Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

My name is J.Nichole Smith, but you can call me Nic. I’m an author, artist, brand architect, and colour + design psychology expert. The Joy First podcast is for founders, workaholics, perfectionists, and parents who would love to experience more joy in their home and work lives, but feel like they never seem to have time. Many of our cultures programme us to believe that joy is “extra” and must be earned. In the podcast I make the case for why joy is a birthright and an essential part of our well-being, as well as provide simple, actionable ways to find, choose, and share more joy each day… without it being just another thing added to the never-ending “to-do” list.

How did the idea for Joy First come about?

At work: Over the past 20 years as a brand architect I’ve specialized in building luxury and “happy” brands that centre “the good life”, so I’ve become an expert using joy and desire to sell (instead of the feelings of fear and unworthiness that most businesses use to drive purchase). It’s important to me that any project I work on is “joy first” – leaving people feeling better about themselves, not worse.

In life: I started my business in my early twenties and burnt out before I was 25. I had to navigate some really huge obstacles early-on, and so by 30 I had really internalized the importance of putting happiness over hustle. I mean, what’s the point of having a successful business if it ruins your health and relationships? I’ve supported hundreds if not thousands of entrepreneurs to do the same: ride the wild rollercoaster of running your own business by embracing the fear and learning to put joy first in life and work.

Applied Colour Psychology is mentioned a lot in the podcast – could you give our readers a brief explanation of what this is please?

In my work and life I’ve had two intertwined obsessions: as humans what is it that really makes us happy? For brands, what’s the straightest-line to making our impact more predictable?

I studied positive psychology, poured through all the self-help protocols, and personality profiles and completed a Masters in Marketing at one of London’s top business schools in search of answers. It wasn’t until I discovered Applied Colour Psychology that I had a huge breakthrough in both. Applied Colour Psychology is the crossover between Colour Physics (how colour works), Colour Psychology (how colour impacts us as humans), and Jungian Personality Analysis. The most basic colours can be divided into one of 4 groups, and so can all people. Research shows each group of people has a strong preference for each group of colour – and not only that – but these colours tend to be the most flattering for them aesthetically as well. Wild right?

It’s similar to the idea of having a “season” of colour that looks best on you, but importantly this analysis is based more on personality than skin tone… for me it’s so much more about carving out the space for more authentic self-expression, colour harmony, and joy – than it is about getting your exact shade of lipstick “right”. Want to find your “type” and colour group? Pop over and take the quiz on our website.

Can you remember which podcast was the first you ever listened to?

I believe the first ever podcast I listened to was Desert Island Discs. I’ve been obsessed for well over a decade (in fact we even had a Desert Island Discs themed wedding! I even was lucky enough to get Kristy Young to record an intro for the CD of ‘Desert Island Tracks’ that was our wedding favour for guests – it was a surprise for my husband – he didn’t know until we played it for him at our reception – super geeky cool!)

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

I love sensory-rich, investigative podcasts like Serial – I’m looking forward to expanding into higher production and richer storytelling like this as we grow. I also love shows where the hosts’ voice is totally enveloping – there was a show called Wellpreneur, which became Alchemy & Action that I just adored because I could listen to the host, Amanda Cook, for hours and hours (to be fair that’s probably why I got into Desert Island Discs – Kirsty Young’s voice is like velvet!)

Recently I’ve really got into the Autistic Culture podcast – I love a co-host show and I love how instead of focusing on the medical side of Autism, the hosts are sharing the shared culture of “Autistica” – it’s fascinating! The Martha Stewart episode totally sucked me in.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

Right now, my dream guest would be Michelle Obama. I’d love to have a deep conversation with her about the joy crisis we’re facing now – and how to hold onto hope and focus on joy and impact in our little circles of influence when the world feels dark and out of control.

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

Maybe it’s boring, but the ‘why does joy matter’ episode (S1, E1) is the perfect place to start with Joy First – the first season takes a whirlwind tour through my favourite entry into joy first living and working: colour. How to understand your personality type and begin the journey of using your colours as tools for being more intentional about the way you want to be, be seen, and “do life”.

What are your plans for the podcast moving forward?

Season 2, coming up in March, is all about “joy first ways of working” – and we’ve got loads of interviews with mostly female founders, sharing what “joy first” work looks like at this stage of life and business. What they had to embrace, learn, let go of, and build in order to define and create lives and businesses that are successful and joyful.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

You can find us at joyfirstworld.com (podcast is here) find me on instagram @jnicholesmith or LinkedIn.

Listen to Joy First on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast apps >>

This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com

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The concept of the Nomono Sound Capsule is undeniably innovative. When I first tried it out, the ease of recording blew me away but I’ve been using a demo model for just under a month (I will be returning it to the company) and can now identify more clearly the features that I love and those that didn’t quite work like the site said they would.

The design is clean, the microphones look smart on camera, and the case is light and compact. It’s perfect if you record in different locations and need portable gear without the faff of multiple mics in different cases and recorders and cables and extra batteries and SD cards.

The Sound Capsule includes four wireless lavalier microphones and a spatial recorder with a big red button on it. Hit that button, and a few seconds later you’re recording. It detects which microphones you’re using and you don’t need to set any levels. Generally the Nomono was reliable and delivered as expected, however once or twice it wouldn’t register that I was only using one microphone and kept recording all of them which was frustrating.

