Jeffrey Daniel Frey’s Blog

I don’t think I’ve ever done a post on these two magazines, but I saw them at the expo this year and it reminded me that I should.

Any magazine that comes out about podcasting is going to have a lot of ads. They’re going to have to be ad driven in order to make enough money to produce the magazine. That’s just a fact. What I like about these magazines though… is that I actually READ the ads. Their all about stuff I need (okay… want) anyway and things that I can tell clients and friends they should be buying (mostly so I can play with them and not have to pay). Also, you’ll see full page spreads on the latest class, conference, or discussion that you should be attending that you didn’t know about before.

Podcast User Magazine
http://www.podcastusermagazine.com
Over 20 issues now, and each one has interviews, news that you should actually read and know, and reviews of upcoming events as well as explanations of past ones. The best thing I like about this magazine is that is usually has some educational articles in it as well. Last month was about microphone proximity. Maybe the very best thing about it is that the online pdf version of it is a free download.

Blogger&Podcaster
http://www.bloggerandpodcaster.com
They are on their sixth or seventh issue now, and it has rapidly become a great magazine. Not only does it have reviews of hardware / software, in-depth looks at conferences, lots of short snippets from podcasting news, but the contributing writers are great. The website is a bit of a struggle to navigate and ‘read’ the magazine from, so I suggest subscribing for the $80 a year.

I got a great question a couple of weeks ago that I answered in an email, but I thought I’d post a more thought out response. The basis of the question was… what to get a podcaster for Christmas? Though the question was formed around finding a podcasting Christmas gift, the wish list can obviously also be used for birthdays and such in the near future. A note of warning though: technical gifts that you get today, may… will… be out of date in the next few months. Even this list that I give you below will be out of date shortly. Having said that, there are a lot of gifts and presents out there for a podcaster friend or in the family. Here is what should be on your Christmas shopping list:

• Money - most podcasters are working for almost nothing podcasting, so throwing a little cash at your podcaster is always a plus.
• Microphone - a good microphone can make all the difference. Though pricey, maybe it can be a group gift or something.
  • shure ksm44 - $800 - great sounding mic, it’s what I use in the studio.
  • shure ksm27 - $300 - great studio mic as well, but I use it for live recordings.
  • marshall mxlusb.006 - $100 - usb means you can plug it right into the computer to record, very nice.
• Audio Podcast Software (costs very greatly between vendors and specials)
  • Audacity - free and cross platform (apple or windows).
  • Mac
    • Garageband - the podcasting standard, free on new apples.
    • Soundtrack Pro - a great upgrade.
  • PC
    • Cakewalk - great starter software.
    • Adobe Audition - better.
• Headphones - a good set of headphones is crucial to getting the sound you want.
  • Sennheiser HD25 - $200 - though a big investment, these headphones are a big improvement over your averages set.
  • AKG 240S - $100 - $100 is really enough to spend on a good set, there are so many at this price point it’s hard to pick.
  • Others? - as stated above, since there are so many, they try to beat each other out on price and packaging… the sound is the issue though. headphones are very personal items, don’t feel bad if your podcaster takes a set you bought him or her back. each podcaster has to find a pair to get comfortable with and ‘know.’
• Portable Recorder- if your podcaster is on the go.
  • Edirol R09 - $400 - I did a review of this not too long ago, great recorder.
  • M-Audio MicroTrack - $300 - my number 2 pick.
  • iRiver - $150 - might be hard to find, but a great little mp3 recorder.
• iPod - you can never go wrong with getting someone an ipod. consider a different form factor or more memory than the one he or she already has. maybe an itunes gift card if the ipod is out of the price range?
• Books- resources for podcasters are all over the internet, but sometimes it’s just good to have a book to sit down and read… and not an audio book… real paper that you can highlight and underline. my recent picks for the best podcasting books are:
  • Podcasting For Dummies
  • Tricks of the Podcasting Masters
  • Promoting Your Podcast: The Ultimate Guide to Building an Audience of Raving Fans
  • Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting
  • The Business Podcasting Bible
• Magazines- a great way for your podcaster to keep tuned in to the latest things going on.
  • Mix - if your podcaster is mixing their own podcast.
  • Recording - more for the music industry, but still some great tips.
  • Videomaker - great for videographers.
  • Computer Videomaker - video podcasters will appreciate this one.
  • Sound & Vision - audio and video tech toys together.

I’d also like you to think about magazines and gifts in and around your podcasters topic or niche. If he or she is podcasting about jogging, get a subscription to Runner’s magazine, a new jogging outfit, or how about a gift certificate to a shoe store?

Lastly, how about a trip to a podcasting conference, course, or seminar. There are only a few, and you can search for them in your area. I personally have a course I’m teaching in Houston, TX that will be under $400 for 18 hours of instruction over 6 Monday nights… but there is the Podcast Academy, Podcamp, the Podcast and New Media Expo, etc. A gift for a trip to something such as one of those could very easily benefit your podcaster more than any of the other things mentioned in this post.

So, what to get a podcaster? Great question! The wish list of a podcaster can be huge depending on how into podcasting your podcaster is. I hope this list helps!