Radio and Podcasts Archives | VoiceAmerica Press Blog

Enhancing Your Podcast Experience: How to Add Video to Your Show

Posted by

Rachel Stapholz on May 31, 2023

In the ever-evolving world of digital content creation, podcasts have emerged as a popular medium for delivering information and entertainment. While the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network is an audio-only platform for radio and podcasts, we believe that incorporating video into your shows can provide an exciting and engaging experience for your audience. A common way to share video recordings is on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. In this article, we will explore the benefits of incorporating video into your podcast and provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to start the process.

The Benefits of Adding Video to Your Show

Each individual has their preferred method of consuming content. Some individuals prefer to listen to their favorite radio show episodes while driving home from work, while others find enjoyment in watching shows on their smart devices. Video podcasts offer an enhanced level of engagement by enabling the audience to view facial expressions and body language. Furthermore, incorporating visual media into podcasts provides viewers with contextual cues throughout the episode. For example, if a host is discussing a book with an author as their guest, they can display the book on the podcast. Not only does the inclusion of video in a podcast heighten engagement, but it also extends the reach to a wider audience.

Popular Cameras for Video Recording

Depending on your budget, there is a wide range of camera equipment options available. If affordability is a priority, consider a webcam or a GoPro. The Logitech Brio 4K Webcam is a great choice, allowing you to conveniently position the camera directly on your computer while recording with a VoiceAmerica engineer on Zoom. While the latest GoPro models can be quite expensive, previous versions are more budget-friendly. Nowadays, smartphones offer improved camera quality, making them a viable option for recording video for your podcast. Simply set up your phone on a tripod in front of you and press the record button to capture your content effortlessly.

If you have the financial means to invest in a higher-quality camera, we recommend exploring DSLR or camcorder options. The Canon EOS Digital Cameras and Panasonic Professional Camcorders are widely favored within the video podcasting industry. Camcorders typically offer longer battery life and are more lightweight compared to DSLRs. However, using a DSLR camera has its own advantages as well. It is crucial to conduct thorough research to determine the specific criteria you want for your camera before making a decision.

How to Start Adding Video to Your Podcast

The initial step in incorporating video content into your podcast involves determining the preferred camera angle. Would you prefer a close-up shot or a wider angle shot? Additionally, if you are recording your video during a Zoom session, decide whether you would like to display a gallery shot featuring both the host and the guest at the same time, or speaker view. Before conducting your podcast, consider whether you intend to share media from your computer or if you will reference physical items throughout the episodes. By understanding your desired video format, you can effectively plan the technical aspects of your production.

Next, it’s time to prepare your recording setup. Depending on your budget and specific needs, you can choose to buy a webcam, DSLR, or a dedicated video camera. Ensure that you are situated in a well-lit room to capture the highest quality footage with your chosen camera. If you already have an external microphone, be sure to connect it to either your camera or computer for improved audio quality. Prior to starting your next recording session, it is recommended to perform a test run of your equipment to verify its functionality.

Once you have recorded your show using your camera and microphone, it’s time to import the camera footage into your preferred video editing software and synchronize it with the audio you recorded with VoiceAmerica. Video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or iMovie are excellent options for enhancing your original video files. Our social media manager, Rachel, utilizes Adobe Premiere Pro to take video files from radio shows or podcasts and upload the footage for further editing. From there, she selects a short clip suitable for social media and adjusts the footage to meet the specific aspect ratios required by each social media platform. Depending on your chosen video editing software, you can also add captions to your video to make it easier for your audience to follow along. Take the time to trim any unwanted sections, incorporate introductory and closing sequences, overlay text, and incorporate visual elements that complement your episode.

Now you’re all set! Share your video podcast on any social media platforms, including popular applications like YouTube. Promoting your video content online is crucial for expanding your listenership and reaching dedicated podcast enthusiasts. Consider embedding the video on your website to provide your audience with the convenience of listening directly from your personal page. Web hosting services such as WordPress and Squarespace make it effortless to embed videos on your website. Additionally, email newsletters are another effective way to spread the word about your podcast. Don’t forget to encourage viewers to like, comment, and share your content to foster engagement and broaden your reach.

By incorporating video into your podcast, you can elevate your content to new heights, resulting in increased engagement and achieve a broader audience. Our comprehensive step-by-step guide empowers you to integrate video into your podcasting workflow. While video podcasts may not be suitable for everyone, if you’re ready to take your podcast to the next level, embracing this new method can be a game-changer!

