Great Podcasts using radio techniques

“She pulled the knife from his shoulder blade and wiped it carefully on her white apron.”

If you’re going to tell a story, just launch right into it.  says legendary radio industry boss – David Lloyd. 

If you a radio person or a Blogger I recommend  "How To Make Great Radio"  by David Lloyd published by Biteback. This book is an essential and entertaining read, great if you are Podcaster that wants to learn from radio techniques.

From why a listener chooses radio in the first place – and the answer he gives in the book is the key to making you a truly great Broadcaster, Podcaster or even TV host – as I think that what he says about presentation has relevance for all types of media presentation particularly Podcasting.

The Author David Lloyd was my boss at LBC and had a rare talent - he trusted you to do your job but guided and shaped what you did and managed you without you without actually realising you were being managed.

In "how To Make Great Radio." there are chapters not only about Breakfast Radio, competitions, interview technique, but also about how to use words and the language of radio, again they language you use and how you say it are of vital importance to any Podcaster.

He also talks about YOU, not you! – You, and why one of our greatest orators of the modern time Churchill not only harnessed the power of you but understood the rule of three – you can find out how Sir Winston can help you sharpen your presentation/podcasting skills in this book.

Also there’s advice on news reading using social media and getting the best from callers to your show.

‘Christina is a 23 year old Latina, born in the U.S.  She is unmarried with one-child lives in a suburb of Los Angeles and has multiple jobs to make ends meet.  She cares about the latest gossip and listens to mainstream hip hop and pop music.”

You have to get through half the book to get to the chapter on targeting and the most important of radio questions – ‘Who is your listener’ By the way that description of Christina was a typical listener of KIIS FM in the U.S.

Or how about ‘Dave and Sue’ Dave is a self-employed plumber and Sue a Secretary… I wonder if you can guess the radio station they might listen to?  To find out, the answer is in David Lloyd’s book ‘How To Make Great Radio.’

Understanding who you are actually talking to, whether on radio or a Podcast is again a key piece of the jigsaw you need to make content that is relevant.

Moving to behind the glass David has a chapter about how to Produce a radio show, he describes Producers as ‘the Architect of a show creating direction and execution.’

Back in the live studio there is a chapter about finding your radio voice, and why the listener is always right – sometimes.

David also gives you advice if you are trying to make a career in radio. The industry is in the middle of a tough time at the moment, but again Podcasting is a great place to start your Broadcasting career. Finally he predicts radio’s future with one key word.

This is a book for someone who wants to find out more about radio and has terrific relevance if you have just started a Podcast as there are many crossover points between the two mediums.

David Lloyd’s ‘How To Make Great Radio’ the Kindle edition will cost you just £6.41 

Cash Cow?

Can you make money from your Podcast? .. you can, BUT!  It really depends where you are in the world. In the USA there is a large Podcast market and an expectation that you might 'pay' for content either by listening to commercials or sponsor messages.

Back here in the UK - there are different expectations - content is often 'free' - the BBC with all its TV and Radio channels, podcasting, internet and media is paid for by a tax on reception, called 'The Licence Fee' .

This creates an uneven playing field.  The BBC have a big chunk of the Podcast market which they are moving behind something that could be made into a paywall, but currently verifies that you have permission to listen to their Podcasts. (You can actually go to prison for not paying the BBC Licence Fee)

What does all of this mean for your back bedroom Podcast? That in the UK it is harder to monetise content than in say the USA.  You might need to look for Patreon support directly from your listeners, or distribute your Podcast with a provider like ACAST who look for and share advertising revenue with you.  Or just look at your Podcast as a profile raiser for your business or passion.

Every Breath You Take

Should you remove breaths from your Podcast?  I have noticed on the forums a heated discussion about removing mouth noises and the breathing of your Podcast host or guest breathing.  It is a thing that often happens on commercials or voice work, mainly because an advertiser crams in so many words into a commercial, there is, frankly, no time to take a breath. 

I would almost, never remove a single breath, you are a human being you also breathe and to cut out the breath... well doesn't that rip the humanity out of your guest or host?  I say almost because sometimes a breath can be intrusive, a nervous gasp, those breaths can be edited out.  But also a breath can be 'a sharp intake of breath' that reveals something to the listener.

One of the Podcasts I work on is Zestology with Tony Wrighton.  He is really keen to make his Podcast real and human, we leave in breaths, if he slightly stumbles, that stays in.. obviously bigger mistakes get taken out.  He often records his Podcasts out and about and the background noise becomes part of the fabric of the Podcast.

I worked with an American radio host here in London called Doug Urbanski - we were in a tiny studio I had built in Denmark Street, a famous London Street and the building boasted the fact that the Beatles had rehearsed in the basement and Elton John had written Daniel on the flat roof behind the little studio I had built.

It was a hot summers night and the aircon was a noisy portable unit.  Doug told me to turn it off and open the windows.  I remember saying to him that everyone listening to his coast to coast show would hear all the noise of London in the background...   "Yeah, that's what I want them to hear." - the penny dropped.

So don't rip too much of the humanity out of your Podcast, let it breathe, let there be the odd dog barking, you are not PBS or the BBC, you are something quite different and special .. keep it that way. 

Listen and follow Zestology on Apple Podcasts or Spotify To find out about Podcast Editing from $35 an hour/episode - click here