You may think that podcasting and radio are one in the same, but in reality, they are worlds apart. Today we have podcasting expert ‘Sonar’ back with us to give us some information on the ins and outs of podcast sound quality and how GAB Radio Network helps with it! Introducing Sonar (Again) If you haven’t listened to one of our older podcasts, Sonar is the director of engineering over at the GAB Radio Network -- a company that helps make podcasting incredibly simple. All you need to do is deal with the actual content, and they’ll take care of the rest. He’s also a sound, podcast, and radio expert! Importance of Podcast Quality Sonar points out that he could be telling people the winning lottery numbers for the next day, or offer the secret to life and listeners would tune out of the sound quality was horrible. If your sound quality isn’t up-to-par, then you risk sounding ‘sophomoric,’ according to Sonar. It makes it appear as if your content (no matter how much value it has) isn’t credible. Most listeners of this podcast are probably entrepreneurs who may be considering starting one of their own -- and it would be in your best interest to sound professional. Take this show for example -- everyone speaking is in a different state, yet they all sound as if they’re in the same room. Which Equipment Should I Get? What can you ‘get away’ with? What should you consider? When should you be looking to work with someone like Sonar and GAB Radio Network? These three questions are vital to those looking to start their podcast. Fortunately, getting started alone is very easy nowadays (and making it sound good as well.) For starters, your computer should have at least 4 gigabytes of RAM to capture your voice without any latency, and some way for the sound to get ‘into the computer’ -- in other words, a mic. Sonar says there are plenty of USB soundcards (or external soundcards) out there. Regarding microphones, a lot of beginners tend to use cheap Skype headsets or even the ones for their phones, but you should get at least a mid-tier microphone for a little under $60 if you’re serious (http://bswusa.com/ is a great website for a lot of your audio needs.) Audio Software and Production Once the audio is actually on your computer, you’ll probably need to do a lot of post-production, such as cleaning up any bad sound quality, especially from guests with less-than-perfect audio quality. There are a couple of programs you can use for this, and a lot of them are free -- but the one we use is called GoldWave, which has a one-time fee and then it’s yours to use for life on unlimited devices. However, you’ll need to live mix everything (if you have questions you can email sonar@gabradionetwork.) Speaking of that, a lot of work goes into the production and management of a podcast, and for entrepreneurs such as David, you have a business to run -- in other words, you have no time. Production Companies Make Your Life Easier A lot of people have no idea production companies like GAB exists. While there are quite a few production companies out there, GAB does everything from production to distribution. Even if you have an idea for a radio station yourself, they can handle it. As an entrepreneur, all you have to do is worry about the content side of it and let the production company be the man or woman behind the glass that drives everything and monitors quality; this means that when you record your podcast, all you have to do is send it. Coordination of sound, editing, and everything else can be done by a production company. From coordinating guests, editing, and even providing audio cues -- such as when you’re running out of time. That's it for today's show, but fortunately, we’ll have Sonar back another time with tons of other tips to create amazing podcasts.