December 5, 2024 • 21 mins
Tis the season to gift your podcast obsessed loves ones with their favorite gear.
Struggling to find the perfect gift for that podcaster who spends more time talking to a microphone than actual humans? Fear not! Blubrry has compiled the ultimate guide to help you win the title of “Best Gift Giver Ever” in your favorite podcaster’s heart (or at least their next episode shoutout).
Today's Hosts: Mike Dell and Todd Cochrane
Take a Look at Blubrry's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Podcasters
1. Quality Microphone:
Microphones are a very personal thing. We would suggest a dynamic mic. SM7B, M7, RE-320, Rode Podmic or the ATR2100X.
2. Pop Filter/Windscreen:
Good at reducing plosive sounds (like “p” and “b” noises) that can distort audio. A simple, affordable add-on that makes a big difference in sound quality.
3. Headphones:
A great set of wired headphones (not wireless) are a great gift!
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: Closed-back design provides accurate sound monitoring without audio bleed, making them ideal for editing and live recording.
Other great options include the Sony MDR-7506, known for clarity and comfort.
4. Portable Audio Recorder:
Zoom H5 or H6: Compact, portable recorders that are excellent for capturing high-quality audio on the go. They’re great for recording interviews, live shows, or backup audio.
5. Microphone Boom Arm:
Rode PSA1: A versatile and sturdy boom arm that keeps the microphone stable and easy to position, reducing desk vibrations and clutter.
Heil PL-T2 is a bit more expensive, but it’s the gold-standard for mic booms.
6. Podcast Editing Software:
Both of our suggestions are subscriptions so get a yearly subscription.
Adobe Audition: Industry-standard editing software with powerful tools for mixing and mastering audio. Great for podcasters who want to fine-tune their episodes.
Descript: An innovative editing software that makes audio editing simple by transcribing and allowing edits through text.
7. Acoustic Panels:
Foam or fabric-covered panels help dampen room sound and prevent echo, making audio recordings cleaner. Perfect for podcasters with a home studio.
8. Laptop Stand:
Helps keep the workspace ergonomic and organized, reducing neck strain and providing better airflow for the laptop. Look for options that are adjustable and portable.
9. Custom Podcast Artwork:
Hiring a graphic designer or gifting a service like 99designs can make a podcast stand out with visually appealing artwork..
10. Gift Card for Stock Music/Effects:
A subscription to a service like Epidemic Sound or a gift card for AudioJungle can provide access to high-quality music and sound effects for podcast intros and transitions.
11. Online Courses:
Platforms like MasterClass or Skillshare have courses on audio editing, storytelling, and interview techniques. There are also podcast-specific courses available to help creators sharpen their skills.
12. USB Audio Interface:
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2: A great audio interface for connecting XLR microphones to a computer. It’s known for its high-quality preamps and ease of use.
AudioSigma - Podmoble
13. Backup Storage Solution:
A reliable external hard drive (like the WD My Passport or Seagate Backup Plus) is crucial for storing and backing up episodes. Cloud storage subscriptions to services like Google Drive or Dropbox are also valuable for extra safety.
14. Comfortable Office Chair:
Ergonomic chairs, like those from Herman Miller or Steelcase, provide comfort and support during long editing and recording sessions.
Lift desk, plenty of affordable options online nowadays
15. Merchandise Design Kit:
Tools or services like Canva Pro for designing podcast-themed merchandise, or a gift certificate to a print-on-demand service like Printful to help podcasters create and sell branded items.
Got a subject you would like us to cover on the show?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to today's episode of Podcast Insider. I'm
Todd Cochran, founder of Blueberry Podcasting.
I'm Mike Dell, VP of customer relations here
at Blueberry. And today, we're gonna talk about
our 15 gift ideas
for the podcasters
in your life.
You're listening to Podcast Insider hosted by Mike
Dell, Todd Cochran, and Mackenzie Bennett from the
(00:21):
Blueberry team,
bringing you weekly insights, advice, and insider tips
and tricks to help you start, grow, and
thrive through podcasting.
With all the support of your team here
at Blueberry Podcasting. Welcome. Let's dive in.
Mike, can we come up with 15 ideas?
That's that's the question.
(00:42):
This December is here, so it's holiday season
and it's in full swing. Whether you're a
podcaster yourself or shopping for 1, it's a
perfect time to start thinking about the ultimate
gifts for creators.
So in today's episode, we're sharing our top
picks for gifts that will make any podcaster's
holiday merry and bright.
Again, whether you're dropping hints for your own
(01:04):
wish list or shopping for the perfect presence.
Like me being currently
overseas,
my kids are starting to send their Amazon
wish list, and it's always fun to to
see what they have and the grandkids'
shopping list. There's always a few things I
want as a podcaster.
And You and I are old enough to
remember the old Sears catalog
(01:26):
after well, you'd certainly go to auction. Well,
that's all you know, let's be honest with
you.
