Hate your own voice on mic or camera? The latest episode is about WHY, and also about practicing speaking without needing to edit your words as much: youtu.be/pi9xIKjQr-g

Check out this weeks episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. 11 different shows linked as examples to check out. Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook" #podcasts

New episode about the various formats you can choose for your solo hosted podcast. Check it out wherever you get your shows, or on YouTube, at "Solo Podcasting Handbook." #PodcastThreads #Podcasting

New episode about finding the right format for your solo-hosted show. Find it wherever you podcast or on YouTube at "Solo Podcasting Handbook" #podcasts

I'm deep in production on a new series of episodes all about crushing your solo-hosted shows. I'm not focusing on software (because we use so many different programs, and I need to focus). So I'm mostly covering: strategy, performance, formats, content structures.

Strategic consistency helps your show a lot more than equipment or those filler words. But focus on the "strategic" part of that, which is even more important than consistency (though you need some of that too). Cont.

When possible in your (non-fiction) podcast or show, use stories and examples to illustrate your points. This makes abstract ideas concrete. It also makes your content, and YOU for that matter, a lot more memorable! #podcasting

Especially important if you're tackling a solo hosted podcast: Vary your speaking pace. Don't rush words. Speaking too fast can be hard to follow, but speaking too slow can lose the energy & flow needed for interest. Finding YOUR best middle ground takes practice but is worth it! #solopodcasting

Identify your target listener for your podcast. Do not try to make a show for everyone. A specific audience is easier to serve, and in "interest based" algorithms these days it'll help with finding an audience too. #podcasting

Solo hosting podcasts requires strong organization skills... since you are responsible for all the content. A good plan, and strategy, is essential for success. Scripts, detailed notes, and presentation skills are all pretty important too. #solopodcasting

For video podcasts (or, "shows" as I like to call them), it's good to look at the camera when speaking to viewers as much as you can. Looking at your screen breaks the connection. And if you have a guest, it might look to viewers like you're distracted or uninterested in the guest.  #podcasting

Visual treatment of your podcast scripts can help make them better. Use bold text, spacing, and brackets to guide your eye. This makes reading naturally much easier and you can focus on other things instead. Like your voice. #podcasting

Teaching on your podcast? You might want to structure your shows to make sure you include What, Why, and How.  These are:  1. What: "Today we're talking about..." (Topic) (Cont.)

Format your scripts for when you read them out loud. Reading a dense script while performing is hard, and adjusting your text to offload that mental burden can help you perform it even better. #podcasting

Make sure your room is quiet before you start recording. No fans! Turn off the external hard drive! Whatever it is. This helps with noise reduction during editing. If it's too loud, reduction won't work well. Create a checklist (I always forget that darn hard drive!) #Podcasting

Place your microphone six to eight inches from your mouth, unless you have an excellent chunk of foam on there and maybe some FX to help. Too close creates plosives. Too far loses presence or that "intimate" feel for listeners. TEST it out, and see what the best distance is! #podcasting

Help your listeners remember your content by using signposts in your podcast scripts. It signals structure and relevance, and helps reduce cognitive load. It also helps reduce walls of ear text! #podcasting

Dictating your notes captures your natural human cadence immediately, and it's a much better way to write a script for podcasting.  #podcasting

I usually record at a level where peaks hit about negative twelve decibels. It leaves headroom for processing without distortion. Do a test and see what you need to do for your own voice & what kind of delivery is "normal" for the podcast. Pull your head away from the mic if ya get loud! #podcasting

Smile while talking about positive topics. This changes your vocal tone in ways listeners can actually hear and feel! Topic pivot... okay does anyone else do this while typing out emails to make sure they "sound friendly" or am I the only one?  #podcasting

Why you don't want to use an essay on your podcast as a script: The listener's brain can struggle when it hears "writerly" text spoken aloud. This is called modality mismatch. #podcasting

Your voice sounds different in the morning versus evening. Sound, energy, overall delivery. So do some tests and see what works best for your show, then plan your sessions accordingly. #podcasting

If you think you sound "too robotic" you might want to advance from following a full-out script. If you tend to ramble when unscripted, you might want to go with a bullet-list outline.  Something like -->

Stand up while recording for better breath support and energy (this helps with the diaphragm). You can also try recording, or practicing delivery, while walking in place. (I used to run while practicing vocal delivery for my cardio dance fitness classes! It was SO helpful!) #podcasting

Performance tip for solo-hosts: Stop talking "at" your audience. Pick a person (a friend, a client, your ideal listener) and imagine you're talking directly to them. This can help you sound more natural and conversational, less "scripty".  Works for video and audio, too :)  #podcasting

Practice your podcast hooks, opening or intro, and closing (and CTA too) until they feel natural. These bookends for your show set the tone for everything in between, and are especially important for audience growth. #podcasting

This is Mack. In his head he absolutely crushed this agility course. Who are we to tell him otherwise. 14/10 (TT: adventuresof.mack)

Going solo on a podcast (video or audio!) can be a pretty tough thing to do. You're the host, writer, and guest all in one. And... "you're the product".

