The Podcasters' Studio

Have you thought about getting the *Shure SM7B? Does it seem like every podcaster is using this microphone or saving up to buy one? On this episode you'll hear the SM7B, learn some of its history and why it's an industry standard and a podcasting favorite. Why did I buy this microphone and should you get one? Let's dive into the SM7B and find out why I think it's the most used microphone in podcasting. Full writeup at thepodcastersstudio.com/103 Links mentioned: My podcasting classes on CreativeLive.com: The Gear You Need to Create a Podcast and How to Make Your Podcast Sound Great SM57 on Steroids: The Shure SM7(B) Story SM7B Output Level and Preamp Gain Specifications Multichannel CloudLifter iZotope RX Elements Version 7 Patreon which includes "Overheard", the Patron only podcast. Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. I post lots of behind the scenes content and gear tests between regular content. Follow me at your favorite! Subscribe via YouTube TWITTER FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM PATREON

See http://thepodcastersstudio.com/102 for complete links and video! Do you have more noise in your podcast audio than you'd like? Do you know what is causing that noise? Is it your mic? How about your studio or maybe it's your preamp...if you use one. I'm talking with Julian Krause all about the latter but of course we dive into many related topics surrounding preamps and noise, including: How to test a preamp for noise or find out what its noise floor measurement is. How the noise you're hearing might be coming from your mic (if it's a condenser) before it comes from your preamp. Dynamic vs condensor microphones. Several audio recorders to include the Mixpre, Zoom H5, H4n and H4n Pro, Zoom f8 and more. Microphone impedance and some of the standard mics you may have used or are currently using. And how the device Julian made works for testing a preamp and how to make one of your own. Comparing preamps to other preamps in terms of noise floor specs. And how not to test a preamp. Measuring noise levels (of a preamp) in software. Using low cut filters during recording vs post production. Gain staging—how to get the most out the device you're using cause the noise floor exists regardless of your recording level. Can you simply lower your level to lower the noise? Not really. You'll end up needing to boost levels in post production and the noise will then be audible because it was always there; you just couldn't hear it in your headphones while recording at lower levels. Follow on Instagram to see lots of behind the scenes content and gear tests between episodes.  Subscribe via YouTube for more BTS videos and podcast tutorials.

Podcasting 101, learn everything you need to start a podcast right now. From choosing your topic, naming your podcast, choosing gear, recording clean audio to editing, publishing and submitting to Apple Podcasts. Start your podcast today! Visit ThePodcastersStudio.com/101 for a complete transcript and to watch the accompanying video series.

The first Podcasters' Studio that doesn't start with a zero (ex: 001, 099)! Episode 100, we made it! Thank you to everyone who has ever listened and helped the show reach this milestone. This is a mighty episode filled with all the still relevant tips from the last 99 episodes of The Podcasters' Studio. I relistened to every episode (that was painful) and culled all the tips that I thought would still be useful in 2017. There is plenty of good content left in each of the episodes, I don't include them all here but the tips on this episode are ones that you can take back to your own show right now and grow the show you already have or start the podcast you've always wanted. Most of the lessons in this episode where culled while listening to most of my back catalog of content. I scrubbed through all my past podcast episodes picking out those things that made me think I could of done it differently or want to change moving forward past episode 100. See all the notes and links at thepodcastersstudio.com/100 Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. If you want the best podcast media hosting, these are the two services I recommend. You can use *promo code: podcasthelper on checkout to get your first month free. Subscribe via YouTube TWITTER FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM PATREON *all links should be considered affiliate links. Using these links helps support this content. I always encourage you to shop around for the best prices at the time you are viewing this. You can read my ethics statement via http://thepodcastersstudio.com/ethics. Thanks for the support!

