1000 Podcasters

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 tha...

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 run...

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 hea...

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.

What to do if you’re blown off

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
• ...

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 mo...

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...

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 t...

Have you ever felt that fear before you hit publish? Before you published your first episode, did you wonder what people would think about you? Do you ever downplay what you do when you’re talking with coworkers because you don’t want to fully reveal what you’re doing in your podcast (and not for legal reasons)?

All of those have impacted me at one point or another. 

Today I’m going to share how I worked through it in the beginning...

You might have noticed that I’ve been missing for a few days. After podcasting daily for over a month, you didn’t hear from me and I also didn’t give any explanation.

I think there are a few things we can learn from this.

Listen to find out:

• What was so important that I didn’t podcast for 3 days.
• Why I think this was the right choice for me.
• Three times you should consider reprioritizing your podcast - especially if i...

Being a podcast professional comes with its own special language. A very specific and detailed language. It sounds like English…sort of.

Today I was given a small serving of Humble Pie while on a call with Tech Support at work and I was reminded of something that I need to be more carful of as a podcaster.

Listen to Discover:

• What was going on at work (my day job)
• How that call went
• Where the call started going sidewa...

Are podcast episode numbers needed? And if so, what is a good format and placement?

Tom asks: 

Bryan...if it would be an appropriate topic for your Top Tier show...it could be helpful to us if you gave your opinion about episode numbers. Have them or not...format...placement, etc.

Tom

Today I’m sharing my OPINION but I think it bears out in terms of a best practice. 

A fire drill at work today reminded me of the power of perspective. Truthfully, our expectations and perspective can shape the kinds of experiences we have. And the same applies to podcasting.

Listen to Discover:

• What happened with a fire drill at work
• The two groups of people I observed
• Which group I found myself in
• What I think I need to focus on
• How this can benefit you as a podcaster.

What About You...

As podcasters, we might feel like we’re putting out an authentic image of ourselves. However, sometimes there are things that might be downplayed or maybe assumed incorrectly by our audiences.

Today I’m going to share a few things to make sure the record is straight on me as a podcast editor.

Listen to Discover:

• An incorrect assumption about me as a podcast editor
• What sometimes takes as long as editing an episode
• A “...

“What’s the best podcast microphone?” is asked so often that it’s almost a meme in the various podcasting groups on Facebook. And the similar question, “What software should I use?” could be a meme all its own.

However, they’re still valid questions.

Today I’m sharing the tools I use in my workflow as a podcaster and as a podcaster. Since I’m in the studio and this show is just me, I’ll focus on that.

Listen to discover:

Have you ever run an experiment that didn’t turn out exactly as planned? I have - and yesterday’s episode (https://toptieraudio.com/80) didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped. The audio was good but I was confusing with the content and it was a little harder to produce than I’d hoped.

I received a few follow-up questions (thanks Harry) that I am answering today.

Listen to discover

• What went well and what didn’t with yes...

As a podcaster, you may not always be able to record in your studio (even if your studio is the kitchen). So what are you going to do when you’re traveling or on vacation?

You can skip episodes, you can work ahead, or you can plan for recording while you’re out.

I’m doing that RIGHT now.

Listen to Discover

• Where I’m recording now
• Why mobile recording is important
• Some of the trade-offs
• What I’ve been doing recently
• Wh...

Do you like to make mistakes? Especially mistakes in public?

I know that I don't and I think most other people would prefer to avoid mistakes, too. But sometimes trying to avoid mistakes will keep us stuck (another mistake) and curtail our opportunities to grow.

But what if there was a way to gain the growth and learning that comes from making mistakes without the pain of the mistakes?

I'm talking about learning from the mistakes o...

A lot of people spend time wondering what the next month or year will bring. Today I’m going to share my 2020 prediction for YOU.

Earlier this week I was listening to Better Podcasting (a podcast about podcasting for hobby podcasters) and they challenged me and the rest of their audience to pick something that we will focus on in our shows for 2020. I’m still working on that, but it got me thinking about retrospectives and goals an...

Do you like being rejected?

I don’t. But I know that rejection and even the occasional failure are likely for podcasters (really, for anyone who’s trying to grow and leave the world a better place).

But then comes the question: If I’m likely to be rejected, what can I do about that?

Listen to discover:

• What I did to help get over that initial fear of rejection
• How many times I’ve been rejected over the past 6 years as...