the first time, or rebooting an old one, these tips will help you avoid the common traps and build a more sustainable show.

A Word From Our Sponsor:

This episode is brought to you by Riverside.fm, the best platform for recording high-quality remote podcasts and videos. With 4K video, AI-powered tools like Magic Clips, and automated transcriptions, Riverside makes content creation seamless. 🚀 Get started with Riverside and use promo code CLIPPED for 20% off at Riverside.fm.

Follow These 12 Steps (2025 Edition)

1. Prepping Is Key
Prepping takes longer than you think—but it pays off. Whether you’re scripting or outlining bullet points, putting in the time up front helps your recordings go smoother and cuts down on editing.

2. Avoid Interrupting Your Guests
Practice active listening when starting a podcast. Let your guest finish their thought before jumping in with your next question or opinion. It’s tougher than it sounds, but it leads to better conversations.

3. Finding Your Podcasting Voice
Getting comfortable on the mic can take 50–60 episodes or more. You might not like how you sound or look early on—but give it time. You’ll grow into your voice and find your rhythm.

4. Don’t Over-Rely on AI
AI tools like ChatGPT and Descript are helpful—but don’t let them replace your own creative instincts. Use them to support your editing, writing, or idea generation, not to do all the work for you.

5. Video Is the New SEO
In 2025, YouTube is a discovery engine for podcasters. Optimize your video titles and thumbnails like you would a blog post. Use chapters, keywords, and a solid video setup (even just your iPhone) to get seen by more people. Prioritize visuals and strategy over fancy gear.

6. Booking Quality Guests
Don’t assume guests are out of reach—many are more open to interviews than you think. Start small, build confidence, and reach out when your show is in a good groove.

7. Consistent Planning
Coming up with fresh ideas and engaging interview questions week after week is no joke. Build a running list of episode ideas and revisit older topics with new angles to keep things fresh.

8. Stay Ahead in Production
Batch your recordings and stay a few weeks ahead of schedule. It reduces stress and gives you breathing room when life gets busy.

9. Engage in the Podcasting Community
Don’t podcast in a vacuum. Join Facebook groups, LinkedIn threads, and attend events. There’s always someone one step ahead who can share a tip—or someone just starting who you can help.

10. Embrace Editing
Trim the fat. Cut tangents, filler words, and rambling to make your episodes tighter. A well-edited show sounds more professional and keeps listeners engaged.

11. Social Media Doesn’t Guarantee Podcast Growth
Likes and follows don’t always convert into downloads. Focus more on podcast-native growth strategies like promo swaps, guest appearances, and newsletter shoutouts.

12. Find the Right Mic for Your Voice
Expensive doesn’t always mean better. Try different mics and setups (USB vs XLR) to find what flatters your voic

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• Why recording quality matters – The importance of good mic technique and a quiet environment before using AI enhancement.
• How to use Descript Studio Sound – A step-by-step breakdown of adjusting intensity levels (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) and how each setting affects audio quality.
• How to use Adobe Speech Enhancement – A walkthrough of the free and paid versions, plus how adjusting background noise settings impacts the final sound at (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) processing.
• Comparing the results – Which tool delivers the most natural sound? Which one over-processes audio? Find out the strengths and weaknesses of each.
• Best practices for using AI audio tools – When to apply enhancement and when to avoid over-processing.

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Google’s latest AI overviews are making it harder than ever to drive organic traffic to your website. Instead of sending users to blogs and independent creators, Google is stealing content directly from sites, repackaging it with AI, and serving it at the top of search results. Meanwhile, YouTube—the platform Google owns—is doing the opposite. YouTube is actively boosting smaller creators and making it easier for videos to reach new audiences.

In this episode, Eric dives into:

• How Google’s AI overviews are cutting independent creators out of search results.

• Why YouTube is pushing small creators forward while Google throttles organic reach.

• The paradox of Google’s approach to AI and why it matters for content creators.

• Why now is the time to shift your focus from blogging to video content.

If you rely on Google for traffic, this episode is a must-listen.

This podcast is sponsored by Riverside.fm—the best platform for recording high-quality remote podcasts and videos. With 4K video recording, AI-powered tools like Magic Clips and automated transcriptions, Riverside makes content creation seamless.

🚀 Get started with Riverside and enter promo code CLIPPED for 20% off at Riverside.fm.

• Google’s AI overviews summarize content directly in search results, pulling from independent blogs and sites.

• This means fewer people are clicking through to original content, hurting creators who rely on search traffic.

• AI-generated answers are prioritized over linking to independent sources, making it harder for new sites to rank.

• Unlike Google Search, YouTube is actively pushing good content forward.

