One of the crucial essential traits of a profitable podcast is consistency. Maintaining with a publishing schedule is significant for constructing followers who finally make it a routine to hearken to your present.
Sadly — and I do know this from expertise — touring can throw off your podcast recording schedule bigtime.
So what’s one of the best ways to unravel this downside?
Hit the report button when you’re touring! And never simply since you need to sustain with that schedule, however as a result of a few of the greatest conversations you’ll ever have are when you’re on the highway and in individual with individuals.
These are golden alternatives usually wasted, however not anymore, as a result of I’m going to inform you every thing it’s worthwhile to make it work, and make it simple.
[Full Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. You can read my complete disclosure statement here.]
Tools
Earlier than you head out, it’s essential to collect and pack the proper gear on your on-the-go recording periods. Normally, you’re not going to deliver your regular, at-home podcast setup with you on the highway.
With that stated, in case your regular setup features a comparatively small, all-in-one manufacturing console such because the Rodecaster Pro II, then that could be price packing together with a few microphones and an SD card to satisfy your wants.
Normally, nevertheless, a conveyable however highly effective recording setup is what you’ll be searching for. Listed below are some choices:
Rode SmartLav+ with Cellular Interface
The smallest and least expensive choice combines a wired lavalier microphone and an interface to a tool you seemingly have already got entry to: your cell phone.
Whether or not you’re an iPhone or Android person, a Rode SmartLav+ microphone setup can join on to your system. As a result of it’s small, you possibly can even connect it to a t-shirt or shirt and it’s fully out of the way in which.
I exploit this setup whereas on the go for each solo episodes and interviews. In case you’re going to be doing an interview, you’ll want to get a twin cellular interface so you possibly can plug in two microphones to report concurrently.
This setup is proscribed in post-edit functionality because it all information onto one observe, nevertheless it’s the best and most versatile.
For a fast demo, watch this video that I recorded with my son just a few years in the past:
Zoom H6N
The Zoom H6N is the final word transportable recorder that permits you to seize the most effective sound high quality when you’re out. There are built-in microphones (and ones that you would be able to swap out for various recording types), and 4 microphone inputs for various XLR or TRS cables, which is superior for group interviews.
This implies you possibly can have as much as 4 completely different individuals, on 4 completely different microphones, recording into 4 completely different tracks on the identical time. As a substitute of utilizing your telephone to report, this system makes use of an SD card to report your recordsdata, and it’s simple to import again into a pc once you get house or again to your resort room.
That is the system I usually use once I’m on the go. I deliver two microphones — such because the Samson Q2U — that join through XLR, hit report, and the present is on. You should definitely additionally deliver a few XLR cables as these are usually not normally included with USB-specific microphones which have XLR compatibility.
I don’t do any including of intro songs or voiceovers whereas recording on this system — that every one is available in post-edit. The benefit of use and handheld portability is superior. Additionally, I really like the flexibility to see the tracks and the sound ranges from every microphone so I do know one isn’t too loud or too gentle.
Fast tip: don’t neglect your SD card! Belief me.
Headphones
Headphones are normally missed relating to recording on the go, however as a result of you’ll seemingly not be in a sound sales space or studio, and probably in a crowded or trafficked space, it’s essential to have headphones to have the ability to monitor the sound.
Is it too loud? Too gentle? Is there an excessive amount of background noise? The one approach to actually know is by listening to the audio because it’s coming in.
My absolute favourite are the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro studio headphones. I exploit these in my house studio, and likewise whereas I’m out and about.
They’re gentle, snug, and sound superb. They aren’t noise canceling, however they do the job relating to monitoring your sound in an setting that you simply won’t be accustomed to or have plenty of management over.
It’s as much as you if you wish to maintain the headphones on whereas recording, however on the very least, take a look at your audio with headphones on earlier than you hit report. It could be a disgrace to have poor audio high quality in your podcast when it may have been prevented with one fast take a look at.
Video Digicam
I received’t go too in-depth right here, however video podcasts have gotten so fashionable, it’s fairly commonplace to activate the digicam when conducting an interview on the go. The audio is already taken care of, which is sweet, however a pleasant shot with one digicam (or extra) can permit you to repurpose that chance — usually in an attention-grabbing and visually interesting setting — onto a platform like YouTube, or maybe in a web-based course.
The largest concern for video is unquestionably lighting, and we don’t actually need to deliver heavy responsibility lights with us, will we?
