Feb. 27, 2024

Unveiling Innovative Setups for Podcast and Video Production, with Stephen Robles' Podcast Studio

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Podcasting Tech

If you're thinking of upgrading your podcasting audio or recording equipment, then Stephen Robles' studio tour is an essential listen! 

Stephen Robles is a video and podcast creator, as well as the video and podcast producer at Riverside.fm. He's also the host and creator of the Primary Technology podcast. With his expertise in tech videos and discussions covering Apple devices, mobile technology, and smart home devices, he offers valuable insights for aspiring podcasters and content creators.

In this episode, Stephen takes us on a tour of his podcasting studio setup, sharing insights about his journey as a podcast and video creator while discussing the latest tech gadgets and equipment that he uses. Stephen reveals his advanced podcasting tech stack, covering various microphones, audio interfaces, and cameras, alongside useful tips for aspiring podcasters. He also explains why you shouldn’t spend thousands of dollars on microphones and cameras, and what might be a better investment if you’re just starting. 

During this studio tour, Stephen discusses the impact of new tech gadgets such as the Apple Vision Pro on podcasting. He offers a glimpse into the latest podcasting technology and equipment along with helpful advice for anyone looking to enhance their podcasting setup. 

If you're an aspiring podcaster looking to optimize your equipment, you will surely benefit from Stephen’s meticulously curated microphone selection, audio interface preferences, and camera setup.

IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:

  • (03:21) Stephen’s advanced podcasting tech stack: He shares insights into his meticulously curated microphone selection, audio interface preferences, and camera setup, providing valuable guidance for aspiring podcasters looking to optimize their equipment
  • (10:29) What you should prioritize if you’re just starting: Mathew and Stephen explain that starting a podcast doesn't require a large investment. In fact, a budget of around $60-$70 can suffice. However, you should prioritize essential accessories over splurging on an expensive microphone initially.
  • (13:26) The advantages and challenges of using an iPhone (or any other smartphone) as a camera for podcasting: Stephen reveals that modern smartphones like iPhones and recent Android models offer superior video quality compared to many webcams, even high-end ones, and with features like Continuity Camera, they provide excellent performance in various lighting conditions and can simplify the recording process without the need for expensive camera equipment.
  • (19:45) Two important factors that can make podcasting a better experience for both creators and listeners - monetization and listener engagement: Stephen talks about the difficulties that smaller podcasts face when it comes to getting advertising, and how it is important to have a simple and efficient system for acquiring ads, as well as features that can help build stronger community engagement within podcast platforms.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

- Visit the Riverside.fm website and start creating your podcast. 

- Follow Stephen on socials:


- Recommended Hardware:


- Recommended Software:


- Stephen’s podcast recommendations:

  • Omnibus podcast
  • Creator Science podcast
  • Smartless podcast
  • Decoder podcast

**As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases of podcasting gear from Amazon.com. We also participate in affiliate programs with many of the software services mentioned on our website. If you purchase something through the links we provide, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The team at Podcasting Tech only recommends products and services that we would use ourselves and that we believe will provide value to our viewers and readers.**


For additional resources and insights visit podcastingtech.com or follow us on social media:



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Transcript
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And on this episode, we are doing a studio tour of some really cool



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podcasting setups. And joining us today is Steven Robles, he is a video and



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podcast creator. He is the video producer and podcast producer



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at Riverside.fm, which, coincidentally, we are using to record



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this podcast. He's also the host and creator of the primary technology



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podcast. He does a bunch of tech videos, you know, talking about



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Apple devices, mobile technology, smart home devices, and then some.



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So definitely encourage you to go check out his content on social media and on



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YouTube. Steven, thank you so much for joining us today. Thanks for having me. It's



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fun to be here. So, Steven, how did you get into creating



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the primary technology podcast? What was kind of the impetus to start that?



