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Words by Rusty Norman

All video and picture media by Rusty Norman

Music – “Unplugged Piano” by Mike Stewart– Two Buck Themes (re-edited by Rusty)

© December 19, 2009 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman

You’ve heard me say many times, you can get started podcasting very inexpensively and still turn out a great audio or video podcast. You have also heard me say you can spend a little more money and … still turn out a great audio or video podcast.

In reality, it isn’t the amount of money you have invested in equipment and software that makes a great podcast. It is the attention you pay to small details and the quality of the content that can ultimately make your podcast, or other type of production, as good as any and better than many, and you can still do it “On The Cheap.”

Spending a lot of money doesn’t guarantee a great podcast

You see, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started with podcasting.  Just throwing money at equipment and software for podcasting doesn’t guarantee anything about the final product you turn out. In fact, it doesn’t even guarantee that you will turn out a great podcast. Of course, you do need to have equipment and software that simplifies the job of producing it and you need to know enough about certain production techniques to make your podcast sound good enough to make it easy and pleasing to listen to.

Let me be blatantly bold and say, “You definitely need what it takes to present your information in a way that is appealing to your listeners.” (Yes, I was trying to be dramatic and pause for effect… (chuckle) In reality, I admit that wasn’t really so blatant and also not so bold, but, it is important all the same.)

Always keep in mind that you can spend a little money, or a lot of money, and still turn out a podcast or production that is terrible and will, in no way, appeal to anyone, (except maybe you).

So, why do I continue to offer the thought that you can make podcasts, “On the Cheap”, and why should you care?

Well…the answer is pretty easy and straight forward…it is because you can!

Now, I can hear those rumblings out there from those of you that say, “So Who Cares?!?” and I understand where you’re coming from, but, I also understand that your audience does care how, why and what you do to make your podcast a pleasurable experience and why it is important to consider what they think.

No matter what you think, there are several things to consider about quality…

Any conversation about quality will ultimately open wide ranging opinions and arguments. I know why there is concern for speedy delivery and I also know what I like. Most times, the two are not even in the same ball park.

I have a very good friend that owns a recording studio. He will be the first to tell you that he is “old school” and how disappointed he is with much of digital technology, (a viewpoint I understand but don’t totally agree with, although I do know what parts in particular he doesn’t like.). He was the first person to give me this description of low resolution mp3 files. He said, “It sounds like someone threw marbles into a metal bowl and they’re rolling around while their trying to talk, play or sing.” He has received some demo mp3’s in a very small file formats and has understandably been disappointed in what he heard and totally unimpressed by what could have been presented in a slightly larger file size and it would have made a more positive impact or first impression.

Generally, I know I don’t think like some and I know I have higher expectations of quality that many because I just don’t like listening to junk. I guess I have been spoiled by being around well produced material for most of my life. I’ve been involved in doing many types of media productions (both audio and video) and there are just some things I don’t like about the internet as yet, (although things are changing for the better all the time.)

I don’t like the fact that available bandwidth controls so much of what many say is ‘acceptable’. It has to load fast and be in small perspective for maximum effectiveness; otherwise, no one will stay around long enough to watch or listen. Fortunately, audio is easier to deliver and load speedily than video, but, some are so interested in making the file so small for extremely fast delivery and small file storage space that the quality suffers greatly.

Here are some things you need to consider for the near future…

This is where I see the greatest change coming for the future and what I have, and will be talking about more and more in the near future. Storage space costs and the speed and quality of delivery are becoming more and more important and it is important to consider these aspects as you pursue your journey (or adventure) in podcasting, whether it be audio or video.

For those that may be new to Podcasting Resources, I have some interesting news. If you  would like to know more about a great, inexpensive storage service and some great new software to easily use it, take a look at this previous post (> link to S3 media post<) I made several months ago. It will give you some great information that could very possibly make your adventure in podcasting much easier than it used to be.

For you regular visitors, we will be talking more about the ‘small details’ that can make noticeable differences in your audio and video productions and the way they are received and/or perceived by your listeners.

See ya next time…
Rusty
(all views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer)
© October 14, 2009 – all rights reserved
PCN Productions and Rusty Norman

Can I be extremely blunt with you? I do hope you answered yes because I’m going to be anyway.

This may not be the first time you’ve heard this, but, if you’re not using music — legal music — in your productions, you’re already making two mistakes that could cost you in a large way when it comes to getting people to listen to your podcasts or other audio/video productions.

Go ahead, check out just about any audio or video production, whether it be a commercial or an interview or even a documentary of someone or something. Chances are it uses music in some way. There are several reasons for that and all of them relate to how people respond to what they are seeing or listening to and it has to do with the music used.

The music, in many instances, sets the mood the producer wants to set with what is being presented. Whether it be pictures of a vacation or presenting a situation that needs to be addressed in some way, the music can make or break the way it is received.