A Dream That Continues to Grow: The 8^th Annual Black Music Honors

Posted by

Marsha Lyles on May 30, 2023

The Key to Empowerment: Understanding How to Power Up and Power Down

Posted by

Camille Vardy on May 9, 2023

Health & Wellness

The Key to Empowerment: Understanding How to Power Up and Power Down

Healthy Wellthy U welcomes author Gail Rudolph

The human potential movement often discusses becoming empowered but we can not become that unless we understand Power.

Power is the ability to maximize our impact by learning to pivot, change, grow, and move beyond what we have previously achieved. It is understanding these subtleties that allow us to create win-win situations.

This week on Healthy Wellthy U, Dr. Camille welcomes Gail Rudolph, executive coach and author of Power Up Power Down, How to Reclaim Control and Make Every Situation a Win/Win. Her book has been on the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Amazon best-seller lists.

Gail shows us how to use power in healthy and ethical ways so that we are successful in both our professional and social relationships. She helps take the stigma out of the word power and shows us that it already exists in all of our interactions.An expert on mindset, interpersonal power, and inclusion and diversity, Gail’s mission is to help others become positive “agents of change.” She helps us to find our voice.

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/143945/key-to-empowerment-understanding-how-to-power-up-and-power-down

Press Release: Step-by-Step Guide

Posted by

Rachel Stapholz on April 28, 2023

Categories

Podcast and radio hosts are constantly searching for innovative methods to market themselves and their programs. Despite this, press releases remain an underrated tool for raising awareness of shows and new episodes. Essentially, a press release is a written statement that is distributed to media personnel to announce information that is newsworthy. In the case of a radio show, newsworthy topics include but are not limited to the launch of their show, featuring a special guest on an episode, and rebranding. VoiceAmerica submits hosts’ press releases to SBWire and once published, it will be disseminated to over 200 media websites. This article will delve into how to create a press release step-by-step.

Every Press Release Should Include These Elements

Headline: The headline should grab the reader’s attention and fully encompass the message of your press release. It is important to keep your headline short; it should not be more than one sentence. Sub-headlines are optional for hosts submitting a press release to VoiceAmerica.

Introduction: Begin your press release with the main reason you are creating the press release. Following the main announcement, it is crucial to include all the key information relating to the subject that you are writing about. Don’t forget your 5 Ws and 1 H!

Body: After you got the main details of the press release out of the way, we encourage you to insert a quote from either the host, guest, or executive producer to incorporate other voices into the press release. The body of the statement does not need to be lengthy but try to expand on the details that you gave earlier in the press release. We suggest sharing the anecdote behind the announcement (if there is one) and give enough insight for the reader to care about the news that they are ingesting.

Once you have finished articulating the message, write a short biography about yourself, your guest if they are involved in the press release, your radio show and/or your company. VoiceAmerica always includes information about the network at the end of every press release.

Contact Information: When submitting your press release to our social media manager, ensure that you have included the contact information for whoever handles your media inquiries. Typically, if you are a host at VoiceAmerica, your Executive Producer will be the media contact, but if that is not the case, include their information in the press release. We strongly recommend that you leave out personal emails and only insert company emails.

Optimization: Add keywords throughout your press release to improve the likeliness of people discovering your announcement. Keywords will help boost your SEO, which is important for getting the word out there.

Multimedia: This is an optional step, but we highly recommend including at least one or two high-definition pictures to your press release. You can add videos or links to your press release as well. Common examples of multimedia are headshots, show images, logos, and video promotions.

We recommend writing press releases for these topics:

Special guests who have a large following on social media, are widely known to the public, or are an expert in their field.
New radio show or podcast launch
Book launch or book best-seller announcement
Major updates regarding your show, such as partnerships, featured in the media, etc.
Events surrounding your show or company like webinars, speaking events, conferences, festivals and more.
Article or magazine features

Keep in Mind

A press release needs to be timely, relevant, and important. The information you are sharing in the news release should interest your audience. Don’t submit a press release on anything that isn’t newsworthy or an announcement. If there is a message you would like to share online but it doesn’t fit the press release criteria, blog posts are a successful way to do so.
Keep your press release concise – your press release should not be more than a page long. Also, spell out acronyms and avoid using technical terms or jargon that someone working in a different field wouldn’t understand.
Maintain an active voice to keep your audience engaged. This means that when writing the press release, you are emphasizing who is doing what in your news release.
This is optional, but we recommend that you break up your press release into a few different paragraphs when you are giving separate information.
Since the press release is going out to several media sites and journalists, it is critical to make sure that you are only including factual information and reliable sources.

Press releases are an important tool for promoting your podcast or radio show. If you are thinking about writing a press release, please verify that it is newsworthy, concise, and well-written. By following the steps described in this article, you can write an effective press release that will get the attention of the media and the general public. If you need a sample or template to follow for writing your own press release, our social media manager, Rachel, has provided a document in the host portal specifically for hosts at VoiceAmerica.

