Do you ever see that reminder to work on your podcast and think, ‘What? Again? Didn’t we just do this?’ I hear it all the time… once a thrilling endeavor, the podcast starts to feel like a bottomless pit sucking away your precious hours. This...
Are you inviting a podcast disaster without even knowing it? You might be if you aren’t doing this one thing… test. Anytime a client of mine complains about bad audio I ask, much to their chagrin, “Did you test?” It’s a question that...
Should you buy the Focusrite Vocaster two for your podcast? In this episode, I break down the pros and cons of this audio interface and help you determine if you need it (or if it will even work with your equipment). Before I get started, I want to state for the...
Great content, check. Professional mic, check. But your podcast still sounds like crap? It could be where you’re recording. Let me tell you something you may not want to hear if you’ve spent a lot of money on a mic (or any money, for that matter). Even the most...
I don’t want to alarm you but, ahem, I do make mistakes. Not many. Like, maybe 5 in my whole life. But, like all entrepreneurs, I’ve learned from the ones I’ve made so in this episode, I thought I would share the ones I made when I launched my very first podcast...
You’ve heard of podcast fade (when eager new podcasters can’t keep up the pace and their show dies away), but I’m hearing a lot of podcast mic fade. This is when the host’s (or guest’s) voice slowly drifts off. Let’s talk about what this means to your...
Get your grubby hands off me! If your mic could talk, that’s what it would be saying. There is one time and one time only that you should be touching your mic and that is when you are setting it up at exactly the right position. Could your Mic Skills be Ruining Your...
So, you got the most expensive mic and you thought that would make you sound great. I have bad news for you. The best mic can still sound like crap if you’re using it wrong. If you want to sound great, you need to have good mic technique. I explain all about proper...
One of the best parts of what I do is getting to meet so many podcasters. I love it when they bring their problem podcast or podcast dreams to me. And, with hundreds of coaching meetings under my belt, I can see the patterns. Every podcaster or would-be podcaster is...
The Top Mistakes Podcasters Make Using Music Have you ever been at a bar or party where the music is really loud and it’s a struggle to have a conversation? It’s annoying but part of the party experience. When it’s part of a podcast experience it’s just annoying....
In the past few years, starting a podcast has never been easier. That’s a problem. You say, starting a podcast may be easy but sounding good, well, that takes a bit more effort. And so, we now have a giant steaming pile of crap sounding podcasts. Is yours one of...
We get it. You’re capable. You learned how to edit your podcast and that’s great. But, ask yourself should you be editing your podcast? Or, should you hire a podcast editor? And, how do you hire the right editor? How much does a podcast editor cost? There are a lot...
Hello, I’m a podcast coach. A what? A Podcast Coach. Well, what the hell is a podcast coach? This conversation doesn’t happen as much now as it used to but that doesn’t mean people aren’t wondering about it. And if they’re podcasters, they are often also thinking, ‘Do...
Go Beyond the Position of Your Microphone to Get Good Audio So, you think you’re pretty hot on the mic? Well, I’ve got news for you. Mic skills go beyond knowing where to place the mic. So, let’s say you’re all up to speed on proper mic placement. You know, you’re 2...
5 Ways to Avoid Crappy Sounding Guest Audio **Jerk-Alert** Fair warning… in this episode, I share 5 things you should be doing to ensure you get the best possible audio from guests on your show … but I can’t promise I’ll be nice about it. Here’s what happens all the...
Was my Show Name Offensive? Why I Decided to Change It. “Are you aware of the connection of your show name to rape culture?” That was a question I got in an email a few months ago and it stopped me dead in my tracks. Now, I’m not going to pretend that my old show...
Don’t dismiss the power of the pen as a podcast tool When we talk about tools to make you a better podcaster, you probably think about mics and mixers. Well, there’s one tool you want to have in your tool kit and it’s one that I never podcast without. The mighty pen. ...
Zencastr vs Ringr vs Squadcast vs Riverside for Podcast Interviews At the time of recording, we’re still in the thick of that damn pandemic and pretty much everyone is ready to get to a post-zoom-meeting world. So, I’m sure today’s tip is going to come as a welcome...
You Recorded Your Podcast with the Wrong Mic or Forgot to Turn it On? Do this. You record an awesome interview, an enlightened conversation with your co-host, or you nail a solo episode only to discover that you sound like crap. Your mic wasn’t on and the computer...
You may be inadvertently doing a bait and switch Nobody likes to be duped. It’s no fun being let down. Everyone wants to get what they came for. So, are you disappointing your listeners by not living up to your own hype? Have you heard the term catfishing? It’s that...
Are you still producing one podcast at a time? Stop the madness! Bulk producing can save you time and make your podcast more consistent. If you’ve never heard of bulk producing before, it’s simply creating your podcast in groups instead of one at a time. You...
Have you earned your stripes as a podcaster? How did you picture podcastland before you started? Did you dream of being a magical podcaster who never makes any mistakes? Welcome to the real world. Sure, all new podcasters know that they have a lot to learn (at least...
A Pandemic is No Excuse for Poor Sound in Your Podcast Thanks to the pandemic, the audio-quality bar is lower than a limbo pole in a 1980’s frat-house flick. Resist the urge to see how low you can go. A lot of podcasters are having to make adjustments due to the...
Save time and your sanity when you edit your podcast. How many expletives have you unleashed during the act of podcast editing. I’m guessing a lot. I still let them fly and I’ve been editing audio for almost three decades. Editing is no joke. It can be frustrating,...
Is your podcast gear obsession a problem? I can geek out about gear with the best of them. What I can’t do is stand by while podcasters go so far down the podcast equipment rabbit hole that they risk never emerging (or launching their podcast). I see a ton of posts...
Finding music for your podcast intro and more What does your music say about your podcast? If the only thing a listener had to go on, would they guess your podcast genre and target audience? All too often podcasters go about picking their music all wrong. Here’s the...
The benefits of having a promotional trailer on iTunes (Apple Podcasts) In a time when all podcasts are choking in an overcrowded sea of podcasts, one stands out and becomes the hero the world needs right now… The language of movie trailers might be formulaic and the...
How to get the best possible sound when you’re not in your home studio So, you’re hitting the road and you want to take your podcast with you. Well, you’re in luck because I love to travel and I know exactly what you should and shouldn’t do to record decent...
Why iTunes (Apple Podcasts) killed my podcast My podcast disappeared from iTunes. Poof. Gone. No warning. Just gone. Can you imagine if every episode you ever painstakingly created just … vanished. That feeling in your chest right now is pretty much how I felt when I...
Stop the madness and sound better with this 1 tip Are you still there? Oh, uh you cut out there for a second. Can you say that again? If you interview guests over the internet for your podcast, I’ll bet you six bucks you’ve had this conversation. And,...
