Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing

John,

For my podcast I use Skype and Audio Hijack Pro, to capture both sides of the Skype call, on the Mac. It's very simple and I don't need to use a real phone. The quality has been good. I also use GarageBand and iTunes. These have worked real well for me.

Regards, John

thanks for the tips...we're looking to start podcasting soon and this is really helpful

Here's a better way to record the phone conversations. Readers just need to be aware that they have to disclose and get consent to record a phone conversation with another party, or it is an FCC violation.

Radio Shack adapter for $26

Thanks John. This is definitely insightful. I have to admit a bit of surprise at the quality of your recordings given the lay the mic down by the phone technique.

I have a GrandCentral account which will record conversations and am thinking of using this as an option for phone interviews. I have not had good luck with Skype unfortunately. Too many drops, weird noises and R2D2-type noises coming through the transmission. Shame really.

Hi John,

Thanks for posting this as it was something I was curious about. I've never made a podcast and it's neat to know how people do it.

Unfortunately, I don't know that your recording technique matches the quality of your content. I only subscribe to 5-6 podcasts but yours is one of the poorer in terms of sound quality.

You're correct that the level is consistent between both speakers, but overall it sounds like both of you are doing this from your car, in heavy traffic. I see why now -- mic beside a speaker phone isn't like in the picture.

Now, I listen to you with my iPod so it's a much more intimate experience than if it were coming out my laptop speaker. So perhaps that contributes to the discord.

I think it's a testament to the quality of your topics that people get past the sound quality. If you were ever thinking of improving your podcast routine, that's the step I'd focus on.


Regards, Mark (active listener, non-podcaster)

I have tried only a time or two to use Skype with no luck, too much noise and echo.

I have yet to do a podcast, but I have used the item that Steve-O mentions for recording conference calls to transcribe. I recorded on my digital recorder and the sound was very clear. It is a clever little tool.

Hey John -

Your problem with Skype is probably not routing a port (set it under advanced). This produces a better connection (at least for us). Also, if you have a more advanced router, you can do something called bandwidth shaping to make sure the packets coming from Skype always get the highest priority. With this, I'm able to get much higher than phone quality. Also there is a plug in for skype that allows for direct recording.

I personally use a Tapco box hooked into Apple Soundtrack for recording and editing. That way I can choose one of my more professional mics, based on condition (SM58 out in the field, a condenser mic in studio). If you get annoyed with your blue (which isn't terrible for a USB mic) you might start looking in that direction.

For those of you using the Radio Shack splitter, are you dropping the audio directly on your hard drive, or onto one of those old school mini-tape recorders? Or something else?

Has anyone tried Talkshoe?

great post. I've always wondered about podcasting.
Thanks for the information!

More Social Media tips. Appreciate the hands-on techniques described, exactly what the small entrepeneur
needs to be effective without outsourcing, which isn't affordable for us.

New territory for my firm, so this was very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the post

wow thanks for this report!

I think people underestimated the power of the pod...lol.

one of my friend here make lots of money uploading pods of him and interviews, and he also whacks them up on youtube with link and make some healthy revenue that way..

audio and video are here to stay.

My partner is in the process of setting up to podcast. this info will be helpful. I am glad to hear that the MP3 quality works for you, people have been telling me that it is not good enough quality. - I have a buddy that sells really high end audio hardware, here in the Paris area, and he wants me to buy cables made out of silver, to get the best possible recording. Sliver?

Thanks for the tips, this is definitely insighgtful and really helpful to those looking to set-up a podcast.

Also love the retro-style mic! A great personal touch!

_j
community creator
CorePage | The Instant Link Page System

Just read about a starter podcast kit with microphone, headphones, and audio software for less than $100 on Amazon.com -- http://www.zombieradio.com/2008/05/all-cool-kid...

~DON

John,

Your detailed explanation was very interesting. So are all the comments and suggestion the comments here. I was under the impression that you were using a conference call service that records conference calls and e-mails you a WAV or MP3 once the call is completed. Have you explored that option? I've considered doing a pod cast similar to your format (completely different topic).

The one piece of information that you didn't provide is how many subscribers or downloads you are getting through iTunes. I curious how much traction a pod cast gets just by being on iTunes. Would you consider sharing that information?

Have to say, the idea of laying the mic next to the phone to record the call send shivers screaming up my spine :-) but I guess, sometimes the simplest solutions work.. and if it works do it!
Thanks for the tips

Great post and podcast, John. Looks like you've got a great rig there.

I've been a podcaster for more than two years, and thanks to the success of my program (I serialized my science-fiction novel in audio form, releasing a chapter a week), I grew an enthusiastic fan base, cultivated a community, snagged a full-time gig in social media, and scored two book deals from St. Martin's Press.

For most indie podcasters, marketing and promoting a podcast is a lot like pimping a blog: you immerse yourself in the space, listen to everything you can (if only for a short time), and contact the podosphere influencers who'll run a short one minute promo of your program. Kindly returning the favor engenders yourself to these influencers.

Tapping into the existing community leaders is critical. I invited guest spots on my podcast to influencers, which they appreciated. They, in turn, evangelized their cameos in their own programs. This added credibility to my endeavor and spread the meme.

Bringing in your audience as active participants in the experience is also a must. As my audience grew, I solicited fan-created content inspired by the novel I was releasing. I personally thanked them on the show, which bred camaraderie and community. A free K7 voice mail line encouraged audio feedback, which I played on the show.

Further, I created an online street team for my fans, empowering them to evangelize the audiobook to friends, family and strangers. My "Ministry of Propaganda" gave fans "missions" to accomplish, and I publicly acknowledged their hard work on my website.

Thinking outside the marketing box will differentiate you from other 'casters. I developed several "podcasting firsts" in my promotion, including the first-ever book launch party in Second Life, a "country-wide" book tour (Skype interviews with podcasters in nearly every U.S. state), and more.

Finally, inviting your audience to contribute real content to your podcast is another game-changer. For my next fiction project, to be released later this month, I solicited audio and video "fan fiction" contributions from my listeners. These fan-brewed A/V short stories will run alongside tales written by best-selling novelists. By tearing down the barriers between artist and audience, a podcast can become more than the sum of its audio file -- it can become a micro-phenomenon, worthy of fan evangelism, mainstream media attention, and more.

Keep up the great work, John! Excellent post!

JC - all great information - thanks so much for sharing so much.

I appreciate the wisdom. I'll be launching a site in July that will utilize podcasts extensively. I currently use WordPress for my current blog; therefore, PodPress will be a no-brainer!