[We see Baasit Siddiqui sat behind a desk in a virtual studio. The University of Derby logo is on the desk, 'Get Ready for Uni' is on the two side screens, and the Kedleston Road site is seen through the window behind him.]
Baasit: Welcome to this session of Get Ready for Uni with the University of Derby. I'm Baasit Siddiqui.
Now let's face it: we now live in a digitalised world where podcasts acomnd other forms of online media have become our preferred source of news. Among them, podcasts are a popular form of entertainment, but can also be very educational. You might already be thinking about some of the podcasts you've either heard of or listen to regularly.
So today's session is all about introducing key digital skills that allow you to adapt and thrive in our ever-shifting world.
Get Ready - and Let's Podcast.
[Intro sequence with music reads 'Get Ready for Uni: Let's Podcast']
[Back in the virtual studio, where Baasit is now joined by Pete Allen - Podcast Brand Creator.]
Baasit: The rise of podcasting seems to have happened gradually and also all at once. Having a podcast you're willing to make regular time for is a bit like the loyalty we feel for our favourite TV shows, with a more personal connection in that it can be there with us on the go while we're doing other things. It's like curated radio that's personal to us and so to help us understand what this business is all about, I've invited a professional. And you can see this professional sitting with us right now. Now you may recognise him or at least his voice if you used to listen to Capital FM breakfast with Dino and Pete. It's fellow University of Derby alumni, Pete Allen.
Hi Pete, thank you so much for joining us.
Pete: Absolute pleasure Baasit.
Baasit: Thank you. So - a nice soft question to get you started. How does it feel being on camera when you're normally used to being kind of a voice kind of in the distance?
Pete: It's very different. Obviously there's pictures as well as sound. Which means that you have to look okay and sound okay. Now I'm okay at sounding okay but when I try and look okay at the same time - man it's weird! But it's all very cool in here.
Baasit: Yeah. Not to add too much context but this this room itself - the University of Derby have done a fantastic job haven't they they really have?
Pete: Oh, awesome facilities.
Baasit: And so we're going to get into podcasting and how you help people create them. But winding the clock back a bit how did you get into radio broadcasting in the first place?
Pete: Yeah do you know I just loved radio as a kid. I'd like I'd be that kid kid who would be told off at night because the radio was on until 3:00 a.m. or whatever. I was listening on headphones under my my bedsheet so my parents didn't know what I was doing. And then when it came to picking a career I just thought - do you know what? I really like that. I love it. So I came to the University of Derby, I did computer studies,
Baasit: Right.
Pete: And at the same time I worked at a hospital radio station. Now the modern day equivalent I guess would be Community radio.
Baasit: Right ok
Pete: So basically you're getting a lot of studio experience in professional level studios. You're not getting paid for it - but it's okay, because you love it, you're passionate about it.
Baasit: Absolutely
Pete: So loads and loads of studio experience at hospital radio alongside university and then after that I just had demos so I recorded myself at the time on a cassette which is - oh seriously ask your parents about cassettes, they were flipping awful! But yeah so sent out a whole load of cassettes to different radio stations. And then the radio station in Derby called me in for a for a chat. It wasn't an interview - it was just a chat.
Baasit: Just a chat fantastic
Pete: And that was I ended up compiling travel and then I moved into a production role, did that, and then inadvertently became a a presenter as well.
Baasit: Fantastic so you've had such a mixed, varied experience throughout all of the kind of in front of but behind the microphone as well, which I think is really really interesting.
Pete: Yeah
Baasit: And one thing I did want to just touch on there and I think it's a really valuable lesson for the the students that are listening as well - when you were doing the community radio the hospital radio you were doing that for free?
Pete: Yeah
Baasit: But when you think about what you got from that and the experience and the connections through it I can imagine that that was absolutely massive for you wasn't it?
Pete: Absolutely massive yeah and I'm still involved in community radio now. I'm not actually involved in professional radio - I do a podcast now because I just actually prefer the medium, it's more authentic. But at the same time I'm working really closely with some of the guys at a community radio station: I do a lot of training and stuff. So we bring on new presenters and help them into the industry. So that's really cool. But yeah just the studio experience you know it's it's a great thing to do - it's fun, you're enjoying it - it doesn't matter that you're not getting paid, because what's money at the end of the day?
Baasit: Yeah it's better that you're passionate about I think that's really really interesting
Pete: So important
Baasit: And look what it's led to as well which I think is absolutely brilliant and we'll find out more about that on the podcasting side as we forward. So now you've pivoted more to focusing in on podcast as a delivery medium and in your opinion why do you think podcasting has become so big?
Pete: Yeah I think it's because it's so accessible. So it means that if somebody's got a story to tell, if they've got an experience to share, there's no particular barrier to entry. Because anybody can do it. So there's so much stuff out there and you know the infancy of podcast was what - 15 years ago? And it was actually hard to get a podcast, put it onto a device, and listen to it. But now it's so accessible, it's so easy - you know data costs next to nothing, so they've just become so much more accessible and there's so much content there so,
Baasit: And it gives people an opportunity to articulate their passions as well. Now I don't want to run ahead of myself, but I really want to take some time to focus on the work that you do. But I think you all agree it's fantastic to have this passion and this interest in podcasting but there's also a way of doing it correctly. If you're doing it as something as a business owner, as a professional - there is a way of doing it professionally. Which leads us nicely onto the work that you do right now. So you own your own business - CarrotCruncher Media - and you help people create their own podcast brands. So how did this all come about, this bit of a pivot in terms of your career?
