The audience is usually front and center on our minds when we’re recording our podcast. But podcasting is SO much more than just recording audio for our listeners! It’s about creating genuine connections with people that we then GET to share with our listeners. Joe Dimino, who has been podcasting for over a decade, is here to talk about his experiences with creating meaningful conversations with folks across his podcast and radio show. This week, episode 117 of Listeners to Leads is about the power of creating authentic connection as a podcast host!
Joe Dimino has been writing & creating in various capacities since his college days at the University of Missouri-Kansas City around 1993. If you are keeping score, that would be about 29 years+. It all began at UMKCs University News as a Sports Writer with the esteemed John Beaudoin and turned into a myriad of expressive avenues, including poetry. Inventing poems, art, video & audio has always been a therapeutic avenue of expression.
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, Joe Dimino shares the importance of being enthusiastic about your podcast and actionable steps you can take right now to have meaningful conversations with guests to share with your audience.
Joe and I also chat about the following:
How to attract your first guests to your show.
The connectivity humans want with one another and how podcasting provides it.
Unenthusiastic guests will negatively impact the energy of your show and you DON’T have to promote them.
Podcasting is about connecting with people, not just the downloads.
Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Podcasts are as popular as ever and there are so many to choose from! So how do you make yourself and your podcast stand out in the crowd? Tracy Hazzard, known by some as the Queen of Podcasting, is here today to talk about making your podcast stand out, making the most of your show by strategically repurposing content, and more! This week, episode 112 of Listeners to Leads is about setting yourself apart as a podcaster!
As the influence strategist for speakers, authors & experts, Tracy Hazzard helps major publications, sports stars, and entrepreneurs ‘Brandcast’ their original messages. Along with her husband and partner, Tom Hazzard, she has been rethinking brand innovation for over 25 years as an inventor and product designer. Their podcasting innovation, Podetize, provides businesses of all sizes a system to spread their marketing message, grow a valuable audience, and retain valuable platform authority without a lot of time, cost or effort. Tracy co-hosts multiple top-ranked podcasts with over 1500 episodes combined, including The Binge Factor, Product Launch Hazzards, WTFFF?! 3D Printing: the 3D Start Point, and more!
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, Tracy Hazzard is sharing the importance of being genuinely excited about your podcast guests and actionable steps you can take right now to build your business through the power of podcasting.
Tracy and I also chat about the following:
Podcasting is a marathon, not a sprint.
Too much of content creation is about going viral instead of being there when the right person needs you.
Short-form content is NOT how you get leads into your business, podcasts and long-form content ARE.
The importance of being authentic and being vulnerable with the audience.
Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
If you are a thought leader, you may be struggling with coming up with new content that supports your thought leadership. A podcast is a great way to create podcast thought leadership content without having a show up on video every week.
A 2022 New York Times article shared an interesting statistic about what thought leadership content means to decision-makers. Decision-makers spend time every week consuming thought leadership content in order to inform their decisions. The only problem is that 71% of these decision-makers said that less than half of their thought leadership content gives them valuable insight.
These decision-makers are the people who are running events or deciding whether to hire people to solve problems. If they don’t feel inspired, then they won’t take action to share the content or work with you. So, let’s talk about how to create valuable thought leadership podcast content that creates opportunities for you.
What Is Thought Leadership
First, let’s look at what thought leadership content is. At the most basic level, thought leadership is about creating value and sharing knowledge in your areas of expertise. However, to stand out as a thought leader, you need to take a stand that allows you to separate yourself from the rest of the experts in your field.
So, in addition to being knowledgeable, a successful thought leader also needs to be innovative, share new ideas, and be unafraid to go against the flow.
The Benefits of a Thought Leadership Strategy in Podcasting
There are many mediums you could use to share your thought leadership, like blogs, guest features, or even social media. Podcasting is my favorite way to create thought leadership content because:
It is an undersaturated space in comparison to the others.
It’s SEO-friendly both on podcast platforms and search engines.
You don’t have to navigate algorithms in order to get your content in front of your ideal clients.
You can repurpose your podcast content into other forms of content to drive more traffic to your thought leadership podcast content.
You can host guests so you can both share your expertise and knowledge in a conversational way.
The main reason why I love using podcast content for thought leadership is because it can generate all kinds of leads.
It may not always generate clients for your business, but it will help you to generate brand awareness so you can land future opportunities for speaking engagements, book deals, or collaborations.
How to Create Thought Leadership Podcast Content
The statistics in the New York Times article provided interesting insights into what decision-makers are looking for when consuming thought leadership content.
Here are 3 strategies you can incorporate into your thought leadership podcast content to provide more value to your listeners.
Grab Their Attention Immediately
According to the article, 55% of decision-makers said that if a piece of thought leadership podcast content does not pique their interest within the first minute, they move on. So, you need to grab their attention right away and get them excited about what you’re talking about.
In episode 39 of the Listeners to Leads podcast, we spoke with Lori Highby of Keystone Click about the importance of understanding your audience to make a marketable podcast and actionable steps you can take right now to encourage your guests to share your show.
Solve a Problem
The article also shared that 63% of decision-makers said that thought leadership content provides important proof that an organization genuinely understand and can solve specific business challenges. If you want your thought leadership podcast content to translate into leads of any kind, solving problems is a great way to demonstrate that you are an expert in your field. That, alongside a personal connection means that listeners will want to go to you to solve their problems.
