Prologue
Spider-Man – The Superhero Who Almost Didn't Happen
You know Spider-Man. But what you may not know is that this character was almost completed scrapped.
Why? The publisher, Timely Comics (now known as Marvel), didn't think a teenager should be the main hero.
Founder Martin Goodman told creator Stan Lee, "A hero can't be a teenager. A teenager can only be a sidekick!"
Martin Goodman was wrong, of course. Spider-Man is one of the biggest superheros ever.
But sometimes ideas are ahead of their time.
Your podcast may be one of them.
Fortunately, we don't have a "publisher" we need to convince, only listeners. So if you've got some momentum on your podcast, you can get more – you just need to reach people. And this issue of Big Podcast Insider can help you do that.
Like audio? Listen here.
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Podcast Hosting Skills
Don't Host a Podcast Like This
This is a video of me in 2010.
It's not bad, or even awkward, but there are a couple of things I could have done better, which you may find helpful for your podcast:
The first is comfort. As you can see from the video, this is a small space. And what you're not seeing is the three people who are also there with me and the guest in that small space – an engineer, a producer, and a guy running the camera.
This is one of the reasons I was standing – there was no room for me to have a chair.
The second thing I could have done better is lighting. Again, not that what we've got is really bad, but the fluorescent tubes made the space feel like a doctor's office.
Both these things, me standing while the guest sits and "bad" lighting, that brought back memories of a medical exam, led to another big issue, Intimidation factor.
THE FIX
We cleared out the room, got a chair for me to come down to the guest's level, and brought in table lamps for lighting. Today, the feeling is more like a living room than an office and it's resulted in a better experience for everybody involved.
Most issues in podcasting/broadcasting have simple fixes just like this.
How have you changed how you record? Let me know via T2, Bluesky, or Mastodon.
Podcasting News
Podcast-Editor Descript Buys Recording Service SquadCast
You've probably seen this story as it's been everywhere over the last couple of days.
But I do have two things to add, which I think are important to remember.
- It's great to see nice guys win.
- There's still big opportunity in podcasting.
If you've got something in the podcasting space that you're working, reach out to me via T2, Bluesky, or Mastodon and let me know about it. I'd love to do what I can to help you get the word out about it to podcasters and help you make it a success.
Podcast Production
This Will Help Your "Guest Mic" Problem
It sounds easy (and obvious), but a lot of people have no idea how to plug in a USB mic. This can be a problem for you if you've got a remote guest who needs to do this.
This is the solution to this problem and something you'll want to bookmark for future use. It's also a solution for people who already have a USB mic, know how to plug it in, but have no idea how to use it – this is also common. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people speaking into the wrong end of their mics.
Podcasting Deals
Radiolize - Create an "Online Radio" Podcast Network
Do you know how much it costs to have a broadcast radio station in a major US market? The license alone can be worth millions ...
But you can do an online radio station for only $79. And it's a great option for podcasters.
How I'd Use It:
- Connect with other podcasters who talk about your same topic/niche.
- Create a schedule that allows people to hear pre-recorded episodes of these podcasts at the same time each day via a stream.
- Have the podcasters you partner with promote and send traffic to the station.
It's a shared promotion and everybody on the station benefits. All for just $79 for life.
When you set yours up, let me know via T2, Bluesky, or Mastodon and I'll help you get the word out also!
Podcast Humor
Touch Grass
This is a joke, but also a sad reality. And if you're doing this all the time, never getting outside and living, your podcast is suffering.
I saw this in music school. There were some amazing musicians who lived in a 6x6 practice room and gave "perfect" performances, hitting their pieces note-for-note.
But it was the guys who got out and lived who really connected with the audience.
You've got to "do the work" to be a great podcaster, but not all of that is in a studio or behind a computer.
Classifieds
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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.
The Wrap Up
When you're ready, here's how I can help you even more ...
If you like the newsletter, you'll love Big Podcast AMP (Audio Monetization Program).
This personal coaching program has been designed to help you do three things:
- Grow your podcast audience.
- Get people talking about your podcast.
- Make more money with your podcast.
You can get details here.