Please help me fix my podcast!

[ryankenward]

Hello Everyone,

I've been doing a podcast about video games and movies with some friends of mine for about 7 months now. At first it seemed kind of promising but it seems like we get less and less downloads every episode. I am trying all sorts of things to try to improve the show but it just seems like its not working.

Please help me - tell me what is good, what is bad - how I can do things differently and what you would want to hear if you were a regular subscriber of the show.

Our last episode is at http://www.thegamingseers.com/archives/248

Constructive critisism is greatly appreciated.

-Ryan

[ryankenward]

Hmmm.... No thoughts?

[dewdrinker19]

I haven't had a chance to listen but I can give a few tips that seem to be working well for my podcast that is in its infancy.

1) Make sure everything is the same volume.
2) Make sure your content is UNIQUE. If you don't have anything to offer that isn't already in 5,000 other podcasts nobody is going to want to give it a listen.
3) Don't be afraid to make a shorter episode if it means getting rid of slow and boring content.
4) Listen to other podcasts on the same topic and take notes of what you liked and didn't like to hear.

You may already be doing all 4 of these, but without a chance to listen for a few days that is unfortunately all the advice I can give. Best of luck to you and the show.

[wtfwellington]

your podcast,

it's just bad.

like when you start off with like a super businessie attitude then you and your friends mumble and half the time I don't even know what your talking about

you have no combination of organization & fun

EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING IS ON THE 1UP PODCASTS, pretty much like a year ago

and whoever keeps yawning shoot them.

haha. sorry you suck. start over.
;p

[kzap]

Hmmm.... No thoughts?
I pretty much agree with everything dewdrinker19 (http://revision3.com/forum/member.php?u=41489) said.
I'm new to podcasting myself and all I can say is:
1. Be confident.
2. Make sure everyone in the group is 100% committed
3. Speak clearly
4. Have fun

That's all I have learned so far and yes shorter is better when you are new.

Edit: Another thing, I would say script it a bit more, I know you want it to sound like a real conversation or whatever but talk before hand and go in with bullet points so everyone has an idea of what to say and if they make a mistake edit it out.

[ryankenward]

Well, aside from the "you suck" post - (which is cool that someone created an account just to say you suck I suppose)

--- We've done 2 episodes since the one I originally posted here and tried to change things a bit with some of the legit feedback we got. I'd like to get some updated thoughts if anyone has the time.

http://www.thegamingseers.com/archives/254 (Episode 35) (I host)
http://www.thegamingseers.com/archives/252 (Episode 34) (Aaron Hosts)

These are 2 very different episodes, let me know what each of us does well and who should be the primary host. We're very open to restructuring things to get more desirable results from our listeners.

- Ryan

[someaudioguy]

Hello Everyone,


Please help me - tell me what is good, what is bad - how I can do things differently and what you would want to hear if you were a regular subscriber of the show.


-Ryan

Hey Ryan, late to this party, listening to 35 now,
As a recording engineer, truthfully, if I have to reach for the volume knob I'm just as likely to turn the show off.
Your levels are kind of ALL OVER THE PLACE. I would really balance that out. Don't bother with music until you fix the voices.
Here's a clip of your show that I spent LESS THAN A MINUTE editing down.

http://www.mediafire.com/?yeyy2mrmyj2

Also, don't be afraid to edit some of this junk out. You guys can get a little repetitive. Make your point, if you have some funny commentary let it play, but if not, cut it down. You guys don't really have 60+ minutes worth of stuff to say.

You guys have some pretty natural interaction which is actually kind of nice to hear. I agree with some of the other comments that I'm not hearing a lot of original commentary, but when you guys make do make a point I like it. I seriously wouldn't listen through the whole episode to get to those points though.

Now making it a bit farther through, what's the point of your show? Are you trying to be like TRS? Narrow your field down a bit, and focus your content a bit more. TRS is like three LITTLE shows in one. I'm not going to think of you guys for movie reviews too...

I would recommend putting some constraints on a future episode. Try and cover the same number of topics, but give yourself a goal of cutting the episode down to 20 minutes or less.

Just my $0.02...

[jonnywb]

Have you ever thought about doing a video podcast?
My main problem so far is just my personal opinion, but I don't really just like listening to people talk, I like having the video there too. I'd say that it's so easy to watch a video everywhere you are now that there's no reason not to. You can always have an audio version of it too.

The audio was a little bit of a problem aswell, I think you need to have everyone at the same distance from the mic, or their mics (whatever you're using)... I can hear some more than others, and it's a little annoying that I have to listen up for those people.

It wasn't bad as that guy said, but it just needs something special and that's up to you to work out.

[hellbent88]

read the clue train manifesto

[tokenuser]

read the clue train manifestoI hope you meant the actual book (http://www.amazon.com/Cluetrain-Manifesto-End-Business-Usual/dp/0738204315) ... and weren't just trolling.

[rabidbadger]

read the clue train manifesto

Odd, I was just going through a bunch of books and found that book I got through a club years ago and never read. It's sitting in the pile of "to read" books next to my bed now.

[gta_bmx]

Well, aside from the "you suck" post - (which is cool that someone created an account just to say you suck I suppose)


Don't feel bad that someone dislikes the show (even though they could have phrased it in more of a constructive way). It's feedback. You gotta throw out the 10% worst negative comments and the 10% over gushy comments. The comments in the middle are what count. When you put yourself "out there" in front of the public, you will get negative comments occasionally. Celebrities take a lot of heat about how they look, talk, act, etc..

[rabidbadger]

Don't feel bad that someone dislikes the show (even though they could have phrased it in more of a constructive way). It's feedback. You gotta throw out the 10% worst negative comments and the 10% over gushy comments. The comments in the middle are what count. When you put yourself "out there" in front of the public, you will get negative comments occasionally. Celebrities take a lot of heat about how they look, talk, act, etc..

I like your attitude. That's good advice about the -10% and the +10%.

[alaskalonewolf]

I actually think the negative comments are more fun. In fact, now that I'm thinking of it, perhaps a show on just the negative comments.