David Jackson - Podcast Consultant and Coach » Blog

Flattr Wants to Help Podcasters Get Paid

David — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:45:25 +0000

I just came across a new website called Flattr. It was started in 2010 by one of the co-founders of the pirate bay. They are based out of Sweden, and from what I’ve seen there is some decent activity with this in Europe. The name comes from a “Flat Rate” and “Flatter.” The thought is content consumers can enter in a flat rate amount they want to give to content creators (podcasters, bloggers, musicians, etc). They then “flatter” people by clicking the flattr button on the content producers website.

Let’s say I put aside $10 a month to “Flatter” people with, and I click 10 different flattr buttons on websites.Each person gets $1. The more people I click, the smaller amount given to each. To “flatter” someone, when I visit their website I will have to login to my Flattr account, and from there it’s one click. In reading the idea behind flattr, the developers felt paypal donations required too much work. I’m not sure I agree with that.

On the other hand, I can now be flattered via twitter. That’s easy. People can also subscribe to your blog and “Flatter” you on a monthly basis.

The Fees of Flattr

It is free to sign up and according to their website:

“When you add or withdraw money you only pay a fee to the payment provider you choose. This fee is displayed when you add or withdraw money (you can see it on your payment history as well). We take 10% of your incoming revenue as a fee to keep the Flattr systems afloat, hope that’s ok?”

The money I paid when I made a deposit I was paying my paypal fee. Their fee comes when you remove your money.

You can get paid when you account reaches €10 or more. The money can be transferred to your paypal or moneybookers account (where you again will pay more fees when using paypal. Moneybookers states you can receive money for free).

Podcast Integration

Flattr is integrated with dailymotion.com website, and also with the Instacast Podcatcing software for the iphone. Now users of instacast will be able to flatter the podcaster with one click in the app. There is also a setting in Instacast to allow it to flatter every podcast that the listener consumes in the app.

For podcasters using WordPress there is a plugin that will add a flattr button at the bottom of every post (or you can customize it). This was super easy to install and setup. (you can see this at the bottom of this post). The plugin also puts the flattr button in your feed (if you want).

Final Thoughts

Anytime someone makes it easier to support podcasts financially I’m all for it. I’m just not sure the “hassle” that flattr eliminates was that serious of an issue. I do see where a person may not go through the hassle of donating $1 (and now may click your flattr button). A flattr user could add $100 in funds and then set a monthly amount to be used. I like the idea, I see the benefits. The question is are people so passionate about supporting their favorite content creators that they will sign up for a new service?

Here is a video with the co-founder

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PODCAST CONSULTING: I wold love to work with you via one on one podcast consulting and coaching. I can do as little or as much as you'd like. I can demonstrate and walk you through the podcasting process. Email me at , or schedule an appointment.

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Yes You Do Have the Skills to Podcast

David — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:56:44 +0000

You might be talking yourself out of starting a podcast. You’re convinced that you’re not a “Geek” and that you just don’t have the set of skills to create a podcast. I’m here to let you know you already have the skills.

You Need to Press Record

I bet you’ve press record on a VCR, a Cassette deck

I’ll never get all the steps

But yet every morning you measure out water, measure out coffee, pour a container of water into a small opening, and press the right button to create coffee.

I’ll have to manage all those sound files.

If you have attach a file to an email you have the file management skills to podcast. If you are uploading pictures to Facebook, you’re good to go.

I have no experience with Sound Mixing.

You adjust the volume in your car every day to where it’s not too loud, but loud enough to drown out the sound of your car.

It seems complicated
So did tying your shows when you first started. You got through that ok.

I’m not sure I can afford it.

You couldn’t afford your children when they were born, but you made it happen. However, a podcast won’t scream if you ignore it.

I have no mouse skills

Have a friend show you how to play solitaire on the computer. This is a game but at the end of a few games you will develop mouse skills.

I don’t know how to install software
I bet you don’t know how to make a cake. If you didn’t you would get feedback from your friends on which cake mix is the best, and then you would go to the store and buy the mix. Then you would follow the directions on the box. With podcasting you can ask what are the best software titles. Then you download the installation file (cake mix) and then follow the directions to install it.

Writing Show Notes

If you write email, or use a word processor then you already have the skills. The only difference is you will be doing it on your website. It looks the same except when you click “Publish” it is saved to the Internet instead of your computer.

Podcast Promotion The Jesus Way

David — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:07:24 +0000

People often ask me how to grow their audience. They say the best way to learn something is to find someone who did it well, and do what they did. When it comes to growing an audience, I think there is one marketing plan that sticks out above all others. No, not the “plop-plop fizz-fizz” Alka-Seltzer commercial from the 1970′s. That is the message of Jesus Christ (I’m a big fan and mean no disrespect). Even if you’re an atheist this is true. He had phenomenal, life changing content. He went to find his audience. He befriended them. He got to the point. After making friends with them, he told them his message. He made it easy. He loved his audience. It appears to have worked. How do we do this?

Go find your audience:
Twitter, Face book, meetup.com, comments on blogs, blogworld.

Make friends with them:

Avoid the need to spam twitter, Facebook, and get to know people on a personal level. Jesus did not show up going, “Hey people check me out I just did some kewl miracles check em out the whole town is talking about them.” He put out great content, and let his audience do that.

He Told Them His Message – and was himself.

Now that he had their attention and trust, he told them his message. He had LIFE CHANGING content (OK, my atheist friends may have a different opinion). He did not say what everybody else was saying. He stood out.

Jesus Got to the Point

If you read the scripture around “the Lord’s prayer” Jesus is saying, “God (the audience in regards to prayer) doesn’t want long drawn out content. Get to the point, pray like this – and then he gave a prayer that’s about 30 seconds long.

