Prologue
All Secrets are Based in Grief or Pleasure
Over the weekend, I teamed up with Shrikant Joshi, a former "shock jock" in India, who now does audio work that is, for lack of a better description, more substantial.
I've taken a similar path and you may have also. We start our audio careers doing something somewhat novel, for me it was as a jock playing music, then we move on to something with a little more depth.
Not that there's anything wrong with "shock jock" or music work – even pure entertainment can be valuable.
But there's a different level of impact that you can make with your podcast ...
I'll share what Shrikant and I made together next week. For now, please listen to this four-minute episode by 76-year-old podcaster, Zita Christian – My Alzheimer's Secret.
When it comes to telling a complete story in just four minutes, Zita does it beautifully. And it's an important message. So if you know somebody who has been affected by Alzheimer's, please share it.
Speaking of secrets ... In this issue, I've got a "leaked" email from Elon Musk that you'll find helpful to your podcast production. And also a new editing tool that most people have never heard of.
I'll be back next week with a special "Black Friday" Issue with some great opportunities to get your podcast ready for the upcoming year. See you then!
Sponsor
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Podcaster Opportunities
How to Put Your Podcast (and Life) on "Easy Mode"
This isn't the usual thing that I talk about here, but I've talked to so many podcasters who have been burning out lately, I want to make sure it's addressed here.
Burnout is real and it can happen to any of us. It's easy to get overwhelmed with podcasting, especially at this time of year, with holiday stress combined with so many big projects that need to be finished.
I've worked on a lot of creative projects over the years, not just podcast and radio episodes, but also live events, comedy shows, music albums, and books. And something that I've noticed which often gets lost is that these things should be fun.
We're really lucky to be able to do what we do. But it's easy to lose track of that when thinking about deadlines, or the pressure of being liked, and the pressure of finances and "making the numbers work." Or just the pressure of being finished, so you can move on to whatever is next.
I like a little pressure. I've found it helpful to get things both started and finished. For example, KCRW's Radio Race that happened this weekend, where participants (including me) had to do a complete radio episode within 24 hours.
That was good pressure.
But something I've found is that, while some pressure is helpful in creating great work, there's a level where that same pressure, if too much is applied, will crush you.
Some "big ideas" from the article that apply to your podcasting work:
- One thing at a time
- Put space between things
- Bring full appreciation
- Do less
- Rest & self-care
- Have a cushion
- When you’re overwhelmed, take small steps
- Do things as simply as possible
Consider these as you finish out your year.
Want to talk more? Send me a message via Twitter or Mastodon.
Not on Mastodon yet? Here's an invite to a dedicated space for podcasters.
Podcasting Tools
Analyze Your Microphone Setup for Free
I love this free mic check tool from Adobe. It makes it easy to check the quality of your guest's audio setup before connecting for an interview.
It looks at four things:
- Distance to microphone
- Gain
- Background noise
- Echo
Try it now (it's free) and send me a screenshot of what it says about your setup via Twitter or Mastodon.
Not on Mastodon yet? Here's an invite to a dedicated space for podcasters.
Podcasting Deals
A Better Way to Edit Your Podcast?
Trebble online audio editor is a web app that makes it fast and easy for anyone to create professional-sounding, spoken-word audio.
Unlike most audio editing software on the market which utilize waveforms, Trebble's online editor transcribes your audio and lets you edit it via text.
But it doesn't stop there ...
To help you polish your audio, it also automatically post-produces your recording using a proprietary sound-processing algorithm.
And it includes a royalty-free catalog of music and sound effects that you can use to make your podcast even more engaging.
HOW I'D USE IT: While Trebble isn't something that will completely replace a standard audio editing tool, it's nice to be able to take out big chunks of content, such as off-topic tangents and "bad" answers, as easily as highlighting a Word document and pressing delete.
For just $69 for life, it's worth a look!
Podcast Humor
How NPR Does Podcast Credits
A few years ago, I was at a podcasting conference with tons of NPR people. And it was mind-blowing to the "independent podcasters" that the world that people from NPR were living in was so different from that of the indies.
There was one panel with probably 90% "NPR people" and I remember somebody in the audience asked a question about editing.
The answer, "Let your editor handle that."
Question about research or booking?
"Let your researcher handle that," or "Let your booker handle that."
Anyway, here's a funny meme dedicated to everybody who doesn't have a staff of 15 people, yet still gets out great episodes!
Want more? I got you!
The Business of Podcasting
Elon's Leaked Productivity Email
Elon Musk sent an email to the staff at Tesla with "rules" for productivity ...
... and it leaked.
Here are six takeaways, all of which apply to your podcast production, especially if you're working with multiple people.
1. Avoid large meetings.
Large meetings waste valuable time and energy. They discourage debate because there's not enough time for everybody to contribute and, if people do contribute, they are often guarded.
2. Leave a meeting if you’re not contributing.
If a meeting doesn’t require your input, there is no reason for you to be there.
3. Forget the chain of command.
Handle your business. Communicate with colleagues directly. Don't bring in supervisors or managers, unless absolutely necessary.
4. Be clear, not clever.
Jargon slows down communication. If you want to be understood, be concise and to-the-point.
5. Most issues don't require a meeting.
Don’t interrupt others if it’s unnecessary. Ask, "Could this meeting be an email?"
The purpose of meetings is to collaborate, attack issues head-on, and solve urgent problems. Once a problem is resolved, there is no need for a meeting.
6. Use common sense.
Follow the spirit of the law (principle), not the law itself (rule).
TL;DR Make decisions yourself and handle your business.
Classifieds
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Publer – Social Media Scheduler
Use Publer to schedule and analyze all your social media posts from a single dashboard!
The Wrap Up
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