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Know, I've been podcasting for 13 plus years, back when you had to



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hand roll your own XML feed in like a text file, and I've



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always Done some kind of technology podcast. I'm just kind of a nerd at heart,



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you know, I love doing those kinds of shows, and so I was the host



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of the Apple Insider Podcasting for about 4 years. I



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got to start it actually in 2015 and then returned in



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2020, did that for a number of years, and recently just left there and



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wanted to kind of do my own thing, really make push on the video podcasting



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front, and so we launched primary technology at the beginning of this year,



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January 2024. We hit the Top 18 shows in



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Apple Podcasts for the tech category in our 2nd week of launch, then



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we just talk about, you know, all technology. There's a little bit of an Apple



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slant because we're both kind of Apple guys, but, we try to cover the whole



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technology landscape. And, yeah, it's a lot of fun. And I



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noticed as I was looking over your stuff, you've been, talking a lot about the



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VisionPRO, which at the time of this recording is gonna be hitting people's



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doorsteps, and I think yours, this week. Right? I'll be, should be getting it



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Friday, February 2nd, on launch day, and I have some videos



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planned for it, of course. And then on the Riverside channel, I wanna, You know,



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see what implications it has for podcasting. Obviously, right



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away, not much because, you know, there's not really a lot of



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apps stuff, but you can listen to Podcasting Vision Pro, and who knows with



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spatial video and other ways to capture that media, how it might affect



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podcasting in the future, especially as Podcasting really leaning into video



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nowadays, especially on YouTube and such. So, yeah, we'll see. Yeah.



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I I agree with you. I mean, I can't imagine how it's gonna impact just



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the audio only podcasting universe other than being able to consume that



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content while Doing a bunch of other things that you can do on those glasses,



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but I'm sure there are some really interesting and creative ideas coming down the pipe



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for people who do video podcasts and other video content. So We'll be



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excited to check that out. So let's talk a little bit about



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your tech stack. What do you typically use when you are recording your well,



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we'll call it Podcasting. We're talking about video and audio in this case. For sure.



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Well, I'm sorry I must share my screen. I could show a photo, kind of



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a wide shot of my editing area.



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And this is my desk. This is where I record all



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my content, Podcast, video content. And at the heart



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of it, of course, is the Mac Studio that runs everything. And when it comes



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to audio, I have a Rodecaster Pro Two of to the



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side is my main audio interface. Going into that, I have, this



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microphone that I'm talking into now, which is the Earthworks Ethos. It's just



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my favorite mic for for podcasting. Also into that, I have



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a shotgun microphone, the Sennheiser MKH 416,



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which I use for all of my video content. So both of that going into



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the Rodecaster Pro 2, into the Mac Studio. And then video



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wise, I use a Sony a74 with a



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Sigma 35 millimeter F1.4 lens, and that's what I'm



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using right now to record this video podcast, and then also



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All my video content, I record on that as well. And I also have a



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Sony a6400. It was one of my, kind of, first mirrorless



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cameras And I use it as a B roll camera, so it's kinda top down.



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And I have a Sigma 24 to 70 lens on that, which just makes it



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easy to do those top down shots. Sony autofocus is rock solid, and so



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I never have to worry about that kind of stuff. Eye tracking on this main



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camera and, you know, center focus on the, B roll camera, and it it works



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out really well. And I see you're running all that through the, ?



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Blackmagic, Mini there? Yes. The ATEM, Blackmagic ATEM



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Mini Pro is the switcher. You know, it has 4 HDMI HDMI



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input. So I have the 2 cameras, input there. I also have an Apple



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TV, sometimes just to either screen record an Apple



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if there's a software update, I have that. And I also have my Mac Studio



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Tech display going to that, which I really use when I'm recording a video



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podcast. Sometimes I want to, like, Switch over if I'm doing a live stream,



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like, I'll be doing a live stream unboxing of the Apple Vision Pro, and I



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actually use The, top down camera and the screen share, all



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of it, while I live stream through the the switcher. And you'll also



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see on the desk on the far left side, There's a Stream



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Deck and so I use that strictly to control the ATEM



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because the ATEM is kind of far away from where I'm sitting to record. So



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I have this Stream Deck to adjust the switcher, but I also have the



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Stream Deck Pedal, which is really useful for switching because I



