This is the Seraphina Speaks Interview Series with podcasters, and change-makers who use their voice. Iโm curious about the behind-the-scenes of my colleagues and their worlds. I ask questions I donโt see being answered elsewhere. Then I share them out so you can learn from, and enjoy them too.
If youโd like to support my work Iโd be happy if youโd consider becoming a paid subscriber or a Founder member.
Hope you enjoy this interview!
Whatโs your name?
Danny Brown (he/him)
Describe what your podcast is about
One Minute Podcast Tips helps you be a better podcaster in just a minute a week. Whether you're a completely new podcaster, or are an old hand with several shows under your belt, this show can help, with tips on recording, production, growth, editing, sound, tools, software, hardware, and much more.๐
If your podcast had a human name, what would it be?ย
What a great question - I've never even thought of that before! I'm going to go with Minnie, as that's closest to minute, so would fit perfectly.
Describe your podcast recording space in 8 words
A cozy place away from a noisy world.
Can we take a peek?
Whatโs your podcast tech set up?
My current stack is as follows: -
- Mics: Shure SM7B dynamic, and TZ Audio Stellar X2 large diaphragm condenser
- Interface: Rodecaster Pro II
- Arms: Joby Wavo boom arm, Elgato Wave Low Profile mic arm
- Sony MDR-7506 headphones
- MacBook Air 2020 M1
- Elgato FaceCam
- Hindenburg Pro recording and editing
- Filmora Wondershare video editor
- Boomcaster remote recording platform
- WhisperScript for Mac (desktop app for transcripts)
- Captivate podcast hosting company (disclaimer: I'm the Head of Podcaster Support & Experience there)
My main recommendation for gear is to not buy the most expensive stuff because someone said it's the best. It may well be, but more important is your recording environment
- you can get great sound from inexpensive gear in a well-treated room, and bad sound from great gear in a bad recording environment.
So, this means making your room "soft"
- if you have bare walls, hardwood floor, large windows, etc, they'll give a hard bounce of your voice, and this is what causes echo. Make the room soft, and remove the hard/bare surfaces
- a rug for the floor, moving blankets or sound dampening blankets for the walls, drapes for the windows, and soft furniture spread around (soft beanbags, a comfy chair, cushions, etc).
You don't have to go crazy, but any treatment you can do will improve your sound each time and make for a great listener experience.
Whatโs your go-to podcasting outfit, including footwear?
Since I record at home, I'm in comfy gear - usually a t-shirt or sports shirt, comfy loose pants, and socks. I'm in Canada, and we don't wear shoes in the house, so I'm just in my cozy socks.๐
What's your typical pod listening speed?
1X
Name the one ingredient that contributes to your podcast success that you don't mention, usually.
Humility. I'm pretty experienced, having been in the podcasting space for over 10 years now, but that doesn't mean I know everything - far from it! It's such an evolving medium, with new tech, new voices, new industry updates, etc, that anyone that says they're a super smart expert on all things podcasting is someone you should run away from as fast as you can!
I want my listeners to feel they get the very best info they can every episode, and if there's something I've been asked that I don't know, I'll get someone that does and share their info, and out them in touch with the listener that asked the original question.
Podcasting should be a collaboration, not a competition.
Describe your most embarrassing podcast fail
Probably submitting the raw, unedited file as an episode before I realized my mistake, and having to very quickly replace the file in question, and refresh my feed where possible before listeners heard the raw, much longer version with all the long umms, the retakes, etc. I'm pretty sure many still got that version and wondered what the heck they'd subscribed to/followed!ย
What's the best interview question you've ever been asked, or asked on a podcast?
I really like the one you asked about the human name for your podcast, I have never been asked that before - very cool!
What three things do kick-ass podcasters have in common?
Another great question! Hmm, I'd probably say:
1. Inquisitiveness. Thinking beyond what's already being done, and how to make that just a little different in a way that really benefits the listeners - after all, that's who we're creating for at the end of the day.
2. Self-deprecation. There can be a lot of "seriousness" in the podcasting space, where experienced podcasters make it seem easy to do, with great results, every time. But that's not the case - far from it. The ability to laugh at your mistakes and make fun of them - and, even better, share them in public - helps to show other podcasters that it's not just them that makes mistakes.
