My purpose, proper right here, is that will help you to create a podcast within the shortest time doable.
And I’m not simply speaking about any previous podcast. I imply a nice podcast. Your very best podcast!
As a result of that is the place so many individuals get caught out. It’s the place exhibits go to die. The podcaster spends an excessive amount of time making each episode. A lot that it simply would not match into their week and even their life. By that time, it simply drains all of the enjoyable and worth out of the complete present!
In fact, it’s price noting that various kinds of exhibits take totally different quantities of time to provide (go ask an audio drama producer how a lot time they spend on dialogue modifying alone!). And generally, spending extra time in your present can enhance the standard, or what you get out of it. However, that’s provided that you spend that point on the suitable stuff. And I imagine it’s doable to do these proper issues in far much less time than you suppose.
So that is what I’ll do on this article: present you the most effective of these “proper issues” and make it easier to create the absolute best product within the least doable time.
Who I Am and What You’ll Study
By means of a fast “who the heck’s this man?”: my identify is Colin Grey, and I’m a podcaster, author, trainer, and normal dogsbody at The Podcast Host. We create a community of our personal exhibits and assist 1000’s of others produce their very own by our content material.
Plus, we run a podcast maker instrument known as Alitu. The entire objective behind Alitu is to supply recording, modifying, and publishing instruments that automate and simplify, making it far faster and simpler to create your present. And plenty of that is predicated on the “proper methods” that I’ll speak about right here.
Over the previous ten years, I’ve gone from becoming a podcast round a totally totally different regular job (educating lecturers learn how to educate — meta, huh?), to making an attempt to suit as many podcasts as doable into my present job and designing instruments to assist others do it faster!
It was all about reducing out the cruft and determining what’s actually worthwhile in making a high-quality, profitable present. I’ll speak about all these insights right here, together with:
- plan content material within the minimal time, and in a method that makes it simple to ship
- get essentially the most from all the pieces you do create
- Recording & modifying methods to save lots of time
- discover and be taught the instruments that minimize down on processing time
So, let’s get into it. Time to use a little bit lightning to your podcast!
Why Seasons are Rocketfuel for You and your Viewers
Seasons-based podcasting is essentially the most underrated workflow hack within the trade. And, even higher, it’s a large driver of listener success, loyalty, and viewers development, too.
How? Effectively, there are three causes.
Planning Nirvana
You realize if you flip up at your desk for recording time and suppose: “Alrighty … podcast time. I’ve obtained an hour to get this child recorded! Soooo … what shall I speak about … ”
An hour later, you’re nonetheless solely midway by planning the episode. And even worse, you’re nonetheless watching a clean display, making an attempt to consider an thought.
Effectively, right here’s a brand new tack: take an hour of your life and take into consideration your subsequent season as a substitute.
Take a query you usually get out of your listeners, or a subject you recognize you need to cowl, after which break it down. One of many largest errors we make as podcasters is making an attempt to suit an excessive amount of into an episode. We do it as a result of we care. We need to give plenty of worth, however truly, it’s shortchanging your listeners, usually lacking particulars, or giving them an excessive amount of to consider unexpectedly. As an alternative, break that subject down into its element elements.
I did a season on podcast gear some time again. I might have simply lined it in a single episode but it surely’s higher to interrupt it down. One episode on microphones, one on mixers, one on recording software program, and one on modifying software program.
Usually I can work this out in lower than ten minutes for a subject I do know nicely. Perhaps 20 to 30 if I must do a little bit of analysis. I’ll find yourself with an inventory of perhaps six or seven episodes, generally as much as 15 or 20.
Then, I’ll take one other 20 minutes to place some meat on them bones, and do a set of 5 to 10 bullet factors inside every predominant subject, outlining what I’ll cowl.
By the tip of the hour (or much less!) I’ve obtained a plan for a whole season’s price of content material, usually two or three months lengthy, perhaps extra.
So now, as a substitute of the standard, “Oh no! What do I speak about this week!”, subsequent time you open up that season plan, take a look at the following episode’s script and hit file. Straightforward!
And sure, this may nonetheless work for interview exhibits. Do the entire above, and solely THEN begin to consider company. This makes for a lot higher content material. As an alternative of simply choosing out random pseudo-famous individuals in your area of interest, only for their identify, select primarily based on experience and data.