That is almost even before my time. So
I mean close to me too. So,
anyway
Microphones
are always
a great thing. And, again, if you don't
if you're shopping for someone
and
(01:47):
you don't know what they have, and you
would say, well, what kind of a microphone
is that? And they say, well, I've got
a
we've got a Ars Technica or I've got
a whatever. And then you can know what
they currently have,
and then you can look and see if
they actually need an upgrade.
And you can just Google based upon what
(02:09):
they have and then what's out there.
There's always great selections,
the Shure SM7
B, the m 7,
the this is not a Shure mic, but
the re 320,
a Rode PodMic.
And, again, if they are just getting started,
again, that kind of that starter mark mic,
that ETR 21 100 Yep. Is a great
(02:31):
mic as well. But, again, we went from
kind of expensive down to
less expensive in that list
with the SM 7b and the RE 3
20 to be kinda high on the list
on prices. But And on microphones,
it's a very personal thing, but, you know,
most
most of the time, I would suggest a
dynamic
(02:52):
unless they have a really good environment for
a condenser, but and the budget can go
anywhere from $100 to
500 or more if you get into those
real expensive ones. But, you know And if
it's someone that's not necessarily
needing a surprise, but maybe you're you shop
for each other or whatever it may be,
(03:12):
and you take a suggestion, maybe like, hey.
What mic would you love to have? And,
of course, don't be surprised. There's some out
there that are, like, way beyond what Mike
and I have talked about in budget here
Right. That are very nice.
But, for the most part, I've been using
SM 7 b now for
a couple of years. It's what I'm using
today.
I used to use a condenser mic, but,
(03:33):
again, I had a studio that would support
it. Yeah. And and it sounded great for
you. You know? That's the other thing with
not all mic sound great with all voices,
but we've we beat that to death in
another episode. But Yeah.
And, of course, accessories are always great too.
A pop filter, windscreen.
And, again, you might just wanna buy oftentimes,
(03:53):
these microphones that you currently have, you can
find aftermarket
windscreens that go right over the cone. So
in other words, you don't have to have
some big bulky thing. Yeah. The SM7 has
that built in. It's a big foam thing
that sticks on the end of it. But
things like the RE 3 20 or the
RODE PodMic,
they have these external little windscreens
(04:14):
that, you can get on Amazon, and they
just clamp around the end of the microphone,
and it's a physical screen.
Neat little things like that. Stocking stuffers as
we would call them, I guess.
And headphones are always a great investment. Now
I have been wearing in ear
headphones
for a very long time. And the reason
that I do that is because I also
(04:36):
do video.
So I don't want the big head headphones,
Yeah. The cans to be on. Now some
people do. I mean, I seem to see
folks are doing video with those big
big headphones on with the cans. Personally, I
like the in ear ones and I'm a
big fan of sure,
My head basically,
earphones. I guess that's the best word for
(04:56):
them. But
the
there's some great ones out there from Audio
Technica.
That's what I'm wearing. I'm sure. Awesome. The
ATH 5th m fifty x. Yeah. So you
use you're wearing a big can Yep. And
I'm wearing in ears.
And, again, I think it's an aesthetic. I
think it depends on what they want.
(05:17):
But another great option is the Sony MDR
7506.
Now that's known for clarity and comfort, and
as long as you wear these things sometimes,
they can actually start hurting the ears. Yeah.
You don't wanna wear them for hours and
hours and hours, but,
they're good for quick recording in an hour
or 2.
Yep.
Yeah. And then that's other things on this
(05:37):
list. Go ahead. Another thing that a lot
of podcasters don't have but might
like to have is a portable recorder, Zoom
h 5, h 6. They're reasonably
reasonably priced,
and they're really good. You can plug
the XLR mic into it, or they have
onboard condenser mics. But if somebody does
(05:58):
wanna podcast on the go,
that's that's a great option. I used to
do podcasts while driving, and I'd use my
h five and had a lavalier mic on,
which didn't have the greatest quality, but it
wasn't in my face when I was driving.
Be careful with stuff like that, but
a little portable recorder might be a cool
gift.
Of course, a microphone a microphone boom arm
(06:20):
the microphone
boom arm. English app for the day. Yeah.
One thing that for years, I used a
high oplt
2.
And, I mean, it was my go to
probably for more than 10 years. And then
when I reset my studio up, I end
up buying a relatively inexpensive
boom arm that instead of coming from over
(06:42):
the top came in from the bottom, bottom
up.
And I'm just in love with that new
boom arm. So, again, I think it depends
on what you're doing. The RODE PSA 1
is a great one as well,
but the main thing to think about is
what is the purpose of it? It's purely
audio.
Maybe one of those new boom arms that
come in from the bottom and come up
(07:04):
is better than one that comes in from
over the top. Again, it all depends on
your desk layout and where you're recording from
too. Yeah. And if you're doing a lot
of video, that makes more sense because you
don't have that big thing
over your head. But, you know, if you're
just doing audio only, you can't go wrong
with the Heil or the RODE.
And I got a idiot.
Cheap one that I got on Amazon that
(07:26):
comes up from the bottom. And Yeah. That's
where I found the one I had to.
