Stephanie Murphy, PhD
Triple Podcast Host:
Let’s Talk Bitcoin
Free Talk Live
Porc Therapy
Libertopia 2013
1. Get
a microphone
2. Plug it in
3. ????
4. PROFIT
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Explore the possibility of becoming a
podcaster
Refine your goals as a current podcaster
Understand what podcasters do
 Audio
(sometimes video) content conveniently
made available to the listener, updated on some
regular basis.
 What
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will you get out of it?
Connection
Community
Being heard
Recognition
Fun
Giving to/sharing with others
Income (maybe)
 Something
has to keep you going!
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Any answers are acceptable, but it’s important to ask the
question!
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Examples:
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I want to be known as an expert on history.
I want to share my gluten-free cooking tips with the world.
I want people to listen to me talk.
I want to promote my freelance technical writing services by letting people know I’m
an expert on the subject.
I want to be invited to speak at computer security conferences.
I want to meet other poodle enthusiasts.
I want to help people lose weight.
I want to sell my e-book about online marketing.
I want to meet people to date who share my interest.
I want to interview and learn from experts in the field of neuroscience.
I want to make a hilarious podcast that will brighten people’s commute.
I want to create a freer world by sharing liberty ideas.
Etc etc…
 Think
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of as many of your favorite podcasts as you can.
If you’re not already – become a podcast connoisseur!
 What
do you like best about each one?
 What
distinguishes your favorite podcasts from all of the
other podcasts out there?
 What
keeps you listening?
 Talent
 Frequency
 Length
 Show
Layout
 Scope
 Content
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Who is/are the host(s)?
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Anyone can podcast, but expertise/credibility helps!
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Credibility can be built through podcasting too.
Do they have a pleasant – or at least distinctive – voice?
Are they articulate?
Confident behind a microphone?
Concise?
Funny?
Technically competent?
Personality
Very important – do they like podcasting?
How many hosts?
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Solo show
Two hosts
Three hosts
More than a threesome
Rotating cast with one or more consistent voices
Interview guests? Callers?
 Weekly
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Most common (for a reason)
 Weekly
plus
 Daily
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Ambitious!
 Less
than weekly
 Whenever, man…
 Consistency
helps
 Frequency might be affected by how “newsy” your show
content is
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Can be anything!
Variable length
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Many
Under 2 mins
VO minute
 90 Seconds on Sex
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10 mins
Get it Done Guy
 Grammar Girl
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30 mins
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1 hour
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Savage Love
2 hours
Complete Liberty
 Freedomain Radio Call-in Show
 Free Talk Live
 Sovryn Tech
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 Wide
open!
 No format
 Do you have theme music, intros, bumpers, or other sound
effects?
 Is there a host who “takes the lead” in introducing the show
and laying out the agenda/format?
 Are there breaks or commercials at certain times during the
show?
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“Hard breaks” or soft breaks?
 Are
there segments devoted to specific content?
 Is content arranged in a certain way or order?
 What
will you cover on your podcast?
 Do you have a niche or angle?
 How will you stay within that niche and/or how much will
you deviate from it?
Wide open!
 You can podcast about anything – do you want to?
 Use your goals for podcasting to determine the content of your show. Is
the content consistent with one or more of your goals?
 How will you curate content for your show?
 How will you organize show prep/show planning?
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Google docs
Trello
Project management software
Reddit
Playing calls/voicemails
Reading listener emails
Listener suggested or mostly host driven?
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Ideally – relaxed, prepared, calm
That doesn’t always happen with a live show
 The more hosts the more difficult to coordinate
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Location – quiet, insulated from background noise, ergonomic
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If multiple hosts, need multiple locations
Will you edit? This will affect the flow of recording.
 For multiple hosts – how will you connect?
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Skype
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Mumble
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Free, open source, low latency and high quality – but need a server
Google+
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Pamela, Call Recorder, Audio Hijack for recording directly from Skype convos
Free and easy for video, direct to YouTube
Audio Compass
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Very professional, radio quality for remote hosts
 Audacity
 Garage
Band
 Adobe Audition
The heart of your studio! Worth researching.
