Summary: One of the best questions I received this week at Blogworld was, "How do you go into a room by yourself and not feel weird." I LOVE this question because it brought me back when I was first podcasting. This is why I beg you to send me your podcastquestions. I love them all. It either makes me find new answers, or takes me back to those first hurdles of podcasting. Here is a quick answer: Overcoming Getting On the Microphone 1. This week the buzz word was "Avatar." This means (in non geek speak) "Picture your audience." When I first started podcasting I created a podcast for musicians, so I thought of all those musicians in their garages practicing music, trying to get bookings, and sell more music. I saw the young 19 year old kid in a black t-shirt. When I spoke into the microphone, I pictured him (nothing sexist here, but I pictured a dude - now that I know my audience I picture my friend Ali from Australia). 2. Just talk like your telling a story, offering advice, asking a question, as if they were sitting across the table from you. 3. If you're doing a podcast using a mobile recorder (and there are people watching you walk around talking to yourself), you can always hold your phone up to your ear so people think you're talking on the phone. If you can't over come this feeling - get a co-host Bloggers Your Are "THIS CLOSE" to Being Podcasters (http://schoolofpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/this-close-man.jpg)The tools I recommend to create a podcast are a self hosted version of Wordpress and the PowerPress plugin for configuring your podcast for iTunes (I also recommend Blubrry.com or Libsyn.com for media hosting - get a free month at libsyn.com using coupon sopfree). Many bloggers already have a website, and they are already using Wordpress. This means all they have to do to launch a podcast is: 1. Record yourself reading your blog post (try to make it sound like you're not reading it). 2. Upload it to your media host 3. If you're using Libsyn.com, copy and paste the direct url into the PowerPress "Media URL" field (if you're using Blubrry you can upload directly from your Wordpress install). THAT'S IT! Now in reality, you will need some album artwork for iTunes. Chances are you already have a logo for your website anyway and we can configure that to work in iTunes. It is time to pull the trigger. Pat Flynn of the Smart Passive Income (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com) podcast grew his audience by 20% by adding a podcast. You've already determined your topic, you've already written the post, spend the $99 for a microphone, and the $8 for some royalty free music, and launch your podcast. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Again, I LOVE answering podcast questions. My Best in Show Blogworld NYC 2012 (http://schoolofpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bossjock.jpg)I'm not sure if they have an official "Best in Show" award at blogworld, but there was one piece of technology that I went "WOA! That's Cool." That is the Boss Jock Studio application for iPhone. This cool tool lets you record a podcast directly from your iPhone. It lets you mix in music, export it to your website, soundcloud, ftp, etc. I got to hear what its like to record, I did NOT get to hear the recording. There is some pretty impressive compression and automatic volume leveling that looks impressive. I'm hoping to have someone record something so I can hear (after all you are using the microphone from the iPhone - I don't see where you can plugin in an external microphone). There are plans for an iPad version as well in the future. I was told that the Android operating system has a latency (echo) problem currently. Here is a quick demonstration. It's only $10 for the app, and for those looking for an easy portable system, this may be the answer (again, I've not heard a recording created on the bossjock). (http://r.mzstatic.com/images/web/linkmaker/badge_appstore-lrg.gif)