Solo hosting feels lonely... or awkward... at first. Imagine talking to one specific person to make your podcast delivery more natural. You can even put a picture up on your wall! #solopodcasting

End each episode with a clear call to action, or even better put it somewhere in the middle of your script/show rundown/format. Tell listeners exactly what you want them to do, focus on clarity. Easy to say (and remember!) URLs help with this! Many people listen hands-free. #podcasting

A strong hook in the first thirty seconds keeps people listening. Say what they will get from this episode up top... ie: what they'll learn, or if fiction, build some curiosity about the story ahead. This is especially true if you're also publishing to YouTube! #podcasting

Plan three podcast episodes ahead, or even more if you can. Have episodes "in the bank" or scheduled ahead - the more, the better (unless you're doing timely news, of course). This gives you breathing room and reduces stress/burnout when life gets busy, or something unexpected comes up. #podcasting

It's pretty normal for your ten episodes will probably sound rough if you're new to making podcasts and going at it alone. This is normal. Yer learning! It's a new skill! Keep going, make notes along the way, review progress after episode twenty. #podcasters

Episode length should align with your content. It's not arbitrary, or something someone can just "pick" or reddit can answer. Some topics need ten minutes. Others need sixty. Maybe an interview needs more time than that! #podcasting

Consistency matters more than "perfect" (tho isn't the only important element of success!)

Your podcast needs a clear purpose before you record episode one. Write down who you want to reach and what problem you solve for them. The more specific the audience, the better (especially if you plan to distribute on YouTube, too). #podcasting

you don't have to put on blackface to get social media attention. you can simply develop mild depression, join a menswear forum, spend the next 15 years arguing about pants, and then weaponize the knowledge against your enemies on social media.

Consistency wins. It's momentum. Five minutes of daily practice will take you further than five hours once a month. Small actions build up. It can really help not to break a streak.

It's Halloween! So you might have a party... or if you're like me you're at home editing or listening to audio dramas. Want something on theme? Yeah? HELL YEAH! This playlist by @madisonstandish.bsky.social has all spookytime eps https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ufAC60udqOkWZgCMQb5TS #audiodramas

Voice acting is PHYSICAL even if the audience doesn't "see" it. They do see it tho. Every emotion starts in your body before it reaches your voice. Anger tightens your jaw. Sadness drops your shoulders. Your posture changes your sound completely. The listener "sees" it.

Creativity grows over time. Each project, every series, every episode teaches you something that makes the next one better. Finish things even when they're not perfect. Even when it's SO DAMN HARD. You don't need perfect to learn, but it needs to get out there.

Voice acting. No one can see you but YOU have to be completely present. Everything you are as a human being comes through that microphone whether you want it to or not. Kinda scary. Kinda neat, right?

Blocked? Write down the worst stuff. The worst ideas, the worst story, the worst drawing, the worst outline. Get it out. See what happens.

It's almost Halloween. Do you have candy n stuff? DO YOU HAVE YOUR AUDIO DRAMA EPS LINED UP? No? Uh oh but don't worry. @madisonstandish.bsky.social made us all a playlist.  Comedy. Horror. Fantasy. DRAMATICS. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ufAC60udqOkWZgCMQb5TS #audiodramasunday #voiceactors

Performance anxiety means you care about what you do up there. See it for what it is. Caring. This can make things a lot easier in the long run.

Comedic moments often come from vulnerability. Be brave enough to share your truth. Gives others permission to see their own, too.

Ideas come from boredom. Let your brain relax. That's when it makes the connections that make GOOD ideas. Ideas are hard or impossible to come by if you try to force the process. (Maybe this is why writers rooms have never really worked for me. Dunno. Or it's just my socially awkward everything...)

Your voice is enough. The character lives in your interpretation. Avoid imitation. They might not want that! Unexpected is cool. #voiceacting

Embrace the boundaries and limitations to find innovative ways around them. Limitations = creativity, and you can come up with something better. I'm telling myself this, anyway.