 Don’t skip pop filters/windscreens
 Mixer (or not?)
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For more than one voice, it’s best to have a mixer
 Can get away not having a board with a solo cast where interviewing guests on
Skype
 If going with a mixing board, use XLR mics – if not, USB mic direct to computer
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Blue Snowball - $65 (USB)
 Blue Yeti - $109 (USB)
 AT2020 - $100 (XLR) or $130 (USB)
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Pop filter – less than $20
 Windscreen – less than $20
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 PC
to render audio
 Archive storage
 Location – quiet, insulated from background noise, ergonomic
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If multiple hosts, need multiple locations
 Backup,
backup, backup (3 recordings would be better! But
get at least 2)
 iTunes
 RSS
feed
 Soundcloud
 YouTube
 Stitcher
 Terrestrial Radio
 XM
 Many others…
 Website
 Social
Media
 Topic-specific forums
 iTunes Rankings
 Podcast cross-promotion!!!
 Donation
model
 “Freemium” model
 Advertising
 Affiliate marketing
 Mixed model
 Non-profit podcasting
Potential Benefits
Donations • Value for value – listeners pay for
your content directly
• Direct
feedback/recognition/appreciatio
n
Potential Downsides
• Can be difficult to ask for
donations
• Most listeners don’t donate
• Dealing with PayPal and other
online payment processors
(bitcoin helps!!)
Potential Benefits
“Freemium”/ • More listeners will pay for
Upsell
bonus content than just donate
• Value for value
• Direct feedback
• Can sometimes do things with
premium content that are
different from free content
Potential Downsides
•Must establish relationship with
listener before they will pay for
your content, through giving away
free content or already being
well-known.
• Need to offer something in
addition to free content to get
the listener to pay
•Podcast consumers have access
to limitless free content – it has
to be special for them to be
willing to pay for it
Advertising
Potential Benefits
Potential Downsides
• Can be lucrative and reliable
source of income
• Potentially introducing the
audience to products they value
• Absolves the listener from
paying for your content
• Beholden to advertisers?
• Requires time to cultivate
relationships with advertisers,
possibly a dedicated sales team
• Requires a large and/or
dedicated audience
• Must be able to show metrics to
sponsors
• Must clearly define who may
advertise on your show and finding
the right ones can be difficult
• Hard to measure success of an ad
campaign
Affiliate
Marketing
Potential Benefits
Potential Downsides
• Can provide an easy way to
support your show that is also
easy for listeners
• No need to solicit donations
or manage advertisers
• Largely one time setup
• Affiliate agreements sometimes
have terms you may not like
• Agreements can change/go away
• Relies on people buying products
• May rely on a discount code or
link
• Some want personal and tax info
Mixed Model
Potential Benefits
Potential Downsides
• See what works best
• Diversification in case one
revenue stream decreases
• Not focused on the most
effective method of generating
revenue
Non-profit
Potential Benefits
Potential Downsides
• Easy/potentially more fun
not to worry about making
money from your podcast
• Minimizes conflicts of
interest
• You may be doing a podcast
for other reasons than to make
money directly from it
• You may end up spending money
to do your podcast
• It may be harder to grow your
podcast without revenue
 You
may have an idea of what you would like for your future
podcast
 You may have refined your goals for your current podcast
 You may have decided you never want to podcast
 You may have developed a greater appreciation for what
podcasters do
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Let’s Talk Bitcoin
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Free Talk Live
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FreeTalkLive.com
Nationally syndicated radio show and podcast
Hear me on Sunday nights with Mark Edge and Brian Sovryn
Porc Therapy
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LetsTalkBitcoin.com
Popular podcast about bitcoin and cryptocurrency
Twice weekly with Adam B. Levine and Andreas M. Antonopoulos
PorcTherapy.com
My podcast – just me!
Fr33 Aid
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Volunteer first aid, health & safety education and networking for liberty loving health
professionals!
Bitcoin based charity
Say hi! We’re here