It’s December 2019, The Conquer Risk Podcast is in its first season, and we decide to produce the episode “Gear Up” to show off how we make the show. (If you want to up our view count from thirty, please go watch.) Here’s the thing: we don’t use any of what we mentioned anymore.
We wanted to do our best to guide advisors away from making inevitable mistakes—and we still do. Podcasts don’t have to be nominated for a meaningless award, but they do need to look credible and be engaging. So, here is what we are currently using to produce our content, as we mark four years of the podcast:
Audio
A great podcast starts with great audio. So, it’s essential to get it right. And no, you shouldn’t be reliant on your business computer’s audio tools. If you struggle with audio, you can expect to struggle with everything afterward.
We used a condenser microphone during the episode “Gear Up,” which was perfect for any space and captured crisp, clean audio from a few inches away. It was only a twenty-dollar microphone, and it was paired with an audio recorder on an SD card. Adequate, but required syncing audio and video after that fact.
Today, we are using an entirely different microphone setup. There is a bit more up-front cost, but to great impact. Our current microphone is the RODE PodMic. It can connect directly to your computer via USB-C, or via XLR for those who still wish to use an audio recorder. It is a first-of-its-kind dynamic podcast microphone, with phenomenal depth for $200.
It is universality compatible and offers an easy setup—you plug it in, and you’re ready to play; it doesn’t matter if you’re on a Mac or PC.
Video
You may be wondering why even include video when starting an audio podcast? The simple answer is you don’t need to, but this medium opens the door to new possibilities.
Voice is powerful, but video creates a personal connection like no other. You also have the added benefit of building familiarity with your audience, which pays dividends when you inevitably meet in person.
As we now live in a world where video conferencing is here to stay, upping your video presence can extend beyond podcasting itself. The Logitech BRIO Ultra HD Webcam, our camera of choice, is made for video conferencing, recording, and webinaring (is that a word?)—three things we do regularly.
The $170 webcam connects easily to the top of your monitor or computer, and automatically adjusts the light for exposure and contrast. While performing best with natural light, we have found this camera makes for a more consistent visual across podcasting and video conferencing.
Editing
There are countless video editing solutions out there, and most are pretty good. However, we recommend choosing the software designed for what you’re trying to output. Let’s face it, none of us are making movies here.
You don’t need to use an extensive, sophisticated editing system or dedicate hours of your time to learning new technology. There will always be tools that are straightforward to use.
However, for as much that has changed over the years, some things never change. For podcast editing, we are still using Adobe Premiere. You may have heard of Adobe before as it has tools like Illustrator and Photoshop under its name. With an inexpensive monthly subscription, you get access to their entire library of programs.
Adobe Premiere is a fantastic tool that works on Mac and PC and continues to evolve—you drag a clip, make edits, and then you export. We also use Final Cut Pro X and Motion because I am old and refuse to change. Just like Premiere, they’re excellent tools to create graphics and add the final touches like intros and conclusions to a podcast episode—it’s simplicity with ease.
Keep Adjusting
We might be using this gear in another two years—or we might be using entirely different equipment. We’ve already updated this blog once, I’m sure we will again. So, find the path of least resistance and clearly communicate your proposition.
We want to emphasize that you don’t need to spend $10,000 to build a podcast. Find things that work in the moment and adapt as you go. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the Conquer Risk Podcast.
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