Blog Talk Radio is a free way to host live audio (talk) shows online. It  is the social radio network that allows users to connect quickly and directly with their audience. Using an ordinary telephone and computer hosts can create free, live, call-in talk shows with unlimited participants that are automatically archived and made available as podcasts. No software download is required. Listeners can subscribe to shows via RSS into iTunes and other feed readers. Our network has produced tens of thousands of episodes since it launched in August of 2006.

Blog Talk Radio is a great alternative to podcasting.  It’s free, you don’t have to worry about the costs you might have to with podcasting your own show and it’s live, unlike most podcasts that are recorded previously and you just listen to them at your leisure. Your blog talk radio can be podcasted following the show recording.

I love Blog Talk Radio, I don’t deny it. Here are a few reasons why:
1.  It’s free

2.  Unlimited listeners

3.  Unlimited callers (there are only 5 callers allowed on the line at a time, but any others that call in will be in line so that when one of the 5 leaves the next in line can be live and talk.)

4.  Blog Talk Radio provides the host with their own call in number for free.

5.  They also provide a seperate call in number for listeners for free.

6.  Hosts receive half of all revenue that their show generates.

7.  You receive your own Host page where all your shows are archived.

8.  You can host unlimited shows (there is a limit of 1 per day and you can only schedule your shows up to 4 weeks ahead)

9.  Your show can be 15, 30, or 60 minutes long and if you go over you can still talk for up to 2 hours

10.  You will receive a button to place on your other sites that links to your host page where listeners can interact with your current live shows and listen to archived shows.

11.  BTR may promote your show for you on their blog or homepage, but every show is listed on their programming guide and users can search for your show.

12.  They support multiple languages.

13.  You callers can talk live via a telephone or their pc if they have a microphone.

14. You can place an media player on your site so listeners can listen to your latest show right from there.

As much I love Blog Talk Radio, there are a few disadvantages of Blog Talk Radio :

1.  You don’t have total control over your shows.

2.  You can promote your show via email, but you have to do it via your host page.

3.  Only 5 people can call into on your show at a time.

All in all, Blog Talk Radio is a great way to get started in the podcasting world if you’re looking for a reliable way to host your own show but don’t feel comfortable with the expertise/money/equipment that podcasting can sometimes require. If you are looking for a show on Blog Talk Radio to listen to, make sure to stop by PodTalkDivas. We (myself and co-host Wendy Cooper) just recently took our podcast to BlogTalk Radio.

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Podcasting . . . . What’s all the hype? Well, podcasting can get confusing easily, that’s for sure. However, really it’s a lot simpler than one thinks in the beginning. Podcasting is simply a means by which to distribute audio or video files. Podcasting actually came from the words broadcast and Ipod because of the popularity of the Ipod and this being a new way that information and music was being broadcast to the world.

Podcasts are dispensed over the Internet. These can be radio shows or video productions. The podcasts are placed online where they can be downloaded or listened to via a virtual player such as a multimedia player either on the website itself or on a person’s personal computer. Many people also download the files and then transfer them to a MP3 player such as an Ipod. It is really quite easy and can be done without your having to do much of anything the computer and the Ipod recognize each other and actually sync up on their own.

Podcasts also give you the ability to subscribe to them and in some cases can even be downloaded automatically on a schedule through a podcast feed. One of the ways to do this is with a program such as Itunes. Itunes gives you the ability to search their database of podcasts and find something in your area of interest to download. You then subscribe to the feed and automatically get a new file when the podcast feed is updated. There are podcasts out there on virtually every topic from parenting to car repair. Most podcast are done by ordinary people on topics that they are passionate about, many podcast are talk show style but there are also music podcasts out there as well. Many well-known people are now also using podcasts to advertise and promote themselves, their platform or even their products or services.

It is much easier than one might think to record and create your own audio podcast. If you have a low end, inexpensive microphone you can easily record digital audio via your personal computer. A recording software is also useful, and there are free versions such as Audacity available online for download. This software allows you to quite easily edit the audio and then to save it and export it as an MP3 file for use elsewhere. If you already have a website you might also already have server space available or you can purchase space to house your audio files on a website such as Audio Acrobat. Finally, an RSS feed is created for the files and a download link is made available where others can download and/or listen to the audio online.