He Was Consistent

Jesus never changed his message. People relied upon him. When things got tough (like a storm when they were in a boat that was probably going to sink), his audience turned to him for help. With this in mind, plan a publishing schedule (weekly, daily, bi-weekly, monthly) and stick to it. It makes you a trusted, reliable, friend that people will turn to when they need help.

He Made Deep Relationships

He hung out with his audience (the apostles) who then spread his message through word of mouth. Be sure to answer every email, reply to every comment, and address every voicemail. These people who are listening/watching could be your disciples who help carry your message.

He Applied Relentless Marketing by Telling Everyone

Jesus spoke to everyone. EVERYONE. This included tax collectors, women, etc that in theory was “not cool” at the time. This goes back to him knowing his audience and knowing who needed to hear his message. Bottom line he told everyone. So have your business cards, your sample CDs, your posters and your website ready and after you make friends tell them all and give everyone your message. Give your business cards (that point to your website more than give contact info) to your family. They are dirt cheap. Put them everywhere. Tell the world. Make a flyer and save it as a PDF and let your audience hang it in their neck of the woods.

Make It Easy

The Old Testament had a gazillion rules on what not to eat, how to cook, when to do this and that, Jesus brought a message of EASE. You should do the same. Be sure to have iTunes links, and other RSS options that make it easy to subscribe. Have an email list for those who want it. Always think of your audience, and ask if there is a way to make it easier to consume your content. Is your message above the fold or below the fold on your website?

Love Your Audience

While the podcast may be inspired and started on your passion, in the end it should be about your audience. While I’m not crazy about being crucified for my audience (you will receive the occasional bad review in iTunes, etc), I will turn off the air conditioner in July to make it quiet. I will think about them and wonder if my topic is something they need to hear. It’s all about your audience.

Grow Your Audience the Jesus Way

Create life changing content

Go find your audience

Make friends with them

Tell them your message while being yourself

Get to the point.

Be consistent

Make deep relatinships with those who follow you

Be relentless about telling everyone

Make it easy to consume your message

Always be thinking of your audience.

I Love Being a Geek

David — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:02:19 +0000

I wanted to attend a webinar today, but I was teaching a class. I had forgotten about it, but when I got the webinar notification I was bummed.

Then I remembered I’m a geek.

I used logmein.com (free) to access my computer at home. I went into the audio settings and marked the “Wave out mix” (you have to enable it on Windows 7) as the default input. I logged into the webinar and then started Audacity. I could see the meters moving (the free version of logmein.com stops me from monitoring audio on my home pc). I clicked record, and a few hours later I saw that the webinar had edited. I deleted the portion of my audio where I had recorded silence, and converted it to an mp3.

I wanted to listen to the webinar on the way home. I logged into my Amazon cloud account and uploaded my newly created mp3 file. By the times its done uploading, I shold be done with work (I’m typing this on my break), and I’ll listen to the webinar on the drive home.

It’s good to be a geek.

Stick a Needle In My Eye

David — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:47:00 +0000

I recently had a sty drained in my eye. According to my doctor this was going to cause “minor discomfort.” Apparently he and I have different definitions of pain. At any rate if you’ve been e-mailing me the last few days, opening my eyes has been quite the challenge (and facing a white computer screen unbearable). Today I’ve got both my eyes open, but my vision is not so good (tomorrow should be better). At any rate, if you’ve been trying to get in touch with me be patient. I’m digging out of a few days without email.

The bad news is I didn’t even get a cool, “Pirate” eye patch.

I also learned that if you do the “bathroom mirror” camera shot, you should clean the mirror first, and probably comb your hair. On the other hand, I couldn’t see most of this….

On my way back…

Stitcher Radio Stats Show People Are Leaving Early

David — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:24:47 +0000

If the stats in my Stitcher Radio dashboard are accurate, it is VERY RARE for someone listening to your podcast to listen through the final seconds of the podcast. In fact nobody is. The highest percentage I had was on my Marketing Musician Podcast where about 85% listen to the entire episode (these are also some of my shortest). On my podcast review show, my episodes range from 30-60 percent.

Stitcher Radio Share

I am seeing enough lsiteners to make putting your podcast on stitcher woth the effort. My one podcast now has 17% of its audience on stitcher. If you want to check out stitcher, you can go to www.stitcher.com/davej and download the app (or enter davej when prompted for an activation code).

Do We Care About Podcast Listening Habits?

If you are trying to sell advertising or get a message out, the one thing I know from these stats is “Start with the good stuff” becuase nobody is sticking around to see if it gets better. This makes sense after all many news casts start with “our top story tonight is…”

Unlike traditional podcast delivery systems (where the end user downloads a file), Stitcher Radio streams the podcast over their smart phone (thus eliminating the need to syncronize your ipod, or wait for a file to download). As stitcher knows how long the episode is, they can then see if a listeners consumed the entire episode or not.

Not All Podcasters Are Fans of Stitcher

Some people are not happy with Stitcher Radio as they convert your podcast to mono to make it easier to stream. Some podcasters get nervous with their terms of service, but for me it’s a free way to gain access to a larger audience. I’ve always said deliver your content in whatever format people want. ON the other hand Stitcher is palced for tremendous growth as GM has announced it will start having stitcher in select cars in 2013. Infotainment is coming to the dashboard, and it’s going to be very cool.

Stitcher Radio iPhone app gets friendly with Facebook Timeline (intomobile.com)

Corey Deitz Has His Head Up His Ass When it Comes to Podcasting

David — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:43:41 +0000

I was at about.com and looking at their articles about podcasting. Their expert is radio veteran Corey Deitz. I have respect for radio guys who can be entertaining and creative while having their hands tied behind their backs by program directors who force them to hit time markers. Radio is not easy. However, “radio personality” does not equal podcast guru. Heck this guy graduated from Kent State which is in my back yard. Corey you are killing me dude. Corey with his Radio Partner Jay are a successful morning radio show in Arkansas (voted “Best Morning Show in Little Rock” in 2001 – 11 years ago). They have audio on their website where you can “listen to their podcast.” By that they mean you can click and listen, but THERE IS NO RSS feed. When I searched for them in iTunes, I see where all their segments have their own podcast in iTunes and NONE of them have album art (Corey watch my Skank video). You know why? Because this guy may know morning radio in Arkansas, but his advice about podcasting is just crap.

