23 FEB 2022 · These past few days have been quite active in the podcasting industry. There was a controversy with Joe Rogan and Spotify, also the podcasting market is growing, and more people are getting into it. In this episode, Molly, Adam, and Marcus talk about Libsyn's financials and assets, how people record audio the incorrect way, news and developments in the podcasting industry, what are the top-selling podcasting equipment, Riverside's marketing campaign, Boom Caster, and a bitesize about the Super Bowl. 📌Key Takeaways 🌟About the current Issues on Libsyn on their  Financials, Assets, and their hosting platform 🌟People use audio recording devices the wrong way  🌟Tips and recommendations on how to use audio recording devices  🌟News and Updates on the podcasting World 🌟What are the Hot Selling Podcasting Equipment  🌟Know the Riverside Controversy on their ad Campaign and the New player, Boom Caster 📌Quote Takeaways  “The podcasting world has been busy, and every podcast business is starting to pick up this month of February.” - Molly “Producing a similar device is wonderful, and it's a cool thing to do, but most people wouldn't spend money on stuff that is almost identical to what they already have.” - Adam “I'm uncomfortable using a service if they are disrespectful to their competitors, but I like that there is competition, and as a result, Riverside continues to give the greatest deals on the market.” - Marcus     📌Websites and Techs Mentioned in The Episode ☑️Riverside ☑️Libsyn ☑️IHeartRadio ☑️Boom Caster ☑️Rodecaster Pro ☑️Zoom P8 ☑️Universal Audio Microphone SD 1 ☑️SM7B ☑️MV88 📌Speakers on this Episode 🎙️Podcast Pro: Molly Ruland What she does: Molly is the founder and CEO of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production company and content creation lab based in Washington, D.C. www.heartcastmedia.com 🎙️Podcast Pro: Marcus dePaula What he does: An audio engineer, podcast producer and website designer, Marcus runs Me Only Louder, a podcast production company in Franklin, Tenn. www.meonlylouder.com 🎙️Podcast Pro: Adam Levin What he does: Adam is the manager of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center and is the founder of Podcast Outfitters, which specializes in podcast equipment. Podcast Outfitters The Podcast Equipment Experts Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center 📌Time Stamp ⏲️[00:00] Introduction ⏲️[00:49] About Lybsin Financials and Assets ⏲️[04:06] Talks about audio recording  ⏲️[09:17] Current Issues on the podcasting World ⏲️[12:42] New and Hot Selling Podcasting Equipment  ⏲️[22:04] Riverside Controversy and the New Boom Caster ⏲️[28:50] Closing 📌WANT SOME MORE? CHECK THIS OUT!! ☑️Tweet by Bryan Barletta regarding Riverside.Fm ☑️Review on Universal Audio SD-1 Dynamic Microphone This podcast is produced by Heartcast Media.

9 FEB 2022 · The right to freedom of expression is a basic human right. All other human rights are reinforced, allowing society to thrive and progress. The freedom to openly express ourselves and voice our minds is critical for societal transformation.But where do we draw the line if the thing we wish to say spreads disinformation and occasionally comes from those with influence? In this episode, Molly, Marcus and Adam discuss the recent issue of Joe Rogan and Neil Young on Spotify and what it means on freedom of expression, Obligations of Major Companies in handling information and moral responsibilities on true information. 📌Key Takeaways ✨Joe Rogan and Neil Young on Spotify Issue ✨Spotify Obligations as a medium of Good Information ✨Moral Responsibilities of Content Creators and Podcasting Platforms ✨Free Speech and Censorship on Podcasting 📌Key Quotes in the Episode: 📣“There should be guidelines on what true information and what misinformation is” - Molly 📣“We will disagree with our partners at some time, but identifying our beliefs and what is essential to us should be a requirement when doing podcasts, just as large corporations have values and mission statements.” - Marcus 📣“At its core, it's like the whole. That is the problem with the way we consume information and the way people listen to soundbites instead of listening to people. Yes, it's profundity.” - Adam 📌People Mentioned in the Episode ✔️Neil Young ✔️Joe Rogan ✔️R Kelly ✔️Alex Jones ✔️Howard Stern ✔️Bernie Brown   📌Terms Mentioned in the Episode ✔️1st Amendment - stipulates that Congress may not pass any legislation restricting or banning the free exercise of religion. It safeguards the freedoms of expression, the press, and assembly, as well as the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. ✔️Section 230 -  provides immunity for website platforms with respect to third-party content. ✔️PedalTrain - Pedaltrain is the premier innovation in guitar effects pedalboards.   