  99 podcast episodes is a lot. Hopefully, when you reach that milestone, you've learned a thing or two about how to make your podcast better. This episode is a collection of lessons I've learned over those 99 episodes. First lesson, be your own best critic. But if you're a creative type, you probably already are;) In that case, give yourself a break, create, learn, repeat. Most of the lessons in this episode where culled while listening to most of my back catalog of content. I scrubbed through all my past podcast episodes picking out those things that made me think I could of done it differently or want to change moving forward past episode 100. Here are the highlights or perhaps in this case they are lowlights?;) Get reliable hosting from the start. I had to migrate from free hosting when it closed. Not a shock since it's hard to keep the lights on for free. The migration can be a headache, especially if you have lots of episodes and it may end up costing you all the money you “saved.” A how-to show, like mine, would benefit by telling the audience to listen in reverse chronological order to get the most recent info. Consider whether or not you may need to teach your audience how to listen. ...see the complete list  The biggest thing I've learned on this 99 episode journey is to stick with it! Yes, producing a show once a week consistently, is ideal but if you fall off that mark, don't burn down the house you spent so much time building. Don't stop. Produce more episodes when you can. Your true audience will keep you in their feeds. It took way too long for me to get to this episode and many times I've thought it was time to stop TPS over guilt of not being here as often as I should be or that I might not have anymore to say but I know that I still love the show and still love being a voice in podcasting so I move forward and give special thanks to everyone that continues the ride along with me. I approach this show as a hobby, its goal is not to generate the income I live off of, I don't need it to make any money, its nice when it pays for itself but through 99 episodes that hasn't been why the show is here. The show is here so that I can share my experience as a podcast producer with those of you who are also producing podcasts or are interested in doing so. There's nothing you could hire me to learn that I don't teach on this show. So with an approach like that, just keep going. It's better to have produced some episodes every year than to produce nothing at all. I might give different advice to a show that was a marketing tool for a business but for most podcasters, keep going, do your best and make sure your podcast is something you enjoy doing not something you feel like you have to do. And be proud. Just starting a show and trying is a big accomplishment that most others will never achieve. Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. If you want the best podcast media hosting, these are the two services I recommend. You can use *promo code: podcasthelper on checkout to get your first month free. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast I post lots of behind the scenes content and gear tests between videos. Follow me at your favorite! Subscribe via YouTube TWITTER FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM PATREON *all links should be considered affiliate links. Using these links helps support this content. I always encourage you to shop around for the best prices at the time you are viewing this. You can read my ethics statement via http://thepodcastersstudio.com/ethics. Thanks for the support!

Is this the last Podcasters' Studio? No. But staying motivated after years of talking about the same subject will be a challenge every podcaster faces if you do it long enough. How do you stay motivated? In most cases, listener feedback and a love for the topic will keep the show going for as long […]

On this fairly opinionated episode, I discuss my thoughts on “cheap” gear, advertising rates, audience numbers and who your podcast's intro should serve. “Cheap” Podcast Gear Cheap gear is not the same as affordable gear. One I have a problem with, the other I do not. Gear that is made poorly and creates issues like noise […]

Recording multichannel audio is the best way to take total control over your audio. However, it can be difficult and/or pricey to achieve. Technically you can do multichannel with any mixer, even the cheapest ones. How many separate channels you'll get is a different story. On this episode I talk about how to use an analog mixer to […]

You've created your podcast ready RSS feed so what's next? You need to send it out to the world! There are many places your podcast can be found however you need to submit your show's RSS feed to multiple directories and apps in order to have people find you. On this episode, I talk about […]

Google is getting their own podcast directory and they want you to submit your podcast now!  In exciting news, Google is finally jumping back into podcasts by announcing that podcasts will be added to Google Play Music. “Podcasts” and “Google” are not two words that have gone together very well over the last five or so […]

International Podcast Day is September 30th, find out what you can do to support and grow the medium of podcasting. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i4* audio interface is a great little device for plugging analog gear (microphones, mixers, etc.) into your computer and getting clean sounding, high-quality audio.  On the previous episode (TPS093) I discussed how […]

How do you get audio from your phone (iPhone, Android, etc.) into your mixer? The simple answer is you plug it in. You can use a basic stereo cable (I prefer this “Y” cable*), plug one end into your phone's headphone output and place the other end into an available channel on your mixer and now you […]

What's the value of a new podcast subscriber? Would you trade 20, 50, 100 dollars an episode for a new subscriber? Two new subscribers? A podcast sponsorship can be a hard deal to negotiate and for many smaller shows it's not likely worth the tradeoff; having to put ads in your content for a small […]

Setting up a mixer can be a difficult task. Even on the smallest mixers there are numerous buttons and knobs that all affect the audio you put into it. Knowing exactly which knobs to turn and when can be confusing at best and can wreck your audio at worst. In this episode I talk about how […]

Of the many benefits of having a great podcast media host, having the ability to seamlessly replace a file is a nice option. With both Libsyn and Blubrry (use code: PodcastHelper for a free month at both), you have the ability to insert a new file in place of an already published one. This allows you […]

