In today's podcast I'm playing with all sorts of tools . I recently purchased the Yamaha MG102C mixer and I really like it. It's very flexible, and comes in right under $100. I'm also playing with Radioboss software that allows me to mix in music, jingles, etc and broadcast LIVE to a service like listen2myradio.com. I'm also sharing new from iTunes, Spreaker, iHeartradio, and more.
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Because of My Podcast.. a New Co-Host [1:55]
This week we reconnect with Wayne Henderson of mediavoiceovers.com shares how his podcast not only got him great sears a Green Bay Packers game, but it also introduced him to a person who is now his co-host of his new podcast about the television show under the dome. Check it out at http://underthedomeradio.com/
Yamaha MG102c Mixer Review [5:51]
One of the reasons I love the Audio Technica 2100 is its ability to grow with the podcaster. Other usb only microphones turn into a paperweight if you buy a mixer (i.e. blue snowball, blue yeti – usb only). I love Behringer mixers and they fit into most people's budgets. I saw the Yamaha MG102C mixer at Guitar Center which has four XLR inputs, and two of those have a built-in compressor, and “inserts” which makes adding additional effects like a noise gate super easy (you don't need inserts to add effects, but it is easier with them).
With this in mind if you want to add effects via an insert jack, you have two. You also have additional channels if you want to grow (plug your phone into the mixer, your ipad, or other sound creating devices). The Behringer mixer I was using (Xenyx 802 ) is perfect for one or two people, but it doesn't have any inserts or compression (or an on/off button). If I later purchased something like a noise gate, I would plug my mic into the noise gate and the noise gate into the mixer.
If you have the extra $40 and you are just starting out, this mixer is a great podcasting mixer and it's (as I write this) $99 at amazon.com
The new model is the MG10
iTunes Has One Billion Podcast Subscribers [17:22]
When you opened iTunes this week you saw a banner stating that they now had one BILLION people subscribing to podcasts. Sometimes stats come in and out the ears without a lot of thought. I was teaching at a facility this week that probably had 18 rooms on the floor I was on. Each room had 30 people. That means there were 540 people on that floor if it was full. If we took all the people from iTunes who subscribe to podcasts and put them in that building it would be 1,851,858 stories tall.
So not only are people listening to podcasts, they are subscribing to podcasts. Not sure how to subscribe? Check out www.learntosubscribe.com
Podcast Spotlight Let's Reverse Obesity [21:09]
I like to spotlight members of the SOP. This week we are spotlighting Let's Reverse Obesity. This is a great podcast filled with inspiring words of encouragement, frontline tactics, personal insights, and brutally honest stories. John is admittedly obese, and you are along for his journey as he shares his progress, and talks about great articles and stories that he has found on the web. Check it out at www.letsreverseobesity.com
IHeartRadio App adds Talk, and Spreaker Holds the Key [24:37]
iHeartradio which has an estimated 30 million registered members has added talk to their app and website. Spreaker has a way to submit your podcast to be listed on this app. According to an interview with a Spreaker executive on the Music Radio Creative podcast this is the “only way” to get into iHeart radio. In looking at the iheart.com site see plenty of podcasts in their talk section that are NOT listed on Spreaker (many of these people i.e. are already famous). None the less, spreaker is holding the door for us, and you can submit your podcast for inclusion. I have yet to read their terms of service, but I'm sure it's interesting.
The bottom line is podcasting has another platform that gives it a chance to reach a larger audience. I believe in the future podcasting will be the “minor leagues” of media. For more information go to spreaker.com
Tools For Podcasters to be Broadcasters [31:20]
You do NOT need to do this when you start a podcast. This is for the podcaster who wants to broadcast their show LIVE over the internet. It takes more setup time, and adds technical hoops that you must jump through.
There are tools (free) that will allow people to steam your current (and past) back catalog. Site like podtrac, blubrry.com and libsyn.com all have players. You can design your own with a tool called the Wimpy Player. You can also cut and paste all the direct links to your audio and paste them into a text file and name it with something that ends in .m3u (not .txt). Then upload the text file and put a link to it.
Lisen2MyRadio and SchoolofPodcasting.fm
This service starts at $5 a month. It doesn't limit how long you can broadcast, only the number of people who can listen simultaneously. You can see how many listeners you have (and where they came from, how long they listen) in your control panel. What I have done at schoolofpodcasting.fm is uploaded a bunch of answer to frequently asked questions for those people who are brand new to podcasting. These files rotate 24/7. I also have some testimonials that are played every third track. I also mix in every fifth track a “you're listening to School of Podcasting Radio”.