And so far, so good. I'm using it
right now. One thing about those there and
I'll be honest with you. I've got some
boom mics that are in the graveyard because
they just didn't work for the desk.
So don't be afraid to send something back
too. If it doesn't work aesthetically
or if it doesn't reach perfectly, send it
(07:47):
back and get something else. But for my
money, that Heil PLT 2 is is one
of the best ones out there. And what's
cool about that one is it hides the
cords.
Yeah. It has in there and it's not
the fancy plastic that covers the cord, but
the cord runs down the boom. There's no
big springs, and it makes no noise when
you move it around.
That's kind of the gold standard as far
(08:09):
as I'm concerned.
Another thing you might think about is getting
somebody a subscription to some podcast editing software.
A lot of people are using,
what is that one? Audacity,
which is a free one. But
Audition is not free. It's a subscription,
but it's much more powerful. Now, again,
the problem with it would be whatever they're
(08:31):
used to, but there's a couple of really
good ones out there. Adobe Audition. I think
that's, what, $20 a month or something. You
can get an annual subscription or Descript.
I don't remember what the pricing is on
that, but it's not overly expensive, and it's
pretty interesting as well. A lot of people
are switching to that.
But that's
And this is a great season to pick
(08:53):
up subscriptions because I'm seeing 50% discounts on
stuff right now. Through Christmas, the stuff companies
are gonna be offering.
If you've got a current subscription and you're
paying monthly,
I just picked up a 50% offer in
annual with the folks at Restream.
So it saved me about $200. So I'm
pretty pleased with that with that renewal. Again,
(09:15):
so software stuff is always good. One thing
that I've taken advantage specifically in my last
two
studios is acoustic panels. I've really
it just made a whole
complete difference to the whole sound
in the studio. And it all dip also
depends on where you're recording. Now if you're
in a spare bedroom
(09:36):
and you've got carpet
or you're in a home office, depending on
your makeup of your room
and also
negotiating with your partner, if you have one,
you may wanna go with some acoustic panels
from
some companies out there that have the stylish
ones. Some people just go with the black
and gray
and that just may not aesthetically look great.
(09:59):
But there's companies out there that sell acoustic
panels that are actually
can be
ordered by design. So there's lots of options
out there. And then you don't need a
lot. Typically, in front and to the sides
of you is a great place to put
them if you're not too far away from
a wall.
The sound just kinda bounces around a little
bit, sometimes bounces right back back into the
(10:21):
mic. Yeah. In my office here, I have
carpet, and I put acoustic panels on the
ceiling. Of course, this office is purpose built
for podcast studio and work.
But then I've got a couple of a
couple of panels on each side of me
on the walls, and it it works pretty
well. And I'm kind of in the worst
place ever for podcasters and next to a
(10:43):
busy road, and they got helicopters flying over
all the time, and it really makes a
difference even from external sound. But, you can
pick up you can probably hear the helicopter
now.
Yeah. I can hear it in the background
a little bit. One thing that is the
biggest really impact to acoustics is if you
are using a big monitor in front of
your microphone Yeah. That sound will actually bounce
(11:06):
right off that monitor and come back in
and you really it's very hard to hear,
but it's such if you're a professional editor,
it's almost a bit of a reverb.
So
if you have the opportunity and you can
get a clear space in front of you
between
your mouth and
what's in front of you that's open, that's
a great place to put an acoustic panel.
(11:27):
But if you've got a big screen,
then on the sides and like Mike said
above you work out good. Now, Mike, you
don't have to worry about the missus complaining
about the acoustic panels above you in in
in the home and having a guest see
that thing. What's that
up there? This is a Yeah. It's
This is the man cave. I get to
do what I want. Right.
(11:48):
Right. Ladies, I know that having something look
nice is important. So again, on those acoustic
panels, you can order custom ones that actually
may even have your podcast logo or something
like that on on it. Right. Alright. Mike,
what else we have in this list? Yeah.
And something simple. If, you know, your
person you're giving a gift to, podcaster
or yourself, uses a laptop
(12:10):
stand, you can get a really nice looking
one that'll lift the laptop up off the
desk so you get a little more space.
It kinda puts the thing up further to
so you can see
see it a little better without having neck
strain or anything like that. Something simple like
that would be a cool little gift. Yeah.
That the ability to raise that laptop about
(12:31):
4 inches
is
makes the whole difference in the world. Even
here where I'm at now, I'm looking down
at my laptop and the laptop stand has
been in my consideration to add here to
this
to my, basically,
my remote
studio location.
One other thing too to consider
is
some custom podcast artwork.
(12:53):
If you if it's been a while since
you've had an there's been an update to
a show design,
you can gift a service like 99 designs
and, so they can update your artwork. Lots
of options there to go out and maybe
do a update to the podcast artwork.