3. Attentiveness. Podcasters speak a lot - that's our jobs, after all! But we also need to listen, and listen well. To our listeners, and what their experience is with us. To our guests, so we're actually in the moment with them as opposed to just looking at our next question and where we can jump in. And to ourselves, and know when we feel we need to take a break - a lot of creators, not just podcasters, can fall into the trap of feeling they need to "ship" content out consistently to be relevant. But nothing is more relevant than our health, and being in a good place mentally and physically. We, and our loved ones, deserve that.
Suppose you could get rid of 2 cringiest podcast blunders, what would they be?ย
Hmm, not sure if I'd put them as blunders, but these are the ones I'd probably say are my top two:
1. "I don't need to edit, my listeners will love everything raw and as it's recorded." This might be the case for some podcasters who are really, REALLY good at getting everything 100% the first time, every time - but for the majority of us, this isn't the case. No matter what you think, your listeners probably don't want to hear you munching on snacks, talking about something super irrelevant for the first 10-15 minutes of your episode, hear your stereo playing in the background, etc. Listener time is finite - we need to respect that. You don't have to go super crazy on editing, but tighten up the episode, remove stuff that doesn't need to be there, and just brush up the overall sound.
2. Only submitting your podcast to Apple Podcasts and Spotify, because they're the biggest and what everyone uses. While they may be the two biggest, that doesn't mean they're the only ones listeners use. We need to make it as easy as possible for our listeners, so get your show on every app possible - you never know when you might get a potential new follower someone that prefers Podcast App X, and if your show isn't on there, they'll find an alternative that is.
If you could do a pod takeover, which podcast would it be for, and why?
Wow, that's also a great question! In all honesty, I really respect the podcasters I listen to so wouldn't want to jeopardize their show by messing things up! So I'd probably take over the show of someone whose opinions are really offensive, and just play soundbites and snippets of counterpoints from people the podcaster and their audience loathes, just to rile everyone up!๐
What's the biggest podcast opportunity still left on the 'table'?ย
Oh, there are so many! I guess the main one is cross platform support and standardization. So, for example, having the right loudness across all apps, on all episodes, and all ads, regardless of where they're played. There's nothing worse than listening to a podcast at a nice volume, then an ad comes screaming in at twice the level, then drops back down, and one guest is louder than the other so you're forever changing volumes... It'd be great if every single platform agreed on a standard LUFS (loudness) setting, that's the same no matter if you're on Apple, Spotify, etc, and whether it's the episode audio, ads, intro/outro music, etc. Now, as a podcaster, you can make a lot of this happen yourself, but it'd be nice to see the industry standardize it so it's one less thing to worry about.
Throw down ten words of wisdom for wannabe great podcasters.ย
Why? Plan. When? Prepare. Where? Everywhere. Publish. Promote. Tweak. Repeat.
Who ought to be podcasting, but isn't yet?
Anyone that has a great idea but doesn't think anyone would listen. They would, and they will.
What's coming up for you and your podcast?
So for One Minute Podcast Tips, it's all about expanding options this year. That means taking existing audio-only episodes, and turning into expanded, proper YouTube videos. So, for example, if I talk about what's the best remote recording platform (Boomcaster, in my opinion), making a demo walkthrough video as to why.
Also, growing the Magic Mic membership I launched late last year that offers more personalized tips for podcasters and their specific shows.
In March, I'm launching a new show called My Other Podcast Is... which is an interview show on both video and audio, where I chat to podcasters about another show they have that is the complete opposite of what their regular show listeners would expect.
Any social handles or websites we could mention on the show? Where can listeners go to learn even more about you and your work?ย
So if you're on Twitter (I refuse to call it X, hehe), I'm @DannyBrownCA.
If you're on Instagram, I'm @thebrownsmuskoka, which is an account about my family's move from a large city to a tiny village three hours north, and what that entails.
You can find out more about One Minute Podcast Tips at https://oneminutepodcasttips.com, and check out the trailer for my new show at https://myotherpodcast.com
What loving pep talk would you give your ten year old self?
This is the last time you'll ever be cute, so take advantage of it now! And be nicer to your sister. And, while it might seem weird to think about it now, you're going to have two amazing kids who will show you you must have done something right along the way.
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Thanks so much for your brilliant answers Danny!
Seraphina ๐๏ธ
This was an absolute hoot to take part in, and thank you so much for both the invite, and the very fun questions that I genuinely haven't been asked before, and left me smiling as I thought of an answer! And your very kind words on LinkedIn this morning started my day off perfectly - thank you so much! :)