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can switch between my camera 1 and my camera 2, my top down



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shot, and I can use a 3rd button on the Stream Deck pedal with



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my foot to enable picture in picture. So I can quickly



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switch between my camera angles and put myself in picture picture, all



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with my foot. So I can do all the unboxing, do the live



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stream, and really then it looks like a finished edit,



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just with my foot pedal and all the the switchers. So,



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Wow. Like, fantastic setup, and and this picture looks very clean,



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very nice. One question I one, I had never even heard of



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the stream deck Foot pedal, that has gotta be valuable for video,



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producers, especially who are doing lots of different things and, you know, might be holding



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a product while they're talking about and doing a live stream or something like that.



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Right. Exactly. Yes. I noticed the 2nd mic, though, in your setup



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there off, right behind the one that you're using right now looks like a Shure



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7 b. I have a Shure SM7B,



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mostly to tell people not to buy it, for the most Tech. No, I'm just



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kidding. I did have a video on the Riverside channel that said overhyped. I have



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a few microphones as you'll see in this, photo, and, you know,



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the Shure MV 7, is a great microphone. That's actually what I use



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when I travel. I have to record. I'll throw that in my backpack. It's a



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great mic for that. The Shure SM seven b, obviously, it's iconic. You know,



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every major podcast that you see with celebrities, they're using the SM7B, usually.



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I just find that for most people, even



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intermediate podcasters, as they're trying to get into podcasting,



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It it's so finicky of a microphone and takes so



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much other equipment. You know, most people might have a Scarlett 2I2 audio interface.



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They try to plug in the Shure Samson b, and they wonder why



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they can't hear themselves or why the volume is so low, and people just are



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not aware of the gain needs for the SM7B. And you



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really need a cloud lifter or a Fed head or you need a powerful enough



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audio interface like a Rodecaster Pro 2 or something like that. Or that MixPre



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3 I see in the bottom left corner of this picture. Yeah. I have a



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MixPre 3 as well, which was my audio interface before the The Rodecaster Pro



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2. And both of those can run the SM7B no problem. But



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then I also find, like, the dip switches are finicky on the back of that



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and a lot of people's voices, including my own, if they're a little lower and



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timbre, that you don't get a lot of clarity or enough clarity for



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me, and you have to do a lot of EQ ing and post processing with



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it, and so I actually steer people to other microphones more more



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of the time. I am the exact same way. When I was working with clients



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all the time. A lot of them wanted that s m seven b because they



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saw, you know, the Joe Rogans of the world using it and, right, every podcaster



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who had a video channel was a big deal had it. And, yeah, we just



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found that It was it it became so



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much, one, more expensive than what they expected



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and Cause a lot of problems, because once you add that Cloudlifter, once you add



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that Fed head, now it's becoming a super sensitive mic. It's picking up all sorts



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of background noise, whereas As a dynamic mic, it really should be



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a little bit tighter. Right? It shouldn't be picking up as much. I I I



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try to get people to avoid that as well. I agree that m v 7,



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though, is a is a Great, great, entry level Shure



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mic not even entry level. I mean, it's a it's a high quality microphone, but



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it's good for entry level as well. For sure. For sure. I also highly



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recommend the, Audio Technica ATR 21 100X as a



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USB mic. It's usually 60 or $70 on Samson,



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And for a lot of people, I mean, it could take you years into podcasting.



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Like, it really does sound great, and it has USB C connection as



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opposed to the Samsung Q2 U, which still has the mini USB. And



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I'm like, just give me USB c everywhere. I got all under that. You know



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what? That's a really because I I Typically recommend the Samson as well, because



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I like the q nine u, which I'm not even



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sure if they're still selling anymore. Every time I go to look for it, it



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looks like they're they're out of stock. But good to know that 2100 x has



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the USB C, so I'll I'll update my recommendations as well because I I was



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a fan of that 2100 originally too. You know, I



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have a podcast host. I do a movie Podcasting, and he's been using that



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microphone for, like, the last 6 years, and he sounds great and it's, you know,