Yep. And the next thing I have on
(13:14):
the list here is gift cards for, like,
a stock music
service or a fax, a service like
epidemic sound or endemic sound, I guess it
is, and or audio jungle, something like that
to get some bumper music and sound effects
and intros, translations, that kind of thing. And
there's who does it? I forget what the
(13:35):
name of the outfit is that will actually
make the intros and outros for you. Maybe
a gift card for something like that or
for your podcaster that you give the gift
to or for yourself.
Another thing is continuing education. You think about
a subscription to a master class or Skillshare.
They all have courses on audio editing, storytelling,
(13:57):
and interview techniques.
There are also podcast specific courses available to
help creators sharpen their skills. That's a great
way to go. Also, depending on what you
have for an audio interface, of course, the
RODEcaster
seems to be the most popular product right
now, but there's a lot of a great
audio interfaces. Focusrite is 1. It's a great
(14:19):
audio interface for connecting XLR microphones to a
computer.
It's known for its high quality preamps and
ease.
I'm personally Mike, you and I fell in
love with the product from AudioSigma,
the Pod Mobile. This thing has changed the
world for me as far as not having
to deal with glitches and all this. And
it's called the AudioSigma
(14:41):
Pod Mobile. It's the one I'm using, and
it's a little tiny device, so you can
take it with you. You can plug it
into an iPhone and record. You can plug
it into an iPad or a Android or
pretty much any device, and it'll power it.
It's just we talked about it. I interviewed
the guy that designed it. One thing, you
can't record the device. It is a DSP.
(15:01):
So your pod mobile will hand yeah. It'll
handle 2 microphones,
and it's got, I mean, incredible amps. Yeah.
I can't talk.
It's a great product. So Audius Sigma,
a u d a u d I s
I g m a,
highly recommended. And again, if you're looking for
a portable solution, this is absolutely it.
(15:23):
And, of course, there's we always need storage.
Oh, yeah. A reliable external hard drive is
always something that's crucial for storing backing up
episodes.
Of course, cloud storage subscriptions to stuff like
Google Drive or Dropbox are also valuable for
extra safety,
but I've always have my data from my
(15:44):
podcast backed up in 2 places. I have
it on an external hard drive, and I
have it also in the cloud.
Everyone needs an external hard drive, especially when
you wanna clean the laptop up a little
bit and you wanna dump stuff off
or on the desktop depending on what you're
using.
A great in there great price these days.
My god. It the cost for storage is
unbelievable.
(16:06):
Out there. It's it's gotten a lot cheaper.
That's the thing. I remember
it used to be, like, a dollar a
megabyte or something way back when, but just
now you can get a 2 terabyte
SSD
drive that I probably for under a $100
if you shop around. Oh, yeah. They're under
a 100. Yeah. They're very inexpensive. Yeah. Yeah.
(16:26):
And here's a big one,
a comfortable office chair.
Now I kinda went to the extreme, and
I have a I have a La Z
Boy in here. But, currently, I'm in a
steel case
from the office there in Columbus,
and it's a very comfortable chair. It doesn't
make a whole lot of noise when I
move around, and
(16:46):
something like that for your creator
or for yourself,
it's a great investment.
Just being comfortable makes you sound better. And
I I know it sounds silly, but if
you're all slouched in a an uncomfortable chair,
it's gonna come through in your audio. And
if you're on video, you're gonna be wiggling
around and all that.
It definitely
(17:07):
is something you should invest in either for
yourself or for whoever you're given the gift
to.
Now, Mike, I'm can attest to this in
a big way. And when
I got over here and overseas and built
this portable studio,
I bought a $72
computer chair,
and
it's now sitting on the patio. I went
(17:28):
and ordered another
computer chair that is definitely more comfortable, but
it's not even at the standard that I
have when I'm in the studio in Michigan.
The chair I have in Michigan was purposely
bought and it was
very expensive. It was about $700,
but I can stay in that chair 8
hours. I can work comfortably,
(17:49):
get up, not have a sore back. It's
adjustable. The arms move. I mean, I can
change the position along with the standing desk,
of course, has
been really life changing
for someone that has back challenges.
This probably, in my opinion, if you don't
have a good chair,
this is probably the best investment you can
(18:09):
make. I'm trying to think of the name
of the chair that I have. Again, not
inexpensive
and at very few it's basically you can
find them in professional.
Don't go to Walmart. Don't go to
Staples or whatever. Go to a professional
office
supply store peep where they sell
(18:30):
professional desk and that type of you'll find
chairs in there that will be different than
you'll find anywhere else
in a price range that will run probably
300 up to more closer to $1,000. But,
again
And don't worry about there's a lot of
used office
furniture out there, especially after the pandemic. A
(18:51):
lot of offices never reopen. Yep. You can
pick up a Herman Miller or a Steelcase
chair at one of those places for what
you would pay for the Amazon
cheapo one. Yeah. And, again,
once you sit in them, you're gonna go,
You you just know the difference. It's night
and day. And I tell people this all
(19:12):
the time and they just you say you
spend $700
on an office chair?
I'm like, yeah. And I love it.
Yeah. It's like here, we work
in our office chairs. Yeah. And something that
we didn't have on the list here, but
maybe a lift desk.