📌Guests in This Episode: 🎙️Podcast Pro: Molly Ruland What she does: Molly is the founder and CEO of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production company and content creation lab based in Washington, D.C. www.heartcastmedia.com 🎙️Podcast Pro: Marcus dePaula What he does: An audio engineer, podcast producer and website designer, Marcus runs Me Only Louder, a podcast production company in Franklin, Tenn. www.meonlylouder.com 🎙️Podcast Pro: Adam Levin  What he does: Adam is the manager of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center and is the founder of Podcast Outfitters, which specializes in podcast equipment. https://podcastoutfitters.com/ https://chucklevins.com/ 📌Time Stamps ⏲️[00:00] Pre-Introduction ⏲️[06:00] Introduction ⏲️[07:47] Spotify Responsibility as a medium for Information ⏲️[26:20] Free Speech  ⏲️[30:01] Influencers impact to their audiences  ⏲️[32:27] Moral Responsibilities of Major Companies ⏲️[52:44] Conclusion  📌WANT SOME MORE? CHECK THIS OUT!! 📣“I always knew he was racist. India is a total badass!" Omid Scobie on Twitter ✔️Spotify Removes R. Kelly, XXXTentacion Music From Its Playlists ✔️Rogan responds to Spotify protest, COVID advisories ✔️Rogan Apologizes. Spotify Posts Rules ✔️Brené Brown says she’s not going to release any new podcast episodes ✔️The Joe Rogan controversy is what happens when you put podcasts behind a wall       Recorded on Riverside. Get hooked up today: https://heartcast.biz/3s24usy Find on iTunes: http://heartcast.biz/38tmMe6    

26 JAN 2022 · In this episode, Molly, Adam, and Marcus examine some problems in the podcasting industry surrounding what it takes to be a top popular podcast show. They also explore podcasting industry innovation and potential changes if the industry enters NFTs and VR technology. Tune in if you want to learn more about the possibilities of NFTs in the podcasting sector and how to improve your podcast show. Key Takeaways ✨What makes a good podcast and What does “Top Hit Episodes” mean? ✨What would it be if NFTs entered into podcasting ✨Podcasting and Virtual Reality Key Quotes in this Episode “What makes a podcast the best? What if there's a podcast that has less listeners but has 100,000 paid subscribers? Does that make it better or is it only based on downloads?” - Molly “I create things as a way to connect with other human beings. There's nothing wrong with creating something purely out of the desire to profit from it. But if I'm going to create this exclusive thing that only a small group of people get to hear, just for the sake of making money, it goes against what I think podcasting is all about.”  - Marcus “The community's got to be strong to make any one of these NFTs relevant, that's kind of how a lot of it happens. That's why these things blow up, not just because, but because there's a momentum behind it”  - Adam People Mentioned in the Episode 🧔Paul Stamets 🧔Joe Rogan 🧔James Cridland 🧔Martin Shkreli 🧔Redman  🧔Method Man 🧔Rick Ross 🧔Mike Tyson 🧔Logan Paul Special Mentioned in the Episode ✅DAO - Decentralized Autonomous Organization ✅NFT - Non-Fungible Token ✅Metaverse - Fictional World ✅Reddit  ✅Altered Carbon Movie ✅Wall-E ✅Venmo   Our Podcast Host for this Episode: Podcast Pro: Molly Ruland 🎙️ What she does: Molly is the founder and CEO of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production company and content creation lab based in Washington, D.C. www.heartcastmedia.com Podcast Pro: Marcus dePaula 🎙️ What he does: An audio engineer, podcast producer and website designer, Marcus runs Me Only Louder, a podcast production company in Franklin, Tenn. www.meonlylouder.com Podcast Pro: Adam Levin 🎙️ What he does: Adam is the manager of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center and is the founder of Podcast Outfitters, which specializes in podcast equipment. https://podcastoutfitters.com/ https://chucklevins.com/   📌TIMESTAMPS ⏲[00:00] Introduction ⏲️[2:33] Molly, Marcus and Adam discusses the article released by Bloomberg about podcasting. ⏲️[05:33]They discuss what makes a good podcast and how should we define “Hit”. ⏲️[08:19]Molly discusses the prediction she made on Spotify going out of business. ⏲️[12:01]Adam discusses decentralizing the podcast industry, suggesting a  more community-based type of podcasting. He also stated about NFTs entering the podcast industry. ⏲️[23:04]They discuss what will happen in the future if NFTs and virtual reality become mainstream. ⏲️[35:15] Conclusion of the episode ⏲️[38:04]Outro 📌Equipment Mentioned: Sony ZV e10 Camera - Marcus’ camera    Links Mentioned: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-01-09/podcasting-hasn-t-produced-a-new-hit-in-years https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/11/22877242/spotify-studios-four-lay-off-original-podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-n35u6mDO0 https://www.ulanzi.com/collections/geartree https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/interchangeable-lens-cameras/aps-c/p/ilczve10l-w https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1369132-REG/sigma_402965_16mm_f_1_4_dc_dn.html   Recorded on Riverside. Get hooked up today: https://heartcast.biz/3s24usy Find on iTunes: http://heartcast.biz/38tmMe6  

