Easy money
Sharing the information I’m about to share runs the risk of some of my podcast editing clients becoming somewhat disillusioned with the service I provide, but I believe there is a valuable lesson in it, so here goes.
Editing a podcast is rather simple. You “give the audio a haircut” as I like to say: take out the filler words, blank spaces, people talking over each other, things like that. Then master it, export it in mp3 format, and finally upload it to the podcast host.
Then you add the 5 elements of the show notes: Title, description, bullet points with time stamps, resources, call to action.
Finally you choose the date you want the episode to go live, hit the “schedule” button and voila, it’s done.
Some people like to use a customized graphic for each individual episode, but that’s really easy to do as well.
Easy. If you know how. The thing is knowing how. That part isn’t quite as easy.
One must have an above average mastery of the English language, of course a good feel for what a smooth conversation sounds like. As I said in an earlier email, the silence is what really makes the conversation worth listening to. To give one example, there’s a certain “sweet spot” when the dialogue should start and when the music should fade out. That one thing alone has ruined more podcasts I’ve listened to. I mean, not ruined, but I’m thinking, “Such a simple thing that would make the experience so much better.” The typical DIY podcaster doesn’t even think of such things, let alone implement it. Their show sounds, well, like a DIY project as a result.
Then there’s the title. You can’t have just any title. It needs to be something that is going to capture people’s attention in a split second, address a need in their life that they’re losing sleep over. The description is similar. Knowing what to say, and more important what not to say is key. The bullett points, the resources section, the call to action. Same thing.
I have my own unique flair to doing these things. In fact, a client recently asked me if I had outsourced their episode to a sub-contractor because my writing didn’t have the typical “oomph” to it. It was mine, I guess my writing was a bit bland that day, but it shows the power of having a uniquely identifiable writing style that the client would even mention it.
Now, a typical podcast that is one hour in length can be done soup to nuts in about 60-90 minutes. And the cost to the client is consistent with industry standards of my profession. And when I’m in a groove with editing 4 episodes in one day, it’s literally a breeze to get the job done.
Sounds easy, right? Actually it is, but it has taken me 8+ years of consistent practice to get to the point I am today. If one of my clients were to do the work, it would take all day to get everything done to my high standards. I’ve even worked with professional radio and tv hosts who know the craft like the back of their hand, they just don’t want to do it. It interrupts their flow of their other (more profitable) work, and I’m happy to take that task off their plate for the right price 😉
It’s an honest business and I’m happy to help others produce their shows while doing something I both like to do, and am good at doing it. If you’re thinking of using a podcast to promote yourself or a business, it’s a great tool to use. And I can help you or someone you might know find the best way to use it.
Check out what we have to offer at Podcast Artistry™: podcastartistry.com