Embrace the Conversational Form of Podcast Content
Podcast content is completely different from blog posts or social media content. It is less instructional and more about sharing thoughts and ideas. Embrace the medium of podcasts because it allows you to express excitement and engage with your audiences more than any other medium.
As you can see, there are many ways to grow your though leadership via a podcast. Need more support around launching a podcast that helps support your thought leadership? I recommend you check out our services around a limited series podcast launch.
Most thought leaders are juggling a ton of different things. A limited series (about 12-15 episodes) can help you show up as a thought leader without committing to an ongoing podcast.
Being a guest on someone else’s podcast is often mentioned as being the best way to grow your listenership. But no one ever really breaks down the WHY behind it! I heard you all asking, so today I’m sitting down to guide you through the best practices for getting onto another podcast as a guest and how to best utilize that episode once it airs! This week, episode 111 of Listeners to Leads is about podcast guesting strategies to grow your podcast audience!
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, I’m sharing the importance of choosing the right podcasts to pitch yourself to and actionable steps you can take right now to find your ideal listeners in other podcasters’ audiences.
I also chat about the following:
How Apple Podcasts is going to start emphasizing episode-specific cover art.
Podcast audiences are special – they give you their undivided attention.
Being selective about what shows you guest on can make all the difference.
You don’t have to do everything all at once!
Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
With all of the content we’re bombarded with every day, it can be difficult to make podcast content that you’re confident people will stop and listen to. One way to ensure your content stands out is to create curiosity, both in yourself and in your listeners. Emily Aborn is here again this week to talk about the types of curiosity, how we can appeal to them, and more! This week, episode 110 of Listeners to Leads is about creating curiosity with our podcast content!
Emily Aborn is a Content Writer and owner of She Built This, a community for women entrepreneurs to build the dreams they have, together. She has 10+ years of experience working with entrepreneurs in various roles. She helps others create compelling content and copy throughout their branding! Emily lives in New Hampshire with her family. When not working, she can be found hiking, walking, cooking, reading, listening to music, or writing.
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, Emily Aborn is sharing the importance of appealing to different types of curiosity and actionable steps you can take right now to lead and create curiosity-driven content.
Emily and I also chat about the following:
Creating curiosity to lead your content creation.
The four types of curiosity and how they present themselves in listeners.
Examples of topics and formats to appeal to all listener types.
Confusion is not curiosity.
Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
Welcome to your beginner’s guide to podcast editing in Audacity! This guide is designed to walk you through step-by-step everything you need to know to start editing podcasts using Audacity. We’ll take you through importing your audio, cleaning up, cutting and repairing your audio tracks, and exporting your finished product.
If you’re new to podcast editing and looking for a free, user-friendly software to get started, Audacity might be for you. Audacity is a popular audio editing software that you can download on your Mac or PC.
With the increasing popularity of podcasting, the expectations of a quality, well-produced show is on the rise. The podcast content itself is undoubtedly the most important aspect but poor editing and audio quality will not only lead leaders to click off the episode but may also lessen the host’s professionalism and trustworthiness. While we can expect overall quality to improve over the course of a show’s lifetime, it is important to get the hang of it quickly to increase potential listenership. A well-produced podcast is a sign that the host takes their content seriously and wants to provide a well-rounded experience for their listeners.
Like anything, you’ll need to find your groove when it comes to editing your podcast. We’ll walk you through what you need to know to familiarize yourself with the platform, tools, and settings so that you can feel comfortable getting started. Refer back to our post: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Podcast Editing for more insight on editing your podcast for context, clarity, and cleanliness.
If you try editing out for yourself and find that it just isn’t for you, get in touch and see how we can help! Our team of professionals can handle everything from editing your content, podcast monetization, and marketing strategy to the implementation of the entire podcast strategy. So if you want to sit back and record your episodes and let someone handle the rest, we’re the team for you.
A Beginner’s Guide for Podcast Editing in Audacity
Since we’ve tried to capture as much information as possible in this beginner’s guide to podcast editing in Audacity, there’s a lot of info to digest. In this guide, we will walk through the following details:
Getting Familiar with Audacity
Importing and Managing Your Files
Editing Tools and Techniques
Enhancing Audio Quality
Adding Final Touches
Exporting Your Final Product
Getting Familiar with Audacity
Once you’ve downloaded Audacity onto your computer, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the program. You can both record and edit within Audacity so if you’re looking for an all-in-one tool, this might just be the one for you.
Upon opening Audacity, you’re met with a blank canvas. At the top of the page, you’ll find the menu and toolbar. This is where you’ll find a lot of the tools and settings we’ll talk further about in this blog post that you will use to edit your podcast in Audacity.
The middle gray area is your timeline. This is where your tracks will appear once they are imported. Not pictured in the above photo is each track’s control panel that will appear on the left-hand side. Each track you import will have its own controls giving you options to adjust volume, mute track, move track, etc.
On the bottom, you will see both the transport toolbar and the status bar. The transport toolbar allows you to navigate the full length of your audio tracks and the status bar provides information including the current time during playback or the length of the selection.
Keep in mind that Audacity’s layout may evolve with new updates and some tools and settings may shift. If you’re having trouble finding something, please refer to Audacity’s official website for up-to-date information.