A lift desk is great. Because, like, with
this, I've got a lift desk in here.
And if I wanna stand, I can. If
(19:33):
I wanna sit on a bar stool, I
can. If I wanna roll my lazy boy
over here, I can. And I can put
the desk at the optimal levels. That's another
thought. They do have these
lifts that can go on
a regular desk that just lift the computer
and monitor up, but a full lift desk
also is not that expensive anymore. They're all
over the place.
(19:55):
When we closed the office, I took the
Steelcase lift desk and put it in my
office, and then I had a lift desk
that I had purchased personally. I gave to
my daughter,
and she'd never had a lift desk before.
And
she just, like, raves every time I talk
about it about that being able to basically
be able to stand up, raise the desk,
(20:16):
work standing up. It's just that change of
position makes a big difference.
Final thing we have on the list here
is a tool or service like Canva Pro
for designing podcasting merchandise or gift certificates or
to print demand service
print on demand service like Printful to help
podcasters create and sell branded items. Again, a
merchandise
design kit.
(20:36):
And if you're shopping for yourself, maybe there's
been something in this list of things that
Mike and I have come up with.
What are some of the things that we
missed here? What is something that is on
your wish list for the holiday period or
just your wish list as a creator
by itself. Wait. Did we miss something? If
we did, let us know.
Yeah. Definitely. Send us your wish list. We'd
(20:57):
be interested in in that and, yeah, might
give us some ideas for ourselves.
So, anyway, we will catch you next week.
Happy holidays.
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.
And in the meantime, head to podcast insider.com
for more information,
to subscribe,
(21:17):
share, and read our show notes.
To check out our latest suite of services
and learn how Blueberry can help you leverage
your podcast, visit blueberry.com.
That's Blueberry without the e's.
We couldn't afford the e's.
Welcome to today's episode of Podcast Insider. I'm
Todd Cochran, founder of Blueberry Podcasting.
I'm Mike Dell, VP of customer relations here
at Blueberry. And today, we're gonna talk about
our 15 gift ideas
for the podcasters
in your life.
You're listening to Podcast Insider hosted by Mike
Dell, Todd Cochran, and Mackenzie Bennett from the
(00:21):
Blueberry team,
bringing you weekly insights, advice, and insider tips
and tricks to help you start, grow, and
thrive through podcasting.
With all the support of your team here
at Blueberry Podcasting. Welcome. Let's dive in.
Mike, can we come up with 15 ideas?
That's that's the question.
(00:42):
This December is here, so it's holiday season
and it's in full swing. Whether you're a
podcaster yourself or shopping for 1, it's a
perfect time to start thinking about the ultimate
gifts for creators.
So in today's episode, we're sharing our top
picks for gifts that will make any podcaster's
holiday merry and bright.
Again, whether you're dropping hints for your own
(01:04):
wish list or shopping for the perfect presence.
Like me being currently
overseas,
my kids are starting to send their Amazon
wish list, and it's always fun to to
see what they have and the grandkids'
shopping list. There's always a few things I
want as a podcaster.
And You and I are old enough to
remember the old Sears catalog
(01:26):
after well, you'd certainly go to auction. Well,
that's all you know, let's be honest with
you.
That is almost even before my time. So
I mean close to me too. So,
anyway
Microphones
are always
a great thing. And, again, if you don't
if you're shopping for someone
and
(01:47):
you don't know what they have, and you
would say, well, what kind of a microphone
is that? And they say, well, I've got
a
we've got a Ars Technica or I've got
a whatever. And then you can know what
they currently have,
and then you can look and see if
they actually need an upgrade.
And you can just Google based upon what
(02:09):
they have and then what's out there.
There's always great selections,
the Shure SM7
B, the m 7,
the this is not a Shure mic, but
the re 320,
a Rode PodMic.
And, again, if they are just getting started,
again, that kind of that starter mark mic,
that ETR 21 100 Yep. Is a great
(02:31):
mic as well. But, again, we went from
kind of expensive down to
less expensive in that list
with the SM 7b and the RE 3
20 to be kinda high on the list
on prices. But And on microphones,
it's a very personal thing, but, you know,
most
most of the time, I would suggest a
dynamic
(02:52):
unless they have a really good environment for
a condenser, but and the budget can go
anywhere from $100 to
500 or more if you get into those
real expensive ones. But, you know And if
it's someone that's not necessarily
needing a surprise, but maybe you're you shop
for each other or whatever it may be,
(03:12):
and you take a suggestion, maybe like, hey.
What mic would you love to have? And,
of course, don't be surprised. There's some out
there that are, like, way beyond what Mike
and I have talked about in budget here
Right. That are very nice.
But, for the most part, I've been using
SM 7 b now for
a couple of years. It's what I'm using
today.
I used to use a condenser mic, but,
(03:33):
again, I had a studio that would support
it. Yeah. And and it sounded great for
you. You know? That's the other thing with
not all mic sound great with all voices,
but we've we beat that to death in
another episode. But Yeah.
And, of course, accessories are always great too.
