Welcome back to the deep dive.
Today, we're really getting into it,
like really getting our hands dirty with this deep dive.
We're tackling podcast creation.
Yeah, getting down to the nuts and bolts.
Exactly.
And luckily for us, listeners have sent in
some amazing material on building a really successful show.
So we're excited to dig into it.
Absolutely.
We're talking about those little details,
those insider tips that usually only hear it
like those podcasting conventions.
Yeah, the whispers in the hallways.
Exactly.
No secret handshakes here though, don't worry.
Just straight talk, actionable advice.
And we're gonna start with the foundation,
the bedrock of any good podcast, the microphone.
It's funny, because it really is,
it's the heart and soul of your show.
But there is this big misconception out there
that you need to shell out a ton of cash,
break the bank to get that, like,
you know, that radio ready professional sound.
Oh yeah, definitely fallen into that trap.
You know, like, oh, this is expensive,
therefore it must be amazing.
But the expert we're learning from today,
they learned that lesson the hard way.
Right, exactly.
And they emphasize that microphone choice
should really be about compatibility.
It's like, how do you match this piece of tech,
this microphone, to your recording space,
but then also to your voice?
So like a really high end condenser mic, for example.
Okay.
While it's amazing in a treated studio,
it might pick up like every little, every little sigh,
every car, driving by,
if you're in a more, you know,
a more typical home setup.
Right.
In that case, you might be better off
with a dynamic mic.
Okay.
Especially one with what's called a cardioid pickup pattern,
so it's a little more focused.
So it's not just as simple as looking at the price tag
and going with the highest number.
Right.
There's nuance to it.
How would someone even know, like, where to begin?
What type of microphone is right for them?
Well, they suggested starting with an honest assessment
of your recording environment.
I mean, are you in like, you know, a soundproof booth?
Or do you have, you know, the occasional dog bark
or siren wailing in the background?
Right.
And I think if we're being honest,
most people fall into the second category.
Yeah.
And in that case, you know,
a dynamic microphone is probably gonna be your best bet.
It's about working with what you got
and choosing the right tool for the job, I guess.
They also shared a pretty funny story, actually,
about their cat nearly,
nearly making a guest appearance on their show
because of like a super sensitive microphone.
Oh no!
Yeah.
I think that highlights the real world stuff
that we as podcasters, you know, we deal with.
Absolutely.
And they said that, you know,
a well-chosen dynamic mic can really be a lifesaver
in a noisy environment like that.
Just rejecting those unwanted sonic intrusions.
Love that.
Okay, so we've got the right microphone.
We've locked the pets out of the room.
And the sirens have stopped.
What's next?
So now we gotta get into that digital world, right?
We need to choose our recording software.
Okay.
And this is where it can feel like, you know,
stepping into a digital jungle.
It really can.
There's so many options.
Free, paid, like where do you even begin?
Our expert definitely touched on this feeling
of being overwhelmed, you know?
They talked about using free options like Audacity.
Right.
But then also, you know, industry standard paid software
like Adobe Audition.
Yeah.
And they underscored that each has its own quirks.
It's all about what works for you,
your workflow, your budget, all of that.
So rather than, you know, saying,
this is the software you have to use,
they really focused on making sure people understand
like the fundamentals, right?
Exactly.
And they had this pretty relatable story
about a common mistake that I think a lot of us probably
mowed when we were starting out.
Oh, a call.
They once recorded an entire episode on Audacity
and then realized they'd forgotten to actually select
the correct input source.
Oh, no.
So silence.
Oh, my God.
A whole lot of nothing.
That's terrifying.
So the takeaway, always double check your settings
before you hit record.
I can feel the phantom panic attack just thinking about it.
Oh, man.
Yeah.
It's a rite of passage.
Now, while we're on the technical side,
we should probably touch on audio formats, right?
Right.
WAV versus MP3.
It's like the constant debate, isn't it?
The age-old battle.
Yes.
It feels like choosing between a perfectly crisp vinyl record
or a compressed digital file.
That's a great analogy.
See, WAV files, they give you that pristine high fidelity
audio.
But the trade-off is you're going
to have a much larger file size.
MP3, on the other hand, that's all about convenience.
Shrinks those files down.
Downloads are quicker.
Storage is easier.
But, and this is a big but, it comes
at the cost of some audio fidelity.
So it's about finding that balance between quality
and practicality, I guess.
Absolutely.
But there's more to this whole WAV versus MP3 thing, right?
What about byte-trate?
Excellent point.
I know a little something.
Yeah, you're on top of it.
