apple

iTunes

The key to success of any podcast or Internet radio show is being included on iTunes.

The link to our iTunes page is Dog Works Radio on iTunes

After you have hosted a few shows you can request to be included on iTunes. There is a step by step tutorial on the BlogTalk Radio page under Support.

I would say that most of our download traffic comes from iTunes. Probably in the range of 900 or so a week.

Skype

Skype is a key component to our radio shows. We could not do the show without it. First it is the method that is used to call in and host the show but also allows us to accept callers and guests. You should note that Skype is only as good as your Internet connection and speed and this has been our biggest obstacle for our shows.

When I found my home in Alaska a deal breaker would have been if we did not have a fast Internet connection. I can remember asking my realtor this and saying that if Internet was not available, that I could not move forward on this property. While the Internet up here is broadband, it is far from speedy. You have to remember that quite a few homes up here are still without electricity and running water and have to use outhouses. This is Alaska!

For our shows we use the unlimited calling features which costs $8.99 a month. As you can see the costs to produce and host a quality show add up quickly.

Skype and BlogTalk Radio and a Hotspot connection are a perfect marriage. I have hosted shows being stuck in traffic using my iPhone as well as from events and an on-location sites and quite a few hotel rooms all over North America. The cost for a typical hotspot is $39.00-$100.00 a month from myriad providers (Sprint, AT&T, Cricket, etc.) I currently use the new hot spot feature on my iPhone for an extra $25.00 a month on my data plan.

Microphones

We use Audio Technica microphones(approximately $250.00 each–2009 price). There are the perfect double carotid mic’s that work very well for podcasts/radio shows as well as vocals for music. While these aren’t the most expensive microphones by any means, they are very rugged and hold up well to abuse. You need that when you are doing on-location remotes as well as the daily grind in a dog training center.

Pop filters

The pop filter ($12.00 each) for your microphones are necessary equipment for your podcast/radio show. The pop filter is a foam screen that covers the microphone so your listeners don’t hear that familiar popping sound on their end when you say words that, well, pop…

Sock mounts

A shock mount ($45.00-$100.00 each) is a necessary piece of equipment for your microphone. The shock mount will alleviate the vibrations and jolts that your microphone will be subjected to as you move it around. Think of a shock mount as a cradle for your mic.

Boom

A boom ($99.00 each) for your microphone is what all the professionals use. If you use a microphone on your desk and you are prone to smack down with your fists or move things around, the sensitive microphones will pick it up.

Headphones

I use Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones ($350.00) for my radio work at home and Bose in-ear head-phones ($99.00) for the show when I am away. Some will say that Bose’s noise canceling feature does not work well for audio recordings such as a podcast/radio show, I have found it works to my benefit because I suffer from some deafness in my left ear from my rock band days.

A regular pair of headphones will work but it is up to you on what you want to hear as you host your show.

The Board

For our radio shows we use an Alesis 8 channel multi-mix USB mixing board ($180.00). This rock solid board is a must have for a professional podcast/radio show. It allows for 8 different inputs (microphones and other devices). I did find that it takes quite a bit of technical know-how to get it to work properly on a Mac system as it could not find the appropriate drivers.

There are various cords that will need to be used depending on the configuration that you use. There are at least eight different types in my set up.

Computer Hardware

In December 2009 I bought a MacBook Pro for the purposes of producing the best show that I could. I got a heck of a deal at Micro Center on my 15” MacBook Pro with a savings of over $900.00 because it was a return and did not have any operating system or software installed. I paid just over $600.00 for this laptop. A new one will set you back at least $1500.00. When I am at my home studio I use my Mac Mini. The Mac Mini is the greatest computer that the folks at Apple ever released. Not only are they a cheap $599.00 but they pack a punch. Note that the 599 price tag does not include a monitor, keyboard or mouse. These will set you back a pretty penny if you want to use Apple hardware.

My MacBook and Mac Mini are set up with the exact same configurations in terms of hosting my show. It makes for seamless integration for switching equipment on the go.

Software

I will admit it. I am a Mac guy. I have sipped the Apple Juice enough where I doubt I will ever go back to a PC.

The software that we use for the production of our show is Garage Band 11 (approximately $99.00 from Apple). This is about as good as you can get for a guy that used to play in a rock band and have goals of a multi-year world tour.

Garage Band allows you to record on multiple tracks. Has superior editing tools. You can add sound bites, recordings and other items that will make your podcast/radio show top notch.