In case you’re going to be indoors, the most effective state of affairs could be to arrange the interview area near a window with oblique gentle and have the digicam pointing away from it. This may put a pleasant wash of sunshine on you and your interviewee.
In case you’re open air, someplace that has fixed shade is sweet. Nonetheless, the setting and climate could make it troublesome to maintain every thing constant. However filming open air is fairly superior, so it could be well worth the sacrifice.
Lastly, so far as which digicam to make use of, use one that you simply’re accustomed to already, if doable. A telephone may work, or a point-and-shoot digicam like a Sony ZV-1 with a tripod to screw it into (perhaps even a SwitchPod).
Planning
When doable, attempt to plan an interview or recording session forward of time. I can’t inform you what number of occasions I’ve been to occasions the place a good friend and I say we’re going to report “sooner or later,” solely to have it by no means occur as a result of the time obtained away from us.
Right here’s a fast order of operations:
- In a perfect state of affairs, join earlier than the journey or occasion occurs. Sure, you possibly can all the time meet new individuals and plan a podcast session advert hoc, however for the sake of your time and calendar, planning forward is all the time greatest.
- Coordinate a time and place to satisfy. Scope out the areas obtainable so that you can report which might be as quiet and as echo-free as doable. Make certain you have got permission to report in these areas if they’re in occasion areas. I as soon as discovered an empty breakout room at an occasion, which was nice, till a crowd of individuals got here in mid-interview to arrange for the subsequent presentation in that area.
- Get your interviewee’s contact info. This fashion, if plans change or somebody is having hassle discovering the opposite individual, contact may be made and an answer may be discovered.
A few of my colleagues have gone as far as to lease an area for interviews. This could possibly be a convention room, resort room, or devoted studio area on the facility that’s used all day only for this goal.
Michael Hyatt, one in all my mentors, as soon as interviewed a dozen individuals, one after one other, in a single resort room. It took all day, however afterward, he had 12 interviews filmed and recorded for later use. It was an excellent use of his time.
Fast tip: deliver spare batteries or a battery financial institution! The very last thing you need to have occur is run out of energy for the interview(s) you have got scheduled.
Fast tip #2: Generally environmental noise is definitely nice for a podcast; it provides a unique taste and really feel to the listening expertise. If you’ll be able to seize the sound of the area you’re in earlier than your scheduled periods, make a take a look at recording first with the intention to decide whether or not or not it’s going to work.
Recording the Dialog
Whether or not it’s a single recorded dialog or a dozen interviews in a single day like Michael Hyatt, it’s essential to recollect who you’re recording for. Your podcast listeners will quickly hit play and interact (or disengage) with the dialog you’re having at that second. So, be within the second!
The rationale I say it’s because it may be very simple to develop into distracted when recording in a unique setting, particularly if it’s unfamiliar to you. So right here’s the trick:
Be curious, and benefit from the dialog.
I all the time begin my interview at house, earlier than I hit report, by saying this to myself: “It’ll be like the 2 of us are at a espresso store, simply having a dialog.” You’ve the chance to do exactly that!
(Though I’ve discovered that espresso retailers are not truly the most effective for interviews. The espresso maker is a typical nuisance that tends to dominate the dialog.)
The most effective factor about assembly and speaking with individuals in individual is that there’s a stage of power that you simply simply can not get in an interview over the web. If you’re within the second, the viewers will really feel like they’re there with you. Now, with a microphone in hand (or hooked up to a shirt) you possibly can have a improbable dialog, in real-time, and seize all of that nice power for them.
After the Interview
There are some gadgets to deal with after the dialog is over. Usually, I do my greatest to add recordsdata to Dropbox as quickly as I can, that means they’re protected and might’t be stolen or misplaced.
Second, I additionally take notes from the interview itself (or dictate them) so I can keep in mind the highlights. That is essential as a result of usually I’m recording the intros and outros to those episodes at house; if I wait too lengthy, I’ll neglect all the good stuff we chatted about.
Past the tech and the audio recordsdata, there’s yet one more essential side of podcasting whereas touring that I need to depart you with.
It’s simple to complete an interview, say your goodbyes, and transfer on. However right here’s the factor: you simply sat and had an in-depth dialog with somebody in individual! Actual relationships may be constructed from that, particularly for individuals who you’ve by no means actually met earlier than.
So don’t finish the dialog when the report button will get pressed. Maintain the dialog going when you possibly can, maybe throughout a espresso the subsequent morning, dinner afterward, or follow-up on-line later. Use this chance to nurture the connection you made — it’d develop into one thing superb!