The Evolution of Podcasting – Everything You Should Know

Posted by

SEOTEAM on June 18, 2021

VoiceAmerica

The Evolution of Podcasting – Everything You Should Know

Have you ever stopped to wonder where the concept of podcasts came from? How did the transition from radios to podcasts happen and how do we keep the information relevant and a world apart in image and consumption? And why are podcasts so popular today? In this post you will get answers to all these questions as well as the evolution of podcasting.

History & Evolution of Podcasting

Although podcasts have become more popular only recently, the concept has been around since the late 1900s. Before the digital age, the only audio files that were distributed were repurposed radio broadcasts, talk shows and music files. With the creation of the world wide web in the 1980s, the 1990s saw the concept of sharing and downloading audio shows on the rise. Although today’s world calls this a podcast, earlier times may have referred to these as “audiobooks.”

They started to gradually gain popularity in the early 2000s with the onset of portable MP3 players. Aside from talk shows and music, there were now ‘podcasts’ dedicated to sharing news or being a source of entertainment. Later developments saw the concept of using RSS feeds to attach audio,and later video content was implemented.Initially, podcasts had very few listeners and audio bloggers, became more or less of an unsuccessful method of content creation.The first audio blog show ran from 2003 to 2012, and podcasts slowly gained recognition and fame during that time and exponentially since then.

The first BloggerCon was held in 2003, where aside from the history of audio blogging, it taught participants how to use RSS feeds and make podcasts available as MP3 files to be listened to using iPods and other mobile devices. This sparked the interest of several content creators and those who wanted easy access to audio entertainment. The term “podcasting” only began to catch on in 2004, which was a massive factor in the rise of its recognition worldwide. In 2005, Apple added podcasting to its iTunes Music Store, and the popularity of podcast listeners and hosts has only risen ever since. So, the name ‘podcast’ came about by combining the term‘iPod’ and the term ‘broadcast.’ More recently, free podcasts online on websites such as VoiceAmerica have piqued listeners’ interest.

How Different Are Radio and Podcast Shows?

One of the main differences between podcast shows and radio shows is their varied availability and accessibility. Podcasts are available online and can be downloaded or listened to at one’s convenience. Radio shows, on the other hand, are aired live and often don’t have re-runs. Thus, one needs to tune in to a certain radio station to listen to a show at a specific scheduled time.

Podcasts are also available in various styles, formats, and themes or topics and can be picked and listened to based on the listener’s liking and preferences. Most radio shows are short and last about 30 minutes, or an hour or two. Podcast shows vary based on the host’s choice. Some shows go on for a couple of hours, and others only last about 15 to 20 minutes. Podcasts appeal to a more niche audience than radio shows significantly as they vary in style and content. Longer podcasts can be started and stopped as needed, which is a big plus if the listener doesn’t have enough time to listen to a complete show at one time. Another significant difference between radio shows and podcast shows are their target audience.

Why Listen to Health Podcasts

Podcasts can be informative, can educate, or be entertaining. One of the most popular types of podcasting is podcasts on health and wellness as they are not only something that one listens to pass the time but also have proven benefits that accompany listening to it. Some of the top health and wellness podcasts which can be found on VoiceAmerica include “Anti-Aging Unraveled” with Dr. Lori Gerber, “Functional Medicine” with Dr. Robins, “Resiliency Within” by Elaine Miller-Karas, and many more. “Good Grief” by Cheryl Jones, “Solutions and Strategies” with Dr. Sean Surfas, and “Frankly Speaking About Cancer” with Kim Thiboldeaux are also great listens.

The best wellness podcasts are highly informative about the human body and often give the listener tips on maintaining and regaining their health. The top health and wellness podcasts can change a listener’s perspectives and views on specific topics about their health. This helps them prevent diseases and adverse health issues in the long run and keeps them in tip-top shape. Changing one’s mindset is not easy when you only visit your doctor once in a blue moon or whenever a problem arises. The best wellness podcasts have helped impact the way you think about your health and body.

In short, podcasts on health and wellness have positively impacted the lives of many and could contribute to an increase in a listener’s lifespan or reduce the chance for diseases that they could potentially contract during their life. Listening to free podcasts online on health topics or other topics also improves a listener’s mental health as it relaxes them and gives them peace of mind.

COVID-19’s Impact on Radio and Podcasts: The Future of Listening

Posted by

presspass on August 18, 2020

What impact has COVID-19 had on radio and podcasts?

The Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social distancing guidelines has provided a (more) captive audience eager to consume content, whether it’s via a streaming service like Netflix, podcasts, or internet talk radio. With more people stuck inside and looking for a new show to binge or podcast to listen to the need for new content is rising.

