Recommendation – PodCastNorm dot Com

Good Reasons for Making Podcasts and Productions — (Check Out These Short Demos from PCN Productions)

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…

So I can demonstrate to you at least one of the other type productions I make through PodCastNorm, (PCN Productions)
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

Rusty Norman and Podcasting Resources

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

Podcasting Resources and PCN Productions Make Podcasts and other Recordings

Just thought you might like to check out some of our other podcasting projects. One of them is called Nascar Fans View. Find it at http://www.nascarfansview.com/the-fans-view/ CHECK IT OUT!!

Why You Should Be Using Royalty Free Music In your productions

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

Podcastnorm.com and Rusty Norman

The S3 Media Player: A Small Investment Can Make A Big Difference for Podcasters and Others

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)

Rusty Norman and Podcastnorm.com

“Make Your Website Talk v2.0” – by Jim Edwards (A Very Special Guest Article)

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

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
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Beginner Podcasters – Podcasting can be more fun when you’re able do what you really like

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Go To www.mypodcast.com — or —

Go To www.podcastpeople.com

Hey everybody, this is podcastnorm, maybe better known to you as Russ and I just wanted to tell you about a presently little known fact. I’ve been busy working on my twice-a-week podcast I like to call, “Just A Fan’s View” and that is exactly what it is. It is about Nascar from “Just A Fan’s View” and I have to admit it is something I am really having a lot of fun making. It gives me a chance to have a little fun amongst all of the stresses of life. In fact, I’m having so much fun I just had to let you know about it and what better way than right here on Podcasting Resources.

I can tell you from personal experience that making a podcast can be a lot of work, but it can be a lot of fun if you can make a podcast about something you really like and then it doesn’t seem so much like work. That is why I am telling you about this now. As beginner podcasters, I’ve been telling you a lot of important information about getting started right and how to make your podcasts a cut above the rest, but there comes the time when you just have to take your idea and make it happen.

You see, I enjoy Nascar racing and I’ve been a fan for a long, long time. I just decided I would like to make a podcast about Nascar from a fan’s view so that is what I did. I’ve found out what I already knew and that is what this is all about. That you can:

take your idea,
think about what you want to accomplish with it,
consider whether it is worth the effort
do a little short range planning
at least consider some long range planning
be sure you have the equipment and software you need
and then make it as good as you can with what you have

Now, you can find “Just A Fan’s View” where it temporarily resides at:

www.rustynormanblog.com.

I definitely want you to check it out. It is on my main blog site and the blog is called “Rusty’s View”. That’s where I can talk about any subject I want that affects and interests me. It’s my view … It’s the way I see things. (But that’s another story for another time…)

“Just A Fan’s View” will soon be on its own site at, “www.justafansview.com” and I can’t wait until it is. Now don’t go looking for it because it’s not quite there yet, but trust me, I intend for it to be up and running all on its own on or before December 2nd. In the mean time, (and I know I’m being a little repetitive here), you can listen or read “Just A Fan’s View” at my other site :

www.rustynormanblog.com

What I want to do today is include the podcast in this post/blogcast and give you a taste of what it is like.

Go ahead … Click this link or Press the Play button below and listen to it right here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Check it out … you never know, you may find you like it.

See ya next time …

Rusty

Getting Started With Your Podcast Productions

(Click Here) for the podcast version of this article

Okay, I know you’ve noticed some differences in my podcasts of the articles lately. I’ve been trying a few different things over the last several weeks. Most of what I have done is for demonstration purposes and helping you see what you can do as a beginner podcaster. I know I’ve enjoyed making them and I hope you have enjoyed listening also. Just in case you’re new to the site or might have missed the subtle differences, I would like to point out a few of them now.

First, I would like to talk about a few of the things I am featuring in the podcasts these days. I want to say right up front that I have acquired even more respect and appreciation for Mike Stewart, ‘theinternetaudioguy’. He has some great things available to you for making your audio or video podcasts ‘as good as any and better than many’.

Just a short while ago, I mentioned in one of my blogs that I was not going to use any music that I had to pay for. I said I was going to use my own stuff and I was fully intending to do so. The reason I wanted to use my own stuff was because it was free and my budget for frills such as that was, and is, limited. I had tried other free music clips and was usually disappointed in their quality or style. What I mean is, if I don’t like the way they sound or I can’t listen to them, I’m not going to put them in my audio work. It’s just the way I am.