He doesn’t even understand what makes a podcast a podcast.

Here is what he put in an article (I added the boldness).

Podcasts are easy to do whether you DIY with an audio editor and your own website or use a third-party to create it and host it. A Podcast allows you to create a “chunk” of audio programming which can be accessed on-demand. The original idea of subscribing to Podcasts has become diluted. Sure, thousands of podcasts can still be “subscribed” to and the audio is automatically delivered to your computer.

But, now, just placing an audio file online at your website and informing users to “click to listen” to your “Podcast on-demand” is sufficient. Most browsers know how to handle and stream an audio file that is clicked on.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck – it’s a duck.

WTF? OK then if this “duck” rule is true: Because I drive on the expressway every day – I’m a Nascar Guru. I drive. I can turn left. I drink Mountain Dew. Therefore I am a nascar driver.

You can buy a B.B. King Guitar, and dress up in a suit to play it. It doesn’t make you B.B. King.

Let us consult the book of Knowledge (Wikipedia).

“A podcast is a type of digital media consisting of an episodic series of files (either audio or video) subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication. ”

When you put audio on a website for people to click and listen to, you have AUDIO ON A WEBSITE. To tell someone, “audio on a website is a podcast” is just wrong. You say, “the original idea of subscribing to Podcasts has become diluted.” If this is true it’s because douche bags like you are telling people lies. I have players on my site that you can click and stream like a radio station. Do you know why I can create those? Because I have a syndication feed that makes it easy! If you want to make a streaming radio station with advertising, listen to my “More Podcast Money” Podcast. How about this: The original idea of one plus one equals two has been diluted, and I know say it’s four.

Some poor soul is going to put a link to an mp3 file on their website and then wonder why their “podcast” isn’t in iTunes.

He later goes on to recommend Blog Talk Radio, Podbean, and Podmatic. Three services that I’ve made a fair amount of money helping people leave.

Telling someone, “Placing audio on a website is the same as a podcast” is like giving them the Amazing Chef basket and having them only use it as a pasta strainer when it can be used as a deep fryer, and vegetable steamer and more!

I followed the website link that is listed in iTunes for them, and it took me to a page that DIDN’T HAVE A LINK TO ITUNES. BUt wait there is more! He is paying myrsscreator.com a monthly fee to create an RSS feed when he could be using WordPress for free. Talk about Head Up Your Ass. myrsscreator.com seems like a fine site. When I clicked on their affiliate link it brought up a bunch of SQL errors. Classy.

All of his episodes have the same name. I understand that its a bit, but why not give me a clue as to which episode has what topic. After all I’m sure tons of people are searching Google for “Head Up Your Ass Headlines Tuesday 5/16.”

When you get done following Corey’s advice please contact me for some coaching sessions and I will help undo all the crap that has been poured into your ears.

If it looks like a douche and quacks like a douche – it’s a douche.

Wizzard’s Record Setting December

David — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:30:24 +0000

Here’s the latest from a recent Wizard Media Press Release

In the fourth quarter of 2011, the Wizzard Media network averaged over 20 million unique audience members per month. Wizzard Media reached another milestone with an all time high for unique audience count in December 2011. Additionally, substantial growth in download requests continued with the fourth quarter numbers topping October’s all time high. And while Wizzard stopped publishing download request numbers in 2010 due to a change in algorithmic reporting metrics, download requests for 2011 would have clearly exceeded 2010′s total of 1.64 billion.

Wizzard reported ongoing increases in new podcast client account sign-ups and corresponding revenues throughout 2011 with a focus on higher margined monthly accounts. The fourth quarter brought additional all-time highs for average weekly account sign-ups and incremental revenue. That trend continues in 2012 with the first week of the new-year beating out even the best week of 2011 for new account growth and incremental revenue.

“We are thrilled by the upward trends we continue to see and are confident that the hard work of our team and our podcast producers in 2011 will continue to expand the entire podcast ecosystem,” said Laurie Sims, President of Wizzard Media. “Our Q4 results are encouraging with all time highs in our network statistics and greater distribution for our producers with broad support across various app marketplaces and mobile devices. With the popularity of the Kindle Fire and loyalty of iOS users, we are excited about prospects for 2012 expansion.”

The company has been focused on its stated plan of increasing reoccurring revenues by attracting new podcast hosting and App customers. Additionally, marketing and social media efforts to support hosting and audience growth have demonstrated success in 2011 and will be further leveraged in 2012. Wizzard’s full subscription service is expected to launch in the first part of 2012.

Keep in mind that the audience of 20 million in one month is a statistic only ONE podcasting network. The number is actually higher. So the next time someone says, “Podcasting is Dead,” or “It’s a fad,” point out how in 2010 and 2011 the trend is going upward.

Tired of Squinting Under Your Desk to Plug in Your Headphones?

David — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:21:49 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I wear headphones a lot. However, I also watch netflix, or other activities where I like to use the speakers on my computer. I have jacks in the front of my PC, it’s not a huge deal. However, there are those days that no matter what I’m doing I always want “the other configuration.” In looking for a USB to 3.5 converter today, I stumbled across a tool from Plantronics where you plug both your headphones and speakers ito it, and then just flip a switch to toggle between the two. It’s less than 20 bucks, so I’m will to part with the cash to quit squinting under my desk.

Stressed Out About Christmas?

David — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:19:35 +0000

Maybe we should think differently this year…

Royalty Free Music for $5 Per CD – Cyber Monday Deal

David — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:01:55 +0000

On Monday (tomorrow) Footage Firm will be having a Cyber Monday special where you can get 40% off yoru purchase. This website has Royalty Free Music for $8 a CD. With this special you’re looking at a FULL CD of music for around $5. I use them for primarily music, but they also have video, sound effects and more.

To save 40% you need to use the coupon CYBERMONDAY11

Online Video Stats

David — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:41:18 +0000

I think its time to invest in some video equipment…

Wizzard Media Partners with Podcast.com

David — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 06:12:53 +0000

I’m not sure what podcast.com was before November 2011, but at this point according to a press release, “Podcast network Wizzard Media and Podcast.com today announced an exclusive partnership to launch a podcast directory designed for existing and potential listeners, with content provided exclusively by Wizzard Media. Podcast.com will feature Wizzard Media’s Libsyn hosting and mobile app products, and it will share in revenue generated from new customers introduced through the site as well as advertising revenues. Wizzard intends to leverage Podcast.com to create greater awareness, content discovery and drive more audiences to Libsyn-hosted podcasts for its producers.”

With more and more people using alternatives to iTunes to manage their podcast subscriptions, I’m curious as to developing another directory, but if nothing else I find this interesting.

This is How. and this is Why, You Podfade

David — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:40:58 +0000

I got a message in my in box last night it read:

“It is with much sadness and deliberation that announce the end of
Indie Radio Chattanooga. I’ve had a wonderful time and met tons of
nice people, and made a bunch of friends, but my time has come. It’s
just not fun anymore and it’s time to move one. Thanks to all of you
who helped me along the way and made such a difference in my life.
Take care and I’ll still be lurking in the shadows, so be good!
-Jimi Lee

Why do you start a podcast? Becuase you have a passion for a topic.

When do you stop a podcast? When you no longer have the passion, and when it’s just not fun anymore.

It’s that simple. If you’re bored, it’s going to show in the show. You can’t fake it forever. I once went to a Sammy hagar concert at a small theater in Akron, Ohio. It was a birthday part for a local radio station. Sammy came out and did his whole set. Then he came out and did a bunch of covers. He did “My Generation,” by the Who. He did, “Whole lotta love” by Led Zepplin.” Sammy is a big talker. Always has stories in between songs (like Spingsteen only interesting). In between these songs he said something crude, but very profound. He said, “If I get bored, we’re all F#cked.” How does he stop from getting bored? After playing all the songs his audience wants to hear, Sammy plays some song He wants to hear. Speaking of Sammy, you can get Sammy’s Audio book “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock” as a free audio book when you sign up at Audibletrial.com/dave

A Paypal Goal Widget That Works

David — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:20:06 +0000

I ran across a cool Widget to make a donation goal and asked the website owner where he got this cool widget (I had been using chipin.com). The answer? Paypal.

All you have to do is go into your paypal account and in the upper right hand corner type “widgets” in the search box. Eventually you will be taken to a Paypal labs site. Here you can

Choose the color of the widget

The color of the title

Choose an image (100X170)

Choose the color of your progress bar

Set the goal amount

Enter a paragraph about your cause.

Choose if you want people to be able to embed the widget on their website (who would say “no”?).

Then you copy and paste the code.

There is one small issue. If you want to create more than one widget (for those with multiple podcasts) you need to basically log out and log back in to create the second widget. You will see your previous widgets (which makes it easy to update each month).

Here is what the end result looks like:

Alec Baldwin Podcast Pretty Cool

David — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:23:26 +0000

Alec Baldwin has won awards, has been in movies, broadway, TV, and now podcasting. His first guest is Michael Douglas.

The cool thing is he starts good right out of the gate. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and he told me right up front. He wants to talk to people and learn more about them. If he finds them interesting, they will be on the show.

It’s a conversation. A conversation between two interesting people. He also doesn’t shy away from difficult topics (he talks to Douglas about his son who has had his share of problems), and gets him to share the story of how learning about his cancer.You later hear his daughter come into the room and explain that “Dad makes pancakes” for a living.

Great podcasts give you content you can’t get anywhere else.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really liked this first episode.

You can find more at heresthething.org

Holiday Production Music For Your Podcast

David — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:42:50 +0000

With Halloween next week, and the rest of the hholiday season upon us, you may want to add some holiday music to your podcasts. I was just informed that Footage Firm (a place for with great resources for video people) has come out with a new set of production music for the holidays (and their music is quality as well). From Jazz, Country, Pop, etc there are many different flavors (many with sleigh bells in the background) to add that holiday feel to your podcasts.

They say the music is “Free” but you end up paying $8.41 for the shipping. With that said, it’s still a great deal on royalty free music for your podcast. Check it out at footagefirm.com

One Man, One Vision, with Determination

David — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:12:02 +0000

Steve, Steve, and More Steve. Twitter was just amazing tonight.

It’s a shame. My mother died at 58 and that was too soon. 56 is waaay too soon.

His life was very interesting. He had a vision, and persued it to the end. He was himself. He did not compromise.

Music is sold completely different.

The way music is heard is completely different.

The way products are launched is different.

The way movies are created is completely different.

The way movies are watched is compeltely different.

The way we communicate is completely different.

It’s amazing what one one person, with a vision, and determination, can do. He left the world a better place.

Watch this youtube clip.

Now go hug your kids, kiss you wife, and let the small stuff go.

Money doesn’t buy you life.

His autobiography comes out November 11th

My iRiver 899 Never Came Back

David — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:41:54 +0000

Today’s post is not really about podcasting, but I truly belive my readers will benefit from it.

Oh My God I Can’t Find My Phone!

Has this ever happened to you? You just looked in the FREEZER for your phone. Why? because you can’t find it, and you’ve looked everywhere.

