Will Home-brew, Poor Quality Podcasts Survive?

In the good old days, (18 months ago) when podcasting was in its infancy, the home-brew podcast was just fine. People bought a $30 mic at Radio Shack and figured out how to get it to record into their computer. They had fun sitting around, guzzling beer and talking about their lives. Some of these early podcasts exhibited very poor technical quality, but the content was real and compelling. So people listened. The novelty of podcasting allowed many of the early adopters to set the quality standard reasonably low. And people still listened. As is often the case with disruptive media, the counter-culture types made an early claim on the space and their bravado, fresh ideas and new approach carried the day. And the people listened.

This early attitude manifested itself in some interesting ways. Professional audio producers who tried to bring studio recording techniques to podcasting were initially criticized. The medium should remain "pure" according to one Internet post I saw. I presume that meant the $30 mic should remain the standard.

For a while, the top podcasts in the iTunes Store were all small-time affairs made by people who generally had little pro-audio training. This helped to strengthen the initial argument that pro-audio quality wasn't necessary for podcasters. But then something happened. The rest of the world discovered podcasting and all of a sudden, the big boys (and girls) started to play. The audio/video quality standards rose. People started paying attention to production values.

These days, you see some of the top podcasting spots held by NPR and HBO and big media brands. And some of the pioneers' podcasts, done on the $30 mics, are long gone. And yes, there are still some lesser-known podcasters who receive (and deserve) high rankings. And yes, there are even some successful home-brew podcasts that are still produced with $30 mics. But if you listen carefully, you'll note that even the original home-brewers have ramped up their production values. Maybe it's experience, or better access to gear, or just a desire to sound better. But lately, I've noticed that quality is starting to improve. While I think there's room for all types of podcasters, I've decided that for myself, and my clients, the quality needs to improve.

I realize that there are some podcasters who feel very strongly about keeping the dream alive of an inexpensive platform, driven by social media and ready access to affordable technology. But I think that soon, (like it or not) the podcasting community may have to re-assess its opinion of what constitutes "affordable" and what level of quality the audience will come to expect. I'm not saying I want this to happen. I am predicting it will happen. Please note the difference.

As the podcasting industry matures and expands, its audience will become more broad and more sophisticated. Even my 80-year-old Aunt Faye demands a good user experience when she visits a website. Will people listen if the audio sucks? Maybe. For now. But soon, I think the answer to that question will be no.

Fortunately, there is plenty of "affordable" gear out there for podcasters. There's also plenty of opportunity for podcasters to learn better production techniques. You don't need a broadcast-quality studio or an engineering degree in order to succeed at podcasting. But I think we serve our audience better if we make a sincere effort to raise the bar, and create podcasts that more closely match the production quality of radio or television. And I also think that it's time to stop criticizing people who want to spend money for better gear. There's no crime in wanting to sound or look better.

The leap from $30 mic to $100 mic is not that great in terms of cost. But something this simple does provide dramatically better results. The time spent balancing levels using Gigavox's new Levelator, (free) is well worth it if it leads to a better show from the listener's point-of-view. A compressor can do wonders for vocals and can cost as little as $100. A $30 training book that teaches podcasters how to edit or produce generates a better producer and thus, a better show.

I know that not everyone in the podcasting community will agree with my assessment. My goal is not to offend, but to cause people to think. I'm writing this not to chastise anyone or put anyone down. But rather, to challenge everyone, including myself. Maybe we should spend an extra ten minutes making sure we've got good, clean levels. Maybe it's worth $50 to have professional liners produced for our show. Maybe a better mic and mixer will make us more easily understood. And maybe our audience will grow if we demonstrate to them that we care as much about providing them with a quality show as they care about finding one to listen to. Maybe.

For more on podcasting, visit my sites PodcastingTricks.com and PodcastGearGuy.com

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