A pop filter, windscreen.
And, again, you might just wanna buy oftentimes,
(03:53):
these microphones that you currently have, you can
find aftermarket
windscreens that go right over the cone. So
in other words, you don't have to have
some big bulky thing. Yeah. The SM7 has
that built in. It's a big foam thing
that sticks on the end of it. But
things like the RE 3 20 or the
RODE PodMic,
they have these external little windscreens
(04:14):
that, you can get on Amazon, and they
just clamp around the end of the microphone,
and it's a physical screen.
Neat little things like that. Stocking stuffers as
we would call them, I guess.
And headphones are always a great investment. Now
I have been wearing in ear
headphones
for a very long time. And the reason
that I do that is because I also
(04:36):
do video.
So I don't want the big head headphones,
Yeah. The cans to be on. Now some
people do. I mean, I seem to see
folks are doing video with those big
big headphones on with the cans. Personally, I
like the in ear ones and I'm a
big fan of sure,
My head basically,
earphones. I guess that's the best word for
(04:56):
them. But
the
there's some great ones out there from Audio
Technica.
That's what I'm wearing. I'm sure. Awesome. The
ATH 5th m fifty x. Yeah. So you
use you're wearing a big can Yep. And
I'm wearing in ears.
And, again, I think it's an aesthetic. I
think it depends on what they want.
(05:17):
But another great option is the Sony MDR
7506.
Now that's known for clarity and comfort, and
as long as you wear these things sometimes,
they can actually start hurting the ears. Yeah.
You don't wanna wear them for hours and
hours and hours, but,
they're good for quick recording in an hour
or 2.
Yep.
Yeah. And then that's other things on this
(05:37):
list. Go ahead. Another thing that a lot
of podcasters don't have but might
like to have is a portable recorder, Zoom
h 5, h 6. They're reasonably
reasonably priced,
and they're really good. You can plug
the XLR mic into it, or they have
onboard condenser mics. But if somebody does
(05:58):
wanna podcast on the go,
that's that's a great option. I used to
do podcasts while driving, and I'd use my
h five and had a lavalier mic on,
which didn't have the greatest quality, but it
wasn't in my face when I was driving.
Be careful with stuff like that, but
a little portable recorder might be a cool
gift.
Of course, a microphone a microphone boom arm
(06:20):
the microphone
boom arm. English app for the day. Yeah.
One thing that for years, I used a
high oplt
2.
And, I mean, it was my go to
probably for more than 10 years. And then
when I reset my studio up, I end
up buying a relatively inexpensive
boom arm that instead of coming from over
(06:42):
the top came in from the bottom, bottom
up.
And I'm just in love with that new
boom arm. So, again, I think it depends
on what you're doing. The RODE PSA 1
is a great one as well,
but the main thing to think about is
what is the purpose of it? It's purely
audio.
Maybe one of those new boom arms that
come in from the bottom and come up
(07:04):
is better than one that comes in from
over the top. Again, it all depends on
your desk layout and where you're recording from
too. Yeah. And if you're doing a lot
of video, that makes more sense because you
don't have that big thing
over your head. But, you know, if you're
just doing audio only, you can't go wrong
with the Heil or the RODE.
And I got a idiot.
Cheap one that I got on Amazon that
(07:26):
comes up from the bottom. And Yeah. That's
where I found the one I had to.
And so far, so good. I'm using it
right now. One thing about those there and
I'll be honest with you. I've got some
boom mics that are in the graveyard because
they just didn't work for the desk.
So don't be afraid to send something back
too. If it doesn't work aesthetically
or if it doesn't reach perfectly, send it
(07:47):
back and get something else. But for my
money, that Heil PLT 2 is is one
of the best ones out there. And what's
cool about that one is it hides the
cords.
Yeah. It has in there and it's not
the fancy plastic that covers the cord, but
the cord runs down the boom. There's no
big springs, and it makes no noise when
you move it around.
That's kind of the gold standard as far
(08:09):
as I'm concerned.
Another thing you might think about is getting
somebody a subscription to some podcast editing software.
A lot of people are using,
what is that one? Audacity,
which is a free one. But
Audition is not free. It's a subscription,
but it's much more powerful. Now, again,
the problem with it would be whatever they're
(08:31):
used to, but there's a couple of really
good ones out there. Adobe Audition. I think
that's, what, $20 a month or something. You
can get an annual subscription or Descript.
I don't remember what the pricing is on
that, but it's not overly expensive, and it's
pretty interesting as well. A lot of people
are switching to that.
But that's
And this is a great season to pick
(08:53):
up subscriptions because I'm seeing 50% discounts on
stuff right now. Through Christmas, the stuff companies
are gonna be offering.
If you've got a current subscription and you're
paying monthly,
I just picked up a 50% offer in
annual with the folks at Restream.