Then, I visited Mike Stewart’s site again. That’s not uncommon because I do visit it often for several reasons. This time I found that I could take advantage of some free music to use for spots if only I would sign up for his newsletter. Do you have to ask? Yes, of course I took advantage of the special offer and I cannot tell you how pleasantly surprised I was at the quality of the productions. I should have expected it to be good because it is easy to tell the type person Mike is especially if you go by the quality of the productions he turns out.

I guess I was just gun-shy at first. I mean, these days so many people offer you some mediocre product just to whet your appetite so they can really soak you for the good stuff. Not so with Mike Stewart. He has proven to me more than once that he is quality through and through.

Although I have never met him, I can tell he thinks along the same paths I do. He is interested in people being able to turn out the best quality audio or video product that they can and turn it out without investing an arm and a leg with nothing to show for the investment. Now, that does not mean that everything he offers is inexpensive, but, in my experience, he does give you great value for the money you invest. He has some great software and hardware packages available at great prices. These are things he uses himself and will often demonstrate them as he talks about them and how to use them. (Did I mention he does this at great prices?) He is a great source for getting started with audio or video podcasting and I highly recommend his sites.

Now lets get back to what I started out with in the title, “Getting Started with Your Podcast Productions”. This is about you as a beginner getting a great start in making a professional sounding podcast. It may not happen without spending some work and time in editing, but it will happen and probably sooner than you ever thought possible. My plan over the next few audio blog/articles is to show you some simple things that make a big difference in the sound and feel of your podcast.

“Take the time for a few minutes to go back and read/listen to, “Can’t See the Forest for the Trees“. Listen to the opening and then the body of the article. Take note of what you hear as you listen.

After that, go and check out, “Failure Is Not an Option Unless You Make It One“. Listen to the opening and the body of the article also. You will notice a subtle difference between the two. Although the openings are the same, what I did with, (or should I say in the background of), the body of the article is different. Yes, that’s right, I added music underneath the reading of the body of the article. It does make a difference in the over-all feel of the article itself and it is subtle, yet effective.

If you really want to hear a difference in those that I did first and the ones I do now check out, “episode #0012“. I’m not saying the first ones are bad, I am merely saying they are different and demonstrate different ways and techniques of accomplishing these productions. I think they are good examples of the possible modes of presenting material for consumption by those that are interested.

In the audio blog/articles to come in the very near future, we will discuss these techniques even more. I hope you will be here for them. I think you will find them very interesting. In fact, I have some really great plans for the up and coming articles and can’t wait to share them with you.

See ya next time . . .

“Secrets of Podcasting – Second Edition” by Bart G Farkas . . . This Month’s Book Recommendation

(Click Here) to listen to the podcast of this article

Well . . . it’s that time again. I can’t believe the last month went so fast and I can’t believe this one is already in its second day. This month’s book recommendation is a great one for beginners once again. (I know, I know; but you advanced podcasters remember what it was like when you got started, don’t you? My intention is not to ignore you advanced people, I just want to focus for a while on the beginner. You don’t really mind that much, do you?)

It doesn’t take much searching to find there are many books on the market today that are a wealth of information for the beginner podcaster. This one, “Secrets of Podcasting – Second Edition” by Bart G Farkas, is no different. He is the author of more than 90 technology books and strategy guides and has an avid interest in Podcasting. While he goes into specifics about getting started finding and listening to podcasts, he doesn’t bog you down with a lot of unnecessary information and offers many options for you to try.

If you are interested in making a podcast of your own, he gives you a lot of helpful input as far as type of software and hardware to use. (I like the fact that he thinks quite a bit like me. You don’t have to start out with all ‘top-of-the-line’ stuff.) As he makes exceedingly plain, there is enough good stuff out there that functions well and doesn’t cost an ‘arm-and-a-leg’. Now, as I have said myself before, not everything is free, but many things are available and affordable. You can choose your own level of entry; expensive or ‘cheap’.

This book is not limited only to audio podcasting, but also, delves into the world of ‘VODcasting’. (That’s video podcasting for you newbies out there). Although it is the newer part of the podcasting world, vodcasting will ultimately touch all of us in some way, too.

