I know I’ve talked a lot about podcasting over the last several years, but I do have good reasons for making podcasts and productions and I want you to check out at least one of these three short podcast demos from PodCastNorm Productions. (I’ll give you links for them here at the end of this article.)

I’m not doing this to brag or to get you to buy something, but I do want you to see that not every production has to be an interview with some guru about some subject that takes 90 minutes to get to the reason they wanted you to listen in the first place — buy their product!

Yeah, I know not everyone that makes podcasts just wants you to buy something and not everybody just wants to entertain you. I will be the first to tell you, most of those type things are well produced and often offer great information about the subject they talk about, but there are a number of other reasons to use podcasts, blog/casts, v-casts or whatever you might think of.

One of the reason’s I take the time to make a production out of reading my articles is for those that may not be able to read because of eyesight or health issues. Another would be so they can listen on the fly while they are walking, exercising or driving down the road. In a way, I offer to read my articles to them, (or you), so they, (or you), can multi-task and still absorb the information and hopefully use it sooner or later, depending on what the case may be.

I try my level best to make the presentation acceptable on many levels so that it isn’t offensive to the listeners in several ways. I don’t want to offend them by using harsh language and I try to make the music I use fit the project. I want it to sound at least somewhat professional and not like it was recorded in some large auditorium (although I know those type recordings have their place also.) I try to do the best I can with what I have.

Another reason I read them is because I know I may not be able to capture in writing the text the way I meant for the reader to read it. By reading it, I can put the emphasis where it needs to be for the listener to properly understand what I meant. (At least, I hope I accomplish that.) Voice inflection, chuckles and laughter can often make a big difference in the way something is understood. They also give the listener/reader some insight into the personality of the person presenting the information and, along the way, hopefully making it a more pleasing experience.

So, I tell you this today for two reasons…

1. So I can demonstrate to you at least one of the other type productions I make through PodCastNorm, (PCN Productions)
2. To give you some other ideas for making podcasts, blog/casts, v-casts or whatever type presentation or production you would like to make.

The first one I am sending you to is:

<< www.nascarfansview.com >> (Yes, it is about NASCAR from a fan’s view and I hope you like it.)

Please do click on the link and listen to the production all the way to the end. The reason I ask this of you is because I have inserted a commercial in it and I want you to see how you can make commercials for yourself, or others, and turn out productions, if not for yourself, at least for others that may not have your capabilities or talents.

The second one is another of my sites that I use for sharing on a more personal level. (I am still working on this site and it is a growing project that I will be adding more content to on a regular basis.) Please click on this link and just listen to it…

<< http://www.singlesongconcert.com >>

Once you arrive on the site, it should begin playing almost immediately. When it finishes, it will redirect you to the next page which contains a video of one of the songs I’ve written. (I would like you to watch the video and hear the song, too, because it is part of what I want you to see about the possibilities for production and podcast ideas and about ways to use your websites to present your material of all kinds.)

Who knows, this could open up whole new opportunities and possibilities for you as you look for a place to use your talents to make productions for yourself or others…

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 17, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and Podcasting Resources

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

I could go into a long winded dissertation on the reasons for using Royalty Free Music for your productions but I’ve already done that several times here at Podcasting Resources. If you don’t use Royalty Free Music in your productions of all types for public consumption, YOU COULD GET INTO A LOT OF TROUBLE!

I love Two Buck Themes and use it all the time in my productions! But don’t take my word for it… click on the video below and let Mike Stewart tell you the best reasons,  himself…

Try Two Buck Themes FOR JUST $1 Dollar-(Trial Membership)

There is nothing more disappointing to me than listening to someone’s audio or video production and finding they could have done better, “IF…

“IF what”, you say?

Well, yeah, “IF”… If they would have just paid closer attention to some small details that could have made their production much better. I have to say, there’s several things that really bother me when people don’t pay close attention to those little details, but I’ll try to be brief. Today, I’ll just list three… Next week we’ll start taking them one at a time and discuss them more fully, (and add some others as we progress over the weeks ahead.)

• Production is of too low a quality:

There is nothing more disappointing to me that to try and listen to a podcast, a downloadable mp3 or some other type of audio file and find that it sounds like someone tried to bounce it off of Jupiter. A friend of mine described poor quality mp3’s as sounding like someone threw a bunch of marbles in a metal bowl and rolled them around while they were recording. I have to agree; In this day and age, if you can’t make your files big enough to allow the end result to be clear and pleasing to your listener, please; don’t bother even making it!