So it saved me about $200. So I'm
pretty pleased with that with that renewal. Again,
(09:15):
so software stuff is always good. One thing
that I've taken advantage specifically in my last
two
studios is acoustic panels. I've really
it just made a whole
complete difference to the whole sound
in the studio. And it all dip also
depends on where you're recording. Now if you're
in a spare bedroom
(09:36):
and you've got carpet
or you're in a home office, depending on
your makeup of your room
and also
negotiating with your partner, if you have one,
you may wanna go with some acoustic panels
from
some companies out there that have the stylish
ones. Some people just go with the black
and gray
and that just may not aesthetically look great.
(09:59):
But there's companies out there that sell acoustic
panels that are actually
can be
ordered by design. So there's lots of options
out there. And then you don't need a
lot. Typically, in front and to the sides
of you is a great place to put
them if you're not too far away from
a wall.
The sound just kinda bounces around a little
bit, sometimes bounces right back back into the
(10:21):
mic. Yeah. In my office here, I have
carpet, and I put acoustic panels on the
ceiling. Of course, this office is purpose built
for podcast studio and work.
But then I've got a couple of a
couple of panels on each side of me
on the walls, and it it works pretty
well. And I'm kind of in the worst
place ever for podcasters and next to a
(10:43):
busy road, and they got helicopters flying over
all the time, and it really makes a
difference even from external sound. But, you can
pick up you can probably hear the helicopter
now.
Yeah. I can hear it in the background
a little bit. One thing that is the
biggest really impact to acoustics is if you
are using a big monitor in front of
your microphone Yeah. That sound will actually bounce
(11:06):
right off that monitor and come back in
and you really it's very hard to hear,
but it's such if you're a professional editor,
it's almost a bit of a reverb.
So
if you have the opportunity and you can
get a clear space in front of you
between
your mouth and
what's in front of you that's open, that's
a great place to put an acoustic panel.
(11:27):
But if you've got a big screen,
then on the sides and like Mike said
above you work out good. Now, Mike, you
don't have to worry about the missus complaining
about the acoustic panels above you in in
in the home and having a guest see
that thing. What's that
up there? This is a Yeah. It's
This is the man cave. I get to
do what I want. Right.
(11:48):
Right. Ladies, I know that having something look
nice is important. So again, on those acoustic
panels, you can order custom ones that actually
may even have your podcast logo or something
like that on on it. Right. Alright. Mike,
what else we have in this list? Yeah.
And something simple. If, you know, your
person you're giving a gift to, podcaster
or yourself, uses a laptop
(12:10):
stand, you can get a really nice looking
one that'll lift the laptop up off the
desk so you get a little more space.
It kinda puts the thing up further to
so you can see
see it a little better without having neck
strain or anything like that. Something simple like
that would be a cool little gift. Yeah.
That the ability to raise that laptop about
(12:31):
4 inches
is
makes the whole difference in the world. Even
here where I'm at now, I'm looking down
at my laptop and the laptop stand has
been in my consideration to add here to
this
to my, basically,
my remote
studio location.
One other thing too to consider
is
some custom podcast artwork.
(12:53):
If you if it's been a while since
you've had an there's been an update to
a show design,
you can gift a service like 99 designs
and, so they can update your artwork. Lots
of options there to go out and maybe
do a update to the podcast artwork.
Yep. And the next thing I have on
(13:14):
the list here is gift cards for, like,
a stock music
service or a fax, a service like
epidemic sound or endemic sound, I guess it
is, and or audio jungle, something like that
to get some bumper music and sound effects
and intros, translations, that kind of thing. And
there's who does it? I forget what the
(13:35):
name of the outfit is that will actually
make the intros and outros for you. Maybe
a gift card for something like that or
for your podcaster that you give the gift
to or for yourself.
Another thing is continuing education. You think about
a subscription to a master class or Skillshare.
They all have courses on audio editing, storytelling,
(13:57):
and interview techniques.
There are also podcast specific courses available to
help creators sharpen their skills. That's a great
way to go. Also, depending on what you
have for an audio interface, of course, the
RODEcaster
seems to be the most popular product right
now, but there's a lot of a great
audio interfaces. Focusrite is 1. It's a great
(14:19):
audio interface for connecting XLR microphones to a
computer.
It's known for its high quality preamps and
ease.
I'm personally Mike, you and I fell in
love with the product from AudioSigma,
the Pod Mobile. This thing has changed the
world for me as far as not having
to deal with glitches and all this. And
it's called the AudioSigma
(14:41):
Pod Mobile. It's the one I'm using, and
it's a little tiny device, so you can
take it with you. You can plug it
into an iPhone and record. You can plug
it into an iPad or a Android or
pretty much any device, and it'll power it.
It's just we talked about it. I interviewed
the guy that designed it. One thing, you
can't record the device. It is a DSP.
(15:01):
So your pod mobile will hand yeah. It'll
handle 2 microphones,
and it's got, I mean, incredible amps. Yeah.
I can't talk.
It's a great product. So Audius Sigma,
a u d a u d I s
I g m a,
highly recommended. And again, if you're looking for
a portable solution, this is absolutely it.
(15:23):
And, of course, there's we always need storage.