OK. I didn’t lose my phone. But I have lost items in the past. I’ve almost lost my phone. It was the worst 3 minutes and 27 seconds of my life. When I found it, I wanted to kiss it. Think about all the information you have in your phone, or laptop, keys, usb drive, etc. We keep making things smaller, and it keeps getting easier to lose this stuff. I know.

Back in2005 the iRiver company had a strong hold with their 899 model. Not only was it a cool mp3 player, but you could use it as a portable recorder. It was awesome. In true, FWA? fashion they discontinued that feature in future models (cause podcasting was a fad…..). I lost mine. The 899 was about the size oy my thumb. I loved that little booger, and I think about it every now and then. I’m hoping some day I’ll put on a pair of dress shows that I haven’t worn in years only to find my 899 stuffed into the toes.

If I had used www.stuffback.com I would’ve had a 70% chance of getting it back.

What is Stuffback?

If you value your electronics, you might want to check this site out. Here are the details:

StuffBak’s provides free lifetime registration for all items and two years free returns for all retail labels, tags and cases. Recovery and shipping fees (if any) are determined by your current service level (the service fee never exceeds $49.00).

You can order StuffBak labels for as little as $7.95 each. Additionally, StuffBak provides quantity discounts and a time-saving label pre-activation option. Stuffbak labels come in several sizes and types, including adhesive, teslin and a highly durable aluminum adhesive.

Finders are motivated to return lost property because StuffBak’s system is simple, convenient, confidential, cost-free, and rewarding. They simply call a toll-free number or go online and report the item’s owner number. StuffBak arranges for a courier pickup or directs them to a nearby drop-off center. They don’t have to pack a box or pay for shipping. Once the property is returned to the owner, finders receive StuffBak’s standard $20-value product reward, plus any cash reward offered by the owner.

For drop-off locations they use all UPS Stores. If there is not a UPS Store location near the finder, StuffBak will arrange for a courier pick up. If the owner is in the same proximity as the finder, and both parties agree to meet, StuffBak will facilitate a face-to-face exchange.

10% off with Dave10

You can get 1o% off your purchase by using the coupon code Dave10 at www.stuffbak.com

Does this sound like a service you would use? Have you ever lost anything?

Zoom H2n The H2 Gets an Upgrade

David — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:40:05 +0000

Zoom has come out with a new version of the popular H2 portable recorder called the H2n. I loved the H2, and I’ve had a few podcasters interview me using that unit and I’m always amazed at the sound.This is one of the most versatile units. It doubles as a USB interface, records in WAV or mp3 formats, has a line/mic input (not 1/4″ or XLR, just 1/8″). The new H2n sells for $199 at Amazon.com

The new H2n unit has some great features:

1. More Microphone options

There are more microphones. You can record from the line in in addition to the built-in mics (and mix them later). You can record with your side mics on (for ambience) and then later determine how much of that to use in the recording.

2. Increased battery Life

The material for the H2n state a battery life of 20 hours. Cool.

3. Increased Display

It never fails, I buy a Roland R-05 because of the big display and Zoom comes out with a new unit with a bigger 1.8″ display. The R-05 has 1.5″

4. One Button Record

In previous units you pushed it once to be in stand by mode, and once again to record. This lead to a few, “Oh man it wasn’t recording” situations I’m sure. Not any more. One big button on the front. Press it once and you’re recording.

5. Data recovery

In the past there was the “Oh many my batteries went dead” is now a thing of the past. You have a data recovery mode. When you put new batteries in, yuor data is safe.

6. Up to 32 Gig SDCard

The unit comes with a 2 Gig card, and can record on a card up to 32 gigs.

7. Flexible Recording Levels

It use to be you had low, medium, and high as far as recording settings. Now you have a conveniently placed dial that you can adjust as you record.

8. It’s Damn Sexy

The thing just looks cool

What You Don’t Get with the Zoom H2n

When you purchased the H2, you got all sort of accessories. This included a windscreen, power cable. a stand, a microphone adapter (for putting it into a microphone stand). At $150 this unit was not only a great unit, it was a great value. With the H2n listing at $199, I was thinking you got all the bells and whistles. This is no longer the case. Now to get a power cord (with 20 hours of battery life do you really need this?), windscreen, remote control, stand, case, etc it’s an additional $39 making the total price around $240. With this in mind, why not go one step further to the Zoom H4n which is $299 and has all the accessories (not as good a battery life), and the ability to plug in a 1/4″ or XLR microphone right into the bottom of it?

Unlimited Bandwidth Yes – Unlimited CPU No – Blue Host Clears Things Up

David — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:36:08 +0000

I have said for years, the best way to start a podcast is to use a service to host your websites (like Bluehost or Host Gator) and then get a dedicated Media Host (Like Blubrry.com or Libsyn.com). Blue host will cost you about $7 a month. You have to buy a year in advance (so $84 out of your pocket to get started). I have never personally used them (I’m a Host Gator guy), I have used Blue Host’s control panel when clients use them. I have chatted with their tech support folks, and I have no problem recommending them.

I had a potential client tell me he was going to use them host his audio files. The idea is you are going to save the $15 for a media host. Before I went “That’s not good,” I wanted to triple (quadruple ) check for the thousandth time that this was a potentially bad idea. With this in mind, I went over to Blue Host to have a chat.This was about noon on Tuesday 9/27/2011

Here it is:

Daniel H.: [9:47:26 AM] Thank you for contacting sales today. My name is Daniel. Let’s discuss how we can make your website a success!
David Jacks..: [9:47:52 AM] Hi Daniel. What is your shared hosting plan price if I go month by month instead of a year at a time?
Daniel H.: [9:49:24 AM] The shortest plan we offer is the 12 month plan. It is prepaid up front but we do not have any contracts
David Jacks..: [9:49:46 AM] and how much is that a month?
Daniel H.: [9:50:51 AM] Our most current promotion:
1 year for $83.40 (6.95 a month)
2 years for $142.80 (5.95 a month)
3 years for $214.20 (5.95 a month)
Our hosting service is paid in advance. We offer 1, 2 and 3 years but you can cancel within 30 days and get a full refund and it’s prorated any time after that. So you’re not bound in a contract.