The Nomono team were quick to look into it when this issue was raised, and explained that it could be caused by the outer carrying case being too low on power (despite all microphones and the central spatial recorder being fully charged), so it couldn’t recognise which microphones had been removed. This isn’t obvious to users, so Nomono have said they will include a note in the user manual to highlight this and are looking at ways to solve it in the next gen, which I think would be a great idea as there will be times when producers let the charge in the outer case get low or find themselves in the field with it out of battery.

The microphones are omnidirectional so you’re obviously not going to get the same vocal richness and warmth as you would from a traditional VO mic but the quality is good and I didn’t have any problems with peaking or distortion so the device set the levels well. I noticed occasional popping in the audio when the microphone was positioned in the centre of my shirt as specified by the instructions, but when the microphone was positioned off-centre this was no longer as much of a problem.

When you’ve finished recording, you hit the big red button once again and the audio files automatically upload to the cloud. No SD cards needed. When you have Wi-Fi this upload is fast, but if you don’t have Wi-Fi the recorder will store ~15 hours of audio and upload it as soon as it connects to Wi-Fi. I have used the recorder a lot over the past month and I only had an issue once when I was recording without Wi-Fi. When I reconnected to Wi-Fi, the audio from only one microphone uploaded to the cloud and the other microphone’s audio disappeared.

By far, the most exciting feature of the Nomono Sound Capsule is its capacity for spatial audio. The Sound Capsule monitors where the microphones are in relation to each other, so you can hear the speakers moving around your headphones as if they’re in the room with you. It takes aural storytelling to another level.

The Sound Capsule is £2,190 (ex VAT) plus subscription costs for the Cloud. You can use the Nomono without the cloud or use the Free subscription tier, but the most useful tier is $29 a month. Weighing up the few issues I’ve had with the device, I couldn’t justify paying over £2,190. However, as someone who writes a column for Pod Bible on innovation in storytelling, I think the spatial audio element and portability is exciting.

Alternatives at a lower price point:

DJI Mic: https://www.dji.com/uk/mic 
Zoom F2: https://zoomcorp.com/en/gb/handheld-video-recorders/field-recorders/f2andf2-bt/

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When I was speaking at The Podcast Show London earlier this year, I was amazed to see so many people come to my talk, in fact hundreds. But then I reminded myself why and that every podcast host wants not only to make great podcasts but also to find a way to monetize it. I started podcasting in 2019 as I entered the influencer marketing industry. I have always believed in the principle that I wanted to grow my audience by collaborating with guests. Podcasts are hugely popular – in fact 82.4% of podcast listeners spend 7+ hours per week listening to podcasts

If you want to work with sponsors, first make sure you understand their goals and KPIs. Remember they are less interested in you, more your audience and the relevance to their products or services. They want to create brand awareness through “association”. They want to drive traffic to their website via CTAs so show mentions and show note links is very important to them. With Membership World I reached out to a membership app supplier even before I started the show and shared my vision and that they could use my content, consider guests from their target clients (association leaders) and help them promote their brand in the UK through the links. It worked. We have produced only 15 episodes and generated £7500. I understood what the sponsor wanted.

Create a bespoke series for a sponsor

I created five episodes for Influence with fashion influencers (recorded all on the same day) all with the same title (‘Influencers are the new retailers’) and then published one at a time during London’s Fashion Week – each had links back to the influencer’ stores. We added the logo on the front cover too. It was shared on my platform, the influencers’ and LTK and was picked up by some of the LFW traffic too. One of these shows still remains one of the best episodes of all time. They paid us £2500 for the series. Why this worked is because it was so bespoke and highly relevant to the e-commerce platform

Have a sponsor’s rate card

Think about what you can offer a sponsor by having a detailed package of options. Typically advertisers want ads pre-roll or mid-roll and this can be created as a show read by you or by a new voice. Maybe try both options to see how your audience reacts to them.

An example rate card

Have a guest information sheet

It’s important to have a detailed guest information PDF that shows what the show is all about and the links that the guest can use to follow and rate your show. It’s also a reminder to make sure they record in the best optimal sound and why they need to share the podcast once released.

Membership

Many podcasters create a membership platform around their podcast and this could be done by a monthly subscription model. You might like to give some content away (snippets) and have the main value in the membership

Featured products on the show as affiliates

If there are products or services that align with what you do, then you can offer a discount link to your listeners and also where you generate an income based on every sale. The affiliate partner will create a specific link for your listeners to use so that its trackable back to you.

Accept donations

Twitch is a platform widely used by gamers who accept donations for shout outs and all sorts of services and even platforms like Go Fund me and Only Fans have helped their creators generate considerable earnings this way.

Sell tickets for a live recording

Why not promote a live recording of your show and sell tickets to your audience. Obviously you need to cover the cost of hiring the venue, but this could generate an income for you and attract new listeners . I saw this work really well at a private members club event.

Put back episodes behind a paywall

You might like to charge a fee for back episodes. It all depends on the content if its rich high value education this may work better than a conversational style show

Join an advertising network

I belong to the Marketing Podcast Network where we have over 45 marketing related shows across the world. We are all part of the same network and when we take ads, they run across all the shows, that’s a huge value to the advertiser. We each get a share of what is based on our subscribers. Others to look at are Podcorn and Podgrid. You can also reach out to other podcasters in your space with a view of setting your own network

Syndicate content on YouTube

Lastly, it is worth mentioning YouTube. Increasingly, podcasts are also listened to and watched on YouTube and you should consider sharing your content on there as you can generate revenue through ads on the site.

Gordon Glenister is the host of the Influence Global Podcast and Membership World. For more on monetizing your content or to listen to Gordon’s podcasts visit gordonglenister.com.

