Thumbnail example 5 Podcasting Dos and Do Nots

Think your business has nothing else to learn about podcasting? Here are 5 areas you should be paying careful attention too if you want to keep your podcast from going stale and stay out of legal trouble.

Take advantage of the freedom

Podcasting is considered the voice of the people since unlike TV, Radio and movies it is not subject to current broadcasting regulations, allowing podcasters to really let their imaginations and creativity flow, to create shows covering topics that would be taboo or heavily regulated under other media forms. For example, an author of erotic books could create a podcast to talk about the newest books being released, provide reviews, read aloud, erotic poetry and even imagery.

Avoiding legal trouble

Most music is copyrighted and when using commercial music podcasters just like any other media form require a license to use. Using copyrighted music without permission could result in serious legal trouble, as will scenes from movies and TV shows. Be cautious and understand the law to avoid trouble. A large selection of royalty free music is available for podcasters online.

Get help

If you find yourself struggling to understand the podcasting process and struggling to edit your podcast, consider if you truly have the time to make your podcast a success. Many businesses and individuals may start a podcast for a few weeks or months then give up when they realize how much work is involved. Podcasting like press releases, Web sites and viral marketing are an affordable expense for most businesses.

If you have trouble doing all the work yourself, take advantage of the talent in your business. A staff member who writes press releases and copywriters may be able to offer help with creating interesting dialogue. While an in-house engineer can be responsible for editing the sound and incorporating musical elements. Ask volunteers to help out within your business and give credit for their assistance.

Stop and play

Once you've recorded your podcast, added in music, and edited there is one final step you should always take. Take a few minutes and actually listen to your audiocast. Is the podcast actually interesting? Would you subscribe to it? Better yet, would you actually listen to the podcast in its entirety? If your podcast doesn't' capture your attention it probably won't hold your viewers attention either. After listening to the podcast, you might decide that your voice just isn't the best to represent your company. Some podcasters may decide to add in a professional voice talent to complement the host's voice and to be used in between segments.

Set some limits

Are you taking to much time with ads and music in the beginning before your podcast gets started? If so, change it, viewers are likely to turn off a podcast if the beginning bombards them with a ton of advertisements and is too slow to get started. The music is important part of the podcast but it still belongs in the background, unless your podcast plays music. For talk segments, background music is soothing and sets the tone of the show, but it should not be so loud the listener is struggling to hear you talk. When using sound effects and music to fade in and out (during the beginning and end of the podcast) don't overdue it! Make sure your music compliments your show and doesn't distract or frustrate your audience.

Regardless of the subject used or your business type, don't take your podcast too seriously. Experiment, try out unexpected ideas to set yourself apart from the competition and remember to have fun with it!