• Smaller channels are getting boosted in the algorithm, giving new creators a real shot at growth.

• YouTube’s recommendation system rewards watch time and engagement, making it an opportunity for creators to thrive.

• If you’re just starting out, video might be a better bet than blogging.

• Blogging still has value, but AI-driven search results are making it harder to break in.

• YouTube wants creators to succeed because more views = more ad revenue.

• Investing in video now could help future-proof your content strategy.

• Google’s AI-driven changes could lead to a walled-off internet where only major media brands dominate.

• Will Google reverse course and prioritize linking to independ

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In this episode of CLIPPED, Eric’s breaking down the ten thousand hour rule and why so many agency owners, freelancers, and online coaches struggle to find success. If you’re not seeing results, it might be because you haven’t put in the reps—yet.

This episode dives into what the 10,000-hour rule really means, how mastery requires time and effort, and why so many people try to skip the hard work. Eric also shares his own 10,000-hour journey—from running errands at recording studios to building a podcast production company. By the end of this episode, you’ll understand why cutting corners leads to failure and what you need to do to actually get good at your craft.

This podcast is sponsored by Riverside.fm—my favorite platform for recording high-quality remote podcasts and videos. With 4K video recording, AI-powered tools like Magic Clips and automated transcriptions, and seamless audio syncing, Riverside makes content creation easier than ever. Try it out at Riverside.fm and enter promo code CLIPPED for 20% off.

• Popularized by Malcolm Gladwell, this concept suggests that true mastery takes at least 10,000 hours of deliberate practice.

• Becoming great at something requires repetition, failure, and continuous learning.

• Professionals don’t cut corners—they put in the work and develop real expertise.

• Lack of Real Skills: Many jump into business without actually mastering a craft.

• Selling Theory, Not Experience: Too many coaches sell courses or strategies they’ve never implemented themselves.

• Shortcut Mentality: AI tools and quick hacks can’t replace the years of experience needed to develop true expertise.

• Started interning at 17 Hertz Studios in North Hollywood—running errands, setting up mics, and learning the ropes.

• Worked at Paramount Recording Studios, recording, editing, and getting yelled at (a lot).

• Transitioned to podcasting in 2015, building The Podcast Haven from the ground up.

• Cold-emailed hundreds of podcasters, landed clients like Kimberly Snyder and Paychecks & Balances, and grew a sustainable business through years of hard work.

• Do the work before you sell the solution—learn by doing, not by theory.

• Master the tools of your industry—whether it’s Pro Tools, Google Ads, or video editing software.

• Go through the struggle—get used to high-pressure situations, criticism, and iteration.<

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In this episode of CLIPPED, the focus is on how to film high-quality video podcasts and YouTube videos using just an iPhone. With a powerful 4K camera right in your pocket, it’s easier than ever to create professional-looking content. 

This episode covers the setup, audio syncing, and the essential gear needed (which isn’t much) to get started. Whether you’re new to content creation or looking for a streamlined workflow, this episode is packed with practical tips for filming like a pro.

This episode explains why using an iPhone is a great option for video content, thanks to its 4K recording capability and excellent picture quality. It emphasizes the benefits of using a device that’s less intimidating and more user-friendly than traditional cameras. 

The episode breaks down everything from choosing between the selfie camera and the rear camera to setting up the perfect shot. It also covers how to seamlessly sync high-quality audio with video using Riverside.fm. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to maximize your iPhone’s potential for creating stunning video podcasts and YouTube videos.

This podcast is sponsored by Riverside.fm—my favorite way to record high-quality remote podcasts and videos. With great audio quality, 4K video recording, and easy editing tools, Riverside makes content creation seamless. Try it out at Riverside.fm and enter promo code CLIPPED for 20% off.

• Why Use an iPhone for Video Podcasts:

• Records in 4K and 1080p with excellent image quality.

• Easier to use and less intimidating than traditional cameras.

• Video Setup Tips:

• Use a sturdy tripod or boom arm for stability.

• Position the camera at eye level for a professional look.

• Choose the selfie camera for easy framing or the rear camera for better quality.

• Framing and Monitoring:

• Use iPhone mirrors or external monitors for improved framing when using the rear camera.

• Audio Syncing and Recording:

• Connect wireless microphones directly to the iPhone for seamless syncing.

• Use Riverside.fm to easily sync high-quality audio with video.

• Using an iPhone as a Webcam:

• Compatible with macOS 13+ and iOS 16+ devices.

• Works seamlessly with Riverside.fm for high-quality recording.

• Best Camera Settings:

• 4K at 30fps for cinematic quality.

• 1080p at 30fps for smaller