A podcast/radio show is only as good as its editing. While there are ways to host a show live using Skype and the BlogTalk Radio platform, there currently is not an easy way to do this using Garage Band. In order to do so you have to record the show then cut and past each ‘voice’ into Garage Band. I have found that we just record the show live on BlogTalk Radio and then download it into Garageband to edit it and then re-load the show to the platform. These steps are very time consuming but with the nature of the Internet you will have to do this from time to time.

Voice-Work

We have hired one of the best voice talents that we could find to record dynamic show introductions and commercial spots. This makes the show more professional than the nerdy kid in the basement using pirated songs from his iTunes library. Not only is that illegal but most platforms will shut the podcast down if they find out about it.

Our commercial spots are from our sponsors. While it does not cost 1000s of dollars to host our show, costs do add up. We spend a lot of time and energy on the production of our shows and we are thankful for the sponsors.

If you would like to find out more about sponsorship for either one of our shows and reach 1000s of listeners a week, let me know.

Cost: about $30.00-$45.00 per minute of voice work plus other costs vary for production to include music, effects, etc.

Tomorrow: Secrets of Dog Works Radio Part 3

Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of the popular radio shows, Mush! You Huskies and Dog Works Radio Shows

A lot of my friends, fans and rabid readers look to me as the go to guy for their tech questions.

If you don’t know already, I am a closet geek. I started a computer repair company called The Nerd Herd in 1998-1999 before some Suit at NBC stole it and used the name on a popular T.V. show, Chuck.

That’s my story anyway and I am sticking to it.

Today I want to talk about the much ballyhooed iPhone 4 operating system update that allows for a WiFi hot spot.

I have tested it out for the past few days and here are my impressions:

The update took almost three hours to download on my computer. I think a lot of that has to do with a pretty slow broadband connection up here in the middle-of-nowhere-Alaska. As usual, once the update is downloaded you must sync your iPhone to the computer and iTunes.

Once sync’d you go into the myAT&T app on your iPhone. If you have not downloaded this you need to and you need to create an account. If you do not remember you password from when you signed on with AT&T you will have to call them and get it.

Log on to your account and go into the Wireless Features tab

You then choose DataPro 4GB. This is required for the tethering or personal hotspot feature on your iPhone 4. It will set you back an extra $20.00 a month but you do get 2 more GB of data. The plan that most people use is the 2GB data plan.

Now lets get into it with cool pics and all:

To use personal Hotspot for the first time, go to Settings > General > Network > Personal Hotspot.

Turn on Personal Hotspot by tapping once on the On/Off button. You will be prompted to enter a wi-fi password. You must create your own password of at least 8 characters.

After entering the password hit Done. Next you will be asked how do you want to share the internet access. If the Wi-fi or Bluetooth radio are Off they will be turned on automatically.

Your iPhone is now broadcasting a wi-fi network with the password you selected and the name of the network is same as that of your iPhone.

Now go to any wireless device like your iPod Touch or laptop and look for networks. My Mac was pretty quick to discover it. you may have to turn the Airport off and then back on.

The broadcast strength seemed strong enough. No matter where the iPhone was left in the room, the signal showed up pretty strong.

Once connected, the iPhone will display a blue status bar showing how many devices are connected. The iPhone Personal hotspot feature will allow you to connect up to three WiFi devices (ie: an iPod Touch, a Laptop and and an iPad for example).

You will notice that it automatically shuts itself off after an hour approximately if not used. The personal hotspot feature is very power hungry and will not go easy on the battery of your iPhone. In order to make the hotspot active again just visit the Personal Hotspot pane which is now in on the first page of your Settings app.

In case you aren’t on a 3G network the hotspot will obviously stop when you make or receive a phone call. However, once the call is over everything resumes just like the call never took place. Overall, I loved the simple yet effective implementation including the power saving part.

NOTE: You only have 4GB of data usage with the personal hot spot as well as any data you use regularly via 3G. This means DO NOT leave your personal hot spot on all day or use it to download large files, music, or videos.

I use just to about my 2GB limit almost every month and I have it set up for AT&T to send me a text if I am above 85%. As with the current data plans, if you do go over, AT&T will charge you $10.00 for every GB you go over. What is also nice, is you can turn the feature on and off on your myAT&T app and you will not be locked into an extended contract. I do believe that if you use it only part of the month you will be charged for the full month, however. If you have questions about this, call customer care at AT&T.

I hope this helps you out. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me on the comment page and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

___________________

Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of the popular radio shows, Mush! You Huskies and Dog Works Radio Shows

Podcasting: Dog Works Radio Secrets Pt. 2

Using your iPhone 4 as a Hot Spot