12 JAN 2022 · 📌EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode, Molly, Adam, and Marcus discuss what will be happening in the year 2022. They share individually what they think will happen in the podcasting industry. They also discuss how the quality of the podcast shows affects people on how they portray a person when listening to bad quality podcasts versus high quality shows. The host also discusses microphones. They give insights and examples what is a good microphone and not. They also share stories about people using mediocre microphones versus those who use high quality microphones. Tune in now in this episode if you like some insight about the future of the podcasting industry in the year 2022, or you want to know more about microphones as you are interested in scaling and growing your podcast shows. 📌Key Takeaways in the Episode: 📣Predictions and Possibilities that will occur on the podcasting industry for 2022. 📣How to Stepping up your podcast in the year 2022.  📣Things We should know about microphones for better podcast shows in 2022. 📌Key Quotes in the Episode: “So hopefully you'll see a rise in people actually caring about product quality and the value that it provides and the separation between the people that are just getting into it and are not invested in the full medium of podcasting. And those that are into it” - Adam “that the microphone and camera is the new suit for sure” - Marcus “And I think people, businesses and other people, some people have success with the podcast but thought it was going to be fleeting. And now they're realizing no podcasts have been here and they're definitely not going anywhere and just all the benefits of being able to go remote. I mean, from from a business perspective, we have global clients” - Molly 📌People Mentioned in the Episode: 👧Arielle Nissenblatte - Author at Squadcast.fm 🧔Joe Rogan - American Podcaster, UFC color commentator 🧔Alex Hormozi - author of the book “100 million dollar offer” 📌Tools and Accessories Mentioned in the Episode: ✔️Logitech H390 ✔️Audix USB 12 ✔️Blue Yeti Microphone ✔️Audio Technica 2040 ✔️Shure SM7B ✔️Shure MV7 ✔️V7 Microphone ✔️Re20   📌Our Podcast Host for this Episode: Podcast Pro: Molly Ruland 🎙️ What she does: Molly is the founder and CEO of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production company and content creation lab based in Washington, D.C. 👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Podcast Pro: Marcus dePaula 🎙️ What he does: An audio engineer, podcast producer and website designer, Marcus runs Me Only Louder, a podcast production company in Franklin, Tenn. 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Podcast Pro: Adam Levin 🎙️ What he does: Adam is the manager of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center and is the founder of Podcast Outfitters, which specializes in podcast equipment. 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram     📌TIMESTAMPS ⏲️[03:16] What the Hosts think will happen in the Year 2022 in podcasting, Advertising and Content Marketing. Molly predicts that for the year 2022, podcasting will continue to rise and increase in numbers just like the pandemic levels that we experienced.   Marcus predicts that there will be a rise of content that teaches or trains podcasters to be better and do quality work for their podcasting. Adam said that during 2020, the start of the pandemic. Podcasting wasn’t a thing until good microphones showed up on the market. Adam also added that 2021 was the start of people going back outside buying tools that will improve their podcast shows.  ⏲️[09:45] Podcasting from its infancy years and its impact to people, businesses and community globally.  Molly discusses the impacts of Podcasting to businesses from the past years and how podcasting is growing into a global industry.  Marcus and Adam also discuss their experiences with multi-streaming, both positive and negative. ⏲️[14:27] Joe Rogan what will he do in podcasting industry for the year 2022 The host also discusses the presence of Joe Rogan on Spotify and its influence in the podcasting industry. The host also talks about the contracts and ad fees of Joe Rogan and how very influential he is in the industry.    ⏲️[15:50] How does the quality of your podcasting influence how people see you vs what you tell them? Marcus also mentions that the quality of the microphone has a significant impact on the quality of the podcasts and recommends us to invest in better microphones. ⏲️[18:30] Microphones, Microphones, Microphones! The hosts are talking about microphones, their brand, the qualities, and the price in the market. Adam exhibits the Audix USB 12 microphone he had and describes the quality of the microphone as well as the market pricing. Marcus also shares what Microphone he is using and how terrible the quality of the mic is. The host also recommended some good and better microphones out there in the market.  Sponsor Links:  https://www.podcastoutfitters.com https://www.meonlylouder.com https://www.heartcastmedia.com Equipment Mentioned:  Marcus's Microphone : http://heartcast.biz/3gLTjyG Molly's Set Up : http://heartcast.biz/38tHHO0 Recorded on Riverside. Get hooked up today: https://heartcast.biz/3s24usy Find on iTunes: http://heartcast.biz/38tmMe6    

