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

Starting a podcast means you have to make a LOT of decisions. One decision many struggle with is how much they’re willing to pay for podcast hosting. Today I’m sharing my thoughts.

Spoiler: DO think you should pay for your media hosting. And I DO remember what it was like to be starting out on a limited budget and trying to control ongoing expenses.

As you listen, you'll discover a little about that, as well as WHY I think it’s important to pay for media hosting and the ONLY time I think it makes sense to go for free.

• Full Episode Notes: https://toptieraudio.com/96
• Libsyn (the podcast media host I use)
• Blubrry (the podcast media host I considered)
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• Facebook: https://m.me/TopTierAudio
• Email: bryan@toptieraudio.com

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

But if we stay at it long enough, we also ask the question, “What’s the best computer?” or “What should I look for in a computer?”

I recently helped Steven Brittingham of the Hollywood and Beyond Podcast with that question and I’m going to share with you what I shared with him.

No, I’m not going to tell you that you should go get the new cheese grater Mac Pro (they look great, though). I’m not even going to tell you what brand or operating system you should get. Because those things can change based on your needs and what’s available.

Instead, I’m going to share with you how to determine the bare minimum that you need as well as the priorities I use when choosing what to invest in when I’m going to buy a computer. I might even share with you how I’ve sometimes saved some money when buying a computer.

Here’s the original question from Steven:

I am interested in finding a Windows laptop that can be used for recording/editing/researching for my podcast. The idea of more freedom is appealing and I feel extra beneficial as well. I am concerned about purchasing a laptop that would not fully meet all of my audio needs or expectations. I realize memory/ram is important, as is speed and storage. There are so many different options. I have researched online about laptops for podcasting, but still feel uncertain. Do you have any suggestions or at the very least are there certain specs that are absolutely needed for high quality results? I am willing to pay for a high end unit, but I also seek out a fair and good value. A laptop that doesn't make a lot of noise is important too. Any suggestions is appreciated!

Listen to discover what I shared with Steven. In addition to being a podcast host, he’s also an actor and writer. As a host he always strive for "Meaningful Interviews". He’s have been on hiatus but a lot of new episodes on the way soon. Including a new show website! My show is on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, iHeartradio, Spotify, Podbean, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn and more. 

• Full Episode Notes: https://toptieraudio.com/95
• https://hollywoodandbeyond.podbean.com/
• Video on YouTube
• Video on Facebook
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• @TopTierAudio
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• Facebook: https://m.me/TopTierAudio
• Email: bryan@toptieraudio.com

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

Yesterday I FINALLY came back to it and explained what had happened (and we got a bit nerdy). But I dropped the ball AGAIN.

Today I’m back to show you two ways to fix the problem that was caused by running a single stereo output into a balanced mono input.

[smartvideo src="https://youtu.be/HVI52osIpQM" width="1280" height="720" responsive=true controls=true]

• Full Episode Notes: https://toptieraudio.com/94
• Video: https://youtu.be/HVI52osIpQM
• https://toptieraudio.com/93
• https://hollywoodandbeyond.com
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[saf include=applepodcasts,googlepodcasts,castbox,spotify,subscribebyemail align=left]

• Facebook: https://m.me/TopTierAudio
• Email: bryan@toptieraudio.com

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

Do you know what happened?

I forgot to come back and share that so I’m going to do that today.

Here’s the scenario - a podcaster finished and published her episode. Everything sounded fine on her headphones and computer speakers. But then people started contacting her to let her know they couldn’t hear one of the participants.

She went back and confirmed that everything was in the original recording. Then she went and looked at the final file to make sure that there wasn’t a bunch of silence because the track had been muted.

Everything looked fine. But when she listened on her phone, she couldn’t hear that other person either.

If you can guess what happened, share it in the comments. Otherwise, let’s get into this because it’s going to get a little nerdy today.

• Full Episode Notes: https://toptieraudio.com/93
• Video: https://youtu.be/1zos6jSq0-A
• Leave a Voicemail
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Make sure you never miss an episode of 1,000 Podcasters. Subscribe for free to have each episode delivered right to your favorite podcast app as soon as it's available.

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• Facebook: https://m.me/TopTierAudio
• Email: bryan@toptieraudio.com

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

If you’ve had guests on your show for a while, it’s likely you’ve already faced this. If not, it’s almost inevitable.

• You get a guest booked
• You prepare and research
• You send them all the info they need
• You get ready to record
• They never show up

If this has happened to you, you know it’s not fun. But what do you do next?

Listen as I share four things you could consider, as well as what I do.

There was a question in our Hindenburg users group on FB (hindyusers.com): How do I remove the in and out markers if I want to make an edit. I answered that with a video.

A few days ago I asked about your plans for 2020. Tom Hailey (@tomhailey) shared that he’s launching a podcast in February, 2020. The trailer’s up already, so you can check it out at bluegrassregionvoicesandviews.com. I’m told it’s still under construction, so proceed with caution. 

