Guest Yuvi Zalkow Writer. Maker of poorly-animated videos. Half-assed podcaster. App developer-ish. My novel is reluctantly available. Yuvi Zalkow (@yuvizalkow) on Twitter yuvi — failed writer, schmo Yuvi Zalkow, author, developer, video creator, and podcaster, is in Brendan’s apartment and shares his experience with failure and persistence. When starting a new project, how does one decide what format to do the project in? Each format can lead to different feelings of overwhelm. Hopping from one to another can also be fatiguing. What should one do about having to take time when podcasting ..read more

The one in which we say goodbye. What!? Brendan just bought his first house! He’s super excited and has a bunch of remodels planned. But wait, goodbye? Burnout and self-preservation have brought Mark and Brendan to a point where they need to put BitRate away, at least for a while. We’ll see. Replay the BitRate burnout series Endings A gap in the Market, with Mathew Passy of CausePods Formats Matter, with Dan Misener of Pacific Content Production and Editing, with Drew Ackerman of Sleep With Me Audience and Community, with Jenna Spinelle of Democracy Works Managing expectations, with Yuvi Zalk ..read more

Guest Jenna Spinelle Writer, journalist and podcaster with the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. Jenna Spinelle of Democracy Works helps us get a grip on community engagement, and podcast promotion. What’s a good way to receive feedback from your audience? Set up a contact form on the podcast website and direct listeners there. The form can have specific questions and details that a listener might not think to mention but could be very helpful, more so than 280 characters of ?! What about engaging with the community? Twitter is just one-on-one, maybe one-on-some. A Facebook page is uninv ..read more

Guest Drew Ackerman Sleep With Me is a bedtime story to take your mind off racing thoughts that keep you awake at night. sleep w/me podcast (@dearestscooter) | Twitter Sleep With Me: The Podcast that Puts You To Sleep with Drew Ackerman Drew Ackerman from the Sleep With Me podcast joins the boys to discuss the trials and tribulations of podcast production. What is your worst case podcasting scenario? Well, Drew Ackerman has a story for you! Sometimes, so many things go wrong, that it’s just better to scrap it and re-record the episode. Drew’s podcast production cycle Pre-production Brainst ..read more

Guest Dan Misener A legendary sailor and fisherman, Dan Misener symbolizes Nova Scotia’s seafaring heritage. Podcasts at @PacificContent and @GRTTWaK. Formerly of @cbcradio. misener.org | I make podcasts. By day, I head up audience development at Pacific Content, a Vancouver-based podcast company. By night, I produce the award-winning series Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids. Dan Misener (@misener) | Twitter Dan Misener from Pacific Content expounds on his prolific experience and expertise of trying and testing podcast ideas. How does one construct a branded podcast, or podcast with b ..read more

Guest Mathew Passy Podcast producer and consultant ? Mathew Passy ? (@MathewPassy) | Twitter The Podcast Consultant Mathew Passy of CausePods, the Podcast Consultant, and Audit My Podcast, shares what to keep in mind when starting a podcast. Does the podcast you create fill a void? If it does, who does it fill it for? Don’t start a podcast if you just want to start a podcast. Have a mission. Do it for a reason. Start a podcast because you have something to say, and because podcasting is the best way to say it. What is a gap in the market? There may be a ton(ne) of podcasts similar to what o ..read more

We’re back, for a limited series on burnout. Please join us as we talk with each-other and some podcast luminaries about how podcasting can be a drag sometimes, and make us want to quit(!), but that we love it so much that we just can’t leave. It’s the best of abusive relationships. Here are some of the topics for today’s episode! What inspired Mark to quit Twitter? We discuss how Twitter can be toxic – and we’re not even talking about nazis – how just having an account can be tiring. There’s a constant feedback, and lack of feedback, that can lead one to us wasting so much time and energy on ..read more

While the show is on hiatus, Mark can’t keep away from the mic so he’s embarked on a daily podcasting challenge. This is what it sounds like. The best camera is the one you have with you at the time. The same can often be said of podcasting, if the mood is right. So make sure you pack a device that can record good-quality audio from you and your subject. Links Dog Days of Podcasting challenge Mixdown - the show for podcasters with deadlines Zoom H1 portable recorder Podcast hosting with Podiant ..read more

Guest Aaron Wong Los Angeles cliché. A burly man with husky needs. Aaron Wong (@normalipromise) | Twitter downtown Aaron Wong from Nobody Asked for This, Holler Presents, and the band Downtown, joins Brendan and Mark to discuss being new to podcasts, initial discovery, the new Google Podcasts app, and the question of whether we need a “Netflix of podcasts”. The trio reveal their thoughts on the previous recommendation of Sleepover by CBC, and The Incomparable Game Show. Brendan recommends Mark try the podcast We Fix Space Junk, an audio drama about a space mechanic with an odd mission. The ..read more

Guest Dan Lizette Host of the Podcast Digest Dan Lizette (@DanLizette) on Twitter The Podcast Digest Dan Lizette of The Podcast Digest joins the conversation about podcast culture. Mark shares concerns about a previous recommendation, and reveals his thoughts on Brendan’s latest suggestion, which Dan chimes in about after his recent interview with Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant. Brendan suggests Mark try a podcast he’s tried before… The Incomparable Game Show. But maybe he’ll like it more this time. Recommended episodes: Text adventure: 21: Light Lamp 33: Exits Are Unknown 55: There Is a ..read more