Oh, yeah. A reliable external hard drive is
always something that's crucial for storing backing up
episodes.
Of course, cloud storage subscriptions to stuff like
Google Drive or Dropbox are also valuable for
extra safety,
but I've always have my data from my
(15:44):
podcast backed up in 2 places. I have
it on an external hard drive, and I
have it also in the cloud.
Everyone needs an external hard drive, especially when
you wanna clean the laptop up a little
bit and you wanna dump stuff off
or on the desktop depending on what you're
using.
A great in there great price these days.
My god. It the cost for storage is
unbelievable.
(16:06):
Out there. It's it's gotten a lot cheaper.
That's the thing. I remember
it used to be, like, a dollar a
megabyte or something way back when, but just
now you can get a 2 terabyte
SSD
drive that I probably for under a $100
if you shop around. Oh, yeah. They're under
a 100. Yeah. They're very inexpensive. Yeah. Yeah.
(16:26):
And here's a big one,
a comfortable office chair.
Now I kinda went to the extreme, and
I have a I have a La Z
Boy in here. But, currently, I'm in a
steel case
from the office there in Columbus,
and it's a very comfortable chair. It doesn't
make a whole lot of noise when I
move around, and
(16:46):
something like that for your creator
or for yourself,
it's a great investment.
Just being comfortable makes you sound better. And
I I know it sounds silly, but if
you're all slouched in a an uncomfortable chair,
it's gonna come through in your audio. And
if you're on video, you're gonna be wiggling
around and all that.
It definitely
(17:07):
is something you should invest in either for
yourself or for whoever you're given the gift
to.
Now, Mike, I'm can attest to this in
a big way. And when
I got over here and overseas and built
this portable studio,
I bought a $72
computer chair,
and
it's now sitting on the patio. I went
(17:28):
and ordered another
computer chair that is definitely more comfortable, but
it's not even at the standard that I
have when I'm in the studio in Michigan.
The chair I have in Michigan was purposely
bought and it was
very expensive. It was about $700,
but I can stay in that chair 8
hours. I can work comfortably,
(17:49):
get up, not have a sore back. It's
adjustable. The arms move. I mean, I can
change the position along with the standing desk,
of course, has
been really life changing
for someone that has back challenges.
This probably, in my opinion, if you don't
have a good chair,
this is probably the best investment you can
(18:09):
make. I'm trying to think of the name
of the chair that I have. Again, not
inexpensive
and at very few it's basically you can
find them in professional.
Don't go to Walmart. Don't go to
Staples or whatever. Go to a professional
office
supply store peep where they sell
(18:30):
professional desk and that type of you'll find
chairs in there that will be different than
you'll find anywhere else
in a price range that will run probably
300 up to more closer to $1,000. But,
again
And don't worry about there's a lot of
used office
furniture out there, especially after the pandemic. A
(18:51):
lot of offices never reopen. Yep. You can
pick up a Herman Miller or a Steelcase
chair at one of those places for what
you would pay for the Amazon
cheapo one. Yeah. And, again,
once you sit in them, you're gonna go,
You you just know the difference. It's night
and day. And I tell people this all
(19:12):
the time and they just you say you
spend $700
on an office chair?
I'm like, yeah. And I love it.
Yeah. It's like here, we work
in our office chairs. Yeah. And something that
we didn't have on the list here, but
maybe a lift desk.
A lift desk is great. Because, like, with
this, I've got a lift desk in here.
And if I wanna stand, I can. If
(19:33):
I wanna sit on a bar stool, I
can. If I wanna roll my lazy boy
over here, I can. And I can put
the desk at the optimal levels. That's another
thought. They do have these
lifts that can go on
a regular desk that just lift the computer
and monitor up, but a full lift desk
also is not that expensive anymore. They're all
over the place.
(19:55):
When we closed the office, I took the
Steelcase lift desk and put it in my
office, and then I had a lift desk
that I had purchased personally. I gave to
my daughter,
and she'd never had a lift desk before.
And
she just, like, raves every time I talk
about it about that being able to basically
be able to stand up, raise the desk,
(20:16):
work standing up. It's just that change of
position makes a big difference.
Final thing we have on the list here
is a tool or service like Canva Pro
for designing podcasting merchandise or gift certificates or
to print demand service
print on demand service like Printful to help
podcasters create and sell branded items. Again, a
merchandise
design kit.
(20:36):
And if you're shopping for yourself, maybe there's
been something in this list of things that
Mike and I have come up with.
What are some of the things that we
missed here? What is something that is on
your wish list for the holiday period or
just your wish list as a creator
by itself. Wait. Did we miss something? If
we did, let us know.
Yeah. Definitely. Send us your wish list. We'd
(20:57):
be interested in in that and, yeah, might
give us some ideas for ourselves.
So, anyway, we will catch you next week.
Happy holidays.
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.
And in the meantime, head to podcast insider.com
for more information,
to subscribe,
(21:17):
share, and read our show notes.
To check out our latest suite of services
and learn how Blueberry can help you leverage
your podcast, visit blueberry.com.
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