So, you ask, “What’s the big deal about using ‘LEGAL MUSIC’? Can’t I use what I like? Why do I have to pay someone to use their music?”

All of those are good questions, but there is only one answer. Because the people that made the music own the rights to it and if you use it without their permission, you could be sued for a large amount of money.

That’s why you need to use, legal, royalty free music for your purposes. It makes you not have to be looking over your shoulder waiting for someone to call you up or serve you with legal papers telling you that you’re being sued for using someone’s music without permission. Believe me, the laws are on their side, not yours if you choose to use anything copyrighted by someone else. They own the rights to it and it is their property.

There are many sources for legally obtaining the rights to use music out there. Some are very expensive and some are reasonably expensive, (sometimes depending on the popularity of the song, or songs you want to use.)

We will talk about some of those other sources in the coming weeks, but for today, I would like to mention Mike Stewart one more time. The reason I use Mike Stewart’s Two Buck Themes is because it is affordable and he gives me so much more for my money. Not only does he give me music for a minimal cost, but he gives me good tutorials and ideas for using the music (and software and equipment he also sells) in different ways.

If you to have to pay for it anyway, why not get the best bang for your buck? (Yes, I am making a recommendation here.) Mike Stewart is someone you can depend on to give you your money’s worth.

But you don’t have to take my word for it, check him out for yourself and see if you don’t agree. It costs nothing to check it out by clicking on this link, Get 5 new themes, video tutorials each month for $10

After that, the rest is up to you… While you’re there, you may want to check on some of the specials on equipment he has available:USB Mic Special – Domestic Shipping

See ya next time… Rusty

© August 28, 2009 – all rights reserved

Podcastnorm.com and Rusty Norman

Okay, I know you’ve heard me say all this before, BUT, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make things easier for yourself or turn out a good product. The idea these days is to save yourself time and money when it comes to turning out your production or product. So if you’re looking for something that can do both, plus someone that can continually provide you with good, usable information, maybe you should think about trying the S3 Media Player from Mike Stewart.

I know I talk about Mike a lot and there is a reason for that. First and foremost, Mike is a wonderfully talented person that is not stingy in sharing what he knows about audio and video production and recording equipment, software and techniques.

You see, when I was just entering into this new adventure called podcasting several years ago, I had a lot of experience with live and studio production recording, editing and turning out final products, but I knew very little about doing the same thing on the internet.  You might say I knew enough to be dangerous and, to tell the truth, I struggled to do even some of the simplest things.

At first, most of what I did was experiment with what I knew and honestly, I didn’t have  a lot of money, so I tried to find less expensive ways of accomplishing the tasks of recording, editing and posting my final productions. I just tried different things until I started finding better ways to produce and distribute my original audio podcasts and, to tell the truth, although I know a lot about the equipment and software I turned out my productions with, I don’t use most of them anymore.

It was during this time that I first encountered Mike Stewart. When I would listen or watch him explain things, it seemed so simple and he always seemed to be a step above the rest in the quality of his productions. Needless to say, that was one of the first things that attracted me to him — the quality of his audio and video productions. Even with his input, still I struggled to put audio or video on my websites simply because I wasn’t computer literate enough to do it.

With the S3 Media Player, it is a totally different experience now. The S3 Media Player from Mike Stewart has greatly simplified how I add audio or video to my websites and blogs. In fact, it has made it extremely easy and quite inexpensive to produce and deliver audio and video from my websites. I guess you could say, now I am spoiled; and it’s true… I am. I use it and several other things I learned from Mike for everything in audio or video I add to my sites and pages.

It doesn’t matter whether you are just a beginner or experienced at adding audio and video to your pages or sites. The S3 Media Player can simplify the process for you affordably. I use it and highly recommend it, but, the best way to find out if I am right is to give it a try yourself.

So, stand by immediately after this audio and you will be taken to Mike Stewart’s video about the S3 Media Player and how you can simplify adding audio and video to your pages or sites AND a whole lot more From Mike Stewart.

See ya next time …

Rusty

(all views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer)

© July 2009 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and  Podcastnorm.com

Watch the video below and then click on the link to try:

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»INSTANT ACCESS!! » MAKE THIS MUSIC MINE!

click link above

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How can you go wrong with paying $1.00 to try something that usually would cost you $4.00 for the two songs. Mike Stewart’s “Two Buck Themes” are just that — two bucks apiece — and he is making this special offer to try his Two Buck Theme membership site for
$ one dollar $ (yes you are reading it right)

That’s right! One Buck for 2 – two buck themes. That’s a savings of three dollars just to give it a try.So go ahead –
CLICK THIS LINK for a $1 Dollar Trial Membership

Hi everybody… I have a very special treat for you today. If you haven’t heard of Jim Edwards you’re going to be glad you took the time to read this article, today. Lately, we’ve been talking about ways to make your audios (and videos) better and the easiest ways to put them on your websites. Jim offers this input to you, in particular, about audio.