By-trade is basically the amount of data
that's being lost per second to encode your audio.
OK.
So a higher byte-trate generally means better sound quality,
but again, a larger file size.
And with MP3s, you can actually adjust the byte-trate.
So there's a bit more flexibility there.
So for us as podcasters, it's all a balancing act.
Finding that sweet spot.
OK, so we've recorded our audio.
We've picked our format.
We've figured out this whole byte-trate situation.
How do we go from this raw audio to a polished episode?
That's where editing comes in, right?
Editing.
That's where the magic happens.
It's where you really get to transform raw audio
into that captivating listening experience.
So that means we're going to remove distractions like ums,
long pauses, maybe a siren or two that
made it past the dynamic mic, background noise, all of that.
It's about crafting a smooth, engaging flow for the listener.
Like you're weaving a story, right?
It really is like taking this rough stone
and carving away at it until it shines.
But I imagine there's a balance, right?
Like you can over edit.
I know the expert talked about the importance of authenticity.
Those little imperfections, those human moments
that actually make a podcast relatable.
Absolutely.
And they actually cautioned against getting too buttoned up,
too over edited, saying that sometimes those little unscripted
moments, a little laugh, a little stumble,
actually those can really draw the listener in more.
It makes it feel real.
Exactly.
Not like some robot is talking to me.
Right.
You're listening in on a real conversation.
And they shared a funny story about accidentally mixing up
their guests' names during an episode.
And instead of editing it out, they just they left it in.
And it became kind of a running joke throughout the episode.
Oh, that's great.
And it ended up being one of their most downloaded episodes.
Wow.
So it's really about being OK with putting yourself out there,
even with the little mistakes.
Because that can sometimes be a good thing.
OK, so we've tackled the importance of editing.
But what about another thing that's so crucial?
Sound quality.
Oh, this is a big one.
Even if you've got the most amazing content in the world,
if the audio quality is bad, people are going to tune out.
Our expert was a huge advocate for simple but effective tools
like pop filters.
OK, so explain it to me like I'm five years old.
What's a pop filter?
It's like a little shield that sits between your mouth
and the microphone.
OK.
And it basically stops those plosive sounds.
PS?
Yes.
The PS and the BS that can kind of like blast the microphone.
Yeah, you get that.
The big puff of air.
It's not good.
Exactly.
They're a game changer, especially if you're
recording in a home studio setup.
Yeah, makes sense.
And what about acoustic treatment?
That always sounds so official and kind of intimidating.
It sounds fancy, but it doesn't have to be.
Like it can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it.
But essentially, it's about managing those sound reflections
within your recording space.
So you know those like foam panels
that you see on the walls of recording studios?
Those are basically there to absorb sound waves, right?
And that's going to prevent echoes,
going to reduce that background noise.
So you're basically creating like a little sound cocoon.
Exactly, a little sound optimized cocoon for your podcast.
The expert talked about converting a spare room
into their home studio using acoustic panels
and even like thick curtains, anything to kind of like manage
the sound.
And they were blown away by the difference it made.
Wow.
OK, so it sounds like that's worth looking into,
even if it's starting small.
We've covered recording, editing, even sprucing up our sound.
But how do we get the podcast out there?
Like how do people actually listen to it?
That's where we got talk about hosting platforms.
That's the bridge, right, between your audio files
and your listeners ears.
So it's like finding the perfect distribution network
for your podcast.
Exactly.
Gotcha.
But just like with everything else we've talked about,
there are a ton of options out there.
And our experts stress that this is not
a decision to be made lightly.
OK.
Really approach it with a long term mindset,
thinking about reliability, ease of use, scalability.
Like can this platform grow with you as your podcast grows?
So it's almost like you're choosing a business partner
in a way.
That's a great way to put it.
You got to vet them.
Exactly.
They mentioned Libsyn and Podbean.
These are a couple of popular and generally reliable options
out there.
OK.
Highlighting their user-friendly interfaces
and consistent performance.
But they also emphasize, do your research.
Don't just jump in.
No.
Read reviews, look at different pricing plans.
A lot of them offer free trials.
Take advantage of that.
Try before you buy.
Exactly.
Because our expert actually learned this the hard way.
They admitted that they once rushed into choosing a platform
based purely on price.
And then quickly discovered that it
lacked essential features and had terrible customer support.
Oh, no.
The classic, you get what you pay for situation.
Exactly.
Yeah, that's a good reminder to really do your homework.
OK, let's shift gears a little bit from the tech side of things
to something that's equally important,
engaging with your audience.
Oh, yeah.
