1000 podcasters by Bryan Entzminger

Do I REALLY need to pay for podcast hosting? What about free hosts?

There are so many questions to answer when starting a podcast but some of them come up again and again throughout the lives of our shows. We start with, “What’s the best hosting company?” and “What’s the best microphone?” 

A few months ago I shared a little about an audio issue I’d been able to help troubleshoot for another podcaster and I mentioned that I might come back and share exactly what was happening and why it happened, as well as how to fix it.

A few months ago I shared a little about an audio issue I’d been able to help troubleshoot for another podcaster and I mentioned that I might come back and share exactly what was happening and why it happened, as well as how to fix it.

I have a few things for you today. It’s Christmas Eve in the US and I’d like to leave you with a couple of things. First, an answer to the question: should I let guests reschedule? I also have video to share with you and a little listener feedback.

I had a consultation earlier today (I mean REALLY early) with another podcaster. He was wanting to make sure that he was using Hindenburg and some plugins as best he could - some iZotope products and a Waves plugin.

Elementary school Christmas plays (or holiday pageants) are an interesting experience. In reality, you’re probably only there to see YOUR kids do their thing. But the reality is that you’re often unable to hear them for a reason that afflicts many podcasts, too.

Today as I was riding to work, I had a road construction experience that made me think about getting getting people subscribed to our shows.

Have you ever felt that fear before you hit publish? Before you published your first episode, did you wonder what people would think about you? Do you ever downplay what you do when you’re talking with coworkers because you don’t want to fully reveal what you’re doing in your podcast (and not for legal reasons)?

You might have noticed that I’ve been missing for a few days. After podcasting daily for over a month, you didn’t hear from me and I also didn’t give any explanation.

Being a podcast professional comes with its own special language. A very specific and detailed language. It sounds like English…sort of.

Are podcast episode numbers needed? And if so, what is a good format and placement?

A fire drill at work today reminded me of the power of perspective. Truthfully, our expectations and perspective can shape the kinds of experiences we have. And the same applies to podcasting.

As podcasters, we might feel like we’re putting out an authentic image of ourselves. However, sometimes there are things that might be downplayed or maybe assumed incorrectly by our audiences.

“What’s the best podcast microphone?” is asked so often that it’s almost a meme in the various podcasting groups on Facebook. And the similar question, “What software should I use?” could be a meme all its own.

Have you ever run an experiment that didn’t turn out exactly as planned? I have - and yesterday’s episode (https://toptieraudio.com/80) didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped. The audio was good but I was confusing with the content and it was a little harder to produce than I’d hoped.

As a podcaster, you may not always be able to record in your studio (even if your studio is the kitchen). So what are you going to do when you’re traveling or on vacation?

Do you like to make mistakes? Especially mistakes in public?

A lot of people spend time wondering what the next month or year will bring. Today I’m going to share my 2020 prediction for YOU.

Do you like being rejected?

Starting a podcast is a lot like driving somewhere you’ve never been before. Even with a map and a great car, it’s possible to get lost. And what’s worse, many of us try to start our podcasts with an entire busload of backseat drivers.

As podcasters, we create experiences for our audience. Today I’m going to share what I took away from my family’s experience with Frozen II.

Do you have any favorite plugins you use when editing your podcast? Today I’m going to share one that I use almost all of the time.

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if things were different?

What did you want to see happen when you started your podcast? Did you have a goal for reach or cultural change or growth or money?

Podcasting is both a creative and a technical medium. It’s creative in that we CREATE content. But it’s also technical in that there are a lot of little things to do.

Today I’m going to share something I never imagined would come from my podcasting experience. In fact, when I thought of it as a potential outcome, I even worked against myself for a while.

I have something to share that you won’t often hear a podcaster say: I ran out of ideas.

Creating a podcast is hard work. It’s a labor of love that requires A LOT and podcasters are special people. Today I’m going to share three things I hate to see podcasters go through.

Ask a question about podcast editing and you’ll discover something: podcasters have opinions.