According to a Nielsen survey, adults over the age of 18 in the United States are listening to as much or more radio since the COVID-19 outbreak began. In the same survey, listeners said that they felt that radio hosts helped them stay informed, stay connected to the community, and feel less panicked.

VoiceAmerica has seen an increase of 43 new radio shows since the beginning of 2020 with even more on the horizon with hosts to provide educational content to listeners. This new focus has caused companies and brands to adapt to service their consumers and advertise to this new audience. Less time being spent outside has meant more companies are focusing on radio and television advertisements to engage and target their consumers.

Why do consumers choose radio and podcasts?

Radio has been around for over 100 years and the technology is always adapting for every audience. Podcasts are a more recent development as a society, but their focused channels help keep consumers entertained and informed. Here are a few major reasons people are choosing to listen to content.

Trust has been a huge factor that has caused radio to be so dependable. Right now, most national news media is seen as untrustworthy by a large portion of the population. However, the attitude toward radio is the opposite. Most people trust their favorite hosts to keep them calm and in the loop of information critical to them.

Balance is a critical component to radio. A lot of television and news can be very heavy and dedicated to the negativity, but radio is a great outlet to keep consumers informed on critical news while keeping them entertained with music or a great host.

Variety is a great advantage to radio and podcasts. With so much content available and channels to choose from, listeners have a wide range of sources of information and entertainment. Consumers have full control of what they want to listen to and choose from a massive range of topics and hosts.

Availability and accessibility keeps radio and podcasts a top source for content. Services like VoiceAmerica allow people to listen to their favorite shows on-demand.

Local coverage is a huge benefit to radio. A study conducted in March 2020 by Nielsen uncovered that over 60% of listeners trust their favorite radio hosts to provide them accurate and up-to-date information about COVID-19 and resources available to them.

Radio and podcasts are reliable and trustworthy news and entertainment sources with on-demand options for listeners to catch up. Radio and podcast listening is only going to continue to grow in the future for listeners and businesses.

What are the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on radio and podcasts?

With 8 out of 10 people listening to radio the same or more than ever before, radio is set to continue to grow. Businesses have begun to move their advertising strategies to focus on more radio and streaming platforms to capture the at-home audience. Nielsen data suggests that media consumption will raise up to 60% due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s critical to embrace technology and find ways to create captivating and engaging shows. VoiceAmerica hosts have been using conference technology to create engagement with their listeners, guests, and other hosts to ensure they’re creating educational and entertaining content,” said Ryan Treasure, VP of Broadcast Operations at VoiceAmerica.

Sources

COVID-19 changed the world for many businesses and industries with limited contact and plans to work from home for the foreseeable future. Many businesses will continue to grow and adapt to use radio, podcasts, and streaming as a source of advertisement, engagement, and education.

About VoiceAmerica

VoiceAmerica, the pioneer of digital radio programming since 1999, is the original digital broadcast company for the production and delivery of Live Internet Talk Radio programming and continues to be an industry leader in Live Internet Talk, podcast audio creation, production, and distribution. VoiceAmerica creates and distributes over 500 unique and innovative radio programs that engage millions of listeners worldwide. Five diverse VoiceAmerica network channels distribute live programs daily that reach a growing domestic and international audience.

Listen live at VoiceAmerica Variety, VoiceAmerica Business, VoiceAmerica Health, VoiceAmerica Empowerment, VoiceAmerica Influencers, and on our Apple and Android devices.

Follow VoiceAmerica on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. To learn how to become a host or sponsor on VoiceAmerica.com, call 1-855-877-4666.

VoiceAmerica | Become a Host | Advertise with us | About VoiceAmerica

COVID-19’s Impact on Podcast Listening (April Update)

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/covid-19-tracking-the-impact-on-media-consumption/

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/radio-is-comfort-food-as-media-consumption-rises-amid-covid-19-pandemic/

Tag Archives

Enhancing Your Podcast Experience: How to Add Video to Your Show

A Dream That Continues to Grow: The 8th Annual Black Music Honors

The Key to Empowerment: Understanding How to Power Up and Power Down

Press Release: Step-by-Step Guide

The Evolution of Podcasting – Everything You Should Know

History & Evolution of Podcasting

How Different Are Radio and Podcast Shows?

Why Listen to Health Podcasts

COVID-19’s Impact on Radio and Podcasts: The Future of Listening

What impact has COVID-19 had on radio and podcasts?

Why do consumers choose radio and podcasts?

What are the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on radio and podcasts?

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A Dream That Continues to Grow: The 8^th Annual Black Music Honors