{"id":5857,"date":"2014-03-10T16:35:57","date_gmt":"2014-03-10T20:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/?p=5857"},"modified":"2022-12-10T09:56:33","modified_gmt":"2022-12-10T14:56:33","slug":"podcasting-preflight-checklist-tap164","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/podcasting-preflight-checklist-tap164\/","title":{"rendered":"Podcasting &#8220;preflight&#8221; checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Before you press record, make sure you've checked these 20 things to ensure a quality podcast.<\/p>\n<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Podcasting &#8220;preflight&#8221; checklist\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2014-03-10T16:35:57-04:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT51M42S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Before you press record, make sure you&#039;ve checked these 20 things to ensure a quality podcast.\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/theaudacitytopodcast\/op3.dev\/e\/traffic.libsyn.com\/noodlemx\/tap164.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"23.8\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_271\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-5857-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/theaudacitytopodcast\/op3.dev\/e\/traffic.libsyn.com\/noodlemx\/tap164.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/theaudacitytopodcast\/op3.dev\/e\/traffic.libsyn.com\/noodlemx\/tap164.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/theaudacitytopodcast\/op3.dev\/e\/traffic.libsyn.com\/noodlemx\/tap164.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/theaudacitytopodcast\/op3.dev\/e\/traffic.libsyn.com\/noodlemx\/tap164.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/?powerpress_pinw=5857-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/theaudacitytopodcast\/op3.dev\/e\/traffic.libsyn.com\/noodlemx\/tap164.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"tap164.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button\" href=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dpopup%3Aopen%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6IjIyODQ2IiwidG9nZ2xlIjpmYWxzZX0%3D\">Download this as a checklist<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>1. Turn on all equipment<\/h2>\n<p>As basic as this is, it's important to do early in your process. Some equipment takes time to either warm up or cool down from being turned on. CFLs, for example, take about fifteen minutes to come to full brightness and correct color temperature. Your computer may have to finish launching all startup programs and then settle down the CPU.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lights<\/li>\n<li>Cameras<\/li>\n<li>Mixer<\/li>\n<li>Audio processor<\/li>\n<li>Microphones<\/li>\n<li>Recorders<\/li>\n<li>Computers<\/li>\n<li>Other devices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. Verify equipment settings<\/h2>\n<p>You don't have to double-check\u00a0<em>every<\/em> setting, but do glance over the most-adjusted settings.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Battery levels<\/li>\n<li>Available storage space<\/li>\n<li>Volume levels<\/li>\n<li>Mix-minus configuration<\/li>\n<li>Muted and unmuted tracks<\/li>\n<li>Connected cables<\/li>\n<li>Inputs and outputs on all devices<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.5em;\">Camera focus<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>3. Place recorder(s) in standby<\/h2>\n<p>If your recording app or device has a standby mode just before it starts recording, activate this early. Then, you'll see this frequently as your progress through your checklist and can always be sure it's ready.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Load necessary programs<\/h2>\n<p>Have every program you need or\u00a0<em>think you may need<\/em> open and ready. This will prevent awkward or edit points where you have to wait for something to launch.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Soundboard<\/li>\n<li>Skype or other calling software<\/li>\n<li>Recorder<\/li>\n<li>Live-streaming software<\/li>\n<li>Chat room<\/li>\n<li>Show notes<\/li>\n<li>Web browser<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>5. Turn off home noise-makers<\/h2>\n<p>It's always best to prevent noise\u00a0<em>before<\/em> you record instead of removing it afterward. Turn off or silence these things and you'll get a cleaner recording.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Heater<\/li>\n<li>Air conditioner<\/li>\n<li>Fans<\/li>\n<li>Dishwasher<\/li>\n<li>Humidifier<\/li>\n<li>Music or TV<\/li>\n<li>Noisy furniture<\/li>\n<li>Your mouse or scrollwheel (consider using the touchpad)<\/li>\n<li>Other appliances<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>6. Take care of pets<\/h2>\n<p>Pets can be unpredictable distractions and mess up a good recording. Make wise decisions about your pets and you'll have less stuff to fix in your recordings.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Take away noisy toys<\/li>\n<li>Remove noisy collar<\/li>\n<li>Pen away from studio or ensure control in studio<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>7. Occupy your children with something<\/h2>\n<p>Let's be honest. Children are a blessing, but sometimes those bundles of joy can make some tasks more difficult. Be a good parent with your kids and come up with fun, creative solutions so they'll be onboard with helping you.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Put away noisy toys<\/li>\n<li>Encourage quiet activities (especially consider fun things that are\u00a0<em>only<\/em> for when you record)<\/li>\n<li>Record during naps or after bed time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>8. Close doors and windows<\/h2>\n<p>You can't control the sound outside your home. But it's likely that most outdoor noises won't make it into your recording through closed doors or windows.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, sometimes you may just need to wait until your neighbor stops mowing because that's too loud.<\/p>\n<p>If you record video, you may also need to close blinds.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Prepare your space<\/h2>\n<p>A clutter-free workspace will actually help you focus more, but how your arrange the items around you may also assist in your production quality.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clear your desk<\/li>\n<li>Check video background<\/li>\n<li>Position props or equipment<\/li>\n<li>Arrange windows on your monitor(s) or tablet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>10. Turn off GSM phones or place in &#8220;airplane mode&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>Some phones will create rhythmic interference noises, or just cause general sound problems. Turn these off or put them in &#8220;airplane mode&#8221; to reduce that chance of interruptions.<\/p>\n<h2>11. Switch mobile devices to &#8220;do not disturb&#8221; (DND)<\/h2>\n<p>If your phone must stay on, or you have other mobile devices, DND mode will ensure that they don't beep or vibrate during your session.