This show's schedule is erratic at best but that doesn't mean I think any other podcast should do the same. Not if you want to grow your show to its maximum potential. I think a show should maintain whatever schedule it sets for itself. If you are once a week then try to be there […]

Ever wonder when, how or why to use compression when post-processing your podcast? If the answer is yes then this is your episode. Randy Coppinger, professional audio engineer, talks with me about using compression for your spoken word podcast and just as importantly, when not to. We talk about what compression can do for your audio, how […]

Ever wanted to learn how to use the post processing effect EQ? This is two hours of pure EQ talk for your podcast with professional audio engineer Rob Williams. While you still need to get your hands dirty and mess with the settings to truly learn EQ, this episode will help remove the first barrier to […]

Loudness normalization of your audio is a “simple” process for measuring and processing for the perceived level of your audio. Perceived levels are how the human ear interprets levels. In recent years, new standards for measuring perceived level have arisen out of a lot of research and engineering.  Georg Holzmann and I discuss the history of measuring loudness […]

Post processing your audio podcast can be a daunting task. Where do you start? What effects do you use? How to adjust the effects once you choose them? These questions and many more like them can easily scare a podcaster away from doing any polishing of their audio podcast file. But if you're interested in […]

You've decided you want to record Skype interviews or a remote co-host and you've heard about using a mix-minus setup. How do you know if this applies to your podcast? On this episode I talk about how to know when you need a mix-minus as well how I'm using a new piece of gear to […]

If you want to record Skype using a mixer you're going to need how to setup a mix-minus. The video below will show you how to go about setting that up and the linked post below will describe the entire process as well as show you detailed photographs of how to setup a mix-minus for […]

There are many ways to record your podcast. One of my favorites is directly to a digital audio recorder. The Zoom H6 is the newest in a long line of audio recorders but this one stands out amongst them all. With four truly dedicated microphone inputs and the ability to add two more XLR combo […]

I'm back in The Studio after spending a week in Las Vegas attending and speaking at New Media Expo 2014 (NMX). It was, as you could probably guess, a great time. If you're a podcaster who enjoys meeting other podcasters and learning how to better your show, it's hard not to have fun at NMX. […]

Are you waiting to publish your podcast until you've gotten everything just right? Stop. Just publish. You're ready. I've seen more than one podcast delayed by perfection. The first thing to understand is you'll never be perfect. This episode is a good example of that. In TPS 79: An Alternative to Skype, I left out […]

Ever have an issue with Skype? Choppy connection, hiss in your audio, disconnected from your interviewee or co-host? These are just a few of the issues some podcasters are experiencing when using Skype. However, Skype, in many cases still remains one of the better ways to connect with remote interviewees and co-hosts. But what if […]

What if you need to move your podcast RSS feed? I tell you how I accomplished this with one of the feeds we have at my work via a special RSS tag (see the links section below for the code). Also discussed is the number of episodes you'll see listed on your iTunes page. The […]

Have you run into the 512kb limit imposed on your feed via FeedBurner? This episode will give you some solutions about how to fix it or what to be on the lookout for so your feed doesn't go down. If you're just weary of the FeedBurner's future and want to move your feed away, Rob […]

I try a new way of recording my podcast (mic to Fethead to H4n, no mixer) and have a totally off-the-cuff episode filled with other thoughts about recording audio. In other words… I go off “script.” I also talk about SD vs HD video hosting and production. In my opinion, there is no reason to […]

What were the largest hurdles you had to overcome when starting a podcast? Starting anything can be tough. The first sentence of a school paper, an about page on your blog, show notes for your podcast episode, these are all hard things to start but once you do you're off and running. A podcast is […]

Hangouts On-Air (HOA) have been a great experiment for my newest podcast, Podcasters' Roundtable. I've tried several different live-streaming options and HOA's have been remarkably effective in getting people to actually show up and participate. The most interesting revelation about this is the live-streams tend to get scheduled only 24 hours in advance of going […]

Protect your WordPress website from malicious hackers, spam and other bots attempting to invade your site by taking some simple steps for non-coders. Plugins are a great way to enhance the security of your WordPress website. Dustin Hartzler from Your Website Engineer talks with me about some of his favorite ways to protect your website. Also included […]

Do you have a microphone, mixer or recorder that requires you to turn up the gain settings really loud in order to get a good signal? The FetHead might just be your answer to bringing those gain levels back down and reducing the hiss and noise you're getting in your podcast's audio. To be clear, […]