29 DEC 2021 · Podcasting is a fast-growing and fast-changing industry that’s been greatly affected by the pandemic, but those COVID-related curveballs have brought some new and exciting changes to podcasting over the past year. On this episode of The Podcast Club, Molly, Marcus and Adam share thoughts on the year in podcasting and look ahead at what trends they think are here to stay. Episode Summary  With 2021 drawing to a close, The Podcast Club hosts huddle to reflect on the year and look ahead.  On this episode, Molly, Marcus and Adam discuss the role of transcripts and inclusivity in the podcast world, why podcasters need to be on YouTube and the increased awareness of branding and monetization opportunities in podcasting. They note the lawsuit brought against SiriusXM for not having transcripts available for their podcasts.  “We are about to see a whole new world of inclusion,” Molly says. “I love seeing stuff like that because it just means we're going to get more and more regulated in the industry. It'll become more and more accessible.” The hosts also discuss the expansion of video: podcasters are increasingly seeing the value in uploading to YouTube — a trend that will continue to grow in 2022. “People just spend so much time on YouTube,” says Marcus.  Overall, it’s been an exciting few years in podcasting with many new developments, and The Podcast Club can’t wait to see what’s next.  Tune in to hear what they think about inclusion in podcasting, branded podcasting, the amount of work that goes into creating a quality podcast, and the swing from remote to in-person podcasting, and back. Tools and tech mentioned in this episode: ✔️ Riverside ✔️ Podnews ✔️ RØDECaster Pro ✔️ MV7 ✔️ SM7B ✔️ SquadCast ✔️ Cleanfeed ✔️ YouTube Podcast Pro: Molly Ruland  🎙️ What she does: Molly is the founder and CEO of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production company and content creation lab based in Washington, D.C.  💡 Key quote: “As a business owner, or any a content creator, you're so focused on the last week or the last episode, or payroll, or the numbers and you forget to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and be proud of what you have accomplished, and not so focused on what you didn't get done.” 👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram   Podcast Pro: Marcus dePaula 🎙️ What he does: An audio engineer, podcast producer and website designer, Marcus runs Me Only Louder, a podcast production company in Franklin, Tenn. 💡 Key quote: “I think people are finally realizing, not just the opportunities, but also how serious you have to be to actually make something out of your podcast. You have to treat it like a business.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Podcast Pro: Adam Levin 🎙️ What he does: Adam is the manager of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center and is the founder of Podcast Outfitters, which specializes in podcast equipment.  💡 Key quote: “That's probably the biggest thing to come out of all of this, is services like this, that provide a great product to work with. It gives you a lot of the functionality that you had before, in a way that lets you reach more people.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram ## Tips for Podcasters  Top takeaways from the episode  ⭐ Make your podcast as accessible as possible. With increasing developments in AI, it’s easier than ever to include transcriptions with your podcasts. Even for the smallest podcast, the tools are available to make your podcast inclusive for people with hearing difficulties.  ⭐ Expect to see an increase in branded podcasts. More businesses are understanding the value and effectiveness of branded podcasts in driving revenue and creating strategic relationships.  ⭐ Remote isn’t a trend. Remote work is here to stay in some form or another, and this opens up a lot of doors for podcasters in terms of scheduling and the ability to book higher-quality guests. ⭐ Video content will continue to grow. It’s essential for a podcast to be putting content on YouTube for discoverability. The tools to support better video quality are constantly improving.  Episode Highlights Inflection points from the show 00:08:07 Inclusion matters: Molly highlights the lawsuit against SiriusXM from the National Association for the Deaf and the Disability Rights Advocates, and the podcasters discuss how transcripts make a podcast more inclusive. Even unedited AI transcripts are helpful. “It doesn't have to be 100% accurate, but it needs to be there.” 