Podcast with a Pro, held on August 24th, was a highly informative event that offered attendees a comprehensive look into the world of podcasting. With only 15 spots available, the event maintained an exclusive feel and was hosted at The SET in Vasse, providing a comfortable and conducive environment for learning and networking. After some yummy lunch and a good chat with lots of familiar South West faces, we jumped straight into learning what it takes to make a great podcast using the podcasting equipment available for hire at The SET.
Giving us the tips and tricks of the trade was Andrew “Namu” Bromley, who is the Founder and Co-Host of the Barrelled Surf Podcast. Namu’s podcast enjoys a substantial monthly audience of 20,000 downloads spanning 28 countries, so we were so lucky to have him as our podcasting guru!
One of the highlights was the discussion on audience growth strategies, where Namu shared insights into expanding a podcast’s reach globally. The session also touched on monetisation methods for those interested in the business side of podcasting, and the networking among attendees facilitated the exchange of ideas and the possibility of future collaborations in the podcasting realm.
Another highlight was learning about the fascinating world of audio editing, with a particular focus on platforms and tools that possess the remarkable capability to automatically remove those common, yet often vexing, “ums,” “ahs,” and awkward pauses that can disrupt the flow of podcasts. AI-powered audio editing platforms and advanced tools employ sophisticated algorithms to automatically identify and eliminate filler words, extraneous sounds, and awkward pauses. For us would-be podcasters, this definitely sounded like a game-changer, a digital assistant that could efficiently do a laborious, manual task. Some of the noteworthy platforms in this field include Descript, Adobe Audition’s “Auto Ducking” feature, and online services like Auphonic.
Having a go of the microphones, audio interfaces, mixers, and sound effects buttons was definitely the biggest highlight of the session. Key takeaways included mic gain for clear audio, EQ settings for tone and clarity, and headphone controls for real-time monitoring.
Thanks to event sponsor JTSI, who allowed us to put on this free event and encourage a renewed enthusiasm for enhancing everyone’s podcasting endeavors.