Review of Unleash Your Inner Podcast
Are you interested in starting a podcast? So is everyone else, but never fear. You could make a good go of it. I want to share with you a resource that is a must in your preparation stage. Even if you are a seasoned podcast host, you might find valuable nuggets worth the investment.
If you have ever listened to any of the episodes of the Mosen At Large show, then you are familiar with at least three distinct characteristics that make the podcast stand out in its class: length, depth, and polish. With most episodes falling well beyond the sixty-minute mark, you might fear a tedious presentation, but Jonathan’s down-to-Earth intelligence and easy handling of audience participation make for an engaging experience. The fact he serves it up in a high quality sound package is the cherry on top.
So who better to teach you about launching a podcast than one of the best in the business?
I forget what episode it was where I first heard of the Unleash Your Inner Podcast tutorial. Shortly after learning of the tutorial, however, I found myself pulling up his website, because after months of following his show, I had developed trust in his advice. For anyone seriously interested in starting a podcast, developing trust with your audience is a point worth emphasizing, speaking from the vantage point of a listener and potential customer.
My trust in Jonathan’s integrity took a positive leap forward when I read a disclaimer on his online store stating products that were no longer relevant would be removed from the listings. At sixty dollars, purchasing the tutorial would not break my bank, but it is enough of an expense that I wanted some assurance the money would yield a positive return despite the resource being three years old.
I am not an affiliate of Jonathan Mosen. I do not gain anything from writing this review other than satisfaction that it could potentially help you.
Overview
From Jonathan’s site:
If you have no experience with creating audio on any platform, you don’t operate your own website, and you have no audio equipment yet, please don’t feel at all daunted about taking this course. You’ll complete the course with a thorough understanding of your next step. In an eight-hour course, we can’t teach you how to use all the sound editors that are available, but we can discuss the relative merits of a range of them, and provide pointers to additional resources that will help you learn the ones that interest you. If you already create podcasts, you’ll benefit from learning about new, cutting-edge tools that can dramatically improve the sound and ease of production and post-production. You’ll also learn about the pros and cons of various podcast hosts, and publicity and revenue options. Learn more.
What You Get
The course consists of four 2-hour modules, conveniently trimmed to deliver only the essentials you need to take your first tangible next step. At the beginning Jonathan spends a little time highlighting the importance of understanding your show’s mission and audience. I briefly worried this would become a little too fundamental, but his questions helped me build a realistic sense for what I wanted to produce, why I wanted to produce it in the first place, and what I wanted it to sound like. If I decide to get my own podcast off the ground, I believe the show will enjoy a healthy longevity thanks to the time I spent doing preliminary planning.
Yes, you could easily find similar information, for free, by engaging a Google search. Yet, there are two factors that make the tutorial worth the investment.
First, if you are blind, you cannot always guarantee the hardware and software discussed will be functional for your purposes. By listening to this tutorial, you know the products and services have already been vetted by a totally blind individual with decades of experience in audio engineering and marketing.
Now, because this blog is not exclusively targeted to blind readers, sighted individuals can purchase the tutorial with full confidence the material will be equally functional.
Second, there is such a thing as too much information. Unleash Your Inner Podcast cuts straight to those products, services, and nuggets of wisdom that will make the eight hours of instruction feel like a breeze. One would hope that would be a given, but you would be surprised at the number of individuals who are brilliant in their field but lack the ability to present. Not everyone has a knack for teaching, but Jonathan has a gift.
The tutorial is not designed to introduce you to audio fundamentals. Jonathan spends a little time covering some essential concepts any would-be podcaster should be familiar–whether you decide to record using software, audio interface, or mixer. For instance, he touches on sample rate and bit depth but only enough to help you understand why it’s important when mixing audio.
Speaking of equipment, Jonathan spends time going over a list of characteristics one should consider in purchasing products like microphones and boards. He highlights key features one should consider in a digital audio workstation, but he stops short of encouraging the purchase of specific brands and models.
I was torn on this point. One would hope he would make recommendations on what brands to rank over others, but by eliminating his personal opinion, he gives us the tools we need to ask intelligent questions when we go shopping, empowering us to settle on the brand and model that best works for our unique setup. Also, it keeps the material evergreen.
The MP3 files you will download feature questions from the students who took the course. In general, the questions helped us, as future listeners, learn more about key points raised in the lectures. The questions also helped pick the brains of the guest speakers who made valuable contributions to the lectures.
Finally, the ZIP folder you will download features an HTML resource guide. This is a convenient list of resources mentioned throughout the eight hours of lecture and discussion. It was gratifying to see referrals to services I had already grown familiar. It made me feel as though Jonathan really had conducted extensive research, which may sound like a backhanded compliment, but somehow the familiarity of some of the resources validated my investment in the course.
The purchase process was quick, efficient, totally accessible, and resulted in my downloading the files within seconds of submitting payment. If Jonathan reads this review, he is eagerly encouraged to send me a private note on the plugins he leverages to create such a smooth buying experience.
Final Thoughts
Will I start a podcast? I guess you’ll have to stay tuned. I am methodical in my business planning and don’t want to jump into the pool just because everyone else did.
However, if I jump in, I will do so with the excellent preparation gleaned from Jonathan’s thorough resource. If you’re thinking about setting up shop yourself, I think you will be very satisfied with your purchase.
Are there any other resources you would suggest we check out?