Tom will be sharing interesting places, people, and activities in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky.

Check it out.

If you don’t already have a plan for when (not if) a guest misses their interview, there’s no time like now to come up with something. Whether you already have a plan or are creating a plan, let me know. I’m @TopTierAudio on Twitter.

• Full Episode Notes: https://toptieraudio.com/92
• https://hindyusers.com
• How to Remove In & Out Points in Hindenburg 
• Bluegrass Region Voices and Views
• Leave a Voicemail
• Subscribe to 1,000 Podcasters
• @TopTierAudio
• Support the show

Make sure you never miss an episode of 1,000 Podcasters. Subscribe for free to have each episode delivered right to your favorite podcast app as soon as it's available.

https://1000Podcasters.com

• Facebook: https://m.me/TopTierAudio
• Email: bryan@toptieraudio.com

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

It was a real delight to talk with him about what he’s doing, to go through the workflow, and to offer a few (and I mean just a few) tips or suggestions. It’s just so fun to see a podcaster doing well.

I’d like to do more of that, which got me thinking about this past year and what I’d like to see in the year to come.

Today I’m going to share some of the incredible things I’ve been able to do and a couple of tweaks I’d like to make for next year.

• First, what are you planning for next year? Tweet me (@TopTierAudio) to let me know.
• Second, as I plan for another series early in next year, what would you like to hear more of? Send an email or a voicemail to let me know.

• Full Episode Notes: https://toptieraudio.com/91
• Just Podcasting
• Podcast Engineering Show
• Start to Finish Podcasting
• Leave a Voicemail
• Subscribe to 1,000 Podcasters
• @TopTierAudio
• Support the show

Make sure you never miss an episode of 1,000 Podcasters. Subscribe for free to have each episode delivered right to your favorite podcast app as soon as it's available.

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• Facebook: https://m.me/TopTierAudio
• Email: bryan@toptieraudio.com

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

Signal to noise ratio.

It’s one of the things I often talk with podcasters about when I’m consulting or even when I’m sharing strategies and insights in groups. I might not call it that and I might not go into all of the details. But it’s one of the things that is often overlooked and it can make a HUGE difference.

In fact, many times the production questions we see are REALLY about signal to noise ratio.

• I have this recording and there’s something off. How do I fix it for my podcast?
• What’s the best podcasting microphone?
• How close do I need to be to the microphone?
• How do I get rid of the popping P (plosive) sounds?
• How many microphones do I need to use to record a panel discussion?

In many ways, those questions are really about signal to noise ratio (and not making your editor crazy) and I’m going to illustrate three underlying issues (kinds of noise) and one fix today using my son’s Christmas play at school.

Why am I such a stickler about this (I know I’ve talked about it before). Well, because you can’t control the listening environment because everybody’s listening by themselves. They’re inviting you into their daily experience and that comes with noise.

So it’s all the more important that we minimize the noise in our delivery (things about our styles that make it hard to hear or understand), the noise in the recording environment (echo / room reverb, fan noise, neighbors mowing the yard, dogs barking), and that we do what we can to amplify or point a sonic spotlight on the most important parts - typically the dialog.

Go back to an episode you published a month or two ago and listen again for the three things you can control - your delivery, your recording environment, and what you do to highlight what’s most important.

Are there any adjustments you’d like to make moving forward?

Let me know what you’re planning to do. Hit me up on Twitter (@TopTierAudio).

• Full Episode Notes: https://toptieraudio.com/90
• Subscribe to 1,000 Podcasters
• @TopTierAudio
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Make sure you never miss an episode of 1,000 Podcasters. Subscribe for free to have each episode delivered right to your favorite podcast app as soon as it's available.

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• Facebook: https://m.me/TopTierAudio
• Email: bryan@toptieraudio.com

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

More subscribers. We all want more subscribers for our podcasts. There are all kinds of strategies out there for getting more subscribers.

But here’s the problem: most of them are focused on the benefits for the PODCASTER.

If we’re really serving our audiences, we’ll be focused on ways to serve them and some of the common strategies don’t serve them well and where I think we can find the sweet spot.

To illustrate how this can work, I’m going to share a little about my commute this morning.

https://youtu.be/gLeKwA-QMaA

• The "just one link" strategy
• The "just one link with redirects" (the smart link) strategy
• The smorgasbord approach
• The McDonald's Fries approach

What does your subscribe page look like? Tweet it to me at @TopTierAudio. And if you’d like to take a look at mine to get some inspiration, you’ll find it at toptieraudio.com/subscribe.

• Full Episode Notes: https://toptieraudio.com/89
• Subscribe to 1,000 Podcasters
• @TopTierAudio
• Support the show

Make sure you never miss an episode of 1,000 Podcasters. Subscribe for free to have each episode delivered right to your favorite podcast app as soon as it's available.

https://1000Podcasters.com

• Facebook: https://m.me/TopTierAudio
• Email: bryan@toptieraudio.com