Because what's the point of having an amazing podcast
if nobody's listening?
Exactly.
You're preaching to the choir here.
Our expert really emphasized that building a community
around your podcast is crucial.
If you want to see long-term success,
you've got to find your people.
You want it to be more than just a one-way broadcast.
You want that two-way connection with your listeners.
I'm 100% with you on that.
And luckily, there are a lot of really easy ways to do it.
They're all about using tools like Google Forms, social media
polls, anything to get that feedback from your listeners.
So it's about really understanding what your audience wants,
what they're responding to, and using that to shape future episodes.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's, like you said, a two-way conversation.
They actually told this story about how a simple poll
on their Instagram completely changed their perspective
on a topic they were going to cover.
And it led to a much more nuanced and engaging episode.
They said.
I love that.
So it's about being open to changing course,
even, based on what you're hearing from your listeners.
Absolutely.
And it's so easy to do these days.
Right.
So we've talked about those direct interactions.
But what about actually creating a community, a space
for listeners to connect with each other?
That's where things like Facebook groups and Discord
servers come in.
Those can be really powerful for bringing people together
around your podcast.
Yeah, because it's one thing for them
to connect with the hosts and give feedback.
But then to be able to talk to each other,
share their own experiences and thoughts,
that adds a whole other level, doesn't it?
100%.
It's like you're taking it beyond just the podcast itself.
Right.
It becomes more of a shared, I don't know, like a club
or something.
Exactly.
It's a community.
Yes.
And that actually ties into another really interesting thing
they talked about, which is embracing new technology.
OK.
Specifically AI.
Ooh, AI.
Right, so is this robot co-hosts, AI-generated jingles?
Not quite yet, although that would be pretty cool.
I mean, it's for somebody who's working on it as we speak.
Probably.
But no, they highlighted how AI is really
becoming more and more integrated into the podcasting
workflow.
So less about replacing humans and more about giving us
superpowers.
Exactly.
Like imagine having an assistant who
can handle some of the more tedious tasks
so you can focus on the creative stuff.
Yeah.
OK, yeah.
For example, they talked about AI-powered transcription
services, which are amazing.
Yeah, that would save so much time.
Hours and hours, especially for those of us
who aren't exactly known for our lightning fast typing skills.
Yeah, I'm very seen right now.
But, and it goes beyond just transcription,
there are tools now that can actually analyze your audio
and identify the most engaging synopets
to share on social media.
Oh, wow.
So you don't have to listen back through the whole thing
and be like, where was that juicy part?
Exactly.
It does the work for you.
OK, AI is sounding better and better.
Right.
It's all about working smarter, not harder.
Exactly.
So it sounds like AI can be a really powerful tool
for podcasters, especially those who are just starting out,
maybe don't have a huge budget or a team of people helping them.
100%.
It really levels the playing field,
giving everyone access to these really sophisticated tools.
That's awesome.
It's amazing to see how technology is changing the game.
It really is.
And as we wrap up our deep dive here into the world of podcasting,
I think there's something really important to remember
that our expert emphasized.
What's that?
It's easy to get caught up in all the technical aspects,
the microphones, the software, the editing tricks,
everything we've been talking about.
Right.
But at its core podcasting, it's about storytelling.
It's about connecting with your audience.
Exactly.
They shared a story about how they almost gave up on podcasting
early on because they were so focused on trying
to sound perfect.
But then they realized that their listeners,
they connected most with their authenticity,
their raw enthusiasm and their willingness
to be vulnerable, to be themselves.
It's a good reminder that sometimes those imperfections,
they're what make us relatable.
100%.
And at the end of the day, I think that's what people
are really looking for.
Yeah, that genuine human connection.
That's awesome.
So for anyone out there who's listening to this and thinking,
I want to start a podcast, what's
the one piece of advice would you say
that our expert would give them?
I think they would say, just start.
Yeah.
Don't let the technical stuff hold you back.
Don't wait for the perfect microphone, the perfect software.
Exactly.
Embrace the learning process, have fun,
and let your passion shine through.
I love that.
Awesome advice.
Well, there you have it, everyone.
A deep dive into the multifaceted world of podcasting.
We've covered it all, from choosing the right microphone
to harnessing the power of AI.
And everything in between.
And most importantly, staying true to your voice
and connecting with your audience.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
So if you're feeling inspired to embark on your own podcasting
journey, remember the most important step
is taking that first leap.
And who knows, maybe one day, we'll
be deep diving into your incredible podcast.
That's right.
All right.
Until next time, happy podcasting, everyone.