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PB: TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR SHOW! WHAT’S YOUR PODCAST ELEVATOR PITCH?

Blindboy: My podcasts are monologue essays on whatever topic I’m genuinely passionate about at that moment. I’d consider them to be pieces of writing, because I approach a podcast like I would a piece of writing. I try to bring the structure, prose and storytelling of fiction, to subject matter that is factual.

WHY PODCASTING? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE FORMAT THAT APPEALS TO YOU?

I’ve worked for a decade as a writer and performer in TV. Because TV is quite a passive medium, you have to compromise creatively to grab the audiences attention. You’re competing with whatever app is on their phone, or the other channels on the TV. So, in a lot of cases, this means being louder, and brighter, and brasher. Unless the audience is absolutely there to watch your TV show. But in most cases, they’re not, you’re trying to reel in the uninitiated. As a creator, that’s minus craic, and it means creating a piece of work that you can’t fully stand over.

Podcasts aren’t passive. A person who’s listening to a podcast has made an active choice to listen to that podcast. They’ve created a space for themselves to be entertained . They’re less likely to be scrolling through an app. The experience of consuming a podcast, is a lot closer to reading a book.

As a creator, you now have room to be subtle, to take time, and to deliver a more thoughtful piece of work. I can make what I want to make, what I’d like to consume if I wasn’t me. Which is a pure privilege to do. That’s what I love about podcasting. It’s closer to a literary form.

WHAT‘S THE SECRET TO BEING A GOOD PODCAST HOST?

Be genuinely passionate. If you’re curious, and excited about what it is you’re chatting about, then your listener will experience that as entertaining and engaging. Be congruent and authentic. Let the words that you speak, match the emotions that you’re feeling in that moment.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES A GREAT PODCAST GUEST?

For me personally, it’s when I’m talking to a person who’s curious and passionate about their area of interest. When I chat with a guest. I want to learn, in the moment, and to get excited about what they’re telling me. I could be speaking to a vet who drains the rectums of cocker spaniels. But if they love what they do, then I’m there, I want to learn. That’s my job, as a person who hosts the occasional chat on my podcast. And I think, as listeners, we love to hear that. Because podcasts operate using the mechanics of empathy. There’s a dramatic technique in professional wrestling called Kayfabe. It’s an unspoken contract, between the audience and the wrestler. Where we the audience are consciously aware that the wrestling match is fake, but we ignore that, and submit to the emotion and spectacle.

When we listen to a podcast, we do that too. We plant ourselves in the conversation. We’re not listening to two people we’ve never met on our earphones. We’re smack bang in the middle of a conversation with our friends. A good podcast feels genuinely social. It’s not passive. It’s active. We suspend disbelief in order to do this. We tell ourselves a little lie. Just like a professional wrestling match. It’s kayfabe.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO BEFORE YOU STARTED OUT AND GIVE YOURSELF ONE PIECE OF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I came quite late to podcasting. Late 2017. I really really wish, I started earlier. Back in 2010. The weekly process of putting out work, would have massively benefited my creativity in other areas. Creating a piece of work is very important to my sense of personal meaning and mental health. The discipline of creating something and delivering each week has been really beneficial to me on a personal level.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR WORST PODCAST MOMENT SO FAR?

Pretty obvious one, but I have a fucking corrupted flash drive full of amazing interviews that never got backed up. I’m hoping I can get some cunt to retrieve the files.

WHICH EPISODE OR EPISODES OF YOUR PODCAST MEAN THE MOST TO YOU?

I did three podcasts on the history of disco music and how it became post disco and eventually house/techno. I’m a musician and producer. I think about music for about 70% of my day. A drum sound, a synth line, a melody. I care about these little details very deeply. They fill me with joy and wonder. Music is symmetrical vibrations of air that make us feel emotions. So translating that complexity into words, is very cathartic for me. Those three podcasts allowed me to explore an area that I’m really excited about, and to create a space where I’m verbalising very intense feelings using storytelling and metaphor. It was immensely enjoyable to do that. And If I ever tried to speak about music like that in a twitter thread, It would read like I was a pure prick. It required the congruity of my voice and emotion to not sound like a gowl.

Another podcast episode that I have a special fondness for is called “Boscos Throat”. I recorded it live on a street corner in San Francisco, using a stereo microphone, so that it captured a sense of 3D space. The podcast is a monologue. It was my thoughts on San Francisco at that moment, mostly whispered and hidden so that no one would interrupt me. But people would pass, or sit beside me and chat to each other. I had the podcast written, I knew what I wanted to chat about and how. But being on a busy street corner introduced chaos into the process. Most of the time, that chaos would be un-listenable, but on this day, it worked. So the end result felt like a fully produced radio play, written in the moment, with characters dropping in and out. Pure Participatory art. Dogs barking, trams going from left to right, the rumble of trucks. I’m really happy with that piece of work.

WHICH PODCASTS DO YOU TAKE INSPIRATION FROM?

I’m not a huge podcast listener. I enjoy Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast the odd time. This American Life. The Irish History Podcast. Of course Distraction Pieces, which was one of the podcasts that made me want to podcast. I did a podcast before, about podcasts. It was called “Krapps Last Jape”. I explored the idea that the first ever podcast was a Samuel Beckett play from the 1950’s called Krapps Last Tape. It’s an absurdest piece, about a man who records himself talking every day of his life, and then listens to them back. At the time, this would have been batshit mad as a concept. But now, it’s simply about a fella with a podcast. But the work of Beckett is something I’d consider to be an inspiration when I podcast, in particular, when I try to create “the podcast hug” as I call it. He has a play called “Not I” from 1973, it’s just a mouth, talking. It strips down speech, and listening to its bare minimum. There’s an intimacy to it. Where the words are both for an audience, but also a bit of a private monologue at the same time. I think that had an influence on me. I’m hugely inspired by the work of Joe Frank too. He was an American Radio host, who read out absurdest short stories that were specifically suited to be being heard, rather than read.