The 3 Common Tools You’ll Use Most Often When Podcast Editing in Audacity
Now that you’re familiar with the layout, let’s dive deeper into 3 of the most commonly used tools when editing a podcast in Audacity.
Selection Tool
The selection tool is one that you will undoubtedly use the most in editing. This tool allows you to select segments of the audio by clicking and dragging within the track.
This tool also allows you to pinpoint a specific playback point making it easy to move around to different parts of the track. Simply select a timestamp on the track and press the play button in the toolbar (or the spacebar on your keyboard) to begin the playback.
Envelope Tool
The envelope tool is helpful when it comes to controlling audio levels within the track. You can use this tool to adjust the audio levels on the entire track or pinpoint specific points on the track to adjust apart from the rest.
I find myself using this tool most often when adding in background music and transition effects. I can lower the volume to my desired levels and create custom fade-in and fade-out effects.
Zoom
The zoom tool allows you to zoom in and out on the track. It is helpful when you’re editing a track and want to select and remove a specific part of the waveform. By zooming in, you are able to see the waveform at a very granular level and see exactly where the portion you wish to remove begins and ends. This tool is equally as helpful to zoom out and view your project as a whole. This can help you visualize where the different elements of your podcast overlap and ensuring you don’t have any unwanted dead space in the project.
Importing and Managing Your Files
Now that you’re familiar with the layout, it’s time to begin editing. If you didn’t record your track in Audacity or want to add in your intro and outro or background music, you’ll need to know how to import.
Go to the Menu Bar.
Under File, select Import.
Select Audio.
When the window appears, locate the audio file on your computer and click Open.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + I to quickly import files without going into the Menu Bar.
PRO TIP: You always want to make sure you’re editing in WAV format to achieve better results. MP3 is great for storing and delivering files as it compresses the audio and keeps it small.
Once you’ve imported the files you are working with, you can arrange them in whatever way you work best. To move tracks up or down on the timeline, click the dropdown arrow in the track’s control panel on the left-hand side. A menu will pop up with options to move track up, down, or to the top or bottom.
Audacity automatically creates a separate track for each new piece of audio you import. If you wish to combine files onto one track, you can click and drag the clip you wish to move. Alternatively, if you wish to split a clip and move a portion of it onto a new track, you can do this as well.
In the Menu Bar, click Tracks.
Click Add New.
Select the type of track you wish to add to your project.
Keep in mind, only like tracks can be combined together. If you wish to combine a section of audio from a stereo track with a mono track, you’ll have to split the track before moving it.
To slide audio files across the timeline, hover your mouse over the top of the track where a hand shows. You can then click and drag the track into your desired location.
Editing Tools and Techniques
Now that your tracks are imported and organized, it’s time to start editing. How you edit your podcast is going to go hand in hand with your content to establish how you show up as a professional in the space.
When it comes to editing, there are several tools and techniques you’ll commonly use that are important to know.
Splitting Tracks
There are quite a few reasons you may want to split a track. In podcast editing specifically, I find myself using this tool most often to endcap sections of audio I want to move or delete as a whole. I also use it to mark sections from the episode I plan to pull out to repurpose for social media content.
Use your selection tool to pinpoint the exact location on the track you wish to split.
Right-click on that section and click Split Clip (you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + I) to split the track.
Copying and Pasting
While editing, you may want to move around and reorder certain sections of audio. One easy way to do this is to copy and paste the content you wish to move. In Audacity, copying and pasting content is as simple as it is on any other platform.
Select the portion of audio you wish to move.
Right-click on the audio and click Copy (you use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C) to copy the content.
Use the selection tool to select where you wish to paste the content on the track.
Right-click on this area of the track and click Paste (you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V) to paste the audio to your desired location.
Removing Unwanted Sections
Every piece of content you work with will need some work to clean up things like long pauses, heavy breaths, filler words, misspeaks, etc. You can easily remove these sections of audio by:
Using the selection tool to highlight the portion of audio you wish to remove.
Right-click on that section and click Cut (Ctrl + X) or use either the Backspace or Delete key on your keyboard to remove the section.
Generating Silence
There may be instances in editing where you come across a heavy breath or filler words you wish to remove without completely deleting that section of audio. This is where the silence tool comes into play. You can obviously use this tool for a variety of other reasons, these are just examples of where I tend to use it most often.
Using the selection tool, highlight the track or section of audio you wish to silence.
In the Menu Bar, select Generate.
Click Silence (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + L).
Fade In and Fade Out
The Fade In and Fade Out tool is incredibly useful for creating transitions between different audio tracks. I use these tools most often when creating a seamless transition between the podcast’s intro and outro tracks and the episode content itself as well as when I am adding in transition sounds.
The fade tools can also be used to clean up harsh cuts when removing words that may be connected. You may notice after cutting out unwanted sections that the audio no longer sounds as smooth as you would like. To fix this you can use the fade tool to smooth out any of these areas for a seamless transition into the speaker’s next set of words.
Using the selection tool, highlight the portion of audio you wish to apply the effect to.
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click Fading.
Choose either Fade In or Fade Out.
There are some situations you instead will use the crossfade tool. With this tool, you can select two tracks (usually that overlap) and have one fade out as the other fades in, simultaneously. I may use this in instances where the ending of the intro music overlaps with the opening of the episode content.
Enhancing Audio Quality
When it comes to audio quality, it is first and foremost important that you record in a quiet and controlled environment. This will ensure you achieve the best audio quality possible. In the technology-forward environment we live in, you can absolutely achieve a professional-sounding podcast from home. But unless you have built an at home studio, there are always going to be noises and distractions that come up that are out of our control.
As a general rule of thumb when cleaning up your audio quality, you want to make sure you don’t overdo it. You can use the following tools to help improve your audio quality for a more professional-sounding podcast episode.
Noise Reduction
Were you sitting too close to an HVAC system during recording and there’s fan noise on your track? Was your neighbor cutting their lawn and you didn’t think it would appear in your recording but it did? Sometimes there is background noise that is difficult to avoid. Audacity makes removing some of this background noise simple using the following steps:
Use the Selection Tool to highlight a portion of the audio where the background noise exists. Try highlighting a section without any other noise or speaking over it.
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click Noise Removal and Repair.
Click Noise Reduction.
Click Get Noise Profile.
Select the full track or portion of the track where the background noise appears.
Go back into the Noise Reduction tool and click OK (or adjust the settings and click OK).
PRO TIP: Always edit wearing headphones. This allows you to pick up on minuscule background noises that you otherwise may have missed.
Equalization (EQ)
EQ allows you to adjust the balance of different sound frequencies on your audio track. This tool helps enhance your audio by correcting frequency imbalances, managing plosives and sibilance, and enhancing overall voice clarity.
Audacity currently has 2 EQ options: Filter Curve EQ and Graphic EQ. The Filter Curve EQ option provides more control as you can manually adjust the settings and target specific frequencies. Graphic EQ is more of a fixed set of frequency bands, providing less precise control but more of a straightforward approach. If you’re new to this setting, Graphic EQ may be the better option to start with. To use this setting:
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click EQ and Filters.
Select either Filter Curve EQ or Graphic EQ.
Filter Curve EQ:
Graphic EQ:
Compressor
You may be working with a piece of audio that has spikes where the volume is either too high or too low. The compressor tool helps even out the volume minimizing these spikes and making for a smoother listen.
Select the track or section of audio you wish to compress.
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click Compressor.
Adjust the settings (or leave them as default until you are more familiar) and click OK.
Normalization
Similar to the EQ tool, there are 2 different normalization settings you should know about.
Normalize: Adjusts the overall volume level of a track so the loudest peak reaches a specified level.
Loudness normalization: Adjusts the volume to a target industry standard. (The standard LUFS, or loudness units relative to full scale for podcasts is between -16 LUFS and -20 LUFS).
To apply normalization settings:
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click Volume and Compression.
Select Normalize/ Loudness Normalization.
With any of the audio-enhancing tools, Audacity has the option to create custom pre-sets so you can save time in the future by using the settings you know work best for you.
Adding Final Touches
Adding final touches may not be Audacity specific but definitely important when it comes to editing a podcast on any platform. Depending on the genre of the podcast you’re creating, some final touches may include adding transitions, sound effects, or background music. If you don’t have a hosting platform that includes dynamic ads, this may be the time to add in any baked-in ads.
After all of the initial edits are made, it is best practice to listen through your podcast episode one more time to review and tweak your edits as needed. When you’re editing on a granular level, you may find yourself cutting down the speaker’s natural speaking cadence and wish to add in more silence between words OR maybe now that you’re listening back you notice unwanted filler words you missed or choppy transitions. This may also be the time you take to write the episode’s show notes and pull out audio clips or quotes that can be repurposed for additional content.
Exporting Your Final Product
Once you have taken the time to review and make any necessary revisions to your episode, it is time to export your final product! Before doing so, be sure to check into which format your hosting platform requires. If you use a hosting platform like Buzzprout, export your episode as a .WAV file as Buzzsprout will automatically convert the file into the correct format. Hosting platforms like Spotify for Podcasters (formally known as Anchor) require your file to be exported as an MP3.
To export:
In the Menu Bar, select File.
Click Export.
Choose the format you wish to export in (WAV or MP3).
Keep in mind, Audacity is a very comprehensive editing software that we only scratched the surface of today. Once you get the hang of the basics, you can take your time exploring all of the other features Audacity has to offer.
As you get into the groove of editing, you may be able to do all of your editing in one session. If you’re just starting out, I suggest taking a few passes on the episode focusing on different areas each time. While Audacity is a fairly user-friendly software, podcast editing in general takes practice. If podcast editing in Audacity feels overwhelming, take it step-by-step and learn as you go. You will grow and evolve your skill over time and with some practice, you’ll be a pro in no time.
Be sure to check back in on our resources page for additional tutorials and information to improve upon your skills.
Whether your listeners stumble across your podcast on Google, hear about it from a friend, or discover it on their favorite podcast app, chances are they’ll see your podcast description and use it as a quick way to identify whether or not your show is for them!
You can use your podcast description as a place to more about you as the host, what type of content your show delivers, and who specifically it’s for!
In this blog, we’ll show you how to write a description for a podcast with examples and an easy template you can adapt for your show and unique audience. You’ll get our best podcast description tips so yours can stand out amongst the noise.
What’s the difference between a podcast description and show notes?
So glad you asked! We get asked this question a lot, so we’re not surprised you did.
A podcast description (also called a show description) summarizes the who, what, why of your podcast to potential audience members. It explains the topic of your show, and a simple but concise description that lets them know if they’re in the right spot as a listener.
It can also be helpful if your show and another has a similar or same name to distinguish between the two. Done right, a great podcast description can attract new listeners.
Podcast show notes give an overview of the individual episodes. They contain information specific to what’s in a show such as guests, topics covered, and takeaways. Show notes are written unique to every episode you produce, while a podcast description is written once and doesn’t need to be change unless something about the content or audience changes.
When you’re done reading this one, be sure to check out our blog How to Write Show Notes for a Podcast here (don’t worry, we’ll remind you of the link again at the end).
How to Write a Description for a Podcast
Give a headline
Start with a headline that conveys the main topic or theme of your podcast clearly and concisely while grabbing attention of your ideal audience.
Examples:
Listeners to Leads, hosted by Alesia Galati, teaches new and aspiring podcasters how to use their podcasts to grow their business.
In The Binge Factor podcast for aspiring podcasters and seasoned podcasters, podcast strategist Tracy Hazzard explores whether your podcast has what it takes to create and grow a bingeable podcast – where listeners binge on your every word and get to know, like, and trust you in an accelerated way.
The Positively Living podcast is a self-improvement podcast with specially curated content to support multi-passionate creatives and entrepreneurs.
Summarize the Episode
Write a summary that gives listeners a brief overview of what your podcast is about. Make sure to include topics or themes that are covered in your podcast, and your unique spin or perspective that sets your podcast apart and makes it stand out! This is also the portion of the podcast description in which many hosts will share who they are and what they do to bring the content to you in their own way.
Examples:
Astrologer and cosmic consultant, Madi Murphy, combines her spiritual teachings with practical, actionable steps– and usually with a dash of pop culture and high-vibe humor thrown in to keep it real. Weekly episodes will give our listeners their astro weather aka “energy report” for the week ahead and digestible doses of no-BS advice to fuel their personal evolution… and revolution!
We aspire to share what is possible and encourage more women to leap, striving for these board and c-suite positions themselves to change the path towards a more inclusive future. This podcast will share stories on how women lead and how their leadership opens the doors for the greater value of opportunities for others.
Go Over the Format
Speak to the format of the show to give your listeners and potential audience members an idea of what they’re in for with the show. Will you be doing guest interviews? Bringing in expert insights? Releasing only solo episodes? Do you share in short bite-size episodes or is it longer form? Or perhaps a combination?
Examples:
Hi, I’m Barb! I share my experience, strength and hope from 12 step recovery in each episode. They’re all 20 minutes or less. Unlike most recovery podcasts where you hear a person’s whole story, in this one, each episode is about a specific topic.
Sam and Karyn focus on the mindset, challenges, triumphs, and intentional strategies of running an aligned web design & development business. Each week, you’ll hear about everything from refining your business vision, crafting relevant packages & services, intentional networking & marketing, and creating a magical client experience.
Call to Action
Wrap up with a call to action to listen now, visit your website to learn more (or both!). Some also use the conclusion to offer up a reminder to review, subscribe, and share as well as speak to when new episodes air. We recommend focusing on one call to action that’s in line with the goals of your specific show. Remember, this is the last impression a potential listener will have before they hit play and start listening.
Examples:
Casey provides tools, advice, resources, support, and encouragement for extra passionate women entrepreneurs who want to leave their legacy in this world. Learn more about Casey and Female Founders Breaking Boundaries at https://c-suiteboutique.com/podcast
Check out thebingefactor.com for even more FREE infographics, tips, downloads, and masterclasses for podcasters.
Learn more about Alesia and Listeners to Leads at www.listenerstoleads.com
Tune in every other week to hear episodes that will help you be mindful in the present & open to the future. Learn more about Sarah and Poised Powerful Parenting at https://poisedpowerfulparenthood.com/interviews.
Want to learn how to write a podcast show description using our template?
You can use this easy podcast description template to tailor a podcast description that’s right for your show and listeners.
[PODCAST TITLE], hosted by [FULL NAME OF HOST], (shows, teaches, helps, etc.) [IDEAL LISTENER] to [WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO GET FROM THE SHOW]. [ABOUT THE HOST AND WHY THIS PERSON SHOULD SPEAK ON THESE THINGS]. [WHEN EPISODES GO LIVE IE. EVERY WEEK OR EVERY OTHER WEEK], you’ll (learn, hear, get) episodes that talk about [GENERAL TOPICS BEING DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW]. Learn more about [HOST AND PODCAST TITLE] at [PODCAST WEBSITE].
Here’s a full example so you can see the template in action:
Listeners to Leads, hosted by Alesia Galati, teaches new and aspiring podcasters how to use their podcasts to grow their business. Alesia uses her experience as the owner of Galati Media, a full-service podcast management company, to help business owners get leads, land speaking gigs, and create deeper connections with their audiences through their podcasts. Alesia and her guests will discuss everything from launching a podcast to marketing a podcast. Learn more about Alesia and Listeners to Leads at www.listenerstoleads.com
A Few More Podcast Description Tips and Best Practices:
Remember to be concise and to the point. Avoid long paragraphs and run on text and stick to short, easy-to-read sentences. Anything else can be distracting.
Include relevant search terms and keywords to help new listeners discover your podcast when they’re searching the internet or their podcast player for a specific topic or resource.
Update your description when content, hosts, or target audience changes. Be sure to keep this description up to date and accurate.
Don’t be afraid to use your personalityand language in your podcast description to give your listeners and potential audience members the flavor and style of your show.
Writing a description for your podcast can feel overwhelming at first. You want to make a great first impression and make sure you’re describing your listeners with accuracy while capturing their attention.
When it comes to how to write a podcast description, it’s about showing your audience who you are and what you stand for in a way that allows them to clearly understand whether or not your show is a good fit for them. With this small step done well, it also gives you the podcast host an anchor point to keep your podcast focused on delivering what you promised. That’s what’s going to keep them coming back for more each and every week, and attract new listeners to your unique thought leadership.
At Galati Media, writing your podcast description is one of the many pieces we handle and take off your plate entirely with our full service podcast management service.
You don’t have to be an expert in podcasting (or writing podcast descriptions for that matter) to captivate the attention of your listeners, gain leads and speaking gigs, and change the lives of your audience.
Whether you’re producing an audio or video podcast (or both), it’s important to ensure that in addition to providing great content and quality, you also take time to focus on the show notes for your podcast for several reasons. This blog will show you the value of well-thought podcast show notes and how to write show notes for a podcast by providing you with clear examples and templates of show notes for your podcast.
Why Do Your Podcast Show Notes Matter?
Podcast show notes serve multiple purposes! They help your audience find and connect with you, your guest, and the books, products, materials, and resources shared in the episode. They also help new listeners discover your content, and improve your ranking on search engines and podcast listening platforms.
Show notes help show a listener understand what’s in store for them in a particular episode and what topics you’re covering in the conversation. They can help pique listener’s interest and keep them excited for what’s coming next!
Show notes are also a great way to recap or highlight any points in the conversation you want to be sure your listeners remember including data or stats, audio highlights, quotes, and more!
When we’re talking about podcast show notes, we’re not talking about transcriptions of your episodes or a blog post of your episode (Yet! But we’ll get to that). We’re going to start by giving you podcast show note examples for the podcast platform itself and then we’ll touch back on blogs and transcriptions because those have a seat at the table in this conversation too!
Podcast show notes are what you see in your podcast player when you expand into an episode and look like this:
Example A
Example B
They are a summary of your episode, detailing the main takeaways, sharing your guest bio and any relevant links, and anything else you need to pull from the episode for listeners to access with a single click.
Step-by-Step How to Write Show Notes for a Podcast with Our Simple Template (and examples):
{Intro Sentence} This week, episode XX of {PODCAST NAME} Podcast is about {Main Topic}!
Example: This week, Episode 97 of the Listeners to Leads podcast is about SEO and Your Podcast
{INSERT FREEBIE OR LOW PRODUCT OFFER}
Example: Download our Simple Template for Podcast Show Notes!
In this episode of {PODCAST NAME}Podcast, {GUEST NAME} shares the importance of {TOPIC 1} and actionable steps you can take right now to {TOPIC 2}.
Example: In this episode of Listener’s to Leads, Erin Ollila shares the importance of having your podcast show notes on a blog and capturing visibility through keywords.
Some of the talking points {MY GUEST AND} I go over in this episode include:
TALKING POINT 1
TALKING POINT 2
TALKING POINT 3
TALKING POINT 4
Example: Some of the talking points Erin and I go over in this episode include:
* Actual Talking Point One
* Actual Talking Point One
* Actual Talking Point One
* Actual Talking Point One
{Closing Statement}
Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on {MAIN TOPIC ONE} and to hear even more about the points outlined above. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH {GUEST}:
Include links to each of these for your guest:
Facebook
Instagram
Freebie
Work with Guest!
CONNECT WITH {HOST}:
Include links to each of these for your guest:
Facebook
Instagram
Freebie
Work with Host!
How to Write Show Notes for a Podcast Beyond the Listening Platform:
Ideas to Expand Your Podcast Show Notes
When writing show notes for your podcast, you can follow our example and template above, and you can also think outside the box, especially if you share your podcast on as a blog or Linkedin article as well! Here are some more of our favorite ideas for expanding or adding to your podcast show notes.
Turn your podcast episode show notes into a blog!
Many podcast episodes can be turned into a blog for people who may not listen to enjoy, or for listeners who may want another way to digest and access the information. Here’s an example of a Listeners to Leads podcast episode, we turned into a blog -using our show notes as an outline!
The benefits of turning your podcast into a blog include SEO for your website (new listeners and leads anyone!?), increased visibility for those who may not be listeners, and a way for listeners to easily find and refer back to what was discussed in the episode.
Provide a full, downloadable transcript of the episode.
In addition to show notes, some podcasters like to make a transcript of episodes available for accessibility or those who might like to read along while they listen. Podcast show notes are usually limited to <4,000 characters, so it can be beneficial to include a link to download transcripts of the episode. You may also want to consider cleaning up the transcripts if you go this route, as many AI transcription services miss some of the human nuances in our language, which can confuse your reader.
Remember to keep your show notes clear, concise, and consistent, and follow a similar structure and layout with each episode. This is why it’s so helpful to have a podcast show notes template like the one above, which walks you through step-by-step how to write show notes for your podcast.
Do you have more questions about how to write show notes for your podcast?
Make sure to check out episode 97 of the Listeners to Leads podcast with Erin Ollila HERE on the importance of having your podcast show notes on a blog for increased visibility through keywords.
You don’t have to be an expert in podcasting (or writing show notes, for that matter) to captivate your listeners’ attention, gain leads and speaking gigs, and change the lives of your audience.
Learn the basics of podcast editing in this comprehensive guide. From choosing the right software to removing unwanted noise, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started.
Since its start, podcasting has seen massive growth. Edison Research’s Spoken Word Audio Report shows that the U.S. population listens to spoken word audio daily. On average, podcast listeners will listen to around eight shows per week. This leaves room for everyone to be on their audience’s roster.
With the increasing popularity of podcasting, the expectations of a quality, well-produced show is on the rise. The podcast content itself is undoubtedly the most important aspect but poor audio quality will not only lead leaders to click off the episode but may also lessen the host’s professionalism and trustworthiness. While we can expect podcast quality to improve over the course of a show’s lifetime, it is important to get the hang of it quickly to increase potential listenership. A well-produced podcast is a sign that the host takes their content seriously and wants to provide a well-rounded experience for their listeners.
With anything, you can get incredibly granular when it comes to editing techniques and I’m sure we’ll expand on that in the future. Today my goal is to show you everything you need to know the basics of podcast editing from start to finish in a simple, tangible, and easy to understand framework.
In this guide, we will walk through the following steps:
Preparing for Editing
Basic Podcast Editing Techniques
Additional Editing Techniques
Finalizing Your Podcast Episode
Preparing for Editing
In culinary terms, ‘mise en place’, a French phrase meaning “putting in place” refers to the setup required before cooking. This may include familiarizing themselves with the recipe, collecting tools, gathering ingredients, and completing basic prep work. Now, you may be wondering what cooking has to do with editing a podcast but it is the preparation that we really want to focus on here. Ask any chef and they will stress the importance of mise en place for a successful recipe execution.
Simply put, just like a chef needs to know their recipe and organize their ingredients, you’ll want to organize your files and get familiar with the audio you’re working with. This pre-editing phase is just as important as the editing itself when we are looking at the basics of podcast editing.
Before you begin editing, it is important to have and maintain a well-organized folder structure. You’ll thank yourself later on when don’t have to backtrack and sort your increasing collection of files.
I find it works best to have separate folders for each of the clients I work with and subfolders within those for each new episode. This way, if there are multiple versions of the episode, you can quickly and easily find the most recent version.
PRO TIP: When labeling your files, it is best practice to label the file by podcast name (or abbreviation), episode number, and version number. Not only will this avoid confusion when searching for the most up-to-date version, the chances of you pulling and uploading an incorrect file drastically decrease.
To be extra safe, I’ve gotten into the habit of saving my files to an external hard drive and/or an online file hosting service such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
Understanding Your Recording
One of the first steps to editing is understanding the piece of content you’re working with. You’ll want to start by spot-checking your audio and making a note of any background noises, tech glitches, or other problematic areas so you know how best to repair and edit.
There is a handful of repair software at different price points including Izotope RX, SpectraLayers, Acoustica, and others that can help you repair the quality of the audio before getting into the nitty gritty of editing.
Remember, while there is a lot that can be repaired in post-production, the software is not magic and cannot fix everything. It’s important to first and foremost record (or have the host record) in an optimal environment.
Once you know what you’re working with, have prepared your mise en place, and are ready to edit, you’ll want to import your audio into your editing software of choice. I personally use Audacity as it is a free, user-friendly option, but feel free to use the software you like best.
As you get into the groove of editing, you may be able to do all (or most) of your editing in one session but if you’re just starting out, I suggest taking a few passes on the episode focusing on different areas each time. The two main areas you’ll want to focus on are editing for context and editing for clarity and cleanliness. It is totally up to you which order you decide to edit in. The most important thing is finding a workflow that works best for you.
Editing for Context
Editing for context is a matter of removing tangents that do not provide value to the overall topic, incorrect information that has since been fact-checked, and cutting any dialogue that may allude to past events that are no longer relevant to the time of posting.
Whether it be to educate or entertain the listener, each podcast episode has a purpose. While you’re editing it is best to always consider what information or bits of conversation are going to be valuable to the listener and feed into the overall storyline that the episode is trying to accomplish.
Editing for Clarity and Cleanliness
Once you’ve cut the episode down to the most valuable pieces of content, it’s time to clean up the episode to provide an overall positive listening experience.
Enhancing Audio Quality – Two of the basic tools you may use for every podcast episode you work with to enhance the overall quality of your audio is the noise reduction tool and the compression tool.
Compression– You’ll use the compression tool when your piece of audio is filled with peaks and dips in audio to achieve consistency in volume across the track. You may use this on the entirety of the track or just in select areas that need a little more help to even out the noise.
Noise Reduction – Noise reduction is exactly what it sounds like. This tool removes unwanted background noise that may be appearing on your track. Say there’s a lawn mower or a fan running in the background of your podcast episode, the noise reduction tool will let you select an area with the problematic noise and either remove it completely or lessen the harshness of the noise on your track.
Removing Unwanted Sections
Every piece of content you work with will need some work to clean up things like long pauses, heavy breaths, filler worlds, and misspeaks. While you may not notice these things when having a natural conversation with someone, I guarantee you notice when your favorite podcast host stumbles over their words or cannot stop saying ‘um’ between every thought. When in doubt ask yourself, “Will this be distracting to the listener?” If so, it is best to remove it.