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really forgive me. He's recorded in hotel rooms. He travels a lot, and it does



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great at a lot of room noise rejection. And now there's just so many tools,



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like AI tools to to make audio better. You can



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almost use those if you don't have the great setup yet, and it's a lot



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cheaper. There's some even free tools out there. So Yeah. 100%. In fact,



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when I was traveling a little bit more for work, I always kept the



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2100 in my laptop bag because, right, you just plug it in, Throw on some



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headphones, hold it up, and you're ready to go. I've done a few Podcasting hotel



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rooms and, you know, non ideal locations, and it



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came out sounding great. So I agree. If you're just getting started and you



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don't wanna I mean, everybody wants to invest $1,000 or so into their



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setup. But for 60, $70, you know, Maybe a



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couple more dollars for a good stand and and a, you know, cheap pair of



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earbuds to put in it. You can't go wrong with those 2100 or or the



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Samson. Depending on how much your setup is. For sure, and you know,



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a lot of times, something like a mic arm is going to be a better



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investment at first than buying, like, rather than buying a $250 microphone, Buy



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the $70 mic and get a mic arm, buy yourself



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a light if you're gonna do a video podcast, and that's probably gonna give



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you a better Product upfront because, you know, for a long



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time, like, holding a USB microphone, not only is it tiring if you do a



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long podcast, but you're getting little clicks and pops, like in the USB cable. Like,



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it is you're gonna have all those things, and they're hard to edit out, and



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that's something the AI tools to give a bunch of pops and clicks, like, it's



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just not gonna do well. So, you know, get invest in a cheap microphone. Get,



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not a cheap, but get the ATR 2100 x. It's a good



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microphone. Get it in its expensive mic arm, then it'll limit, like, Shocks



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and taps on your desk, and you can get a have a much better setup



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right away. I couldn't agree with you more. You're you're giving me a little



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PTSD from clients that I used to edit who would try handheld or, you know,



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all sorts of crazy setups without without a good mic armor or even, truthfully, even



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just a good mic stand. Right? That ATR comes with its own little tripod stand.



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But, truthfully, you put that on your desk mic's pointing at your belly button, which



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doesn't really do you much good. Right? You need to get it nice up and



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close and personal for it to, for it to work well. I wonder, do you



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remember the 1st mic you ever used in podcasting since you've been



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doing this for a while? Oh, goodness. The 1st



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microphone, It was probably



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I had a Shure Beta 87 A as one of my earliest



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microphones. I got it because Marco Arment, he's a host on the,



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ATP.fm Podcasting know, he also, runs Overcast, right? He



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built the app, Overcast. He's the sole developer there. Great podcast app.



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But he recommended that as, like, his number one pick for the



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Balance of cost versus quality, and there's still a lot of



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professional podcasters that use that microphone, like Jon Gruber, who does the talk show, another



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big Apple Podcasting uses the Shure Beta 878, and so



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I invested in that, and I think I used that for many years. And



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from there, I actually went to the ATR 2100X just for ease



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of a USB mic, and then I don't even I have so many mics



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after that. I'm not sure what the progress was, but that short beta 87 a,



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I would still recommend for a lot of people. Solid mic, but XLR only.



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So you need an audio interface, and then you get into that whole world too.



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Yeah. I remember when I first got started, the audio interface game was, Tech



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quite as generous. It could Tech quite as easy as it is today with all



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the various RODE products or just the mics with their own built in,



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interface, essentially. So, yeah, that's a fantastic



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setup. When it comes to video, right,



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you have very nice expensive cameras there.



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You know, we had great recommendations for that 1st time mic usage. What would you



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say to folks who were thinking about jumping into video who cannot invest



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the kind of money that, You know, folks like yourself can into those, you know,



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high-tech Sony cameras. I mean, nowadays, like if



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you have an iPhone And most modern Android phones, like,



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that's the best video quality you're gonna get before you



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jump to a mirrorless camera. I've tried many, many webcams,



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including the nice webcams that are several $100, that



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are 4 ks, and none of them perform as



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good as an iPhone. And with Continuity Camera, you



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can use your iPhone as a webcam with no third party app required



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and it looks great and you can do it with Riverside. So honestly,



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I tell most people, like, when you think about your budget



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and what you're gonna invest in, If you have a modern iPhone, like iPhone 11



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or newer, that's your camera until you're ready to spend



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about $1,000. Now after the iPhone, I think



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the Sony ZVE 10. Which that's



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a you know, the camera's around 800, $900. Buy refurbished.