<\/p>\n<h2>12. Silence computer sounds<\/h2>\n<p>Check for any sound your computer may make and turn it off.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Notifications<\/li>\n<li>Interactions<\/li>\n<li>Warnings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>13. Shut down unnecessary programs<\/h2>\n<p>Your computer's resources are a valuable commodity. Make sure that only the programs you need running are loaded. Especially check for updaters, synchronizers, backups, virus scans, and RAM- or CPU-intensive apps.<\/p>\n<h2>14. Care for your body<\/h2>\n<p>Your voice is your &#8220;money-maker&#8221; in podcasting, so keep it healthy, but don't forget the rest of your body!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use the restroom (and encourage others in your house to do the same)<\/li>\n<li>Drink a full glass of room-temperature water<\/li>\n<li>Pour another glass of\u00a0room-temperature\u00a0water<\/li>\n<li>Clear your throat and sinuses<\/li>\n<li>Put on lip balm (but <a href=\"http:\/\/www.americanownews.com\/story\/16144387\/does-lip-balm-dry-out-your-lips\">choose the kind that doesn't dry your lips<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Adjust your clothing<\/li>\n<li>Fix your hair<\/li>\n<li>Retouch makeup<\/li>\n<li>Wipe your face<\/li>\n<li>Try some mouth exercises<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>15. Review your notes<\/h2>\n<p>No matter how simple or complex your notes, another review will help keep you focused, give you new ideas, and aid your transitions.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How will you open?<\/li>\n<li>Do you know what you want to share?<\/li>\n<li>How will you close?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>16. Prepare resources<\/h2>\n<p>Podcasting often feels like being a film producer and director. Ensure all your resources are at your command.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Queue audio or video clips<\/li>\n<li>Skip ads in multimedia<\/li>\n<li>Load web pages you'll need<\/li>\n<li>Open feedback messages<\/li>\n<li>Embed or update your live player<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>17. Test everything<\/h2>\n<p>Even if you'd done this hundreds of times, still test everything before you record. This will ensure you don't lose an episode or have a mysterious problem creep into your podcast.<\/p>\n<h2>18. Start recording<\/h2>\n<p>This should be the last step before you start speaking, so you'll always know it's the signal to go. You don't have to start all recorders at the exact same moment, but at least have a synchronization point\u2014like a clap\u2014for aligning everything.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Video camera<\/li>\n<li>External audio recorder<\/li>\n<li>Live-streaming software<\/li>\n<li>Software recorders<\/li>\n<li>Cohosts' devices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>19. Break the ice<\/h2>\n<p>With the recorder running, have some small talk with your guest, your chat room, or even yourself. This can help calm the nerves. Sometimes, you may even discover a gold nugget in this preshow content.<\/p>\n<h2>20. Present!<\/h2>\n<p>If you use a timer, start it the moment you start your podcast so it tracks your talk time, not just recording time.<\/p>\n<p>With everything in place, you're ready to record!<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button\" href=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dpopup%3Aopen%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6IjIyODQ2IiwidG9nZ2xlIjpmYWxzZX0%3D\">Download a FREE printable checklist<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What else do you have to check? Please comment in the show notes.<\/p>\n<p>Episode 165 will discuss the bigger picture of your podcasting workflow.<\/p>\n\t<h2>Need personalized podcasting help?<\/h2>\r\n\t<p>I no longer offer one-on-one consulting outside of <a href=\"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/podcasterssociety\" title=\"Podcasters&amp;#039; Society - Grow your podcast from average to amazing!\" class=\"pretty-link-keyword\"rel=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Podcasters' Society<\/a>, but\r\n\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/consulting\">request a consultant here<\/a> and I'll connect you with someone I trust\r\n\t\tto help you launch or improve your podcast.<\/p>\r\n\t<h2>Ask your questions or share your feedback<\/h2>\r\n\t<ul>\r\n\t\t<li>Comment on the shownotes<\/li>\r\n\t\t<li>Leave a voicemail at (903) 231-2221<\/li>\r\n\t\t<li>Email feed&#98;&#97;&#99;&#107;&#64;&#84;&#104;&#x65;&#x41;&#x75;&#x64;&#x61;&#x63;&#x69;&#x74;&#x79;toPo&#100;&#99;&#97;&#115;&#116;&#46;&#99;&#x6f;&#x6d; (audio files welcome)<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<h2>Connect with me<\/h2>\r\n\t<ul>\r\n\t\t<li>Subscribe to The Audacity to Podcast <a href=\"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/itunes\">on Apple Podcasts<\/a> or \r\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/android\">on Android<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/facebook\">Join the Facebook Page and watch live podcasting Q&A on Mondays at 2pm (ET)<\/a><\/li>\r\n\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/youtube\">Subscribe on YouTube for video reviews, Q&A, and more<\/a><\/li>\r\n\t\t<li><a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/theDanielJLewis\" data-show-count=\"false\">Follow @theDanielJLewis<\/a><\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<h2>Disclosure<\/h2>\r\n\t<p>This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship and\r\n\t\tmay receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't\r\n\t\trecommend only affiliates.<\/p>\r\n\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before you press record, make sure you&#8217;ve checked these 20 things to ensure a quality podcast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2556,"featured_media":5862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2017-09-22T16:34:01Z","apple_news_api_id":"51f7490f-1dfc-4622-b515-7bcd9ec056eb","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2019-07-06T19:14:35Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABg==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AUfdJDx38RiK1FXvNnsBW6w","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":["https:\/\/news-api.apple.com\/sections\/49fbf001-3f0d-37ca-bf5b-30769a58c7b9"],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[985,631,41,284,68,984,13,799,50],"aioseo_notices":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5857"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2556"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5857"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32009,"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5857\/revisions\/32009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaudacitytopodcast.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}