Three Podcasting Tips That Ruin Your Podcast

Hey, Podcasters!  

You know what I do to get a good laugh these days?  I read podcast advice!  Don't you?  I especially find it amusing when I hear people say things like:

You have to be passionate about podcasting!
or
Make the show that YOU want to make!

Then they tell you 550 things that they would do if it were their podcast!  It's hilarious!!!!  It's like going to a car lot and having someone say, "Pick any car you want!".  Then, as soon as you start looking, they tell you:

Make sure it doesn't have too many miles on it

Check for rebates

Know your credit history

Negotiate the best deal

Test drive before buying

I thought I got to just pick the car I wanted!  Now I feel like I'm a one legged-dog trying to trying to bury a bone in the sidewalk!

Today I looked at some "podcast advice" blogs and found several that tell you ALL of the mistakes you're making as a podcaster.  It's so elitist!  They just want you to podcast like them!  They tell you to:

Be mindful of your sound levels.  This is podcasting!  You're not trying to replicate radio stuff!  This is about recording and then uploading.  I've tried it.  It works!  If your audience wants to hear you bad enough, they can turn the volume up and down as needed.  You're providing them a service because you're inspiring them not to be lazy!  Before remote controls were invented, people had to get up, walk over and adjust their television sets.  How hard is it to adjust volume in a car or MP3 player?  It's not hard!!!  So, don't worry about audio levels!

You Have to EDIT the podcast.  To me, it's no coincidence that EDIT is a four letter word.  Whatever happened to freedom of speech in this country?!  Here's what EDIT really means:

EXCUSE to DENY INTERESTING TALKING

I turned on the radio the other day, and I was very interested in the conversation that was taking place.  They interrupted that conversation like five times with commercials.  Imagine all of the good talk I could've heard if those ads weren't there. To me, those commercials were forcing some editing, and it sucks!

This is podcast EDITing

What's next?  I'm going to be talking to someone until suddenly they ask me to edit what I say?  It would ruin the natural flow of conversation!  What's the point of talking on a podcast for 3 hours if you have to take a bunch of it out?

Make sure your audio is of good quality.  Who decides what defines quality?  If I let someone else tell me what was "good quality" all of the time, I would never know what I considered to be good quality.  It's like the time I picked up a couch off the street.  It was a perfect fit for the office in my lair.  Yet, one of my friends sat in it and said it was poor quality (just because it had holes in it and it stank a little).  

Well, I didn't buy it for his lair!  To me the quality was fine.  So, don't let someone dictate to you what "good quality" sounds like.

So, don't let those "experts" tell you what to do.  If you're really going to make the podcast you want, just do it!

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by The Muddle do not reflect the opinions of Scott Murray or other content heroes. We believe The Muddle to be a content supervillain that intentionally gives bad content marketing and production advice.