Spreading the Podcast Love

Today I decided I'd test drive a few new podcasts. While cleaning my house, I was able to consume an earful of well-established podcasts that I'd never before heard. As my available podcast listening time is very limited, this was a change from the staples within the SModcast Internet Radio Network which normally keep my iPod full.

My very good friend @NetHeadWW is the sound engineer for the main SMod Pods, and I know first hand that he puts many hours into making sure Kevin Smith has the equipment necessary to capture good sound. On top of that, @NetHeadWW also spends time tweaking the audio post production to make sure it is of the highest quality.

Because of the great example @NetHeadWW has set, I am continually working to make sure that my own podcasts maintain a high audio quality. Additionally, I try to pay attention to the pre-production efforts required to ensure quality content.

What I discovered in my podcast exploration, was the lack of attention given to many "high traffic" shows. These podcasts, shows that are the literally facade of major publishing companies, praised by magazines, and podcasts which have notable celebrities, seemily ignore the essential pre-and-post work that make podcasts engaging and listenable.

What I'm getting at here, is in the world of user-generated content, there is no better time to support the underdog. If you appreciate programs which spend time giving you the best quality they can create, please reward them! Give them a positive review. Like and follow their social media. Or let the programmers know directly how much you appreciate what they do.

Our world of user-generated content is also a world of free content. The majority of podcasts don't have a means of generating revenue to keep the new episodes rolling,. For pods built from the ground up, those who don't have the benefit of corporate sponsorship and haven't made it to the sweet glossy pages of the super market rags, your feedback is the only fuel that feeds the next episode. So give some love to the "mom and pop" of the podcast world. The corporate podcasts will do fine on their own.