David Jacks..: [9:51:19 AM] Also, I have a client who is looking to order hosting for a website that features a podcast. He is wanting to use your service as it has unlimited bandwidth. Does that mean he can host his mp3 files on your hosting? Are there any stipulations for or against podcast files?
Daniel H.: [9:53:31 AM] Yes that is fine as long as it is not copyrighted

David Jacks..: [9:55:27 AM] Just to make sure we are crystal clear. If he puts out an episode once a week, and 25M and it gets downloaded 1000 times in a week, that’s OK? There are people who are stating that others from your company say it’s not allowed.
Daniel H.: [9:56:15 AM] Yes that is fine. There is no reason for that to be a problem.
David Jacks..: [9:56:30 AM] I have a podcast that has been dead for 2 years and it was downloaded 2500 times this month.
[9:57:24 AM] Apparently Jordan (based on another blog post I read).
[9:59:34 AM] I guess what I’m looking for is what would get you “kicked off” (maybe not the right word) for using too much bandwidth.
Daniel H.: [9:59:37 AM] Yes that is talking about 60,000 downloads of a 50MB file every week
[9:59:53 AM] that would use a lot of cpu and likely cause the account to get throttled
David Jacks..: [10:00:04 AM] So there are exceptions…
[10:00:52 AM] I’m just trying to make sure I understand exactly what to expect for my podcasting clients.
Daniel H.: [10:01:10 AM] no, no exceptions, as it grows bigger it will use more cpu, it is not bandwidth related
David Jacks..: [10:02:07 AM] So it’s not the bandwidth it’s that the server is trying to hand out all these mp3 files (as they now have a back catalog) and (for lack of a better phrase) it runs out of hands. Correct?
Daniel H.: [10:03:16 AM] No, in order to maintain stable servers, we limit the amount of cpu available to each account. CPU is used as processes run on your site.
David Jacks..: [10:04:19 AM] So what taxes the CPU in regards to serving an mp3? Is it the management of the request?
Daniel H.: [10:06:16 AM] yes, and the connection of the user to the site and file etc.
David Jacks..: [10:07:02 AM] Awesome. Well that clears it up. Thanks. Any ideas on how many requests are “OK” and when it would become a problem?
Daniel H.: [10:10:11 AM] No, that is very relative, it depends on the frequency of the access and the length of the recording etc.

David Jacks..: [10:11:18 AM] So there is no definitive answer on “You’ll be fine unless..” answer?
Daniel H.: [10:12:06 AM] nope, no way to know that
David Jacks..: [10:12:25 AM] Got it. Case by case basis.
Daniel H.: [10:12:28 AM] a couple thousand a week is fine, tens of thousands are too much
[10:12:40 AM] somewhere in between there
David Jacks..: [10:15:55 AM] Tha’ts where it gets tough. You may only get 700 downloads of a new episode, but the back catalog still sees traffic. Like I said, I have a podcast with 14 episodes and I had 2500 downloads this month. I haven’t had a new episode in two years. That’s basically 180 downloads per episode. If I had 300 episodes it would be 54,000 downloads.
Daniel H.: [10:17:30 AM] yeah, well you can gather an idea though. To have less limits you would need vps hosting
David Jacks..: [10:17:57 AM] Got it. Do you care if I put this chat on a blog?
Daniel H.: [10:20:32 AM] That is fine.
David Jacks..: [10:20:57 AM] Thanks Daniel. have a great day.

You will get the same answer (pretty much) with any Web Hosting provider. One of the reasons I live host Gator is you can pay month by month (you save more if you buy a bunch up front) for around $7 a month. For this “just starting” podcasters, a month by month may be a more sensible way to go until you’re sure this is something you want to do.

Can you host your files to start out? Absolutely. However, if (when) you have a problem it’s because your too popular and now you get to fix your problem if front of a lot more people instead of just doing it right in the first place.

If you go with a web host ($7 a month and media hosting $15) you end up spending $22ish. I went to Buffalo Wild Wings with my step-son the other night. We played trivia. We spent $24. Now I’m not saying give up quality time with your family. If you look at how much you spend on fast food, coffee, vending machine snacks there are ways you could afford to do podcasting correctly. People say they don’t want to spend that kind of money on a hobby have no problem spending $40 for a video game. I’ve never won any money playing a video game, but I’ve made money creating a podcast. I’ve made friends with a podcast. I’ve been seen as an expert because of my podcast. Isn’t it time you start a podcast?

Podbean Experiment Part II – Who Are You

David — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:31:13 +0000

Today I continue my experiment with Podbean. Over the weekend I had 28 downloads of my More Podcast Money podcast (so their stats seem to work) I sent an email about their “no third party advertisements” policy. Here is the conversation:

I’m doing a blog series on Podbean. I see where if I want to run my own advertising using the Podcast (for example) podcaster pro account. I can’t create my own advertising in my podcast and talk about it. Let’s say I wanted to talk about stuffback.com because I’m an affiliate. I can’t talk about it, or is this more about putting affiliate banners on my page at podbean.com?

I would love to interview someone from Podbean for my podcast about podcasting.
–
Dave Jackson
www.schoolofpodcasting.com
Personal Podcast Coaching

Their response:

You may check Affiliate program at
http://www.podbean.com/affiliate/affiliate/

You may email us any issue and we will get back to you shortly.

Should there be any further question, please feel free to contact us.

Regards

Daphne
Podbean Team

To this is replied:

Daphne,
I don’t think you understand. If I want to promote the affiliate program of someone who is not podbean (say for example stuffback.com)
am I allowed to promote those products on my show?