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You know, that's another thing too. If you're starting out with equipment, don't shy



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away from buying, like, good refurbished, you know, from trusted brands. Amazon



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sells refurbished products, B and H photo. Buy refurbished.



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Like, it's okay. And the Sony ZV E10 is sub $1,000,



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But what's key is it has that Sony autofocus, which



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is on point, and it has an interchangeable lens. So



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you can upgrade your lens later if you want kind of that Blurry



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background or bokeh Tech, you can buy a nicer lens. I would



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recommend the Sigma 16 millimeter f1.4, which is about 3



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or $400 with that camera. And you can have video that



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looks very similar to what I have right now for about $1100.



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And so I would do iPhone until you're ready to invest about that in the



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Sony ZV E Tech. You know, I I know iPhone does the continuity



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camera, and I just I've had my Logitech BRIO just



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Set up. It's so easy. It's it's right here.



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And I know it doesn't always work optimally



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with Riverside and some other platforms. Right? It claims 4



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k, but it it never really produces that when you're using some of these online



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platforms. So I might actually give that a try. I might go continuity camera and



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see, how easy it is and and what the difference is.



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Those Sony, by the way, CV e tens, we were doing a Studio build. And



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we



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were messing around with a bunch of cameras. We went up settling on those, and,



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yeah, could not be happier with the quality you get for the Price, the



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flexibility, the versatility. I would also recommend getting, one



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of those battery like, plug in battery pass so



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you don't have to worry about Running out of power with that, that'll make all



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the difference. And a few setting tweaks there, and it really is just the perfect



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camera for podcasting, especially when you're 1st getting started out



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now. Don't take it on the road with you. Don't move around with it. It



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does not handle movement very well. But as a stationary streaming camera,



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Chef's kiss right there. And and I



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would say, you know, to the continuity camera iPhone thing, continuity camera



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maxes out at 1080p. It's not 4 k, But your listeners and



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viewers have to realize, like, 4 ks is not everything. You can have 4



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k resolution, but not good white balance, not good low



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light performance, You know, unable to focus on your face



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quickly and 4 k, but having all of those problems, like,



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I've tested a lot of 4 k webcams and they have those issues, It's not



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gonna have a good end product. And the reason why I suggest things like



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continuity cameras, the iPhone is great in in an unideal



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lighting conditions. It's great at focus and it's great at white balance,



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and then you just don't even have to think about it. And if you want



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to add that little blur portrait effect, It's not perfect, also depending on



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your hair and background and all kind of stuff, but it does really well.



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So yeah. Nice. Yeah. That's That's, all solid points of the



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iPhone does, well, and even the, the Android cameras too. They all do a really



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nice job of just making it Easy. Right? Just



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user friendly. Don't have to think too much about it.



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Well, this is great. I I mean, you have a fantastic Set up some great



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equipment there, some fantastic suggestions for folks who are trying to



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move into a more professional level, but also those just getting started. So really appreciate



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that. Before we let you go, let me fire a few quick questions



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at you that we're gonna be asking everybody. So one is, is



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there any tech On your wish list right now,



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like, is there a microphone? Is there a camera? Is there something out there



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that you just you wanna get? You're like, Maybe it's out of



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budget. Maybe it's not available or or whatnot. Just but it's



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something that you definitely wanna get your hands on.



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There's, there's 3 things, that I'd really like.



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1 doesn't exist, but I want it, which is a Blackmagic ATEM



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pro video switcher like I have, but 4 k. So Okay. Probably just



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at about 10 Tech p versus 4 k. I would love a 4 k version



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of that video switcher. I don't know why it's taking them Yeah, I don't know



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why it's taking them so long, but I'm hoping for that. That's 1.