Being Irish also, I can’t detach myself from the tradition of the Seanchaí . It’s a form of Oral storytelling, unique to Irish culture that informs the way in which we tell stories, whether we are aware of it or not.

FINALLY, WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT FAVOURITE PODCASTS?

The last podcast I listened to was Our Thing by Sammy the Bull Gravano. He was John Gottis enforcer in the Mafia. He’s simply a great storyteller.

Listen to The Blindboy Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>

Find more interviews with your favourite podcasters in the Pod Bible Magazine >>

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Regardless of where you are in the podcast chain, legal issues and contracts are increasingly used to develop and protect podcast content. Although no-one ever wakes up in the morning and thinks “tell me more about contracts!” there are some high-level areas where it may be worth looking at the licence or contract you have in place.

You need licences to use IP

Unless you bank only on the attractiveness of your talents’ voice and persona to fully develop your audience, you are going to have to think about how best to integrate third party audio, visuals, artwork and any other 3rd party intellectual property (IP) into your podcasts. Broadly speaking, licences to use someone else’s IP can either be ‘open source’ or under specific terms from the owner of the IP (or ‘licensor’).

• Open-source licences are usually provided under standard licences released by Creative Commons, and each CC licence sets out the type of use attributed to the relevant IP being licensed. You can generally use open-source IP as long as you comply with the terms of the underlying CC licence.
• 3rd party licences that aren’t open source usually set out the scope of the licence, how and where the IP can be used (e.g. in the UK only or worldwide), the royalties that you have to pay etc. There are some exceptions under copyright law for “fair dealing” of copyright without needing to get licence, but these exceptions tend to be fairly limited. In terms of audio and video content (for example music, audio from TV shows), licensing will usually be managed through rights clearance agencies rather than direct licensing from the composer, producer or broadcaster. If you haven’t obtained the proper clearances, you run the risk of distributors de-listing your podcasts (if the rights haven’t been properly cleared) and potential claims against you from from the relevant licensors (as well as commissioners where you are being commissioned to produce the podcast).

Who owns the intellectual property in the podcast itself

One of the most important issues you should consider when producing the podcast is understanding who owns the copyright (and other IP) in the podcast that you are producing. Where podcasts are commissioned by a 3rd party commissioner, the commissioner will usually want to own all IP rights in the podcast, including rights in any spin-off or “derivative” use (for example, rights to create different language adaptions or TV versions of the podcast). Commissioners will also usually want rights over distribution and monetisation of the content, although some producers and talent may have enough leverage to agree royalties in connection with any monetisation.

Another key issue is around “work-for-hire” or exclusive licence arrangements between the commissioner and talent (actors, writers, graphic designers, directors, producers). These types of arrangements usually clarify that the talent does not retain ownership over the IP that they create as part of the podcast production (whether it’s the actual audio or any scripts, artwork, summaries or any other production material).

Guests and releases

If you have an interview-style podcast, it may make sense that you ask guests to sign a release form before recording an episode. The release form ensures that the producer/commissioner owns all IP in anything that the guest says on the podcast and enables the producer/commissioner to edit and use that guest contribution in whatever way it feels. Releases are also helpful if your guest’s content is likely to be contentious or make your podcast go viral for all the wrong reasons.

Advertising

Contracts for advertising and sponsorship in podcasts usually centre around three areas: (1) sponsors will look to have control over their brand and make sure you don’t harm their brand (2) any ads or sponsorship during the podcast need to comply with regulatory requirements (3) negotiating the best rates and commercial deal you can for placing ads or sponsorship during your podcasting. As a producer, you will want to ensure that you are not overly restricted from acting for different sponsors, or that brands or advertisers have overstepped the level of editorial control they have over the content of your podcast.

Help with podcast contracts

This is just a whistle-stop tour of some legal considerations podcasters should consider. Whether you’re working independently, looking for advertisers or hoping to get your podcast commissioned, it’s worth thinking about these aspects – and if you’re ever in doubt, you can ask an expert to help you further.

Did you find this article useful? Let us know on Twitter @PodBible. You can find Marlon on LinkedIn.

The post Do I need a contract? Some legal tips for podcasters appeared first on POD BIBLE.

My tips below are born out of the research that makes Audio Audit’s quality checking tool. Of course, if you want the quickest way to find out what’s relevant to your show, head over to audioaudit.io and upload your latest episode. Your report gives you a score and offers guidance on how to use various tools to make the recommended enhancements. Hopefully, you’ll find something that you hadn’t thought about to help you delight your listeners.

1. Improve your metadata

You’ll be used to setting your episode title and show notes for each episode — this goes in the feed — but there’s metadata that can be included in the audio file itself. Why should you care about this? Well sometimes your audio file will be played by someone that’s not using a podcast listening app. People may share the individual MP3 file with a friend or they may download it on their PC. There are also things you can include that are not part of the RSS podcasting standards.

A cover image is essential branding for podcasts so why not embed this so it can be displayed outside of podcast apps? You can even create episode-specific artwork so it’s slightly different each time – for example with photos of your guests. VLC, FFmpeg and others can handle this for you.