00:14:07 The power of branded podcasts: The biggest change Molly has seen in podcasting over the last few years is greater awareness of the value of podcasting. 00:15:47 Development tool: For people or brands who don’t want to start their own podcast, Molly sees an increasing desire to be a guest on other people’s podcasts, leading to higher quality guests. “Podcast advertising is gonna be at the forefront.” 00:17:05 Not just a hobby: Marcus is also seeing growing monetization in podcasting, but also the realization that making a good podcast isn’t easy. “You have to treat it like a business.”  00:19:21 Remote to in-person, and back to remote: The way people podcast changed over the course of the pandemic. Adam shares observations, including a significant drop in the purchase of USB microphones.  00:21:41 Tools for success: Adam notes the different platforms that have emerged or greatly improved since the early days of the pandemic, like Riverside, SquadCast and Cleanfeed.  00:23:49 Video is vital: With new webcam products with built-in AI for improved video quality in the pipeline, Marcus expects video to continue to thrive. The hosts talk about the importance of putting content on YouTube. “We're going to be seeing more podcasts doing what we're doing and putting their video content for a video version of the podcast on YouTube as well.” 00:31:39 Money books: Molly offers some business book recommendations, including “Building a Storybrand” by Donald Miller.  Top quotes 00:10:00 Molly: “Transcriptions don't need to be 100% accurate at all ... It's just about getting the idea there and getting the SEO and the bulk of it, and people can read between the lines enough to get it done. So it doesn't have to be 100% accurate, but it needs to be there.” 00:14:20 Molly: “I feel like in the beginning of our podcast, it was me explaining how a podcast can be used as a business tool, where now people are coming to me like, I know this can work, but we just need help with the production or we just need that expertise. But there’s a lot more people understanding the power of a branded podcast. They’re seeing it work.” 00:18:05 Marcus: “The average Joe podcasters, too, are becoming more aware. And there's more and more noise you got to compete with now too in the space. So you really have to step up your game.” 00:20:10 Adam: “Now there’s this confusion about, you could do it in the platform, right? But now there’s these new technologies and you got some podcasters, for the people that are just getting into it, it's harder to find out what the right solution is where it used to be pretty boilerplate.”  Sponsor Links:  https://www.podcastoutfitters.com https://www.meonlylouder.com https://www.heartcastmedia.com   Equipment Mentioned:  Marcus's Microphone : http://heartcast.biz/3gLTjyG Molly's Set Up : http://heartcast.biz/38tHHO0   Recorded on Riverside. Get hooked up today: https://heartcast.biz/3s24usy Find on iTunes: http://heartcast.biz/38tmMe6    

15 DEC 2021 · Creating a podcast is time-intensive, so having an easy-to-use, reliable website platform that aggregates everything — from your reviews to your YouTube videos — can make all the difference. On this episode of The Podcast Club, Molly, Marcus and Adam talk to Brenden Mulligan, creator of podcast website builder Podpage, about the importance of a solid podcast website. Having a website for your podcast that you can navigate seamlessly is crucial, both for presentation and as a direct connection to your audience. On this episode of The Podcast Club, Molly, Marcus and Adam sit down with Brenden Mulligan, the founder of podcast website builder Podpage, to talk about the importance of having a podcast website, and current trends in the industry. With a background in the music industry, Brenden saw how artists invested in building their fanbases on MySpace back in the day when it was a thing. Musicians often built their following on MySpace rather than developing their own websites. When MySpace fell apart, so did those fanbases. “I was searching for some podcast a couple years ago. And I was like, you guys don't have websites, you're relying on these distribution channels,” Brenden says. When he discovered that podcasts are syndicated through RSS feeds and the data is available for anyone to use, he realized he could easily build a website because he only needed to build the frontend. He created Podpage, which allows you to set up a website for your podcast that won’t be time-intensive or difficult to set up or maintain.  “There are a lot of people who set up one of these pages and then never come back again,” Brenden says. “They don't have to worry about the website, we’ll automatically Tweet and post to Facebook if you want.”  