• Poor or no edits — Abrupt ins and outs

I know it is hard to believe for many of you, but, I have come across productions more than once that whomever the person was that posted it didn’t even take the time to clean it up a little. Their ins and outs throughout the recording are abrupt and some don’t even take the time to edit out the noise at the beginning while they were waiting for someone to start talking. I’m sorry to be so harsh, but honestly, that stinks. Taking the time to properly edit the production isn’t only necessary, but it is a must. No one I know wants to listen to something that sounds like it was done on a little recorder with the ‘vox’ feature turned on. The quality may be there but it sounds choppy. Editing the beginning and the end and adding a fade in or out makes a world of difference to you listener. Once again I offer my opinion… If you don’t have the time and/or the ability to do the even the slightest bit of editing of your production to make it more listenable, maybe you should let someone else do it for you. (Or, maybe you should think about finding something else to do…)

• Your production sounds like you’re in a large echo-chamber

(This is one of my pet peeves and it can often drive people away from your production even if it is worth listening to.) Now, understand, I’m not talking about doing a live recording out in some room like the capitol building in Washington DC. I am talking about making your recording in your temporary (or maybe even permanent) studio area and it sounds like your making it in a public bathroom. There are several ways to control that ambient (echo-chamber like) sound and some are expensive while others aren’t. One of the simplest little things to do is find a room that doesn’t have such hard walls and floors. Carpeted floors are better than hard tile or linoleum and can help reduce the ambient sound problems. I know many of the rooms in a house are either dry wall or paneling, but, there are little ways to manage them, too. Oh, by the way, if you are making your production in your bathroom, maybe you should think about moving to another room (unless you just like hearing yourself over and over again.)

To be honest, the time has come for all who are involved or want to be involved in podcasting or making audio or video productions of all types to start thinking about paying attention to some small details that will make a big difference in the end results of their productions. The days of over-all sloppiness are gone and people expect good quality productions and downloadable files. That doesn’t mean everything has to be perfect but it does mean every effort should be made to strive for excellence.

The era of just throwing something together without concern for quality and consideration for those that will be listening or watching is over. Software and hardware have become much to sophisticated and affordable to not make the best productions you can with what you have to work with. (Imagine… all this and ease of use, too.)

Don’t forget, you can still turn out very good stuff without having to spend a fortune and by paying attention to some little things that can make your productions “as good as any and better than many…”

See ya next time… Rusty

All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer

© June 10, 2010 – all rights reserved

Rusty Norman and Podcasting Resources

(All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and PCNProductions.com)

Podcasting Resources is changing what it covers to include not only podcasting and resources for beginner and advanced podcasters, but recording and editing for internet presentations of all types.

We have been covering basically podcasting and podcasting resources, in particular for beginners and also advanced users, for several years. Now, we are determined to become and even better place for you to come for information, reviews on equipment and software, shortcuts to getting started and generally, anything we think will help you get started in recording, editing and podcasting or just about anything you want to produce for the internet in audio and video. (Yes, we will also be talking about live streaming audio and video, too.)

Don’t forget, we still think you can get started turning out some very good “stuff” even if you don’t have a lot of money. We are still firm believers that, “You don’t have to spend more than you need to, but at least as much as you should.”

We don’t claim to know all the answers, but we are probably affiliated with someone or know someone that can answer just about any question that comes up. Together, we can all learn and do what we do (and what we want to do)  BETTER.

Check back soon and see how we’re changing and be sure to let us know what you think…

See ya next time… Rusty

Click Play below to watch this video CHRISTMAS CARD… from Us to You…

(If you are on dial-up, Please be patient… It should start in 3-4 minutes.)

CLICK HERE for Link to YouTUBE

(for viewing on iPhones and others)

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

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.
=====================================

“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
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you pay attention to advertisements on TV or Radio (and on the internet) you will hear music playing. Music is used to lead into a spot or play underneath the talk of an advertisement and it usually tries to set a mood or get you to pay attention to what’s coming up.

I know you’ve all heard this type of music and it is very effective. There is no reason to not start building your own music library specifically for this purpose. (Click here to signup for Two Buck Themes!)

Believe me, you don’t want to go through the hassle of using music without people’s permission because it can very expensive and cause you unimaginable grief. Many people think that professional, royalty free music is expensive and they don’t think they can afford it. I’m here to tell you two things:

1. You can’t afford not to use legal, royalty free music. If you think using music without permission is okay and you won’t get caught, think again…It will cost you a bundle if you use music without permission (especially if the artist is hungry) and
2. I know of some great royalty free music that is great quality and, most importantly, AFFORDABLE.

If you’ve visited Podcasting Resources before, you’ve heard me mention Mike Stewart numerous times. I highly recommend him for just about any need you have when it comes to equipment or software for recording, editing and delivering the final product(s).

He is not only knowledgeable but is also a musician and makes royalty free music. The product is already in one minute spots and can be used as is or altered for your purpose.

What I mean is he has tutorials available to show you how to use his products. When you buy products from him your investment pays off better with him because he over-delivers. He gives you a lot of usuable information that helps you get started with the equipment and software you purchase from him.

His two-buck-themes are some of the most affordable and usable royalty free music available. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong by trying them, Click here to signup for Two Buck Themes!

PLUS you can cancel at any time (even though I don’t think you will want to for a long time).

Go ahead, give Mike Stewart a try…I think you’ll be surprised at just how valuable he and his products and services are.

See ya next time…

Rusty