There are interesting tutorials on both audio podcasting and video podcasting. Nothing fancy here, but, interesting and informative, (and they can help you get started and that’s what is most important.)

If you are looking to get started in podcasting, whether listening or producing your own, this book can be a great help to you.

Several people have some sort of criticism about the title choice. They complain that the title, “Secrets of Podcasting” is a misnomer. I believe they miss the point in their criticism. The only ‘deep, dark secrets’ I know of in podcasting is that there are no ‘deep, dark secrets’ to podcasting. It is available to everyone. I believe that was one point, Bart, was trying to get across with the title. With all of the available software and hardware out there, podcasting has never been more simple to enjoy or produce.

The problem will always be whether or not your idea is interesting, educational or entertaining enough to draw people in and keep them coming back for more. In the end, isn’t that what it’s all about anyway. I definitely recommend this book and give it a “five star” rating. Try it and judge for yourself.

See ya next time . . .

Right Time – Right Place

You know, sometimes, things just happen for the best. It is like last Friday (very,very early in the morning), when I really wanted to show how well I felt the things I talked about in “Podcasting Quick Tip #3” worked. The problem I had was finding a place I could quickly get my demo out and available.

Now, admittedly, I didn’t search high and low for a place to host my simple little example podcast production, but I did have a few places that were free, or at least inexpensive, and quick and easy to use. Although I had my mind set on a few places, I was not happy with them when I tried to use them. Some wouldn’t let me do an upload from my computer; one wouldn’t let me do a podcast at all, (for what i thought was a really stupid reason) and some had a delay and I didn’t want to wait.

And then it happened. I just happened to notice one of the Adsense ads on my site. Knowing that you can’t (and shouldn’t) click on your own ads, I looked at the address for it and typed it into my address bar. It came up and I began to check out the site. It was “mypodcast.com”.

At first I wasn’t sure whether they would let me upload my file from my computer, but I did like the fact that they had simple downloadable recorder that worked with their site which would really expedite the process. Becoming just a little bit desperate, I figured what the heck, I can re-record it and just not have the additional production on it until I found a better place. I signed up for it and downloaded the recorder program.

Through the FAQ’s I found that I could not only use the recorder program but they had a simple way of uploading my file from my computer and that would allow me to demonstrate my little production using the equipment and software I had talked about.

I uploaded my short little production and almost immediately it was live and available. I was quite pleased with the quality and the ease of accomplishing the end result. By the way, in a few short steps, you can transfer your podcast to ‘iTunes’, (see the FAQ’s for the “mypodcast.com” site for the details.)

If you’re looking to get started with your own podcast, and you would like to get started soon, this is a great place and it is free at the present time. All you really need is a microphone and you are ready to get started. (Click here, to listen to this read as, episode #0002.)

See ya next time . . .

Podcasting Resources for Beginners (and the rest)

This will be short and to the point today. I have been reading, then skimming, then re-reading and absorbing some great information from two books. They are both different, and yet, they are much the same. They have great information for those that want to get a good start with their podcasting ideas and I can do nothing else but recommend that you get a copy of them. Even though I am basically directing this to those of you out there that are beginners, there is also a wealth of information in these two books for the advanced podcaster as well as the veteran.

I don’t say they are the end of the search, I merely suggest they are a good place to gain valuable information and they are written by people that are highly respected in the industry. The one, is the book I recommended for this month called, “Podcast Solutions” by Michael Geoghegan and Dan Klass, (see “This Month’s Book Review/Recommendation”.)

The second is called, “Podcasting — The Do It Yourself Guide” by Todd Cochrane of “www.geeknewscentral.com” fame. I have read much of them with interest (there is just too much information to say I have read every word of them) and I use them to reference my research for better ways of getting things done in Podcasting.

If someone or something could save you time and money wouldn’t that just make “sense”. These are two good books that can help you get a great start whether you just want to listen to Podcasts or if you want to make your own. They contain information on software, hardware and technique. I realize this industry is changing at a rapid pace, but these two books contain priceless information that will last a long time. They can help you get a strong start and bring you up to date on the birth of this industry and what it hopes to accomplish, as well as where it has been.

See ya next time . . .

Here are a couple of links to quickly add these to your library: