If you’ve gotten this far, then congratulations! You have taken the first step towards starting a podcast! Whether you have a lot to say, or think podcasting is cool, we’re glad that you’ve decided to put yourself out on the airwaves.
You might be wondering whether starting a podcast is really as easy as everyone says. Well you can take it from us! TalkShoe hosts over 5,000 podcasts on our free platform, and sees a new podcast created virtually every day -- the next one could be yours!
Since we’re the podcasting pros, we thought we would take it upon ourselves to give you the six keys to making your first podcast the best it can be.
Here’s a breakdown of the main considerations when starting your own podcast:
1) The idea: A good podcast starts with a solid idea.
2) The brand: Your brand is the voice of your podcast.
3) The content: Good podcasts still need compelling content.
4) Recording: Record your podcast quickly and easily with TalkShoe
5) Sharing: Share with the world through social media.
6) Have fun: Remember, podcasting is fun!
Is your podcast going to be about the rising price of gas? The real housewives of LA? The perfect way to cook a turnip? In podcasting, anything is fair game! What’s important is that you are passionate about your topic, and you feel that you have a lot to say about it.
For instance, the idea of creating a podcast about “design and architecture that hides in plain sight” might sound like a strange and difficult idea for a podcast, but the podcast 99% Invisible was named one of the best new podcasts in 2017.
So don’t be afraid to chase strange ideas, because you might land on something that is uniquely your own!
Your podcast’s brand is basically its identity. A podcast’s brand is how your podcast is seen and described by others; or the sum of its values and beliefs. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say it is your podcast’s voice.
How would you like the voice of your podcast to be described? Is it sombre, serious, and unflinching in the face of difficult questions? Does it take a lighthearted, whimsical approach to everything? It’s a good idea to pick out at least three adjectives that you could use to describe your podcast. For instance, the Mysteries Abound podcast hosted on TalkShoe would probably describe themselves as mysterious, serious, and truthful.
Every podcast has a brand, whether they have thought about it or not. Take some time to think about three adjectives that could describe your voice, and keep referring back to them as you go through the next steps.
Great, now you’ve got an idea, and a voice.
What else matters, right? Well, in the words of Bill Gates, “Content is king”. Take some time to create a content calendar and plan out some of the content in your first few podcast, and your future self will thank you.
Will the episode have a theme? Will you be talking about current events? Will you be interview guests? Will there be pre-recorded sections? The more you can plan out and prepare, the better. Even if your podcast is mostly unscripted, like The Todd Shapiro Show hosted on TalkShoe, it helps to have some talking points prepared to there isn’t any dead air when you’re recording.
Now it’s time to get to the fun part! Don’t sweat it though, because TalkShoe makes it all incredibly easy. After signing up for a free account, click on New Show near the top of your dashboard. From there, fill out your show’s information, such as its name and description.
Now, click on New Episode to upload a pre-recorded podcast file, or schedule a podcast to be recorded through TalkShoe. The intuitive virtual studio allows you to add video to your recording, or mute and manage your guests as necessary. Why not take a moment right now to get familiar with it?
Now that you know how to start your own podcast, you need to learn to share it with the world! Relying on word of mouth can be an effective way of gaining followers, but having a good online social media presence will ensure that your podcast has the highest amount of reach possible.
Take a few moments to create a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram account, and make sure to stay within the brand voice that you’ve previously outlined. Inconsistency here will make you look like an amateur!
When creating a Facebook account, remember that authenticity is paramount, and you should never try to be too “salesy”. Your Twitter account is the best place to show off interesting things or pieces of information about your podcast, such as behind-the-scenes info or important articles, because it’s more of a “look at this” platform. Your Instagram account will be perfect for highly personal pictures of or about yourself, because it is more of a “look at me” platform.
Although there are many people who consider podcasting their full-time job, they still don’t forget that it’s about the love and enjoyment of the medium. So now that you know everything you need to know about starting a podcast, the only thing left to do is create your first podcast! Good luck!
TalkShoe is an innovative community-building podcast platform. We offer storage, streaming and new global call-in capabilities! Our state-of-the-art tools will help take your podcast to the next level and get you noticed online in no time.
So if you’re ready to get started podcasting and make the most of the new features and benefits that TalkShoe has to offer, why not record an episode today, and see what everyone’s talking about!
For the full list of what’s changed in the new and improved TalkShoe, see this support article.
Are you one of TalkShoe’s long-time users? If so, first I’d like to thank you for your continued support. Thanks to fans like you, TalkShoe has grown into what it is today: a place with more than just free podcast hosting and recording.
If you’ve been using the original TalkShoe for a while, you may be confused or unsure about some of our recent changes. It’s okay! While change can sometimes be scary, all of us here at TalkShoe assure you that these changes are for the better, and will let you do more and create more with your TalkShoe account.
TalkShoe’s video capabilities have come a long way since its original iteration. Now you can use your existing web browser to also stream live video to the other guests in your virtual studio, giving you an extra layer of engagement with the people you are talking to. You’ll find that maintaining a conversation with someone is a lot easier with free streaming because they can see and read your facial expressions and movements.
Additionally, all TalkShoe users can now simply and easily live stream their podcast episodes through Youtube, allowing anyone with your Youtube link to view their episode no matter how many people are viewing. Youtube may seem like a “young person’s crowd” to some, but I encourage even old TalkShoe users to consider using it at least once to see how their listeners respond.
The sharing doesn’t just stop with video. TalkShoe knows that the more you are able to seamlessly share with your guests, the fewer distractions you will have. How often have you had to break your rhythm during a podcast to show your guests something on your screen? How many pictures and documents have you had to print out before your podcast, just so you could show them to your guests?
Every podcasting account now lets you share your desktop remotely, allowing your guests to see exactly what is one your screen. This is a great tool for showing remote guests exactly what you are talking about without interrupting the flow of your podcast. TalkShoe even takes this a step further, allowing you to upload an online document to the virtual studio. This way, your guests can view and download it at their leisure.
There’s no worry if there are chat messages in your virtual studio that you forgot to note down before you ended your episode. TalkShoe now automatically records these chat messages to be reread and searched at any time from your Shows page.
Plus, if you’ve ever had to re-listen to a podcast to find something that you or one of your guests mentioned, you’ll be glad to know that TalkShoe also offers free and searchable audio transcripts for all of your episodes, which will save you loads of time that you can put towards creating.
Knowing that none of your content is ever lost or forgotten will give you the peace of mind to not just take advantage of our free podcast hosting, but be the best podcaster you can be!
TalkShoe knows that you can’t be everywhere at same time. That’s why the new TalkShoe allows you to appoint a secondary moderator for your virtual studio, who can then perform moderator-only actions in your absence. This feature is perfect for podcasts that need to be recorded remotely, or for when you’re just busy with other things.
For those of you thinking of taking your podcasting to the next level, TalkShoe now offers not only free streaming, but video recording as well! Now you can record video along with your audio like the pros, and really kick off your podcasting efforts.
Are you ready to supercharge your podcasts, and make the most of our new features and benefits that TalkShoe has to offer? Why not record an episode today, and see what everyone’s talking about!
Wondering how to start a podcast? You’re probably not alone. Each year, more and more people become interested in podcasts and podcasting, and that trend is not likely to change.
But what about if you don’t have any experience? Creating a podcast from scratch can seem like a daunting task. What equipment do you need? How much should you plan? Should you read a book about it? What about a YouTube video? In the age of information, sometimes it can be confusing to know where to go to find the right information.
At TalkShoe, we’ve seen and heard enough podcasts to know exactly how to start. We’ve also tailored our service around giving people the power to create their dream podcasts the easy way -- without too much hassle or cost. We’ve ironed the only steps you need to create your own podcast, and they are:
1. Think of a subject for your podcast: What will it be about? You could choose just about anything!
2. Prepare some topic material: Is there something specific that you will be covering? Maybe you need to prepare questions in advance as well.
3. Get a guest or co-host to record with you: Will this be a one-time guest, or a co-host? It’s all up to you!
4. Create your TalkShoe account and record your first podcast: TalkShoe makes this step easier and more fun than ever.
5. Make corrections and keep moving: No one gets everything right the first time. The important thing is to keep going!
So, let’s get started, shall we?
Do you already have an idea about what your podcast will cover? If so, you can skip this section. If not, that’s okay! You’ll have one in no time.
When coming up with a subject for your podcast, don’t be afraid to pick something that you’re interested in, even if it’s a little strange. For instance, let’s say you want to make a podcast about brooms. You might think to yourself, “that topic is too wierd. No one will listen to that!” Well, you might be surprised. What about maid services? Broom manufacturers? People in the hospitality industry? Any of these groups would love an in-depth discussion on brooms. They might even want to sponsor your podcast!
So when thinking of your podcast subject, just be creative, no matter where it takes you!
Even if you are so well-versed in your topic that you could talk about it for hours, it is still a good idea to at least prepare a few questions or talking points. The fact that you won’t be the only person speaking means that there will always be an element of randomness. Having prepared material just ensures that there won’t be ay dead air on your podcast.
Even though podcasts are meant to be mostly unprepared and unfiltered, it’s always a good idea to have a backup --especially if you are still learning how to start a podcast!
Let’s face it: a one-person podcast is just a monologue. You need at least one other person to speak on your podcast in most cases, whether they are a co-host or just a guest. Since this is your first podcast, it is probably easier to simply get a guest, since it can take some time and effort to be a good co-host.
If you are struggling to find anyone, why not just get a friend? They don’t even have to know anything about the subject, as long as they are willing to listen and ask questions.
Now here’s the easy part of learning how to start a podcast! Creating a TalkShoe account is perhaps the easiest step on the list. Simply navigate to TalkShoe’s website, and click on Sign Up. After creating an account with your email address, simply click Create at the top of the screen, then click + New Show. Now you can fill in the information about your podcast.
Are you a little gunshy about hosting a live podcast? Don’t worry, we’ve thought about that too. With TalkShoe, you can also upload a pre-recorded audio episode to your podcast instead of doing a live recording. This way, there’s no worry if you make a mistake, or need to re-record for one reason or another.
As you start your podcast journey, remember that you are allowed to make mistakes. When you allow yourself to make mistakes, you allow yourself to grow.
Don’t get in the habit of making sure that everything is perfect, because then you won’t create anything at all. Remember: done is always better than perfect. So keep chipping away, keep working, and eventually you’ll not only learn how to start a podcast, you’ll be a podcast expert!
Are you ready to supercharge your podcasts, and make the most of our new features and benefits that TalkShoe has to offer? Why not record an episode today, and see what everyone’s talking about!
Whether you are a longtime TalkShoe user looking to brush up on the basics, or are new to the platform, you are probably here for one reason -- to learn how to better your podcast skills and become a better podcast recorder.
That’s great! TalkShoe is such a fun, easy, and intuitive platform that you’ll be an expert podcast recorder in no time. Ready to get started? Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what we’ll be covering in this blog article:
Step 1: Create a new show with TalkShoe
Step 2: Fill out your show’s details, like its name and description
Step 3: Click to create a new episode
Step 4: Schedule your podcast episode for right now or later
Step 5: Invite any guests you need
Step 6: Join the virtual studio
Step 7: Start podcasting with TalkShoe!
After logging into a TalkShoe account, Click Create on upper right corner of the page. This will take you to a list of the shows under your account. If this page is empty, don’t worry! We’re soon going to change that.
Click on +New Show, and fill out all the relevant information about your show, like the Title and Description. If you don’t know what to write, just use a placeholder. You can always go back to edit and change any of this information.
After clicking Save, you will be taken to your new show’s page. It’s strongly recommended that you click on the speech bubble image and replace it with an image that represents your podcast, because it will make people that much more likely to click on your show.
Feel like a pro podcast recorder yet? Don’t worry, we’re not done yet!
While on your show’s page, Click on the New Episode button. From there, click Schedule. On the next page, you will be prompted to enter some information about that episode, such as its title, description, and time. The length of your podcast in this section is just an estimation. You won’t actually be cut off if you go over the time that you’ve specified.
You can also click on the Timezones button to open up the timezone tool, which is perfect for scheduling episodes with callers from different timezones and countries. Add the city of your caller to this tool, and you will easily be able to see the time difference between where you are and where they are, making becoming an expert podcast recorder a breeze.
After choosing and inviting any guests to your podcast episode, just click Schedule to finish setting up your podcast episode! Make sure to change the time and date of your podcast so that it’s in the future, or your episode will start right away.
Even the best of podcast recorders have times where they need to host an episode right now, instead of planning one in advance -- this is okay! TalkShoe knows that you can’t plan for everything.
If you need to start a podcast episode right away --you guessed it-- just do the same thing you would do to schedule a podcast episode for later, but leave the time as it is. The podcast will start right away. Click on Join Studio from your show’s page, and choose how you whether you would like to join the studio by phone or by web.
Feel like a master podcast recorder yet? If not, maybe it’s because you already are one, thanks to TalkShoe.
Happy Podcasting!
Are you ready to supercharge your podcasts, and make the most of our new features and benefits that TalkShoe has to offer? Why not record an episode today, and see what everyone’s talking about!
From traditional radio to blogs to social media, there are more ways for people to consume media than ever before. For marketers and business owners, this means more ways for you to reach—or not reach—your target audience! Whether it's the attention of millennials, teens, or baby boomers that you’re after, podcasting has become an important medium for a wide variety of audio content and definitely one that your business should be considering. In today blog, we’ll be exploring some of the reasons why TalkShoe podcasting should be a part of your business’ communications strategy.
If you’re not already familiar with podcasting, learning what a podcast is is a great place to start. A podcast is a published digital audio file that can be accessed online and downloaded onto a computer or mobile device for the listener to listen to at any time. Much like the segments of your favorite radio talk show program, individual podcasts are often published as part of a recurring series by the host or creator of the show. Listeners can subscribe to ( “follow”) particular podcast shows so that they can be alerted when a new episode is published.
Talkshoe is a platform that allows you to create, record, publish, and store podcasts—all at no cost! Easy to set up and free to use, Talkshoe is the perfect space to start cultivating a following through podcasting. TalkShoe offers a host of benefits for creating, managing, and listening to your live and recorded audio podcasts.
How TalkShoe Podcasting Can Benefit Your BusinessYou know your business and industry better than anyone else, and people like to buy from experts. Streaming and recording regular TalkShoe podcasts is a great way to engage with new audiences and build a following around content relevant to your business. Adding podcasts to your marketing communications strategy is a great way to enhance yourself and your company as an authority on whatever subject matter or industry you’re into.
When it comes to marketing, it’s never a bad idea to have more channels of exposure to your target audience. One of the great things about podcasts can be listened to anytime, anywhere—from your website, from iTunes, on iPods and MP3 players—and, if they’re interesting enough, can be spread virally across the internet!
There’s a whole generation of people who no longer consume traditional media. Many of them listen to podcasts and other types of live streaming / on-demand media platforms. This audience is young, savvy, educated, and has a significant amount of disposable income. If you produce regular, high-quality content available via downloadable podcasts, you could develop a following among the very people you are trying to market to.
Whether you run a small side business that you'd like to promote or are trying to develop new audiences to market your company to, TalkShoe is the perfect platform to start your podcasting journey. Take advantage of TalkShoe’s free podcast streaming and hosting platform as well as the service’s existing user base to attract listeners. Sign up for TalkShoe is quick and easy. Why not start today?
Are you ready to supercharge your podcasts, and make the most of our new features and benefits that TalkShoe has to offer? Why not record an episode today, and see what everyone’s talking about!
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"Talk" refers to our goal of enabling people to connect to others with common interests.
"Shoe" comes from watching the Ed Sullivan show way back when. Ed Sullivan was a famous variety show host who introduced new and different acts — including The Beatles in 1964. Ed started off his program each week with the words "Tonight, we have a really big shoe," mispronouncing the word "show."
Hence the name — TalkShoe, a play on TALK SHOW.
No, we're not an internet radio producer, but we are about the talk show idea of enabling people to create, participate in, and listen to interesting and entertaining talk-based content.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]TalkShoe has been around since 2005, but we couldn’t remember a more fun and exciting week than the one we spent last week in Philadelphia. See our event highlight reel below, maybe you're in it!
With over 2,000 attendees and 200 speakers, it was a great way to meet with podcasters, influencers and press, and increase our product and brand awareness. The event as a whole was a huge success. We were able to learn a lot about the world of podcasting and in case you missed it, Talkshoe launched a new and improved version during the conference!
Our booth featured two tables with four Heil microphone sets each, running live TalkShoe podcasts during the convention. A special thank you to Karim Kanji , host of the Welcome! Podcast, for conducting great interviews with influential podcasting attendees. With the combination of a cool set up and prime location, promoting TalkShoe was easy and effective. The TalkShoe Pavilion became a destination for attendees to hangout with other podcasters even when they weren't podcasting live.
On July 24th we held a luncheon attended by over 50 podcasting influencers. We gave a live demo of the new and improved TalkShoe, debuting some new key features. While free hosting and unlimited storage are huge draws, global dial-ins and YouTube Streaming were also key talking points throughout the luncheon. Attendees also liked the post-podcasting features such as episode landing pages and reporting metrics. The luncheon was an overwhelming success with an exciting demo, lots of interest in trying out Talkshoe, an engaged audience, delicious food and flowing beverages.
LAUNCHING IMAGE
Congratulations to Lindsay Bowen, Raphael Esparza (@VSIdocsports), Nancy Davis Kho (@midlifemixtape) and Singleton Newman (@singletonnewman) for winning our raffle and the $1400 Heil Sounds prize pack!
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A new platform offers artificial intelligence feature unique to the industry.
July 23, 2018- Toronto, Ontario. iotum, a provider of cloud-based communication solutions, has launched a new and improved version of its podcast platform TalkShoe. TalkShoe was initially launched in 2006 and since grown into a large online community with a dedicated fanbase of podcasters.
"Jason Martin president of iotum says “One of the biggest reasons fans have loved TalkShoe so much is based on the ability to have a two-way dialogue, just like a call-in radio show. TalkShoe promotes sharing your viewpoints with others. We hope we can help inspire podcasters to not only speak up but also to listen to the world around them. We really believe that TalkShoe can help to encourage people from all talks of life to start casting! We can’t wait to get feedback from our customers about new features like the automatic transcriptions and live YouTube streaming.”
One of the most anticipated new features is an artificial intelligence bot that provides auto transcripts and topic tags allowing casters to find content from a previous podcast.
To learn more about TalkShoe and sign up for a FREE account go to www.talkshoe.com.
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iotum, founded in 2004, provides teleconferencing and group communications cloud products. Our product portfolio includes Talkshoe, a community-based podcast hosting platform that bridges the gap between host and listener, FreeConference.com, the original, free conference-calling service; and Callbridge, a virtual meeting platform tailor-made for enterprise-level collaboration.
Julia Stowell
Vice President of Marketing
julia@iotum.com
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Los Angeles, CA, May 2nd, 2016 – iotum, a leader in group calling solutions, announced further expansion today with the acquisition of all assets, brands and operating services of TalkShoe.com, a Pittsburgh-based internet broadcasting and podcasting platform provider.
“iotum provides the perfect environment and key resources to accelerate TalkShoe’s growth,” said Marty Newingham, CEO and Chairman of TalkShoe. “The extensive TalkShoe user community will be well served by iotum’s excellent customer service team. They will enjoy expansion of coverage, services and access to great technology. It will move TalkShoe forward.”
The acquisition of TalkShoe.com marks the fifth acquisition in the past three years for iotum, which owns several collaboration and teleconferencing products, including the original free group calling service, FreeConference.com. This is iotum’s first foray into podcasting and broadcasting media.
“Podcasting is a natural extension for our technology,” said iotum President and CEO Jason Martin. “We help people communicate and create communities online. We’ll add loads of new features to TalkShoe to make creating and promoting content easier. If you’re a podcaster, you’re going to love it.”
For ten years, TalkShoe.com has been a popular tool to make and distribute online audio shows. TalkShoe podcasts are free to create and are available on iTunes, downloaded at Talkshoe.com or by dialing-in. Visit TalkShoe.com for more info.
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Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
An award-winning leader in teleconferencing and group communications solutions, iotum provides collaboration SaaS products for organizations of any size. Each service is an easy, reliable and feature-rich conferencing alternative to over-priced or under-featured competitors. iotum’s flagship product, FreeConference.com, serves over a billion minutes a year of all–digital conference calls.
With offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, iotum is a fast-growing private company and is #199 on Inc. Magazine’s Inc5000 list and No. 27 on the PROFIT 500. Deloitte added iotum to the Fast 500 in 2015. For more information about iotum please visit www.iotum.com.
Julia Stowell
VP, Marketing
iotum
julia@iotum.com
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