I can tell you, I am glad for the day I found Jim Edwards several years ago and I know he tells it like it is. Even better, he always seems to over-deliver when it comes to sharing what he knows and this article is no different. So, take a few minutes right now to read this article and be sure visit the links you come across as you do.

Believe me, you won’t regret the time you spend here… it will be worth every second.
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“Make Your Website Talk v2.0″

- by Jim Edwards

(c) Jim Edwards – All Rights reserved http://www.HowToMakeAudioCDs.com
=====================================

It seems like just a few years ago people watched in amazement as words and pictures appeared as “websites” on their computer screens through the Internet.

Just having a website rated a major accomplishment, even a status symbol, for businesses of every size.

Now, however, people expect websites as standard equipment for most businesses and the Internet teems with BILLIONS of static web pages.

In such a crowded online world, how can a business differentiate itself from all the others?

Welcome to the new frontier of the Internet where web pages, even the small ones, dance and sing with audio and video!

In the beginning, putting audio and video on your website involved very expensive “streaming” servers and complicated software.

In those days, audio and video remained the playground of mega-sites and dot-com companies with unlimited budgets.

But even then, online audio and video didn’t really take off because the vast majority of it required the listener to carry a high-speed Internet connection or use complicated formats like “Real” player.

Well those days have passed forever and quality audio and certain types of video now lie firmly in the grasp of every website owner!

Two things appeared on the scene to enable virtually any website owner to include audio and video on their website, even for dial-up surfers: faster computers and better compression technology.

Let’s face it, home computers now pack more punch than it took to send men to the moon.

When you combine that computing power with widespread use of “Flash Player,” the free web browser plug-in available at www.adobe.com, which enables high quality audio and video to stream across the web without special servers, and you now find a perfect environment for what amounts to online radio.

Despite the fact that online audio is now more “low-tech”
than ever and can get created and posted with free and low- cost tools, most people still don’t use it (or use it correctly).

It’s funny, but most people now take online audio for granted and because it’s not really “new” anymore, they tend to discount its effectiveness (especially since the “gurus”
have moved on to more sexy topics).

But before you think audio doesn’t have a place in your online business arsenal anymore, take a look at these six
(6) suggested uses for audio to test on your own websites and blogs right now:

1) Audio Testimonials: Let your website visitors hear from
your happy customers to increase credibility…

2) Audio Welcome: Have a SHORT welcome message play that
explains the benefits of why a visitor should sign up
for your newsletter or opt-in to your “squeeze” page…

3) Audio Samples: Offer a free sample of an audio product
you’re selling right on your mini-site…
(example: I give away the first 2 tracks of my CD at
http://www.5stepstogettinganythingyouwant.com )

4) Audio Paid Content: Offer Audio content for a membership
site! Record the audio yourself, or interview an expert
each month, and just offer it right from your website for
streaming or download…

5) Audio Blogging: Post an audio message instead of or in
addition to regular text on your blog. This “multi” media
approach can really help you stand out from the crowd…

6) Audio “Exit” Offers: Use audio to draw people’s attention
to special offers by giving them the gist of your offer
in 20 to 30 seconds. This is especially useful when using
exit scripts & special popups to grab people’s attention.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that online audio is “old news” and that online video is the only way to go.
Audio is, in many cases, just as powerful as video… and it’s a lot *easier* to produce and post than video!

Think about it: if audio-only content didn’t have value, TV would have destroyed radio years ago.

And with a whole new generation of tools and services to help you get your online audio created and posted, there’s never been a better time to start using audio to increase sales, subscriptions and conversions in your online business.

–
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs…

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links?
“Turn Words Into Traffic” reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links… without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> http://www.TurnWordsIntoTraffic.com
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

There’s no better time than right now to try the S3 Media Player from Mike Stewart. Hey everybody… this is Russ once again and I’d like to welcome you to Podcasting Resources. I have some really great news for you and I promise you, I will be brief.

I’ve been talking to you about the S3 Media Player from Mike Stewart for a while now and I have to tell you, there has never been a better time for you to try it out.

If you’ve been wondering how it works, you are watching it in action right now. Even better, Mike is offering a FREE demo version for you to try, right now, and it is an opportunity too good to pass up.

You now have the opportunity to try Amazon S3 and the functional, but limited use, F-R-E-E demo of the S3 Media Player. If you like it you can upgrade to the full version.

If you would like to take Mike up on his offer, just click on the link just below this video and you will be taken to the place that can help you easily place video and/or audio on your website(s).

See ya next time …

Rusty

CLICK LINK BELOW TO
Try S3 Media Player Demo For FREE!
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