Number 2 00:17:53


Elgato just came out with a teleprompter That looks



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amazing. It's basically a tiny screen with a little teleprompter,



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but you can use it as a secondary display And, basically,



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like, drag your Riverside window over onto that teleprompter and look



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directly at your guest, but also be seeing, but looking



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into the camera, and so you're not looking off to the side when you look



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at your guest. And I don't have a great teleprompter set up right now, and



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so I would love that, that that Elgato teleprompter. You know, I



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actually have 1 sitting in a box I gotta open up. Maybe I'll do that,



Number 2 00:18:24


do a little review, and, and and show everyone what it looks like, in a



Number 2 00:18:27


future video. See, that's wonderful. Yeah. I gotta get 1. I gotta get one of



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those. And and thirdly, I would like to add a 3rd camera to



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my setup for things like live streaming, And even when I just record



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videos, I record all the cameras simultaneously and then



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use multi cam clips in Final Cut because it really cuts down on editing if



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I can just switch, you know, between the different angles. And I would love a



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3rd angle that's, kind of, like, desk level at my hands for talking



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about a product or whatever. So I would have the overshot, which is great most



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times, but having that kind of like desk height shot of a



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product, that's really close-up, and to do that I would need another camera. And



Number 2 00:19:02


so, would like another camera. It's it's too much of a luxury right now to



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say, like, yeah, I'm gonna get it. I got the Vision Pro, so, you know,



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that's my budget for a while. And, we'll see, maybe in the near



Number 2 00:19:12


future. On the on the podcasting front itself,



Number 2 00:19:16


are there is there any place that you would like to see improvement



Number 2 00:19:20


in just Podcasting general. Not equipment necessarily, but just



Number 2 00:19:24


how it impacts creators or even how it impacts users.



Number 2 00:19:29


For sure. Two two big things there. Number 1, I would love



Number 2 00:19:32


to see a community aspect



Number 2 00:19:37


where you can interact with your listeners that's closer to the



Number 2 00:19:41


listening experience. And what I mean by that is, as a podcast creator,



Number 2 00:19:45


You can have, like, membership programs or or have Discord communities where you



Number 2 00:19:48


invite people to a Discord channel. So I'm just not crazy about Discord. You can



Number 2 00:19:52


try to set up a Slack. You can try to set up, you know, an



Number 2 00:19:55


actual community through something like Circle, but there's just not



Number 2 00:19:58


a great way for your listeners to directly interact with you.



Number 2 00:20:02


Again, they can go to social media, you know, if you're there, but Spotify has



Number 2 00:20:06


come the closest where they actually have, like, a Q and A feature, where if



Number 2 00:20:09


you listen in the Spotify app, as a listener, you can actually shoot a



Number 2 00:20:12


question and the podcast creators can see it and answer



Number 2 00:20:16


it via text in the Spotify creator dashboard. But I would love



Number 2 00:20:20


to see some kind of engagement, like and YouTube is gonna be



Number 2 00:20:24


ahead of the game, because as podcasts are more coming to YouTube, YouTube has



Number 2 00:20:28


the comments and the likes and the engagement and interaction already locked



Number 2 00:20:31


down, because of the video platform. So I would love to



Number 2 00:20:35


see Apple Podcasts and Spotify Figure out how to engage



Number 2 00:20:39


more with your listeners more closely on it.



Number 2 00:20:43


And secondly, Monetization for mid to



Number 2 00:20:46


smaller podcasters, and there's a lot of platforms that are working on this. Spotify



Number 2 00:20:50


for Podcasting, you can have, you know, ads dynamically inserted. Buzzsprout



Number 2 00:20:54


does a great thing where you can have ads inserted just through your podcast



Number 2 00:20:57


host, but I would love, you know, when you get to a certain size, like



Number 2 00:21:01


10,000 downloads an episode and higher, you You can work with an ad agency and



Number 2 00:21:05


they'll book ads for you. But until you're that size, most



Number 2 00:21:08


ad agencies don't wanna talk to you. And it's really the only



Number 2 00:21:12


way to have, like, consistent advertising, and it's a lot of work to reach



Number 2 00:21:16


out to sponsors directly as a podcast host and have those regular sponsorships. So