Chapters help listeners find a particular part of your show. Maybe you cover several different stories or topics per episode. Breaking your episodes down into sections can make it more digestible and less daunting for longer shows. Some good tools for this are Forecast, Chapter and Verse – find out more here.

Finally, there are a bunch of other text fields — things like copyright info, artist names, show name, and web address, that you probably always want to be attached to every audio file. Most DAWs, VLC, Picard and many other tools will easily let you set text metadata.

2. Check your loudness and peak volume

One thing that can be really annoying is when one podcast finishes and another one starts with much louder or quieter volume. There is a standard way of measuring loudness called LUFS, which outputs a number. Platforms have agreed upon what range this should be but surprisingly few people know how to set it correctly.

Peak volume is another type of measurement, which has an agreed standard and can help ensure levels aren’t clipping. Most DAWs have an option for setting loudness, for example in Audacity it’s under “Effects” > “Loudness Normalization”. -16 LUFS should be the perceived loudness target you’re aiming for. You’ll want to run this normalisation as the final step before exporting.

3. Check your sampling and export settings

Often people will go with whatever defaults their DAW suggests or will set things up once and not re-asses. Audio software can be used for many different types of content and there is a trade-off to be had of quality vs. download time, device storage, and hosting costs. This also skews slightly over time as the average internet speed increases. Most podcasts will sound great if they’re within the most common ranges shown below. If your show is specifically about high-res audio or you have a listener base that is on slow internet then obviously adjust accordingly.

• Sample rate: 44100 Hz or 48000 Hz.
• Sample Width / Bit Depth / Sample Size: 16 bit for export but it’s better to use a higher bit during editing.
• Bit Rate: 128 kbps – 256 kbps MP3.

4. Provide transcripts

More and more podcasts are producing transcripts as part of their show notes. These can be quickly generated via AI speech-to-text tools or human freelancers you can hire online. There are several benefits to producing transcripts:

1. SEO (search engine optimisation) — Search engines are primarily building their indexes based on text. Converting the content you’ve already made into a different form opens you up to different audiences. People might not be looking for podcasts specifically but find you because they match with the topics you discuss.

2. Hearing restricted — Some people have impairments, others find it easier to understand content when it is written down. A transcription opens your show up to people that wouldn’t engage with it otherwise.

3. Navigating within an episode — More advanced transcripts are time-stamped allowing listeners to find a keyword and decide where to start listening. This can also be a life-saver if you are adding chapters to your episodes.

5. Consider silences

Sometimes one show can run into another and the listener might hear an abrupt transition. Silences at the beginning and end give your content space to breathe. Slowing down and leaving your listener time to absorb what you have said might work well especially if your content has a narrative. This is a technique used in highly produced, highly scripted podcasts like 99 Percent Invisible. Standards from the audiobook industry recommend 0.5–1 second at the start of a track and 1–5 seconds at the end.

What else?

If you’ve already nailed everything above then here are a few bonus jumping-off points that might peak your interest.

• Compressor — Filter that automatically adjusts volume within a short time window which is great if you
have multiple presenters.
• Band filtering — Cut out high or low frequency noise that isn’t speech.
• Equalisation (EQ) — Boost/reduce certain frequencies of your voice to improve the tone.
• Panning — Spread out each person within stereo space to make it easier for the listener to tell who’s
speaking.
• Noise reduction — Remove artefacts from inferior recording equipment and the environment.
• Sibilance and De-essing — Filters can reduce sounds like “sss” or “shh” which are not pleasant.

Damian Moore is the Founder and CEO of Audio Audit, an automatic benchmarking and proofing tool which checks the quality of your podcast MP3 files, giving you peace of mind before you publish. Find out more at audioaudit.io.

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This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com.

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“In a society where everything has become so disposable and waste is one of the biggest problems affecting our society, we wanted to go back to a time where what you owned was treasured.”

– Charlotte Williams Sustainably Influenced

The Sustainably Influenced podcast was created by influencers Bianca Foley & Charlotte Williams to help guide people through the minefield of sustainability. Season 6 is now in the works and this season is all about the makers. Bianca and Charlotte will be speaking to artisans and businesses who are using traditional craftsmanship or practices. Our hosts believe sustainability was often naturally woven into the craft in pre-modern times. In their first episode the duo dive into the world of upholstery, proving that the traditional way of upholstering is more eco friendly as modern day techniques are replacing foam with Coconut fibres. Join Bianca and Charlotte as they discover the modern businesses taking us back to a simpler time.

Catch season 6 of Sustainably Influenced now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.

“We know we’re not perfect, but we consider sustainability in every decision we make”

-Flumi, The UncerTwenties

The UncerTwenties Podcast is a podcast for twenty somethings who don’t quite have their sh*t together. Each week, host Karis chats to a different guest about the trials and tribulations of the messy decade that is your twenties – laughing at the things that have gone wrong and celebrating the things that go right! Ultimately, this podcast proves that no-one truly has it all together and that’s ok. In one of the most recent episodes, Karis’s guest began making candles as a lockdown hobby. Little did they know that after a few short weeks they’d find themselves being inspired to turn that hobby into a fully developed business. Enter: Flumi – an earth-conscious homeware brand; creating products that are good for the home, mind and planet. So it was that this small idea very quickly turned into a thriving business. With over 15k followers on Instagram, Flumi has been featured in Glamour, Popsugar, Stylist and HEAT magazine, they’ve hired 2 additional team members and just celebrated their first birthday.

They might be too modest to acknowledge this achievement but their success comes as no surprise to the rest of us.

Check out the Uncertwenties podcast on popular podcast apps, where you can find a new episode released every Monday.

“Sport can unlock potential but also there are barriers on how we get people into sport.”

– Born Barikor, Talking Sport and Tech

The Talking Sport and Tech Podcast gives you a glimpse into the lives of inspiring leaders and entrepreneurs from the sport and physical activity sector. In episode three, hosts Milly Pelmore and Alex Zurita speak to the successful entrepreneur and founder of Our Parks Born Barikor. Born is a former athlete from a council estate in Tower Hamlets, who after finding himself with not enough money to join a gym but wanting to keep fit, came up with the idea of an accessible pathway to exercise for people from lower income homes by working with councils and development agencies to offer the public free outdoor exercise classes.

In this episode, Alex and Milly chat to Born about his journey as a founder, the determination to break down barriers to exercise and physical activity, the true meaning of a ‘community’, his advice to other founders in the sector, and his vision of getting 1,000,000 ‘Parkers’ fit by 2025.

Listen to Episode three of The Talking Sport and Tech Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts.

“If you’ve had intercultural experiences and understand your own intersectionality, you actually have a wider approach to everything else because you know it’s possible.”

– Valerie Watson-Vega, Xeno

Xeno is a podcast and community exploring home, identity and belonging. Each month, host Isabella Mcdonnell holds a space for conversations on what it means to be culturally complex in a world that challenges those who are perceived as being different or “other”.

In Xeno’s latest episode, Isabella interviews Valerie Watson-Vega who is an educational psychologist and learning designer focused on intercultural education, decolonising knowledge, human rights and inclusive design. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Valerie has been living in London since 2015. In this episode, Valerie discusses the changing sense of “otherness” one feels depending on one’s environment (touching on themes of intersectionality), the idea of what she calls her “urban Peruvian” identity, the after-effects of colonialism and neoliberalism in Peru, the wisdom of indigenous traditions and how we might re-educate ourselves to facilitate our social and cultural liberation.

Listen to Xeno now, where you can check out some more inspiring interviews and listen to intimate, complex stories that you may relate to.

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Imriel Morgan is the Founder and CEO of the podcast club and agency Content is Queen. She is a Marketing Maven and cultural innovator in the podcasting industry. Imriel’s mission is to make podcasts inclusive, affordable and accessible.

The post Overheard in the Studio // Sustainability, homeware brands, sport talk and belonging appeared first on POD BIBLE.

“Festivals like this are great for discovering new shows, and finding people to collaborate with. Audio still has a male bias as an industry – but that is changing, and many of the changemakers will be at the Women’s Podcast Festival!”
– Me!

The day was filled with talks, panels and workshops for and by female innovators and leaders in podcasting, audio and radio. Subjects included turning your podcast into a book with Rosie Wilby, podcasting to combat climate change, valuing and pitching your podcast, accessibility, creator burnout, marketing and much more.

Content is Queen, Women’s podcast festival @ King’s Place

I was able to attend three of the sessions myself:

This Just In – this panel featured Gemma Ware, Jude Kelly, Ellie Clifford and Nosheen Iqbal talking about how and what news is covered in podcasts. It was the perfect start for me personally wanting to get more into this area.

Is It Legal? workshop – Sandhiya Sophie Argent, a media content lawyer who works with Paper & Chain, shared useful legal advice for podcasters (I think half the people listening breathed a sigh of relief and the rest were left in a panic about contempt of court!)

Interview Techniques –  Mai Davies, Roshan Roberts, Lucia Scazzocchio, and Jo Youle gave me great techniques to elevate interviews beyond basic conversations. Mai Davies in particular blew my mind with some super specific tips for being a good interviewer!

Press Panel, Content is Queen, Women’s podcast festival @ King’s Place

The other session I witnessed was the Press Panel, with Angelica Malin, Miranda Sawyer, Clare Wright and me! I actually pitched this idea to the Content Is Queen team because I know how nice it is to get press coverage for your podcast. I get very excited whenever I see my own podcasts in newsletters and blogs (and yes, Pod Bible included!). But I also know that from the outside, many people don’t know where to start when it comes to pitching your podcast.

“I think everyone who loves podcasts or has an interest in audio needs to be at this festival, it’s a great opportunity to connect and celebrate with women who come from different backgrounds. It’s not your average podcast event.”
– Roshan Roberts

Alongside the practical advice, there was a chance to celebrate some amazing women in podcasting with a number of live shows. Masala Podcast, Baggage Reclaim Sessions and Beyond The Self.

And the Festival was truly international – as well as the event at Kings Place, there was a Global Voices stage online. It featured Global Keynote Speakers from India, Argentina, Kenya, Nigeria, USA and Taiwan.

Leanne Alie, Content is Queen, Women’s podcast festival @ King’s Place

The last session I saw before heading home was the keynote from Leanne Alie. It was great to hear how she got to be a Commissioning Producer for BBC Sounds Audio Lab, and she was transparent about the details behind creating her passion project, Coiled. But more than anything else, her talk was a affirmation to be true to yourself, and to build each other up.

“Amazing things can happen when you’re able to connect with like minded creative individuals and the best place for that for female podcasters is the International Women’s Podcast Festival. A safe space where we can connect, collaborate and work together to build the inclusive audio industry that we want to see.”
– Leanne Alie

And as a cherry on the cake, it was great to see some issues of the new Pod Bible floating around – with the perfect cover stars for this festival!

