Today, I reflect on my trip to Washington, D.C., and bring you some Podcast Movement Reflections. I talk about the gear, some presentations, some things that could only happen at Podcast Movement in DC, and why there wasn't any carpet.
I used the Rode Interview Pro Portable Microphone to record some interviews in the noisy vendor hall. With this in mind, I thought I'd talk about plugins that can clean things up.
The Great Part of Podcast Movement
I met so many people and reconnected with old friends for days. It was amazing. My favorite thing is the lack of competition. One night, I sat with people from Buzzsprout and Libsyn (competitors), along with members of the Apple team and new podcasters and veterans, all mixed together.
The Parts People Complained About
The vendor hall did not have carpet, which did two things: it added to the noise (as it helped the sound reverberate) and was hard on people's feet.
The event was during the week instead of near the weekend (and also during the first week of school for some).
The stages were in this noisy room, and the solution was wireless headphones (which solved that problem). Weird? Yes. Did it work? Yes.
The LARGE Risk that Podcast Movement Takes (and every other large events)
When you do a significant event with reserved hotel pricing, the event is on the hook for those hotels, and if visitors don't purchase them, they have to pay for them. I've known a few events that, until the last two weeks, when those who decide to come at the last minute buy their tickets, it's very, VERY scary. When I was the head of podcasting for the New Media Expo, it cost $300 just to have a union worker move a chair. That free coffee you're drinking isn't free.
If you have a “low-key” event, you might not attract the extensive networks that expect “A list” treatment, and you might not attract independent podcasters if you have an event at a high-priced venue.
When you choose a hotel during certain times (like during the Democratic Convention) when demand may be lower, you can get a more affordable price (likewise with going weekday).
We shouldn't forget the fantastic team they put in place to handle any little hiccups that came along.
For me, I'll take a Podcast Movement with no carpet over no Podcast Movement at all.
Cleaning Up Noisy Audio From Podcast Movement
There are many options when it comes to trying to remove the background murmuring of a crowd, wind, street noise, ocean, etc. Today I play with a few. Some are plugins (a piece of software that adds additional functionality to your software. A popular format is a “VST” plugin that works with Hindenburg, Audacity, Adobe Audition and many more. Apple's Garage band uses a different type of plugin (so look for AU plugins to have them work in Apple's Garageband). I mention the plugins with links below.
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My Official Stance on YouTube and Podcasting
For the record, I am NOT anti-YouTube. If you have the desire, the time, and the budget to be on YouTube, BE ON YOUTUBE. What drives me insane is when someone has an excellent idea for a podcast and chooses not to do it because they feed, they HAVE to be on video (and you don't). Per Rob Walch from Libsyn.com, audio outperforms video 15 to 1.
I hate that people keep calling videos on YouTube “Video Podcasting.” Someone putting a video on YouTube is called a “YouTuber” (not a podcaster).
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Rode Interview Pro Portable Microphone $244ish
https://supportthisshow.com/rodeinterviewpro
Shure Movmic Wireless Mics (small – great for video)
PodProtect
GW Centeric (Greg Wells) $36
https://supportthisshow.com/gwcentral
Clarity VX Noise Removal $39
https://supportthisshow.com/calrityvx
Accentize DX Revive Pro $299
https://www.accentize.com/dxrevive/
Descript Studio Sound
https://supportthisshow.com/descript
Scheps Omni Channel 2 $39
https://supportthisshow.com/scheps
Audio Sigma Podmobile $359
10 Free Plugins for Garageband (AU not VST)
https://www.musicianwave.com/free-garageband-plugins/
Adobe Enhance
https://podcast.adobe.com/enhance
Dealcasters Chris and Jim
https://www.podpage.com/dealcasters/about/
Paul Colligan's Podcast Partnership
Apple Podcasts on The Web
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-of-podcasting-plan-launch-grow-and-monetize/id83653087
Podcaster Morning Chat
Lou Mongello – WDW Radio
The Audience is Listening – Tom Webster Book
https://geni.us/tomwebsterbook
Harry Durran – Podcast Junkies
https://www.podcastjunkies.com
Podnews Podcast Industry News
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Live Appearances
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