Number 2 00:21:20


I would love for podcast, in general, to figure out how



Number 2 00:21:23


can those mid to smaller podcasts monetize that's not



Number 2 00:21:28


a ton of work, that's repeatable, it can be ongoing, and



Number 2 00:21:31


that brands would be more open to it and so



Number 2 00:21:35


that brands would start supporting And I'm not sure how it can be done



Number 2 00:21:38


aside from, like, you know, an ad agency type organization. I don't know the answer,



Number 2 00:21:42


but I would love for there to be advancement in that area.



Number 2 00:21:46


Yeah. I mean, I think it would have to be somewhat similar to, like, the



Number 2 00:21:49


megaphone model, which is you get a company that says, I wanna buy, you know,



Number 2 00:21:52


a 1000000 impressions, and then they just disperse them out a bunch Across a bunch



Number 2 00:21:56


of different podcasts, but now brands have to be comfortable with



Number 2 00:22:00


any podcast, right, being where their content shows up. And



Number 2 00:22:04


then, Similarly, I think the content creators have to be okay with any ad



Number 2 00:22:07


showing up and having a little bit less control over it for that for that



Number 2 00:22:11


model to work. But that's that's a really That's a really good thought. And, you



Number 2 00:22:14


know, going back to the other thing you were talking about, that social aspect of



Number 2 00:22:17


podcast consumption, I really thought Facebook or



Number 2 00:22:21


then Twitter, was really gonna grab that one and



Number 2 00:22:25


and take it for a ride, but neither one of them can really sink their



Number 2 00:22:28


teeth into it and figure it out. Now in, you know, Apple Podcasts, you can



Number 2 00:22:32


leave reviews, you know, 5 star reviews, and I actually do this thing on my



Number 2 00:22:35


shows where I give shout outs To anyone who left a 5 star



Number 2 00:22:39


review on the Podcasting Apple Podcasts, we do it at the top of the show



Number 2 00:22:42


for Primary Technology, and it's kinda great because I tell people, leave your



Number 2 00:22:46


name and where you listen from, because a lot of times the Apple Podcasts reviews



Number 2 00:22:49


just has their username, and a lot of times it's not even, like, a real



Number 2 00:22:52


name, it's just a random string or something they made up, and so that's almost



Number 2 00:22:56


a way to my listeners, they've they've really enjoyed hearing their



Number 2 00:23:00


name said, like, hey. Thanks, Chris, listening from Germany



Number 2 00:23:03


or whatever. And just that little bit of interaction goes



Number 2 00:23:07


a long way, but to take it even further to maybe there's comments,



Number 2 00:23:10


and I understand there's a whole moderation thing there. Apple probably avoids



Number 2 00:23:14


things like comments being able to be left on content on its



Number 2 00:23:18


platforms. I totally understand there's a bunch of moderation questions there, but some



Number 2 00:23:22


mechanism, would be nice for more engagement. Yeah.



Number 2 00:23:26


Some sort of direct communication tool. And then, I mean, there third party ones, but,



Number 2 00:23:29


yeah, it would be nice for it to be a little bit more centralized. I



Number 2 00:23:32


think that's drove a lot of the the podcasting space.



Number 2 00:23:36


Fantastic. And even from Members too, you know, I do Apple



Number 2 00:23:39


Podcasts subscriptions for my 2 shows, Primer



Number 2 00:23:43


Technology and Movies on the Side, I have people like supporting the shows directly, paying



Number 2 00:23:47


monthly or even annually, but I get no data on who that



Number 2 00:23:50


is. And I understand that's a privacy and security thing that Apple



Number 2 00:23:54


promises, but when you do get members on things like



Number 2 00:23:57


Patreon or Memberful, you can ask for names and Addresses,



Number 2 00:24:01


and then you can support your your supporters, people who are paying to listen to



Number 2 00:24:05


your content, by sending free merch, stickers, anything.