Microphones! Matt McGlynn from Recording Hacks joins me “in Studio” to talk all about microphones (a passion and hobby of his) and specifically those mics that work best for most podcasters. Matt's site, Recording Hacks, is dedicated to “making audio gear accessible and useful to people.” Recently he has written a couple of great articles […]

I recently spoke on the topic of podcasting at Social Media Week D.C. (#SMWDC) and it presented some great opportunities to use gear that I don't always use and speak to people face to face instead of from behind the mic. This of course led to some insights that are perfect for podcasters. Public speaking […]

Your website is your podcast's central hub, its home on the web. It's where you have an entire archive of all your episodes, links you mentioned in any given show, buttons to follow, share and continue the conversation on social media, profiles of your hosts and easy ways to allow your community to get in […]

Take a behind the scenes listen to the audio workflow that I use to produce an episode of The Podcasters' Studio. Want to learn how to shoot better video for your podcast, YouTube channel or just your home movies? I take you through the most important steps to getting a more professional look out of […]

Want an easy way to start making money with your podcast? Start using affilate links in your content. It may sound too simple to be effective but signing up for an affiliate program and placing links in your website's text and/or mentioning them on your podcast is the easiest way to start monetizating your show. […]

The goal of this episode was simple. Find out what happened to Zune.net and podcasts on the Zune Marketplace. To achieve this goal I went straight to the source. I talk to Rob Greenlee the Project Manager for podcasts on the Zune Marketplace. If you listened to episode 065, you heard me say that links […]

First order of business is Zune. It appears that links to my podcast and everyone else for that matter, are broken. That's because Zune.net is gone. This means that when you click your old link to Zune (if you had one on your site) you are now taken to xbox.com. Zune is gone and so […]

Have you heard that Google might be shutting down Feedburner? Lots of people have but is it true? I have some of my own ideas and great resources for getting a much better picture of what is really going on. You'll also hear about some resources for moving your feed away from Feedburner if you […]

Rob Walch from Wizzard Media and Libsyn.com joins us once again to talk about all the recent improvements to podcast hosting on Libsyn. Even if you don't have a Libsyn account or don't plan to have one anytime soon, you'll still want to listen as Rob provides many great insights into iTunes, podcasting statistics, hosting […]

Have you ever speaker tested your podcast? Have you done it lately? Speaker testing your podcast means listening to your show the way your audience does, on many different devices.Your audience listens to your show in their car, on their mp3 player, on their computer and on many other devices and in countless environments. To […]

Google announces that it will no longer support their native podcasting application, Google Listen. If you are using the Listen app, you'll still be able to listen to podcasts however after Novemeber 11, 2012 the search function will no longer work. Google says because of the proliferation of podcasting apps available in their app store, […]

From blogger to podcaster, Jeff Yin shares his experience of starting his very first podcast. Jeff attended Blogworld NYC 2012 as a blogger and quickly learned he'd make a great podcaster after attending several of the podcasting track sessions including Podcasting 101 which I was a part of. One month later, Jeff had taken some […]

We're back in the Studio with Joe Gilder, audio engineer and podcaster, for part two in our discussion about audio post production for podcasters. On this episode (part 2 of 2) Joe and I open up the audio editor and take a look at the effects we use when post processing our audio for podcasting. Specifically we […]

There's lots of training online for audio post production. However, most of the information is focused on mastering audio for music. As podcaster's our main post production concerns involve techniques related to mastering for voice only. Joe Gilder is an audio engineer who masters music for a living however  he's also a podcaster. So I […]

Adding a mixer to your podcast studio will allow your productions to grow along with your show. As you get further along in your podcasting venture, you'll likely want to add in more capabilities such as Skype hosts and guests, more in-studio microphones, and built in capabilities for backing up recordings to avoid loss of […]

Fresh off my return from SXSW, I share my experiences from the conference and a couple panels I saw that led me to bigger ideas about my podcast, sharing and your show's legacy. One of the speakers I sat in on was Jason Scott from the Internet Archive. He talked about curating the culture of […]

You produce a podcast that you make available for free and in fact spend lots of your own money on (if you're truly invested). So how does your podcast pay you back? A podcast pays in both tangible and non-tangible ways. In this episode I cover all of the ways I've found to make money […]

Blip.tv announces they will no longer accept audio only uploads. For the past six years or so, Blip.tv has been kindly hosting audio only files for free. Blip.tv is primarily a video site and now they're cementing that with the discontinuation of audio only uploads. Here's the official announcement: At blip.tv we're focused on being […]