If Podcast Content Is King Then Production Values Are Queen

You might recall I asked a question about where you podcast from.

Well the terrific Donna Papacosta (hers is one podcast I never miss) shared her thoughts in response to that question.

Here’s what she said:

Well, I’m a bit of a stickler for sound, so when I’m recording my own podcast or podcasts for clients, I like to be in a quiet place, which is usually my studio. Last summer, however, the Town of Oakville decided to replace the huge pipes that carry away storm water, so the road outside my window was a mass of monster trucks and booming noises. On a few occasions, I retreated into the coat closet with my Zoom H4 and my Electrovoice mic. Within the cocoon of wool and cotton, I found silence.

Donna went on to share the fact that she likes to include ambient noise when it adds to the tone of the podcast in the production:

For a client’s podcast last year, I interviewed a man who uses solar energy at his home. Because I wanted listeners to feel the rural location, I captured sound from his field – crickets, wind, and the raw wildness of the place. And I recorded our interview on his front porch, which seemed to make sense.

At conferences, I often walk around grabbing wild sound. When you’re listening to a conference podcast, you expect to hear the hubbub of the exhibition hall, the laughter and clinking of glasses at the opening reception and the buzz in the hallways, as long as you can clearly understand the people who are speaking.

I think these are terrific points and it’s something I too am a stickler for on our premium programmes and podcasts in my business.Yes content is King but for your listeners ears podcast production values are Queen.

I’d love to bring you better quality audio (hopefully we are improving each week) in our PodCamp Ireland podcasts and I had a conversation with John C. Havens of Blog Talk Radio today about just that question - how can we enhance the listening enjoyment in terms of sound quality with their terrific product.

John and I will be speaking again soon and I’ll share his guidance with you for anyone who wants to create heir own podcast without needing any technical support - literally just a phone.

What tips do you have for creating podcasts with high production values?