Search round for weblog posts protecting the matters you’ve got in your plan. Discover individuals with fascinating angles on these matters, after which invite them on the present. You’ll create much better, way more centered content material consequently.
Higher Batching
With a season plan, you possibly can actually simply reap the benefits of one other enormous timesaver: batch recording.
Matthew is my co-host on our “learn how to podcast” present, Podcraft. It’s a seasons-based present, and we’ve lengthy recorded it in batches. We co-host the podcast, so we are able to plan a season collectively, after which we’ll file two to 3 episodes at a time.
I do know individuals who can do 4 episodes in a single sitting, however we all the time discover we hit a wall round three. Nonetheless, meaning we solely have to rearrange recording time each two or three weeks, fairly than each single week.
Enhancing might be batched, too. As anybody who has to do plenty of activity switching is aware of, doing a number of of all of them collectively takes far much less time than three separate modifying classes.
Listener-Powered Content material
Each podcaster is aware of they need to be getting their listeners extra concerned with their present. It drives engagement, loyalty, and large listener development. However, it’s a giant time suck … monitoring emails, social media, and voicemails each single week might be draining.
Seasons put one thing model new in your toolbox: a break!
On the finish of the season, you say: “Okay, thanks for listening! We’ll be again in 6 weeks, on August 1st. Throughout that point, although, right here’s what I need you to do. We’re going to cowl podcast gear on the following season. Inform me, what gear are you utilizing proper now? What gear have you ever tried that was garbage? What are your largest struggles or questions with gear that I can reply? Ship me a tweet,or an electronic mail, or (better of all) go away a voicemail at ..”
Then you definately take a well-earned break!
In the direction of the tip of the break, you possibly can batch-process all of this. Take a day to gather all of it collectively, collate the tweets and the emails, and course of the audio recordings so it’s all prepared for the brand new season. That is a lot simpler and extra environment friendly than doing little drips and drabs each few days.
Even higher, this may energy the planning we talked about above. The questions will direct your episodes, and you’ll plan forward, together with all of the related questions in the suitable episode. In that method, you embody and contain your listeners within the present and drive an enormous quantity of worth and loyalty. Plus, you create higher content material as a result of it’s primarily based on the ideas of actual individuals.
Fly Solo (At Least a Little)
This one makes individuals a little bit nervous, not less than for people who usually fly with a visitor! Recording alone is among the largest time-saving strikes you can also make, notably in case you’re an everyday interviewee on different exhibits.
Should you’ve by no means tried it, think about a world the place you don’t must coordinate calendars to discover a time that fits everybody. Think about planning the episode your self, realizing that you simply don’t must immediate your co-host or suppose of some backup questions in case that interview goes awry. Think about having 100% management over what’s stated (since you’re doing the saying!), so there are not any tangents, no fluff and no … modifying? Think about simply deciding to file, off the cuff, and 20 minutes later, you’ve got an episode within the bag.
All of that’s doable with solo recording, plus the additional advantage of showcasing your personal data and expertise for a change, fairly than your visitor (I’m speaking about interview exhibits particularly).
Should you haven’t tried it, take one episode a month and fly solo. See how a lot time it saves you and the way your listeners would possibly like to listen to what you suppose, for a change.
The Minimal Efficient Enhancing Course of
Okay, we’ve deliberate it out and we’ve recorded an episode. Now comes essentially the most harmful of potential time-eaters: modifying.
I nonetheless come throughout so many individuals who spend 2x or 3x the size of their present in modifying. For instance, taking two or three hours to edit a one-hour recording. I even meet individuals who spend 5x to 10x the size of their present in manufacturing! It’s simply unsustainable.
A part of that’s dialogue modifying, listening by the entire thing to seek out and eradicate their errors. Painful! We’ll deal with that within the subsequent tactic.
The opposite half is audio engineering; particularly audio cleanup, including music or adverts, layering tracks, and exporting the entire thing.
So, how will we make it simple? By including constraints. You are able to do a lot much less by making use of the suitable mindset to your modifying. I’ve obtained two processes right here so that you can attempt.
MEE (Minimal Efficient Enhancing)
That is excellent for early-stage podcasters. I usually advocate following this in your first 10 to twenty episodes, at a minimal. There’s a lot you’re studying throughout these first months, and modifying actually is low on the affect checklist. There’s a lot extra worth in working in your presentation and content material design abilities. (Actually, you would prolong this mindset to any podcaster at any stage.)