Your website says this
http://faq.podbean.com/2011/04/21/can-i-monetize-my-site/

So I’m contacting you asking if I can talk about other products on my podcast. I’m asking for permission to promote third party items.

Also, can you tell me where I can learn about your company? (Where are you located, the staff, etc). There is only a contact button on the website, but no information about the people behind the company.

Dave Jackson
www.schoolofpodcasting.com

to this they replied:

David,

You may use one of our Business Level plans which allows you to run your own advertisement.

Regards

David
Podbean Team
www.podbean.com

Is anyone else noticing something strange? I’ve asked for an interview. I – a person with 700 – 1500 podcasters a week listening to me – and I can’t get a reply to an interview request? I can’t get a hint about where they are located. I did a WHOIS search and their domain name is registered through domainsbyproxy.com which keeps their information secret. There is no law against having a private domain. Oddly enough when I do the same for Blubrry.com I get the CEO’s name and email. If I do the same search on Libyn, I get complete information. Hosting companies need to realize that they are the blood of a podcast. Podcasters put a ton of trust into who they choose as a podcast host.

Libsyn and Blubrry are podcast hosting companies started by podcasters. Podbean is….

I was hoping to find out. At this point I’m left asking, “Who Are You?“

The Podbean Experiment Part I

David — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:57:03 +0000

I was talking to some people who were starting podcasts and the “B” word came up again. By that I mean podBean. This is a “Free” podcast hosting company. I had heard that “they hijack your feed.” I have helped people move away from them (and podomatic another free service), but when I looked at their non-free plans it caught my attention. Before we get to that, let me tell you why you will shoot yourself in the foot if you use their free version.

Free is Bad

If you use their free version, and look at your “Podcast Page” all the feeds on that page are uneditable. They are all Podbean specific. You get what you pay for.

You start podcasting and you want to “test” it out, so you go free. Your podcast is good and people start subscribing to your podcast. This is great. You decide to get your own hosting, and you want more control over the look and style of your website, and maybe you want better stats. Everyone who has subscribed to your feed (tied into Podbean) now has to subscribe to a new feed. This is a lot like when you move. Anyone who doesn’t update their address book will miss out. You want to avoid moving. I once had an email list with a few thousand subscribers. When I switched to aweber, everyone had to re-subscribe. It was painful as not everyone did. You can argue that anyone who didn’t re-subscribe wasnt an avid reader, but if I could’ve avoided it, I would’ve. I would avoid free. If you have no budget, choose the lesser of two evils and post the files on your website hosting account. If things go bad (like you get popular) at least you have more control.

They Seem to Be A Lot Cheaper

If we want to combine apples to Apples we see that for an account that allows you to upload 250 megabytes per month:

Libsyn charges $15 a month

Blubrry charges $20 a month

Podbean doesn’t have a 250 that have a 350 Meg account and it’s $4.95 – More storage, less money. Hmmmm…

Their stats at this level are described as, “whenever an episode is played in Podbean site, embed player, or iTunes the play action will be counted in the “hits” number. Moreover, Podbean statistics system will automatically filter duplicated hits from the same IP address or identified spam hits. So the hits number can reliably reflect how popular your podcast is.” I need it to be more specific. If it plays on my website does it count? When I went to my podbean page and clicked on my iTunes link, it opens iTunes and automatically subscribes to your podcast. That’s the good news. The bad news is they are using the itpc method of linking which means you get no credit in iTunes for the subscription.

PodBean Player

Here is what their player looks like. As I type this I am so curious if there will be advertising… (surprisingly not)

Bring it on Home to Podbean – Uglier than Mevio

They frequently suggest to put a podbean player on the site, and they want you to promote your page on their site (which I noticed seems to have a fair amount of comment spam). When you find a podcast, and click to listen the player (which has no volume control, maybe the premium version does) is sitting next to an advertisement. I would also say that they have done something I didn’t think could be done. They made a site that looks worse than Mevio.com They resizing of their graphics is obviously done by a robot, and it seems every post has an advertisement, ever page has an advertisement, and the players have advertisements. I see why they are cheaper. Libsyn and blubrry have no advertising on their site.

If they Don’t Make Money – You Don’t Make Money

I did find an interesting disclaimer in their terms of service:

Of official policy is as follows: Monetizing Your Content through a third-party is allowed for Business Plan member only. Any attempt by Personal Plan members to directly monetize Your Content via third-party ad networks or other outside business agreements at the expense of Podbean without written approval from Podbean is prohibited. If you choose to monetize, Your Content, you agree to utilize Podbean Services to enable monetization including but not limited to in-content advertising, iPhone applications or sale of Your Content which may include additional requirements for revenue sharing or fees for use depending on the Service. To request permission to monetize Your Content via third-party ad networks or other outside business agreements at the expense of Podbean, please email

This makes me want to go all Cee Lo Green on them. The change in my pocket wasn’t enough? Now aint that some sh*t. I’m paying you to host my files. You should have no say in what I put in my content. Blubrry can tell me when I can use their FREE stats because I paid nothing for them. If I want to have running advertising (of my own) I need a business account which starts at $69.95.

Support?

While I ordered some hosting for a client, I was able to start using the system immediately. Its a shame that the first day I used them, I was able to upload a few episodes but then I had an issue with uploading my third episode . I was able to use the FTP upload, but in their dashboard you click a button to move the files in the FTP area into their system and that didn’t work. Later when I tried the website again it worked. When I have contacted their support, I got an answer fairly quickly. When I asked them if they submitted podcasts to iTunes for people ( an accusation I had heard – they don’t), I got a fairly quick reply.

More to come.

Do You Remember?

David — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:51 +0000

I do.

Let’s never forget to:

Hug your family

Tell them you love them.

Follow your dreams as life is short.

Let the little stuff go.

Get things right with God, as you never know when your number will be called.