Tune in to hear their thoughts on using tools to automate processes, why the focus needs to be on creating good content, as well as trends that have emerged and waned since the beginning of the pandemic. Guest of the Pod: Brenden Mulligan 🎙️ What he does: Brenden is the founder of Podpage, which helps podcasters build a professional looking website for their podcast quickly and easily. 💡 Key quote: “I don't need to build a database. I just need to build a front end that reads the feed and puts the data on a website. And because it's structured, we can do all kinds of great SEO work.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Podcast Pro: Molly Ruland  🎙️ What she does: Molly is the founder and CEO of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production company and content creation lab based in Washington, D.C.  💡 Key quote: “I want to set people up for success, and force them into it.” 👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram   Podcast Pro: Marcus dePaula 🎙️ What he does: An audio engineer, podcast producer and website designer, Marcus runs Me Only Louder, a podcast production company in Franklin, Tenn. 💡 Key quote: “I feel like there's this contingency of people that feel like it's the apps job to help podcasters be discovered. And I think that is complete bullshit. I do not think that is a realistic way to live.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Podcast Pro: Adam Levin 🎙️ What he does: Adam is the manager of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center and is the founder of Podcast Outfitters, which specializes in podcast equipment.  💡 Key quote: “They gravitate towards one thing and another thing and I see what the consumer behaviors [are] as it's evolved. Cameras are not the requirement anymore for everybody, it just depends on how you create and how you're doing it.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Tips for Podcasters  Top takeaways from the episode  ⭐ Having a podcast website that you can control is important. Create a website that you can use to engage with your audience directly. Relying solely on outside distribution channels to reach your audience isn’t a good strategy, because it takes the control out of your hands. ⭐ Use tools that allow you to focus on the content. Don’t spend 10 hours editing an episode when a professional could have done it in 40 minutes just because it’s free. “You got to know when to hold them, and when to fold them.” ⭐ Have guests provide their information to automate processes. Scrolling through social media profiles trying to find your guest isn’t a good use of time. Users of Podpage went crazy over a new feature that allowed them to send a form for their guests to fill out their own information. ⭐ Don’t rely on apps to get your podcast discovered. Content creators often believe it's the responsibility of the app to help listeners discover you — but it’s not. Creators should focus on building their own platform through creating great content, engaging with people using social media, driving people to your website and signing them up for your newsletter. Episode Highlights Inflection points from the show 00:05:15 Audience connection: Brenden talks about where he got the idea for Podpage, and the importance of having a website for a podcast in order to have a “direct connection to your audience and not relying on Apple and Google and Spotify.” 00:06:23 The simplicity: When Brenden discovered how podcasts are syndicated, he realized how easy it would be to create a podcast website builder.  00:12:20 Focus on content: Brenden sees many people who are so focused on getting a specific mic or their home podcast studio set up perfectly that they never end up launching the podcast. “If the content is good, everything else will be fine.” 00:13:47 Keeping it simple: Brenden discusses which features he’s chosen to focus on building for Podpage and why he limits customization. “If we go that direction then people who find it simple will no longer find it simple.”  00:18:08 To embed or not to embed: The discussion turns toward the difficulty of connecting a Podpage website with a WordPress website, and the question of whether someone wants the podcast to be its own brand, or a part of another brand.  00:26:01 Template for success: Brenden talks about a feature on Podpage that allows hosts to send a form for their guest to fill out all of their information, and the hosts discuss how it saves hosts time.  00:34:33 Industry trends: With people increasingly living lives similar to what it was like before the pandemic, Adam asks about trends as the world is returning to somewhat normal since the pandemic began, and Brenden talks about experimentations in different spaces, canceled podcasts, and how the open garden of podcasting is changing. 00:36:59 How to get discovered: The conversation turns to discoverability, and the expectation that another company should be responsible for bringing a podcast to the right listeners.      

