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Earlier this week, I announced, by way of a blog post, of changes coming to the format of the show. Tonight, I will be implementing these changes. Even though they aren’t real big changes, they are changes none the less.

First off, for those of you that catch my videocasts each week, I am now streaming live (and recorded) on Mogulus instead of uStream.tv. I have revamped my live page at http://www.newmediapro.tv to reflect these changes to the video streaming.

Now, most of the show will remain as it was, such as the segment hosts will still come in an deliver their segments each week. The main change to the format is in the Main Topic area. I will choose a topic for the episode to discuss, however, the floor will remain open for anyone, and I stress anyone, that wants to come on and discuss other things, like how to use Talkshoe for example. This will allow the new hosts to Talkshoe to come in and to learn, like a hands on approach (thanks to the video) how to do the things they are wanting to learn how to do.

Anyway, the topic for tonight is What is REALLY important to your podcast. Now, since I am a Support Rep for Talkshoe, I see some really strange requests sometimes that are bugging people about the service or their shows, and so I have come up with a list of things that a podcaster should be looking at and not sweating the small stuff.

You can add to this list if you like, as there may be things that you feel is important to your podcast and I may have overlooked. This is NOT an all inclusive list!

Important things to a podcaster:
1. Make sure your equipment is working BEFORE you go live!
This is probably the most important item in the whole list. Now I know, better than anyone, that technical difficulties can happen after you press the Record button. However, it is extremely important that you mak sure your mic is working with your VOIP program (Shoephone, Gizmo, Skype, etc.) and that you know how to use the aformentioned VOIP program to log into Talkshoe to do your show. If you are using a landline or cell phone, again make sure your batteries are charged (like for a cordless phone or cell phone) and that you know the shortcut keys to use in case you need them. Remember, *2*1 to start and stop the recording, *8 to Raise Your Hand (For listeners) and *6 to mute and unmute.

2. Before you start the recording, and if you have someone else in the chat room with you, make sure your audio is functioning properly.
There is nothing worse than to go into your show and then find out that your mic was muted or turned off and that no one can hear you. If you are in doubt, then take an extra minute to double check BEFORE you start your show!

3. Decide how to handle hecklers during your show, BEFORE you begin!
Make sure you know how to mute the chat room users and how to mute the live phone in listeners. When you get that ever present podcrasher, and you will (we all do) be ready to mute them both in the chat and on the phone. To do this, as a host, simply click on the computer icon next to their name to mute/unmute their chatroom and click on the phone icon next to their name to mute/unmute their live conversations. And if you get someone that is being persistant in wanting to be unmuted, think twice unless you know the person and know that they aren’t wanting to disrupt your show.

4. If you are inviting someone in for an interview, make sure they know how to log into Talkshoe on the phone (at the very least) and that they have an account. This way your invited person isn’t coming in as a guest and you are trying to second guess yourself as to who or where they are.

5. After your show is finished, don’t rush right out and “hope” that the recording is there. It most likely won’t be. You may have to wait for up to 30 minutes or more before your recorded show will appear. Also, the recording will not appear until AFTER you have terminated the show and exited your chat room.

6. Going along with number 5, don’t look for the stats to be immediately updated. They most likely won’t be. The stats are usually updated daily and they aren’t updated on the fly. If you want to check your stats, that’s ok, but don’t make this a priority and then generate a support ticket when they aren’t there 10 seconds after your show if finished!! Wait until the next day and check them, if 24 hours have passed and they still haven’t updated, then go to GetSatisfaction and let Talkshoe know. There may be an issue with the Stats Server that needs to be looked at.

7. When scheduling your future shows, take a few minutes to learn how to use this interface. It’s not too complicated and once you learn it, you can schedule a show within a few minutes and send out your invites and be done. Again, don’t just jump out and generate a ticket because you don’t want to take a few minutes to learn how to do it right!

8. Speaking of scheduled shows, once you schedule a future show, make sure you actually show up to do the show! When listeners see you are live and they go into the chatroom and no one is there, especially the host, then they will tend to quickly migrate to another show and not want to come back. Now, I understand that sometimes life can get in the way, so take a second to go out and reschedule the show to another day or time and in this way, you will be able to retain more listeners when you can’t make it.

9. Take some time to update your profiles.
When you are hosting a show, make sure your show profile is updated with a proper name and description. This will help new listeners decide whether or not they want to come in and check you out. If your profile is incomplete or blank, they will most likely keep moving along and won’t stop in. Your personal profile is especially important to make sure you have it updated. There is nothing more frustrating to a host to click on a listeners name to find nothing, just a blank profile. Also, include your proper age. If you are a teenager or pre-teen trying to act like an adult, believe me, adults can tell the difference. The more honest you are in your profile, the more respect you will earn from your fellow hosts and listeners.

10. If you don’t know how to do something, just ask someone!
Whether you are just starting out or have been doing this for a while, you may see something new or hear of something new that you would like to incorporate into your podcast. If you can’t figure it out, don’t get upset just because someone else if making it work, ask someone. Usually the host that is using the new technology will be more than happy to explain what they are doing and how they are doing it. If all else fails, come onto a show like Podcaster Training or submit a support ticket to Talkshoe and ask how to do this. You might be surprised of the amount of information you will get back in return!

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Tags: Chat room, Mobile phone, Mogulus Free, skype, Streaming media, talkshoe, Ustream.tv, Voice over Internet Protocol