Prologue
"You've got to pay if you want to play ..."
I was renting a tux to attend a bougie music industry event and this was the advice from the guy who was fitting me. And I guess it's somewhat true.
I say somewhat, because it depends what you mean by the word "pay."
I've got a meme at the very bottom of this issue that sums it up. Basically, if you want to have a great podcast, you do need to "invest" in it, but 99% of that investment is going to be the work you do, not money – things like working on your hosting, improving your interviewing ability, learning how to record yourself well ...
Don't confuse consumption, like "buying a bunch of gear," with actually doing the work that it takes to make you and your podcast better – these are two completely different things.
With this said, welcome to the "Black Friday Issue" of Big Podcast Insider. In this issue, I've got some great deals for hardware and software that, when you spend money on them, will help you create a better podcast and grow your audience.
But only if you use what you get. :)
Hope you're having a great Thanksgiving weekend. I'll see you next week with another "normal" issue that's 100% about marketing your podcast!
Sponsor
Riverside - Remote Recording Studio
Riverside records high-quality audio (and video) directly from your browser. No special equipment is needed and connecting with your guest is as simple as sending a web link!
You can try Riverside free (no credit card is needed) and, if you like it, save 15% on any paid plan by using the coupon code BIGPODCAST.
Podcasting Deals
Zoom ZDM-1 Dynamic Microphone - $39
This is a great deal for a large-diaphragm, broadcast-quality mic.
I've been using Zoom stuff since the 80s, when there were exclusively doing guitar effects. They've always been known for high-quality, lower-priced gear and the ZDM-1 MIcrophone is no exception.
Zoom PodTrak P4 Podcast Recorder - $149
Another great deal from Zoom. I use mine all the time and, for $149, this is an absolute steal.
It has great preamps and can handle up to four mics at once. It records directly to an SD card, or you can use it as an interface to record to your computer. It also allows you broadcast via apps like Wisdom and Stereo.
If looking to get a "pro" sound for your podcast, the Podtrack P4 with the Zoom ZDM-1 micrphone will get you everything you need for under $200!
Biteplay - Attract New Podcast Listeners via YouTube
Biteplay is a YouTube marketing toolkit that helps you with content research, video advertising, and YouTube influencer collaboration.
Biteplay finds your perfect YouTube audience and allows you to connect with them instantly. If you're releasing your podcast on YouTube, you will find it helpful. You'll easily find out who is where you want to be and be able to send collaboration requests.
Open to new topics and trends? Biteplay monitors content and keyword trends to help you attract new people to your podcast.
Watch the video to see how it works.
HOW TO USE IT FOR PODCASTING: Find out what people are looking for on YouTube, then create multiple, search-optimized videos from your existing podcast episode using tools like Chopcast or ContentFries (see below) to take advantage of YouTube's built-in audience to drive traffic to your podcast.
ContentFries - Turn Your Podcast Episodes Into Bite-Sized Social Media Content
Doing social media or using videos on YouTube to promote your podcast? Listen up!
ContentFries turns your podcast episodes, live streams, and interviews into engaging, bite-sized content pieces for social media. You'll get 5 - 100 pieces of content from standard-length episodes.
Also look at Chopcast (mentioned below) and decide which one works best for you. Both do very similar things.
Need help optimizing your title and keywords for YouTube? Biteplay is a YouTube marketing toolkit that can handle this and more.
HOW TO USE IT FOR PODCASTING: If you're doing anything on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, this is a great piece of software to fill your account with engaging content.
Typedesk - Simplify social media responses and interview/sponsor outreach
This is a "shortcut" tool to help you ditch repetitive typing. I've used it for years to keep up with social media responses (via hotkeys), but it can also be used for:
- guest outreach
- sending pre-interview information to guests
- sending episode followup information, such as "Your episode is live!" emails
- sponsorship outreach
- filling out repetitive forms, such as those for podcast directories
HOW TO USE IT FOR PODCASTING: As mentioned, I've used this for years to simplify replying to people via social media. But I use it for everything mentioned above. It's a very flexible tool that makes it easy to keep up with both social media and email tasks.
TidyCal - Automatically Book and Manage Podcast Interviews
This is $29 for life. Similar apps charge that per month.
It has a nice, simple interface and it gets the job done. No more going back and forth to book podcast guests, double bookings, or getting timezones mixed up – everything is handled automatically!
HOW TO USE IT FOR PODCASTING: This will automate all of your guest booking.
Happy Scribe - Get Transcripts for Audio and Video
Consider this ... Most people scroll through social media on mute, meaning that they're not going to hear the clips of your podcast or any other audio-format content you publish.
But they can read it ... and Happy Scribe makes this easy with automated transciptions and subtitles.
You will boost accessibility as well as discoverability. If you're doing any kind of social media or video, this is a great tool.
HOW TO USE IT FOR PODCASTING: This is great tool to convert any audio-format content you have into videos that can easily be accessed by people who for whaever reason aren't able to listen to you. My suggestion is to use it for promo clips that can drive people to download your full episode.
Noota - Automated Episode Notes
Hate writing episode notes? I've got a solution for you ...
Noota will automatically transcribe and analyze episodes recorded via Zoom, helping you to create quality episode notes in record time. Or, you can upload files and have them automatically transcribed that way.
HOW TO USE IT FOR PODCASTING: Go deep with your episode notes or do transcriptions to make your podcast more assessable.
Chopcast - Turn Videos into Social Media Clips in Seconds
Chopcast is very similar to ContentFries is that it takes a single video and chops it up into multiple, smaller videos that you can use for social media and promotional content.
HOW TO USE IT FOR PODCASTING: If you're doing anything on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, this is a great piece of software to fill your account with engaging content.
Shure SM7B - $359
Walk into any radio studio and you'll see one of two mics – this one or the Electro-Voice RE20.
This mic is not only used in podcasting/broadcasting, but also famous musicians like:
- Michael Jackson
- Green Day
- Bob Dylan
- Sheryl Crow,
- Metallica
If you're looking for a deal on a mic that almost never goes on sale, this is it.
RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio - $429
Everybody and his brother wants one of these and now is your opportunity to get it for only $429.
Retailing for $899, the RODECaster Pro has everything you need to create a professional-sounding podcast.
Read the reviews. There are over 1600 of them They'll tell you the good, bad, and ugly of this device. Most people love it!
Airbrush - Generate AI-designed Images - in 1 Click.
Airbrush is $29 and a great way to generate episode-specific art and more for your podcast. Simply enter a few words describing the image you want and hit "Generate." Then sit back and watch AI bring your idea to life within seconds.
HOW TO USE IT FOR PODCASTING: Use this for episode-specific art, social media images, and more.
Podcast Humor
Boooo!!! Your Podcast Sucks!!!
A reminder for anybody getting ready to buy a ton of new equipment for Black Friday ...
Solid equipment is great and can be helpful, but remember that even the best mic can only record what you speak into it. Don't forget to work on your podcast hosting skills in addition to buying stuff! :)
Classifieds
Sticker Mule - $10 Credit!
$10 to spend on custom stickers, magnets, buttons and more for your podcast.
RocknPod Expo - March 17-19, 2023 in Nashville
RocknPod is the ultimate weekend gathering for rock music artists, podcasters, and fans.
Monetize Your Podcast with PodInbox
PodInbox makes it simple and fun to engage your fans and monetize your podcast with a custom web page.
The Wrap Up
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