Merely minimize modifying down to 2 issues, and two issues solely:
- Trim
- Normalize
Trim means trimming the beginning and the tip solely. Normally meaning reducing out the silence and the paper rustling after you hit file and earlier than you begin talking. Then, do the identical for the tip.
Normalize means leveling out the amount of your present. That is the one and solely “audio engineering” activity that’s important. It means your present received’t be too quiet, and the amount of the totally different audio system needs to be comparatively even so that you don’t have your listeners reaching for his or her quantity management each time the speaker adjustments.
Most modifying instruments have normalization options included, reminiscent of Audacity.
Discover that this doesn’t embody dialogue modifying in any respect. So, you possibly can’t minimize out errors! That’s a constraint that has a number of advantages:
- You’ll be able to’t use modifying as a crutch, so that you be taught to enhance the best way you communicate, quick! Study to drop the ums and ahs whereas you communicate, not afterward.
- You keep away from this time-warp rabbit gap altogether as a result of even a little bit “Oh I’ll simply take away that one factor” can flip into an hour of modifying.
- You sound extra human. “Oh, sorry, that’s not what I meant! <snort> Let me say that once more.” That is trustworthy. Open. Relatable. Individuals determine with you extra intently.
As an alternative, file with a “stay broadcast” mindset. Fake you’re stay on air, the present has to go on. There’s an opportunity you’ve performed that very factor — Fb, YouTube, Instagram — and survived! So take it into your podcasting, and reap the time-saving advantages. even when simply in your first few episodes.
MEE-V2
Later in your podcasting profession, you would possibly determine you do need to add a bit extra polish. Whether or not that’s episode 20 or 200, right here’s the 2nd stage: MEE-V2.
- Trim
- Click on Edit
- Noise Discount
- Restrict and Normalize
- Add Music
- Overlap and Fades
That polish comes primarily within the type of music: including your personal audio branding, and placing in some pro-sounding overlaps and fades.
MEE-V2 additionally consists of an additional couple of audio engineering steps. A laborious restrict helps to enhance your audio leveling, and noise discount is a giant assist for many of us who’re recording in bog-standard rooms fairly than recording studios.
We’re not delving into plenty of the audio engineering that you simply’ll discover across the podcasting net, reminiscent of EQ, compression, de-essing, or plosive removing. These are helpful of their place, certain, polish in your audio — however they’re non-essential.
Lastly, you’ll discover the point out of a click on edit. Sure, I hear you breathe a sigh of aid: now you possibly can take away a number of errors out of your audio. However solely the large ones that actually can’t keep in! We nonetheless need to preserve that live-recording mindset to remain human, and we’ll use a click-edit course of that slashes the time required to finish. You’ll see that within the subsequent tactic.
MEE-V3?
Earlier than we transfer on, I’ll point out one other chance right here. You’ll be able to automate a complete lot of MEE-2 and add much more polish utilizing the suitable instruments.
I got here up with MEE years in the past in an try to assist our readers defeat the monster that’s modifying. However, even then, it was nonetheless a activity that dragged exhibits underneath.
So, we constructed our personal instrument, Alitu, to automate MEE-2, after which so as to add a complete lot extra polish and help on prime.
For instance, inside Alitu you possibly can file a solo episode, or use our name recorder to herald a visitor. That recording is then mechanically cleaned up — noise discount, limiting, normalization, EQ, de-essing, plosive removing, the entire 9 yards. Then it’s popped into the episode builder, which provides your music, overlaps and fades mechanically. You’ll be able to add in any intros or outros required there, too, or any adverts or inserts for the episode.
All that’s left is to make use of Alitu’s audio editor to look out your clicks with 2x velocity management (extra on this beneath), spotlight the edits, after which hit publish. You’ll be able to even publish to Alitu’s in-built internet hosting in case you don’t have internet hosting arrange but, so it’s multi functional place.
Alitu gives a week-long free trial to check out the platform earlier than buying.
Click on Enhancing
Now, to click on modifying!
It’s a basic, however all the time price together with because it’s a revelation to anybody who hasn’t heard it. It tackles the dreaded activity of combing by a podcast episode, minute by minute, to trace down these errors that you recognize must be eliminated.