1 DEC 2021 ·   Choosing the right recording platform is critical when recording a podcast. Which platforms work best? How should you decide who to choose?  On this episode of The Podcast Club, Molly, Marcus and Adam discuss why Riverside is their favorite.  “We’re literally producing podcasts around the world right now because of Riverside,” Molly says.  The audio quality, ability to record video, customer service and its mobile app are some of the reasons why Riverside is a great option for podcast recording. But it’s not all fairy dust and roses. As a venture-backed company, Riverside is incentivized to continually introduce new features and sometimes the changes can feel too rapid for users.  Speaking of problems, you will encounter them no matter which platform you use, and Marcus cautions podcasters to recognize this instead of abandoning one platform only to encounter the same issue with whichever one they opt for next.  The crew shares the tools they like and what’s worked for them, but ultimately, it’s about finding what works for you.  Tune in to hear their thoughts on how the mindset you need to adopt in less than optimal recording environments, the importance of not allowing yourself to become beholden to a single platform, and why it’s essential that customers know what the work you’re doing for them truly involves.  Tools and tech mentioned in this episode: ✔️ Riverside ✔️ Cleanfeed ✔️ SquadCast ✔️ Podcast Business Journal ✔️ 5x5 Podcast Pro: Molly Ruland  🎙️ What she does: Molly is the founder and CEO of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production company and content creation lab based in Washington, D.C.  💡 Key quote: “I love Riverside. (It) changed the game for me, and (with) Heartcast Media not having a brick and mortar studio, this is the next best thing. It's opened up our client base.” 👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram   Podcast Pro: Marcus dePaula 🎙️ What he does: An audio engineer, podcast producer and website designer, Marcus runs Me Only Louder, a podcast production company in Franklin, Tenn. 💡 Key quote: “The big differentiator with Riverside is they have always been recording video first. … Riverside was the first one to offer the video recording aspect for each individual person.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Podcast Pro: Adam Levin 🎙️ What he does: Adam is the manager of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center and is the founder of Podcast Outfitters, which specializes in podcast equipment.  💡 Key quote: “Find the tool that works for you and know how to use it. But you can't be beholden to the tool.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Tips for Podcasters  ⭐ Riverside offers several advantages over other podcast recording platforms. The Podcast Club hosts like Riverside’s local recording (vs. cloud) approach, mobile app, branding options, as well as the company’s excellent customer service.  ⭐ No podcast platform can transcend a bad internet connection or hardware issues. These are baselines no matter which platform you’re using or who’s producing your podcast.  ⭐ Be aware of drift issues. These occur when multiple tracks are being recorded by different users on different devices at slightly different sample rates. Riverside has settings to minimize this.   Episode Highlights 00:01:16: A recording platform to rule them all: Glitches occur on all recording platforms. But Molly explains why she thinks Riverside is the next best thing to recording in a brick and mortar studio.  00:06:00 Catching the drift: Stories about drift issues have caused Marcus to steer clear of other platforms. Riverside’s mobile iOS app prevents this common problem, in which tracks recorded on multiple devices don’t sync properly because they have slightly different sample rates. It will be available for Android soon.  00:09:24 (Not) lost in the cloud: Another major advantage, Adam says, is that local records are integral on Riverside. (It records locally and then uploads to the cloud, instead of starting in the cloud for users to download.) In the event of a crash of some kind, the individual recordings are preserved this way.  00:12:00 The quick fix: Molly recalls reaching out to Riverside when their studio was out of sync and the rapid adjustment that Riverside made to repair the issue. The rapid support is a benefit of having an enterprise account with Riverside.  00:14:13 Recording prerequisite: You have to make sure your hardware and internet connection are up to the task when you record, Marcus explains. This should be your first consideration. That said, no matter which recording platform you go with, you’re going to encounter problems at some point. This is why it’s important to understand the root of the problem. 00:25:38 The tools are constantly changing: The group discusses the pitfalls of relying on one tool. Whether it’s for your podcast specifically, or your business generally, you should avoid relying on one platform only.  00:45:58 Focus on solutions: When a problem with your platform or anything else in your business occurs, instead of immediately pointing fingers, ask yourself if you’re being communicative enough with people who can help you solve it. Figure out what you can do to facilitate the process.    Sponsor Links:  https://www.podcastoutfitters.com https://www.meonlylouder.com https://www.heartcastmedia.com   Recorded on Riverside. Get hooked up today: https://heartcast.biz/3s24usy Find on Apple Podcasts: http://heartcast.biz/38tmMe6    

17 NOV 2021 · The systems you use for podcast editing and workflow can mean the difference between calm and insanity — for you as well as your clients.  On this episode of The Podcast Club, Molly, Marcus and Adam get down and dirty on systems for managing podcast production workflow. “[Clients] like to know that we have a system in place,” Molly says on this episode. “Systems are so important, and so many people are really intimidated by [them].” Project management tools like Trello offer the ability to connect and communicate with clients and your team. It makes your job easier and is critical for helping scale your business (if that’s what you want). Setting up a public workflow system has the added benefit of showing clients the value they’re getting from working with you.  Even though the crew shares the tools they like and what’s worked for them, ultimately, it’s about finding what works for you and your business.  “It's not one big thing,” Marcus says. “It's all these little things along the way that add up.”  Tune in to hear their thoughts on how to set up a workflow system, which project management tools are helpful, whether it ever makes sense to do custom work, as well as which mics they’re digging and other podcast industry hot topics. Tools and tech mentioned in this episode: ✔️ Asana ✔️ ClickUp ✔️ Trello ✔️ Zapier ✔️ Tula microphones Podcast Pro: Molly Ruland  🎙️ What she does: Molly is the founder and CEO of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production company and content creation lab based in Washington, D.C.  💡 Key quote: “You have to have a system. You have to have your expectations communicated, you have to have a plan. That's the only way you can scale.” 👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram   Podcast Pro: Marcus dePaula 🎙️ What he does: An audio engineer, podcast producer and website designer, Marcus runs Me Only Louder, a podcast production company in Franklin, Tenn. 💡 Key quote: “So many podcast editors are doing what is best for themselves, instead of what's best for their client or what's best for the listener.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Podcast Pro: Adam Levin 🎙️ What he does: Adam is the manager of Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center and is the founder of Podcast Outfitters, which specializes in podcast equipment.  💡 Key quote: “It's all about finding that one tool, or that one strategy, or that one thing that helps you keep your shit together.” 👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Tips for Podcasters  Top takeaways from the episode  ⭐ There are tons of project management tools to help streamline your process. Trello, Asana, ClickUp are some that are familiar and recommended by The Podcast Club.  ⭐ Don’t spend hours on custom work. Create and reuse templates, which is more efficient and will help you produce an even higher quality product. “Take the fastest path to the money.”  ⭐ Showing your workflow can help with client retention. An added benefit of building a trackable project management system for clients is that they get to see all the behind-the-scenes work and it will make them feel like their money is well spent.  ⭐ Don’t create an impossible job that only you can do. If you don’t create solid systems, you’re the only one who will know what you do. This might just seem like an inconvenience for now, but if something happens and you can’t work for a while, you could really be in a pickle! Share the love with your team by creating templates and procedures instead of working randomly. Episode Highlights Inflection points from the show [4:41] Podcast systems: Molly talks about how implementing systems for your podcast production process or podcast company is the key to growth. Streamlined systems are “the only way that you can ever really scale,” she says. [11:50] Map it out: Molly says that mapping out your processes will make your life easier because it will help you see if there are any steps that can be eliminated. “Simplicity wins.” [13:48] Loosen up: Marcus gets frustrated with people who are not open to improving their audio production process because they’re simply used to their current tools. Tech is constantly evolving and updating your production process with better tools or equipment can offer a “huge payoff.”  [14:51] Change from within: People hate change, which is why your customers don’t need to know the ins and outs of tweaks you make to your production process. “It's all for the customer, [but] should have nothing to do with them at all … people hate to do new shit.”  [21:50] Workflow/project management approaches: The discussion turns to whether it makes sense to create a project management workflow system for your clients (like setting up a Trello board) or plugging into their systems.  [22:30] Template for success: Molly walks through the client-facing project management setup she uses with clients.  [24:26] Show something tangible: Molly says that clients will be happier handing their money over to you to edit their podcast if they know all the ins and outs of what’s going into creating it — and not just the shining, perfect result. [27:30] What works for others may not work for you: Adam points out that, while a system like Trello works great for some people (like Molly), there are other tools that might work better for others. Ultimately it’s about finding what works for you. [30:00] Podfest chat: Marcus talks about the recent virtual Podfest Expo and if there’s anything new and notable in the industry. [33:00] Tech talk: Marcus sings the praises of his new Tula mic, and Molly and Adam take the stand to talk about their mic picks.   Top quotes [6:15] Molly: “If you don't really know how the sausage is made, and you're not seeing any evidence of it, then … it doesn't seem like it's that big of a deal for somebody else to do it. And you're always going to be disappointed on expectations.” [12:30] Molly: “Simplicity always wins.” [15:38] Marcus: “So many of the podcast editors are doing what is best for themselves, instead of what's best for their client or what's best for the listener.”  [25:00] Molly: “When someone gives me that amount of money, and they meet with me, and then I share with them this board that has their colors, they're like, Okay, this was worth it. It was worth spending this money. I see a tangible result from the money that I've paid. And I think that's really hard to prove in podcasting, because so much of what we're doing isn't necessarily tangible to the client. They're not seeing the hours of editing, they're not seeing the plugins … But when they see this and they see all this work that overwhelms them, all it does is make them glad that they've hired me.” [27:50] Adam: “There's always some element of streamlining that happens. No matter which side of the whole podcast process you’re on. There's got to be something to keep your shit straight.” 

18 OCT 2021

23 AUG 2021 · It's another week of The Podcast Club and it's a fin one as both Marcus and Molly have custom work releasing! Marcus recorded and posted a YouTube video on the 8 different type of microphones that is a must watch for every podcaster, and Molly has a blog coming out that EVERYONE needs to read. We're talking about the importance of YouTube, and how podcasters need to invest more in the platform and start promoting their shows on the site.  Sponsor Links:  https://www.podcastoutfitters.com https://www.meonlylouder.com https://www.heartcastmedia.com