Prologue
Your Podcast in My New Book?
I’m in the final read through and edit of my upcoming book on podcasting and I’m looking for examples to include.
I’m rolling through this at a pretty good rate, so when I need something, I need it ASAP in order to move forward. I’ll be posting what I’m looking for on my LinkedIn page as well as sending info to my podcaster mailing list.
CURRENT NEED: What does your podcast help people do?
I need examples that using something similar to these “Helpful Podcast” templates ...
- [PODCAST NAME] helps [YOUR AUDIENCE] do [SOMETHING] so they can [GOAL].
- [PODCAST NAME] helps [YOUR AUDIENCE] do [SOMETHING] without [PAIN].
- [PODCAST NAME] helps [YOUR AUDIENCE] do [SOMETHING] with [HOW THEY WANT TO DO IT].
Are you a match? Respond via my LinkedIn page or get on my podcaster mailing list and reply there.
More requests coming ... I want to feature as many independent podcasters as I can. :)
Want to see the cover? This is a mockup.
Sponsor
Big Podcast AMP
If you like the newsletter, you'll love Big Podcast AMP (Audio Monetization Program).
This personal coaching program helps you do three things:
- Grow your podcast audience.
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Podcast Hosting Skills
Fear of Speaking? This May Help ...
A few years ago, I had just gotten on stage to give a presentation and, without warning, my mouth went completely dry—I could barely speak and couldn't swallow.
I'd never experienced anything like it. I looked at the stage timer in front of me ... 43 minutes to go.
I thought to myself, "I don't know how I'm going to do this."
I looked for a glass of water, but there wasn't one. And as I looked over the crowd of maybe 200 people (with an event of thousands all around them), I felt a bead of sweat running down my back.
I mouthed, "I need some water." And fortunately for me, a woman on the side of the stage brought me a bottle.
After drinking almost the entire thing, I stumbled through my slides, but it wasn't pretty. And I wasn't asked back.
I'd done dozens of speeches prior to this one, maybe a hundred. And this had never happened.
Speaking coach Jam Gamble has some good advice on how to overcome public speaking resistance.
- Don’t strive for perfection.
- Don’t worry about a hook.
- Don’t listen to everyone.
- Don’t guess.
- Don’t be silent.
Three of these applied to my situation. And I'm better equipped for future speaking situations because of this experience ... but still more nervous than I would have been previously, because I realize just how easy it is to slip into a panic like this.
Similar things can also happen when you're recording your podcast, and the stakes are especially high when you're doing an important interview.
I'll share more thoughts in the audio edition of this newsletter.
Podcasting Tools
Loudness.fm - Automatic Podcast Mastering
Loudness is an automatic podcast mastering service for podcasters who want to sound great without worrying about the technical stuff.
Just drag in your audio and Loudness gets to work ...
- Loudness Normalization - Set your overall loudness to the podcast standard
- Level Balance - Ensure consistent levels throughout. Corrects for volume fluctuation in speech, overly loud music, and more—all while maintaining a natural sound.
- Noise Reduction - Reduce background noise during speech. Works on hiss, hum, street noise, and more.
- Trim Silence - Tastefully shorten long periods of silence
- Optimize File Format - Convert to optimal format for podcast distribution
Podcast Production
Where Do Ideas Come From?
This is a fun video that will get you thinking about where ideas come from.
I interview a lot of musicians and songwriters. I've discussed this topic numerous times and one of the common themes I hear is a belief that "ideas are everywhere" and that it's up to us to be receptive of them. And if you're not, somebody else will be.
Another variation of this ... Ideas are like fish, swimming all around us, and waiting to be caught.
Where do you think ideas come from? I want to know. Reach out to me via Mastodon, Bluesky, or Threads.
Podcasting Deals
SoundMadeSeen - Turn Your Audio Podcast into Promo Videos
This is more than just an "audiogram" tool.
It includes:
- Multiple Audio Upload Options: Select podcasts, upload audio files, record directly, or use text-to-speech functionality.
- Customizable Design Templates: Choose from pre-made design templates or use the easy-to-use design editor for custom creations.
- High-Accuracy Transcriptions: Precise transcription with user-friendly transcription editing tools.
- One-Click Content Analysis: AI-driven content analysis helps you find the content you want to clip and highlight
Worth a look, especially at the $39, lifetime price.
Podcast Humor
White House Announces Shure SM7B Buyback Program to Curtail Podcasting
“Today, Americans can sleep better knowing that their families are safer from random acts of podcasting,” Joe Biden said. “While this is an incredible first step in getting podcasts off of the street, we know more work is needed to keep our citizens safe from men having a quarter-life crisis and deciding the world needs to hear them and their equally unfunny friends.”
As much as I love that it's so easy to record and publish audio these days, one downside is that we've gotten very comfortable having zero filters, essentially flooding the market with "content" and letting listeners (and algorithms) deal with our lack of self-control.
Before we had basically unlimited tape, studio time, and air time, we were forced to make decisions on what we recorded and released. These days, most people skip this process entirely and release "everything."
Should you?
I'll share more thoughts in the audio edition of this newsletter.
Classifieds
Swell AI
Swell AI automates writing podcast summaries, articles, social posts, and more.
- Manage multiple shows in one dashboard.
- Build custom templates for each show.
- Connects with Google Drive, Dropbox, and Zoom.
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.
Podpage
Join over 25,000 podcasters and automatically create a beautiful, listener-friendly podcast site from your RSS feed.
Podpage is the simplest way to create a podcast website.
The Wrap Up
When you're ready, here's how I can help you even more ...
If you want the shortcut to building a podcast people care about, here’s how Big Podcast can help you …
Free of charge ...
- Big Podcast Daily – Short, daily emails to help you build an audience, attract clients, and make money via podcasting
- Build a Big Podcast – The Marketing Podcast for Podcasters
- Podcast Growth Toolkit – The "Swiss Army Knife" of podcasting ...
For budgets under $750 …
- Big Podcast AMP (Audio Monetization Program) – Personalized coaching for indie podcasters to help you grow your podcast audience and build your authority, brand, and reputation
For budgets of $3000 or more …
We offer a range of podcasting services including:
- Full-service podcast production and marketing
- Podcast and radio hosting
- Podcast launch and development services