Now excuse whilst I run away to watch the things I missed…

Content is Queen, Women’s podcast festival @ King’s Place

All photography is by Will Ireland.

The post Thoughts on the International Women’s Podcast Festival 2022 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

So, tell us the origins of Stripped Media – how did it all begin?

I was hosting on our aftershow / TV Companion Podcast for HBO’s The Wire, called The Wire Stripped with my co-host Dave Corkery (The Cinemile) and esteemed editor Tom Whalley (aka “T-Bone” from Huey Morgan’s BBC 6 Music Show, Kermode on Film… the list is endless!). We all worked really hard on The Wire Stripped as we didn’t want it to be the standard format for these shows where two guys recap each episode of a show scene by scene from a cupboard.

We hustled hard to get key actors and experts to show who could add the kind of depth and flavour that would make our show stand out. It really worked and meant that we got lots of amazing “wait how did you put this together?” feedback! We thought that we could apply this to other shows and set up Stripped Media to do just that. Not long after we were commissioned by Spotify to produce His Darker Materials a companion podcast to the BBC/HBO His Dark Materials TV show.

We also wanted to build out a network and help other pop culture podcasts grow so invited ace shows like Song By Song and 90 Minutes or Less Film Fest to join us.

What do you consider when taking on a new podcast?

We’re positioned as “Forward Thinking Pop Culture Podcasts” so we’re championing Diversity and Inclusion from the creators of the shows that we bring into the network and those that we produce ourselves. Most of the time it’s an easy choice, such as being invited to work on Equal Too a podcast from Proctor and Gamble and HTYT, the production team behind Netflix Documentary Rising Phoenix that champions disability rights alongside and beyond the Paralympics.

Do you like to have constant input throughout the process of producing a podcast, or do you prefer your role to be siloed?

It depends on the show completely. I work closely with Twiggy to produce her show Tea With Twiggy and my co-host Helen Sadler on one of the podcasts I host Flixwatcher. A lot of the time I just connect the team, provide input at ideation and comment on first drafts of show. The shows that we bring fully formed onto the network don’t need me sticking my oar in!

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from podcasting?

Be excellent to everyone and work with excellent passionate people. It makes what you do way easier and the final project so much better as a result. The team that we put together for Equal Too for example was just astonishing. It was important here that the team included a high proportion of people with disabilities to ensure the stories were told properly and insightfully. I’m super proud of what we accomplished with that show. It’s a gazillion times better because of the people we worked with! We’re still working with the Equal Too team where we can with, and we’re not waiting for podcasts relaying stories about disabled peopled to do so.

What is something you haven’t managed to do yet, but you would really like to work on?

I’d really love to work with HBO, Netflix, BBC, Amazon Prime or one of these amazing TV networks to produce the official companion to one of their shows. We’ve had discussions with a few of them but nothing has materialised – yet…

We do try to give people a ‘point of entry’ to help them discover new things. If readers haven’t managed to catch any Stripped Media shows yet, would you say there is one episode or show they should start absolutely with?

Sure! I’m going to be cheeky and mention three! A new show to Stripped Media is First Film Club where Film Critic Hanna Flint speaks to actors, producers and directors about their first feature films. Another new Stripped Media Podcast is The Simple Politics Podcast based on the @SimplePolitics Instagram account with nearly 800, 000 followers. Finally an episode of Flixwatcher, one of the oldest Stripped Media Podcasts, to listen to would be Episode 192 “Bugsy Malone” as we were joined by Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, aka podcasting GOATs Adam and Joe.

The post Kobi Omenaka: Host and producer at Stripped Media appeared first on POD BIBLE.

1.) You already have a head start

You won’t be starting from scratch like other debut authors. You will have existing content that can be adapted into a different format and an established platform from which to market your book. While you may still have a considerable amount of work to complete, you’ll have a good understanding of what your listeners want from you, which will help you to plan and write a book that you know will be of value to them. And it’s not necessarily a numbers game when it comes to audience size. Having dedicated fans who repeatedly engage and truly back your work gives you so much more selling power than mere likes and follows, and the podcasting format lends itself well to that.

2.) To create something with staying power

While podcasts most often feature content and commentary that is timely and topical, books sit proudly on bookshelves for years to come, where they are revisited, shared around and gifted. As with any form of content, not all books are created equal. Publishing a book that is timeless and of exceptional quality requires specialist support from the right editors and designers for your genre. But done correctly you will be creating something that’s here to stay. From Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People to Tara Westover’s memoir Educated and Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, books have the power to stand the test of time. The world may be developing into a mostly digital space, but nothing beats holding a book in your hands, especially if it’s your very own.

3.) To cement your authority & generate publicity

Launching a book gives you a fresh talking point that can open doors to more opportunities as you promote your work and build your profile as an author. Publishing garners respect and can cement your authority in your subject, presenting with it relevant media coverage, influencer engagement and speaking slots that may not have previously been accessible. Regardless of physical sales, a book can get your name and brand out into the world, giving audiences a reason to connect with you in the first place while offering them something they can take away.

4.) A physical product = additional revenue

As a tangible product, a book is the perfect complement to other ventures like a podcast, generating an additional stream of revenue that will last for years to come. Book revenues vary significantly depending on your chosen publishing route, the marketing commitment to the project, and, to put it bluntly, the quality of the work. But authors have never had more power than they do today when it comes to monetisation options, and ‘massive change’ isn’t nearly adequate enough to describe the seismic shifts in publishing and bookselling in the last two decades. Thanks to the digital revolution, an audience can be built and spoken to directly, and today’s authors no longer need to rely on the traditional route or bricks-and-mortar retailers for their books to attract sales. This opens up multiple viable options for those who have an existing platform.

