We have historically unprecedented access to technology that allows us to shoot videos, make movies, and record podcasts. The structures that used to allow only a tiny number of people to share their creations can be easily bypassed now. Anyone can make a movie on their phone and upload it to YouTube. Anyone can record a podcast and send it out via a podcasting platform. Anyone can make a webinar or an online course and put it on the internet.
That’s the good news. Here’s the bad news.
Your video, webinar, online course, or podcast is being assessed next to those of people and organizations who do this at the highest professional level. If I search by keyword in a podcast aggregator, I’m going to get an array of results that includes people who recorded one episode ever, on a whim, right alongside shows by Wondery, Public Radio, the New York Times, and other companies with big money to spend.
Because the technology is widely available and tutorials on how to make the most out of your equipment are easy to come by, people have little patience for funky sound, stilted delivery, or boring content.
I’ll give you an example: last week I was actively searching for a podcast about the NCAA tournament. I found one, downloaded it, and put my AirPods in, ready to enjoy.
Within 90 seconds, I had to adjust the volume six times, depending on who was speaking. One guy seemed so close to the microphone that he was blowing my ears out, and another was barely audible. I lost patience and deleted the podcast.
Bad news: all of us are experiencing the bar being raised on what quality we’ll accept in the video and audio that finds its way to our screens. Good news: this is eminently fixable!
Remember that the medium is the message (thanks Marshall McLuhan). If it’s worth taking the time to put your creativity on video or audio, it’s worth taking advantage of the tech that’s readily available to take it to the next level.