There are a couple of techniques you can use to remove unwanted sections of audio. Either you can select and cut or delete the entire section or you can highlight the area you want to get rid of and silence it. What I choose depends on where and how long I want the pause in the dialogue to be.
PRO TIP: You may notice when you’re cutting out unwanted sections that the areas that you clipped are not as smooth as you would like. To fix this you can use the fade tool to smooth out any of these areas for a seamless transition.
While the fade in and fade out tools do exactly what you’d imagine, in some situations you may also use the crossfade tool. With this tool, you can select two clips and have one fade out as the other fades in, simultaneously.
Additional Editing Techniques
While the basic podcast editing techniques can be very supportive in editing your podcast, there are a few more elements that I believe are important to have a well-rounded and cohesive show.
Adding in the intro and outro clips
Most, if not all podcasts will have an intro and outro that sets the tone for the podcast’s overall brand. The intro tells your listeners what you’re about and hooks them into sticking around to listen to the content of the episode while the outro likely has a call to action (join the community, review the podcast, find the host on social media, etc.) and thanks the listener for tuning in.
If you don’t already have an intro or outro you are currently working with, you can find great free or low-cost royalty-free music at sites like Neosounds, Soundstripe, Audio Jungle, etc. You want your intro, outro, and music to be a reflection of your brand and how you want your listeners to feel when tuning in.
For Example, If you have a true crime podcast, you might consider a serious, tense, and somewhat spooky music clip while if you have a health and wellness-based podcast, you might look for something more playful, joyful, and inspiring.
When you import your intro or outro segments, you’ll want to work with them on a separate audio track. While most software automatically imports the audio onto a new track, you may have to manually add an additional track on others. When you’re working on separate tracks, you can easily overlap the end of the music from the intro into the beginning of the podcast episode for a smooth transition into the content.
Incorporating Transition Sounds & Sound Effects
While transition sounds and sound effects are not as common as some other audio elements and really depend on the genre of your podcast, I felt it was important and worth noting. Adding clips of music or sound effects to your episode can help add to the atmosphere of the storyline or break up the episode into different segments.
Similar to selecting the intro and outro music, when selecting audio clips to add to your podcast episode, you’ll want to make sure the sound you select is royalty-free. You can find a variety of stingers (short pieces of music, often lasting no more than 5 seconds) to use as transition sounds.
To add a transition effect, import the file onto a separate track and drag it into its placement. You may need to adjust the volume of the audio and use the fade tool for a smooth transition. Be sure to overlap the transition sound with your spoken content for a seamless flow.
Finalizing Your Podcast Episode
Review & Revisions
After your editing is complete, it is time to review and proof-listen to the episode. Listen through one more time to be sure you made all of the necessary edits and didn’t leave anything undone. This may be the time you write the episode’s show notes and pull out audio clips or quotes that can be repurposed.
PRO TIP: Repurposing your podcast content is an incredibly valuable way to ensure the time and effort you put into your content stretches further and reaches more people in different ways.
Check out these podcast episodes on repurposing your content:
Once you’ve reviewed and made the necessary revisions to the episode, it is time to export! Be sure to check into which format your hosting platform requires. If you use a hosting platform like Buzzprout, export your episode as a .WAV file as Buzzsprout will automatically convert the file into the correct format. Hosting platforms like Anchor require your file to be exported as an MP3.
*The difference between a .WAV and MP3 is the file size. MP3 files are compressed into a smaller sized audio file while WAV files are uncompressed and much larger.
Final Touches
The last step to finalizing your podcast episode is adjusting the loudness of your episode. This is important because, as mentioned at the top of this blog, listeners are constantly switching between shows and shouldn’t have to adjust their volume every time they play a new episode or switch to a different podcast. By adjusting your loudness to the podcast standard, you are also proving consistency which is incredibly important to listeners.
The standard LUFS (loudness units relative to full scale) for podcasts is between -16 LUFS and -20 LUFS
*You can either adjust this in your editing software or use a tool like Auphonic for post-production finishing touches.
Like anything, there is a learning curve that comes with the basics of podcast editing. Use this article as your starting point and begin applying new techniques as you grow and get more comfortable. What feels like a step-by-step procedural process now will become second nature over time.
The future of podcasting is now! So whether you have a podcast of your own or edit for someone else, there is so much opportunity for growth in this industry.
Check back in on our resources page for additional tutorials and information to improve upon your skills.
ChatGPT and AI are hot topics in the online space right now. But how will these applications that quickly and efficiently generate content change how we market our podcasts? And how can we best utilize them for our social media content? Today, Andréa Jones joins us again to talk about all this and more! This week, episode 101 of Listeners to Leads is about using chat-based AI to support your content creation!
Andréa Jones is fiercely committed to helping businesses and podcasters build profitable online communities through simple social media solutions. She’s the host of the Savvy Social Podcast, creator of the Savvy Social School, a digital platform designed to teach its 100+ members (predominantly small business owners) how to implement organic social media strategies, and named one of Social Report’s top marketers to follow.
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, Andréa Jones shares the importance of adding your voice to AI-generated content and actionable steps you can take right now to get useful information from chat-based AI applications like ChatGPT.
Andréa and I also chat about the following:
Why people are hesitant to use AI.
How AI is impacting how we market our podcasts.
The importance of keeping the human element of your marketing, even when AI is doing the initial work.
Questions to ask Chat AI so we get useful information back.
Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
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