As an alternative, with click on modifying, I’d usually edit our 30-minute common Podcraft episode in lower than 5 minutes. Right here’s the way it works:
Once I make a mistake in my present, I create a visible marker within the waveform by clicking my tongue 3 times. You can too clap, or snap your fingers. All of them work. The aim is to create one thing that’s very easy to see on the waveform if you get into your modifying bundle.
You’re talking. You make a mistake or journey over your tongue, or must cough. So, you cease. You pause for a number of seconds. Click on. Click on. Click on. You pause for an additional few seconds. Then you definately begin talking once more.
That is very seen on the waveform, as proven highlighted in purple.
Meaning, if you get to modifying, you simply get all the way down to an inexpensive zoom stage and scan the waveform, searching for these alerts.
Then you definately spotlight the tip of the sentence earlier than the error, proper by to the purpose earlier than you restart, and delete. Mistake eradicated!
Professional Tip: You’ll be able to fairly simply get within the behavior of remembering the beginning of the sentence earlier than you made your mistake, after which restarting with the identical first few phrases. Because of this after I discover a mistake in modifying, I hearken to the re-start first, after which return a bit and discover the identical few phrases earlier than the error. I do know that’s the place I’ve to begin the edit. That saves one other few seconds, each time!
Take Management of Errant Interviewees
Let’s end up with a tactic that not solely comes underneath the class of “time saver,” each in recording and modifying, but additionally bleeds into “improved content material.” It’s the straightforward idea of taking possession of your present, and your content material.
The factor is, interview exhibits are nice when performed nicely. However, they’re usually not performed nicely. That may result in sub-par content material, certain, however even worse, it results in a complete lot of additional time in your course of.
It takes extra time to file as a result of the visitor goes off on tangents. Or they don’t keep on level and fail to reply questions. That each one means extra time modifying, making an attempt to chop the fluff, and elevating the standard.
As an alternative, take management, and provides some tips earlier than you begin. Listed here are a number of of the issues I’d say:
- I’d like to share a number of bits of steering. I do know my viewers rather well, and I’ve discovered that these will help you come throughout in the absolute best method with them.
- We prefer to hold this present actually conversational. So, attempt to hold solutions quick and sharp, lower than a minute, two at most.
- Don’t fear, we’ll get into element, however I’ll ask concerning the elements I do know my viewers loves.
- All the time be at liberty to ask me questions again, so we’re each concerned, and it flows nicely.
- I will interrupt you every now and then. Not as a result of your content material’s dangerous, however as a result of I do know what my viewers needs and I’ll hold us monitoring with that.
Hold emphasizing that that is of their finest pursuits. This makes them look good! You realize your viewers, and if the visitor needs to make an ideal impression, then you possibly can assist them try this. However, provided that they work with you, and allow you to information the dialog (#3).
That primarily means shorter solutions (#2), and being ready to be interrupted (#5 — and that is a lot simpler if you point out it earlier than you begin).
I’ve additionally discovered that #4 is a extremely fascinating hack, for 2 causes. First, conversations are a lot better when it’s two methods. And second, asking questions simply places individuals into conversation-mode fairly than monologue-mode. (It additionally helps keep away from the 5-minute solo tangents which can be the bane of any interviewer’s life!)
How Will You Reduce Your Manufacturing Time?
To me, there are two massive concepts to this.
First, easy routines and purposeful instruments. Meaning:
- Hold your weekly routine as easy and as common as doable.
- Use seasons to simplify your planning.
- Go solo to simplify the logistics.
- Report as in case you’re stay and commit to actually easy modifying.
Make it your aim to seek out these routines that repeat so that you could match the complete workflow simply into your week.
Secondly, it means utilizing instruments with actual objective. As podcasters, we might be responsible of including in on-trend instruments or techniques that take up extra time, fairly than reserve it. As an alternative, choose fewer, higher instruments, and go deep with them.
The clicking trick is a instrument, use it to save lots of hours in modifying. Alitu is a instrument that works nice alongside it, and provides extra options to annihilate the time spent modifying and engineering. In the event that they don’t be just right for you, although, there are dozens of decisions. Discover just some that fit your needs, personally, and go deep.
Above all, use these techniques to hone your private routine, discover the strategies that be just right for you, and provide up all that further time to the content material itself. Use it to speak to your listeners. What do they like? What do they not like? Discover out what they actually need from you. That’s what makes the large distinction. Not an additional move of compression, or a jot of noise discount. As an alternative, get easy, get tooled up, after which you possibly can actually begin thriving as a podcaster.
