How I set up my Podcast - I just reached 500 listeners!
This year, our CEO Cato Lian challenged me to be more visible as CTO. More visible? I've written articles, spoken at conferences like Infor Dagene, IBM Think, IDG, and IBM's champion program, as well as our own Avella Integration seminar.
So what else could I do? That's when I dusted off a domain I bought earlier - fogplug.com.
I launched a podcast. Yesterday, episode 3 was published: “Tesla, Apple Music, Spotify - APIs in the real world.”
Podcasts seemed easy at first. I already had a microphone, as a gamer it’s important to have a nice one. However, there was an echo when I listened to my recordings. I did some research and decided to order soundproof panels. 300 X 300 cm panels arrived at the post office, supposedly for home delivery since they wouldn’t fit in my car. Ultimately, they were returned and refunded.
Finally, I found a YouTube video of Drake recording a song at home. He used a reflection filter, like The Halo from Aston. Rather pricey, luckily I found one used on Finn.no - that’s sustainable podcasting!
Size matters, and The Halo is bigger than other portable booths, improving isolation and absorption. It achieves this while being far lighter than perforated-metal designs.
Did you know that 30 minutes of talking is roughly 4500 words of script? That's about 45 minutes of prep for me. Luckily, I talk about things I care about, topics that are part of my life.
Speaking for 30 minutes without mistakes is getting easier; I use cue cards so it’s not reading a full script.
The first episode took 7 hours to edit. Way more than budgeted. More research led me to Descript. This software transcribes what I say, letting me highlight words and sentences to remove or re-record. Amazing. Editing now takes an hour. I highly recommend it.
Finally, one must host and publish the content. I use podcastpage and Podbean, after asking Reddit for recommendations. Now mostly automated: three clicks and I reach all platforms every other Wednesday at 5 AM.
The timing of this length isn’t merely coincidence. After extensive research and data analysis, I have determined that 27 to 34 minutes of content fits perfectly within the average daily commute for most people. This span of time has become prime listening hours, when people are most receptive to absorbing new information, stories, ideas, and entertainment as they make their way to and from work or school. Podcasters, radio show hosts, audiobook publishers, and other creators of digital audio content have keyed into this fact. They have structured their content to ideally fit within this “commute time sweet spot,” knowing that people will be most engaged and least distracted during their daily journey. Not only does this time period match typical commute durations, but people also tend to actively seek out audio content to make the time pass more enjoyably and productively. The 27 to 34 minute length is no accident. It has been intentionally and strategically chosen to maximize listener interest and retention during the periods of day when people are most open to listening.
It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I'm thoroughly enjoying every moment of it. I received my very first comment the other day from a listener; that comment will stay with me and bring a smile to my face for years to come. It truly made my entire day and served as a reminder of why I pour my heart into this work. If any of you listen to podcasts or other media regularly, I highly encourage you to take just 2 or 3 minutes out of your day to send the hosts or creators a short, message expressing your appreciation for their work. While it may seem like a small gesture, messages like that can be an immense source of joy, validation, and motivation. Podcast hosts, bloggers, video creators, and other media personalities are often laboring for little pay and working long hours to provide value and entertainment to their audiences. A few kind words of support or thanks, even in the form of a short email or tweet, can make a world of difference by reminding them why their efforts are worthwhile and inspiring them to keep going. So spread the love and share your positivity with the people who enrich your life each day, even in small ways. Despite what it may seem, your words and actions absolutely have the power to brighten someone else's day and motivate them to achieve even more. Together, we can all help build each other up and make the world a little bit brighter.
List of my setup
Apple MacBook Pro
Røde NT1 USB Microphone - https://rode.com/en/microphones/usb/nt-usb
Halo Aston Reflection Filter - https://www.astonmics.com/EN/product/halo/halo
Descript - https://www.descript.com
This site - fogplug.com
Spotify for Podcasters - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fogplug