To all the families, and all the children you are in my prayers.

Hopefully before I die, someone will explain to me why WTC 7 fell when no planes hit it.

WP SubscribersTwo, No Three, No Four Tools in One

David — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:00:59 +0000

I’ve been using Popup Domination on my sites. It’s cool, and flexible. I also have used the ultimate footer Ad. Again, nothing wrong with it. It works, and it does what its supposed to do. I have nothing bad to say about either of these products. Then I discovered WP Subscribers plugin. This premium plugin is so versatile that it does everything but my dishes (and I think that’s in beta). For example

1. Works with all Email providers (aweber, etc).

2. Create Opt in Forms in the footer or header

3. Create footer or headers that are just a click (not an opt in form).

4. Create pop up windows that dim the background forcing the visitor to read.

5. Create a count down timer to add a sense of urgency to have people sign up (haven’t investigated that).

6. Create exit pop ups (you know the “Click Cancel to stay here because we have a special gift for you” button).

7. Once you make all these forms, you can have complete control over where they show up (and even insert them into posts, widgets, etc). You can even have them show up for specific categories.

The best part? Pop Up Domination is $47, and Ultimate Footer Ad is $47, and so is WP Subscribers (except it does what both of those do, and then some).

I could see using this to boost your iTunes subscriptions (add a graphic and link it right to your iTunes page), or twitter, or email, etc.

Here is a quick video I made (loving the export to YouTube feature in Camtasia) that shows you the Interface.

For more information got wpsubscribers.com (affiliate link)

Headway Themes Blows Me Away

David — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:45:50 +0000

I’ve been a big fan of the Builder Theme from iThemes. I noticed that my one year of support is up on that theme. I recently came across the Headway Theme. Holy Sssshmokes…

I loved builder as it made it super easy to create my own layouts (which made it easy to have the inside of a membership site look different from the outside). Headway Themes does all of that and there is a lifetime of free upgrades. Watch this video about Headway as this dude creates a pretty amazing website in 10 minutes. I get the feeling this is just the beginning with this theme.

In looking into some of the details of the theme it does remind me a little of Thesis where it has its own world of terminology (leafs vs widgets). From what I’ve seen, it is very flexible. You can do just about whatever you want it to do without adding another 12 plugins to rotate images, hide widgets, etc. I have never been a big fan of diving into code, and this looks like I will never have to.

Headway starts at $87 for the personal version (for use on two sites), or the Developer version goes for $164 and the encourage you to build clients site with it. Very cool. For more information go to headwaythemes.com

Is Your Site Accessible?

David — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:59:02 +0000

I have a few clients who are site impaired. Site impaired people love audio podcasts, and are loyal listeners. However many podcasters don’t take the time to make their site accessible to those who are using screen readers. I thought I did a pretty good on making my site accessible, then my client told me about http://wave.webaim.org/toolbar

Put in your URL and it will show you what you are missing. It’s free.

Your First Impression – The Podcast Queen is a Skank

David — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:31:48 +0000

OK, I’ll admit it. I made myself laugh this morning.

YouTube Killed My Baby, and Murdered my Grandmother

David — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:24:39 +0000

I recently ran across a post that discussed how podcasts are taking away jobs from copywriters, and how video (Youtube) is going to be THE Platform and all others will die.

Evil, evil youtube. Shame on you for killing innocent copywriters.

Seriously? What’s next a “Podcasting is Dead” blast?

Did TV kill radio? Did either of them kill newspapers (completely) ? Did TV kill movies? Did cable kill the box office? I did an email newsletter for years (still do) with about 1,200 people on it and got very little feedback. I turned that same information into an audio podcast and got feedback from Germany within a week (I’m in Ohio). Why, because it was more personal. It had tone of voice, and it was delivered in a more entertaining fashion.

Yes anybody with a usb microphone can create a podcast. This does NOT mean they should. Do not forget. CONTENT is king. Great content takes TIME (I tell my clients it takes four minutes to produce one minute of audio podcast). What the gold rush rush of Podcasting and Youtube has done has made it hard to find the GOOD stuff. You have to step over the junk (and about 4,000 videos of kittens) to get to it. The bright side is many horrible podcasters quit before their seventh episode because it takes TIME to create GREAT content, and they thought they would be famous overnight by listing their podcast in iTunes.

I hear this same question about audio podcasting (is video going to kill it?). It’s not. Audio podcasting allows you to multitask. I can’t watch a video and drive to work. Also, many videos are simply “talking heads” and if that talking head doesn’t have great content, it’s not going to work. Do you drive? Then I still have a potential audience.

You need to deliver content in the format people want it. I still deliver my podcast in a newsletter format for those that want it. You can listen to my podcast on my website, or you can subscribe via RSS.
In the same way, Gone With the Wind can be found on VHS,DVD, and Blu-Ray. Same content delivered in the format the audience wants.

If you have a newsletter, FOR PETE’S SAKE turn it into a podcast. People will blow $300 on a hobby known as Xbox with Kinect. But they stop dead in their tracks when it comes to putting out $200 for a microphone and mixer that will allow them to reach the world. That boggles my mind.

I wrote a book called “More Podcast Money” and explain all the ways people are benefiting from podcasting.You will be seen an expert, sell ads in your podcast, sell ads on your site, get free stuff to review (I will be reviewing a USB interface later today), and much more. I interviewed a podcaster last week who had a listener donate to him in the form of a $12,000 check. It was his way of saying “thank you” for the content.

In the same way that newspapers, radio, TV, and movies have all existed for years, so will blogs, podcasts, and YouTube.

Start a Podcast – Make A Difference

David — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 07:00:13 +0000

I saw this video courtesy of Daniel Johnson Jr (thanks man). As someone who has been an educator for close to 20 years it almost made me cry for some weird reason. I have mentioned before that your podcast can make a difference – one download a time. Start a podcast today.