Podcasting a fast growing phenomenon that almost anyone can take advantage of…and that’s what all the hype is about!

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PodCampNYC2 (www.podcampnyc.org) is coming Feb 29-March 1st. Please sign up to attend (it’s free) or to speak (anyone can speak on new media subjects). This year John C Havens and the rest of the team (yes I’m on it too) are working toward supporting teachers.

PodcampNYC 1.0 was my first podcamp experience and I loved every minute of it. It is definitely something that you want to attend if you are able to.

So….Who Spoke at PodCamp NYC 1.0?

• Joseph Jaffe, author and new media maven. (See the video).
• Andrew Baron, Creator of Rocketboom. (See the video).
• C.C. Chapman, VP, New Marketing at Crayon. (See the video).
• Shelly Palmer, Author, “Television Disrupted.” (See the video).
• Reena Jana, Innovation and Design Writer at Businessweek.
• Simon Applebaum, contributing editor for Cable World.
• Jay Brodsky, Director of Digital Media at NPR.

Will you be joining me this year?If so, let me know and we’ll meetup!

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Recently I’ve been asked for information about what is podcasting?.. so I decided to put up some info for all your pod-newbies out there!

Just as blogging swept the internet in the last few years, podcasting has become the new internet trend. You can find podcasts on all types of subjects, ranging from audio blogs, how-to information, interviews with experts, and more.

Many people believe that podcasts take their name from the iPod, the popular Mp3 player created by Apple. This is not totally accurate.. POD stands for Portable On-Demand. You can listen to a podcast 24/7 directly from the web, your computer or download to your mp3 and take it on the go!

As stated above, there are many types of podcasts to choose from, and it can be hard to give a single definition that fits all those types. Basically, a podcast is an audio file created with the intention of communicating some type of thoughts or information to the public.

Many podcasts take on the form of a talk radio show. The host or hosts may interview guests that have knowledge on topics their target market is interested in, or the host may do all the talking their self.

You may be wondering about the reasons to start a podcast. First of all, it is a great way to increase traffic to your site. People love podcasts and they search iTunes and other niche podcast directories for new podcasts to listen to. They may stumble upon yours, without ever knowing your site existed. If they enjoy your podcast, they will want to check out your site.

You can also use your podcast to promote products and affiliate links. For example, if you have an information product about dog breeding, you can talk about it on your podcast. If you are an affiliate for a dog biscuit manufacturer, you can provide a review of the product and tell your audience that if they want more information they can to a page on your site that will redirect them to your affiliate link with the company.

Not only can podcasts help you attract new customers and promote your products, they will help you develop relationships with your customers. When your customer listens to your podcast, they get to hear your voice and get a snapshot of your personality. As they hear you talk and present information, they will come to see you as an expert in your field. You will become their “go-to person” on the subject you specialize in.

You can further monetize your podcasts by accepting sponsorships and advertising. For example, you could play an ad, similar to what you hear on your local radio stations or you could charge a fee for interviewing someone that wants to promote their product or service on your podcast.

If you would like more information on how to get started with your own podcast, please email me at tammy@newmediava.com

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Fellow podcaster and Podcamp co-founder Chris Penn released the beta version of the iPhone Kit today!

It is quite awesome and a definite must have!

Chris - you rock my freind!!!!

Your New Media VA,
Tammy

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Mom’s Radio Network is seeking a new host for Baby Talk Radio (http://www.babytalkradio.com). We would love to find a chatty expectant mom to head up the podcast for a season but we’d also be interested in hearing from moms with a young baby in the house.

Your responsibilities would include interviewing the guests that we choose and helping to give the show buzz around the online mom community. You need high speed internet, three way calling, free long distance, writing skills and a great speaking voice.

You don’t need any technical experience, we take care of all of that on our end. We will pay you a fee per episode that you create.

If you’re interested, email kelly@momsradionetwork.com with your letter of introduction and share why you believe you’d be a great fit for Baby Talk Radio.

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