Broadcasting Live Using Listen2MyRadio
When I want to “cut into” my live stream I can use a software call Radio Caster that will tie into my Listen2myradio account. I can talk as long as I want. If I have a mixer, I can mix in my music, my microphone, my co-host, and send everything from my mixer into the microphone input of my computer. I then can tell the Radio Caster to broadcast whatever is coming into the computer. The price for Radio Caster is $39.
If you want to be able to mix in music, jingles, etc as you podcast all in one place they also produce a software title call Radio Boss. You simply enter your listen2myradio information, your DJ information (you set yourself up as a dj on listen2myradio), and when you connect your stream switches to your live feed. When you disconnect it goes back to your original playlist – automatically.
Listen2myradio also provides html5 players so people can listen on their ipads, iphones, and other devices that don't like flash players.
My listen2myradio account costs me $12.50 which is currently cheaper then spreaker. Spreaker is also a media host (which you can store files on your account up to 2G) but its not really meant for podcasting. I would recommend using the service for streaming and a service like Libsyn.com or blubrry.com for media hosting.
You can send one output of your broadcast into your computer (Radio Caster or Radio boss) and then the headphone out of this into your portable recorder.
As I said, this is not needed (or recommended) for most people. When I mentioned schoolofpodcasting.fm last week a number of people asked me how I was pulling it off. Now you know.
If you order choose the Shoutcast 2 option, then choose how many potential listeners you want. You can start with 10 ($5 a month) and go from there.
RadioBoss Review [41:05]
Radioboss might a bit overkill for the average podcaster. While listentomyradio allows you to create playlists online, this allows you to control everything from your PC. You can set certain files to play at certain times. You can create unlimited playlists, cart walls, and much more. You can have playlists created automatically. Be very careful when thinking of streaming mainstream music (as its illegal).
I like the easy of use for the creating of lists and carts (lots of dragging and dropping). It was very easy to configure to tap into my live broadcasting and now I can mix in music, sound effects and such and do everything live. Again, this is NOT podcasting – its BROADCASTING. Radioboss has different levels and starts around $199.
Pricing
Listen2MyRadio starts at $10 a month (UPDATE: I prefer Abovecast 1/26/18
Radio Caster Sotware $39
Radio Boss Standard $199
Dave Jackson Interviews
I was interviewed on Kenn Blanchard's Black Man with a Gun Heart and Soul, and Scott Moore's Mastermind Podcast.
Mentioned On This Podcast
The Feed new podcast from Libsyn.com
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I’ve been doing internet radio since 2006 and find that, for me, the best solution for hosting is Live365. They give you the tools you need to get your stream running really quickly. Competitive pricing. And the ease of usage is such that a beginner can adjust quickly.
I have 2 stations and run my B91, The Rhythm of the City on their Basic stream with an X5000 package. To create my playlists I use the Station Playlist Creator. It gives me the real flexibility of the pro software like Selector for a fraction of the cost.
I run my 2nd station, B91 Classic on Live365 through a dedicated computer from my house. I use SAM Broadcaster for that station and that gives me a total broadcast set up to fire off beds, jingles or whatever I need when I go and play dj for a couple of hours.
There is no right or wrong in all of this, just make sure to check out whats available and what fits your needs and budgets.
In response to the last segment of the show…
I use Livestream.com to continuously play my older episodes on my live page. It is an easy and free way to que up shows and play them in any order you choose. It also has folders that breakout all of my podcasts. Best of all, its free and I have yet to hit there storage limits. You can see it in action over at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live
It looks like its $9 a month for 10 listeners. It also sounds like live365 inserts lots of ads is that correct?
If I run my stream live from my computer like I do with my B91 Classic station, they don’t insert any ads. That’s why they reduce the number of listener slots on their plans for those stations broadcasting live.
For the station that I have housed on their servers, they run ads about every 20 minutes or at an interval as close to that as they can get. One problem is you can’t run files larger than 30 minutes with them. They are trying to control all theses stations doing dj mixes and not reporting the songs they play. In that case (30 minute files), they’d run spots twice an hour.
Their spots are a mix of self promoting and national brand commercials and run from 90 seconds to 2 minutes in length.
My station where they run commercials still gets close to 30,000 listening hours a month making it a Top 100 station there so the spots aren’t having a negative effect as far as I can see.
For MG102C is it easy to do a mix minus?
If I take the output of skype call on a PC or a output of mobile phone and plug into the channel 2 input and turn the green aux button zero this should achieve the minus? There will be an XLR mic plugged into channel 1. Finally, if I take the aux send output and plug back into my pc or mobile phone – is this accurate to complete the mix minus? Many thanks and much appreciate the response.
Yeah, any mixer with an auxiliary out. Depending on how many people will be in the room, it may be easier to get a Focusrite or other USB interfaces that take care of the mix minus for you.