The great thing about podcasting is that there aren’t really many rules. Most of us, as indie podcasters, aren’t beholden to anybody.

Podcasting can seem like a lonely gig. As a solo podcaster, interview host, editor, marketer, and more, it can be lonely.

The cool thing about podcasting is that there really aren’t any rules.

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

Have you ever heard a question like this, “Why does making my podcast take forever?”

Does the thought of making a public mistake give you the cold sweats?

You’re a podcaster and sometimes you have questions. Often, the easiest way to find answer is to ask the broader community. And there are many pockets of the podcasting community in different areas and online.

“Why did you start 1,000 Podcasters?”

Will I make money with my podcast?

There’s a lot to do when starting a podcast. Can it be done in less than 2 months? Listen to hear about how I got started in podcasting and the two things you need more than you think.

If you want to become a better podcaster, you need to learn and grow. You need to accept feedback. And you need to accept challenges.

There’s a lot of confusion about what podcast editors do - and rightly so. Listen or watch to discover what the best podcast editors do - and it’s more than just cutting dialog.

If you’re editing your podcast or production in Hindenburg, you might have noticed that it can take quite some time to export or publish - especially if it’s a complex production with a lot of effects where you need to match a loudness standard.

If you’ve ever made a mistake with your podcast you’ve probably done step one of fixing it - fix it. But have you also moved on to step two?

Have you lost your passion for your podcast topic or audience?

Have you ever listened to your podcast and thought, “That could have been better?” Or maybe listened to someone else’s show and wondered if you could aspire to what they have done?

One of the cool things about podcasting is that there really aren’t any rules. You can decide what works for you based on your goals, constraints, and audience.

Have you ever considered investing money in getting better at producing your podcast? Or maybe learning how to grow a social media following? Or building a media kit? Or getting great guests?

If you’re a podcaster, you’re probably always looking for ways to improve. And when you’ve asked for advice, you may have heard something like, “You just have to do the work.”

Your podcast production seems to take FOREVER and you’re still not happy with the results. I get it. I really do.

You know you want your podcast to sound great but you don’t have unlimited time or money to get it all done. And maybe you’re not even sure what to do next.

You're busy. You have a lot to do and you want to make sure you don't miss something when producing your podcast. But will the ACME-M method actually work?

After you’ve recorded and edited a stellar podcast, there’s still one final stage of post-production before you’re ready to publish. And it’s one that many podcasters skip or only do half way because they don’t understand it.

Do you have a message that’s worth sharing? Do you want to influence people through your podcast? Do you want to transform hearts and minds?

You want your podcast to sound great. But if you try to do everything all at once, you cam miss things.

You want your show to sound great. You edit and mix it all together well. But if you miss this step before editing, you might be setting yourself up for failure.

Have you ever been editing your podcast, only to discover that you had to go back and change something? Or, worse, that you were going to have to scrap the whole thing after significant work because there was a problem?

Do you like spending unnecessary time editing your podcast? Do you like having to edit things more than once because you missed something? Do you like wondering if there’s a better, faster way?

It’s common to make mistakes when you start something new. Podcasting is no exception.

Have you launched your podcast yet?

You can pick up ideas for your podcast nearly anywhere if you’re paying attention. You can pick up ideas for content. You might have some insights into how you approach, structure, or produce your show. You might even find both.

If you’ve performed your One Up, One Down and discovered that one thing you’d like to improve is the audio quality - the sound of your show - this episode is for you. I’ll share the three things you absolutely need to control for the best possible sound as well as some ways to diagnose what might need to change.

Do you like your podcast but want to improve?

Have you gotten past the first round of technology hurdles to launch your podcast?

Starting or improving a podcast can be a HUGE mental game. If you've been producing a show for a while, there might be things that you've developed over the months and years that no longer serve you and need to be refreshed.

There are a lot of different things to figure out before starting a podcast. One of them is how you will set yourself up do the work to continue and to be creative when things get difficult or it takes longer to get things done than you'd hoped.