5.) To strengthen your fanbase & reach new listeners

Sometimes it’s less about having something to sell than about having something to strengthen. A book can be a wonderful marketing tool. For your existing listener-base the aim may be to build a more powerful connection. A book, then, is a special object that they can own and use to explore your themes in greater detail. By making your content available in a format that can appear on additional platforms, such as Amazon or Waterstones, you are also making yourself discoverable to new audiences who may never have heard about your podcast otherwise. So not only are you giving back to your loyal listeners, you’ll be gaining a fair few too.

If you’re a podcaster with an idea for a great book but aren’t sure where to start, creative publishing agency whitefox have a FREE in-depth guide filled with expert tips, insightful interviews and all your possible publishing routes explained. Download it HERE now.

—

This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com.

The post 5 reasons why podcasters should publish appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Redefine You: A Conversation for Wellbeing has been a true blessing in my life. At the beginning of lockdown, like many, I went from an abundance of travel for work, to a stand-still. During this time, my mind was racing on how I could give back some of the knowledge I have accrued over my years in the body image and wellness space.

As artists, we regularly deal with the fear of the unknown professionally and still have to show up for ourselves. Now the whole world was dealing with the fear of the unknown and they may not have explored the tools they already had access to within themselves.

I wanted to give back my knowledge on how I’ve walked alongside my anxiety, even on the most challenging of days, and still showed up for myself. Then I became curious about friends of mine in the industry. What was in their toolbox? We often get asked about our professional achievements, but what about our personal ones? The ones where we struggled yet still succeeded; felt lost yet suddenly became found through an ‘AHA!’ moment; when we finally took ownership of who we are and all that we are.

I wanted to celebrate those moments – the good, the indifferent and beyond. I wanted an audience to know they are never alone in their journey to become grounded in the power of them. Even the people they admire the most experience these feelings and have had challenging moments behind the scenes.

Once you find the courage to make ‘you’ a part of your daily practice and build a personalized toolbox to revert back to on your stumbled moments that you too will be okay, succeed and live a beautiful life.

What started as an InstaLive series (purely created to give back inspiring stories of ownership to self and mental health awareness) has now turned into this overpouring love of a podcast, with a community of people waiting to support you in your journey to become grounded in the power of you.

As we hit our twentieth episode, the impact I get from each one of the stories being told is far too much to put into words.

I have been a body activist for years, yet silently suffering with crippling social anxiety at times, and feeling shame for not being able to grasp why these emotions would arise when I am such a people person. To hear stories outside myself is a true reflection that there is so much strength in vulnerability, and you are not alone in where your mind may wander. It gives me another reason to feel grounded in knowing it’s okay to not be ‘okay’ in a journey to become connected to an ever-evolving self.

We all struggle at times, fall down, turn those moments into life experiences and work hard to find our way out. It just so happens that we just don’t talk about it publicly enough to know that this has been true, time and time again. The stories shared in Redefine You will surprise you and leave you feeling encouraged to look within. What may serve you from their journey that you can apply to yours? When a guest shows vulnerability in such a way, it encourages us all to look within.

Redefine You with Hayley Hasselhoff shares conversations with inspiring friends of mine in the industry. We hear their stories of true ownership in self and their mental wellbeing journey along the way. I’ve learned how we all experience mental health challenges but that they can arise in different forms for each person; that not one mental health condition can be categorized yet it helps another when you put a face to it; how validating our emotions – even without knowing the answer – is always the first step; that hearing another lived experience can help us in healing our own; and how feelings like grief can catapult into many aspects of someone’s lives.

We have had guests speak about living with an eating disorder, grief, imposter syndrome, losing a loved one through death by suicide, the beauty of putting ‘pain to purpose’ when being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and so much more.

I thank each and every beautiful, fearless guest I have had on for the impact they are making by telling their truth and the beauty in that. I can only hope the podcast inspires you to look within and guides you to lead a life being grounded in you.

Listen to Redefine You with Hayley Hasselhoff now on SPOTIFY, Hayley’s website, or other podcast platforms.

The post Hayley Hasselhoff writes about Redefine You: A Conversation for Wellbeing appeared first on POD BIBLE.

As we’re occasionally sent new bits of equipment to use for our shows, we thought we’d take the time to review some of them for the website in the hope that it may hep guide any future purchases you may be looking to make. First up, the RØDE PSA 1+ Professional Studio Arm…

A studio arm for a microphone is not something we’ve ever really spent much money on. In fact in the past we’ve tended to rely on basic extendable arms that have come as part of basic microphone packages and they’ve always seemed to do the job just fine. Having used the PSA 1+ however, there’s no going back.

This sturdy boom arm clamps to your desk and doesn’t budge whilst simultaneously offering an ultra-smooth gliding movement whenever you need to adjust the position of your mic. The internal dampened springs and neoprene arm also allow for quiet re-adjustment during recording, something that would often cause problems when using budget options previously.

All in all we’ve been very impressed with its ease of functionality and strength, not to mention the integrated cable management that not only looks good but also avoids any potential cable snagging during adjustment.

All in all it’s a big thumbs up from us in this instance. If you’re looking for an adjustable arm for your studio or home office then you cannot go wrong with the RØDE PSA 1+.

The post REVIEW // The RØDE PSA 1+ Professional Studio Arm appeared first on POD BIBLE.