Number 2 00:24:09


And that's the, like, I don't get that data from Apple



Number 2 00:24:12


Podcasts. There's no way for me to send a free t shirt to



Number 2 00:24:16


someone who supports me on Apple Podcasts, And so, again, it would be nice



Number 2 00:24:20


if there was some way, even for that level of communication, where



Number 2 00:24:24


I can send a message To everyone who supports the show, even if they you



Number 2 00:24:27


know, I don't get their email addresses, like, I totally get the Apple, but it



Number 2 00:24:31


would be nice to, like, have that open ability to



Number 2 00:24:34


reward the people that are literally paying to listen to the show. Yeah. And



Number 2 00:24:38


and Supercast is another one that does really good job with, private podcast



Number 2 00:24:41


feeds and, you know, supplying that information. So I agree with



Number 2 00:24:45


you there. It would be nice to have a a nice direct connection to those



Number 2 00:24:48


listeners, especially ones who have who are so invested in the show they're willing to



Number 2 00:24:51


pay for access to it. They're not just tripping over a



Number 2 00:24:55


podcast one day and being like, oh, no. Leave me alone, Stephen. I didn't ask



Number 2 00:24:58


for this. You know, that's Very, very different story. Last



Number 2 00:25:02


thing we always wanna ask everybody is what is currently your favorite podcast that you



Number 2 00:25:05


were listening to besides your own? Oh my goodness. I mean, I listen to so



Number 2 00:25:09


many Techy podcasts, and so that would be, my initial reaction. I actually have



Number 2 00:25:13


enjoyed Smartless, which, you know, it's a celebrity Podcast actors,



Number 2 00:25:16


and and typically, I shy away from celebrity driven



Number 2 00:25:20


shows, but I actually really enjoy Smartless. I think it's it's enjoyable.



Number 2 00:25:24


It's fun to listen to. I enjoy a lot of



Number 2 00:25:27


Decoder episodes with Nilay Patel, and, I'll do



Number 2 00:25:31


2 more real quick, and then I'll I'll say, my favorite recent one. But



Number 2 00:25:35


Omnibus is a fun podcast. It's kind of like obscure history.



Number 2 00:25:39


They go in-depth on, like, random historical events. That's with Ken Jennings,



Number 2 00:25:42


who, Jeopardy! Famed. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's a co host there,



Number 2 00:25:46


and John Roderick, and they talk about interesting stuff, and if you're a



Number 2 00:25:50


creator, podcast or video, YouTube, whatever,



Number 2 00:25:54


Creator Science by Jay Clouse. It is an incredible



Number 2 00:25:58


resource. He has amazing guests on that show. I've been listening to



Number 2 00:26:01


every episode recently, and if you're trying to grow as a creator



Number 2 00:26:05


or video, podcast, whatever, just listen to his show. I mean, it's



Number 2 00:26:09


just Incredible advice for free, and



Number 2 00:26:13


he has these huge names on there that talks about success in in their



Number 2 00:26:16


fields, including podcasting. So, Yeah. Highly recommend. Excellent. Well,



Number 2 00:26:20


we'll make sure to provide links to, those shows as well as,



Number 2 00:26:24


again, links to everything that Steven does. He is A video



Number 2 00:26:28


and podcast producer at Riverside FM, the platform that we are



Number 2 00:26:31


using to host this conversation to record it. And he's also the



Number 2 00:26:35


host Of the Primary Technology podcast, you can find



Number 2 00:26:39


it at PrimaryTech.fm. We'll include a link there so you can find it very easily.



Number 2 00:26:42


Stephen, thanks for, taking us into your studio and for joining us.



Number 2 00:26:47


Thanks so much, Mathew. It's been a pleasure.




Stephen Robles Profile Photo

Stephen Robles

Video Producer and Podcast Producer at Riverside

Stephen Robles is an influential tech video and podcast creator covering Apple devices, mobile technology, smart home devices, mobile technology, and cloud services. On YouTube and across social media he reaches millions every month.