Pete: Yeah I realised you know people would say to me what do you do for a living so you go I just have a laugh on the radio and it's that simple. But actually during the 25 years - I know I don't look old enough but I am - during the 25 years, you do learn a lot of stuff. And then it's just repurposing that learning, turning it into something else. So now what we do really is there are you know CarrotCruncher Media is generally providing podcast services to business owners. And that podcast that is the result of it can become their most valuable marketing asset. And you know it's just offering people who have so much knowledge the ability to make it sound professional.
Baasit: Yeah
Pete: Because it's about building brands at the end of the day, you know your business is your brand and you want it to sound good as well as look good. And it's you know nowadays I think a lot of businesses and brands know how they look because of social media. But probably don't know how they sound. It's a slightly different thing. So I help with that, and yeah we just make good sounding podcasts for business owners who have so much knowledge.
Baasit: Fantastic, and I've had the privilege of working with some of your clients as well and kind of joining them on podcast sessions and you're absolutely right - these people who have a wealth of experience. What I love about your journey though is the fact that you've got your degree as an alumni of the University of Derby in Computer Science and I can imagine that's given you a confidence in digital literacy and using computers that other people wouldn't have? And although you've been in front of the mic and doing all of the actual presenting side which you're fantastic at and really natural at - it's that stuff behind the camera. And one thing I'd love for our our learners and students to take away is that you - the university experience wasn't within an echo within this echo chamber: you're taking and applying those skills and those passions and using it in a creative way, so it's a nice mix of both. Would you would you agree that that's kind of your journey?
Pete: Yeah absolutely yeah. University for me was fantastic and it helped me find myself and whilst I was doing my work at Uni, I was also working at the hospital radio station so I'd literally get on the bus to Mickleover, go up to the hospital radio station, and work there after my lectures were finished. And then like rock up home at whatever time and try and also live a wild student life at the same time!
Baasit: Juggling act, isn't it?
Pete: It's a juggling act absolutely yeah. But yeah it's - it was just a really good learning experience and put it all together and this is what's come out.
Baasit: Fantastic yeah and it's every success to you as well. So bringing it back to podcasts as well I really want to get the message across that podcasts are a powerful tool to be used. And with that in mind - what do you feel are the benefits of producing podcasts?
Pete: Yeah I mean - depends on where you're producing them for and what you're producing them for. We produce them to market businesses so you can build credibility and authority through doing a podcast. You can demonstrate it in a non-showy-offy way. Listeners listen to podcasts - audio podcasts are great at connecting listeners to hosts. They help to build a community. They can be really niche. So - you're going to do a podcast about films? That's really sort of wide. You may want to niche that idea down a little bit so that you're going to do a podcast about films that were produced between a certain amount of time by a certain director or whatever. So what you're doing is you're building a community of like-minded people. The people listening to the podcast are interested in the same stuff that the host is interested in and it just brings people together and it helps build communities and it helps drive loyalty within that community.
Baasit: Definitely. And I think with regards to that and as a business owner, just having that extra additional relationship with potential clients or just people that actually become your friends because they share interests and passions and you can communicate with each other through social media on the back of that, that's a really powerful tool. Now there might be some students sitting there or members of the audience sitting there, and the big question that they have is can you make money from podcasts?
Pete: You can make money from podcasts, yes. I make money from podcast through making them for other people. Obviously the podcasters the people I work with it's all about the way I work is when I first meet a potential podcast or a potential client we work out how they're going to make money from their podcast. They're going to invest money into it by paying me, how are they going to get the return on investment? How they're going to make that money back? And the answer's different depending on the podcast and the client. Quite often we're working with service-based industries so they are converting their listeners, their community into clients, into paying clients. So obviously they're making money like that. And you know there's the potential to put sponsors on there as well. So if you go mass market and you're getting lots of listeners - then sponsors are really interested in that. But you don't have to be getting hundreds of thousands of listeners in order to to sell sponsorship. Because remember you're creating a podcast that's about a specific subject. So as far as an advertiser is concerned, there's very little wastage. Let's say we're doing a podcast about running and there's a someone who sells running shoes?
Baasit: Right
Pete: Well, everybody who's listening to that podcast is potentially going to be a client of the company who's selling running shoes, so which podcast are they going to advertise on? The one with mass market? Or the one that's talking specifically about running?
Baasit: Fantastic yeah I know and I think it's being strategic in that sense and I think you help your clients really well with that about thinking about the end goal with regards to it as well. Maybe others that want to come across as an authority and it helps them with kind of their speaking sessions that they do. I know that that's why I enjoy being a guest on different podcasts because it just gets my name out there a little bit more in terms of that and it for me what I love about podcast it's a win-win situation in that situation: you get to meet some fantastic people, have lovely conversations, but you're getting your name out there as well as that exposure. But I love the idea of it being really strategic as well. Now - for you, for yourself obviously you're passionate about radio and podcasting and I think both of us would agree it's a really really powerful medium when it comes to kind of getting your name and your brand out there. In some cases it could be the preferred brand versus video. In which situation do you think that that podcasting - the audio side - could be the most powerful medium to use?
Pete: I think as far as long form content is concerned - so if you're doing long form content - audio works really well because people are using podcast as a secondary activity. So they're probably listening when they're driving or they're at the gym or they're walking on their on their earpiece. So they're using it as a secondary activity - so long form content works like that. Whereas in order to engage somebody on with a visual format - with a YouTube video - I mean, when was the last time you sat and watched a 30 minute YouTube video?
Baasit: Tricky isn't it?
Pete: It is, it's tricky because there are so many distractions. There's so many notifications popping off. You know there's all of that stuff. So podcast work really brilliantly as a long form. And let's not forget as well - if you're like me and you've got a face for radio. And maybe you're just not particularly comfortable in front of a camera yeah, then that audio thing works really nicely as well. And if you've I'm answering this in a big way!
Baasit: No no please
Pete: I'll keep going. And if you've got a guest and you're talking about a subject that may be sensitive you want them to open up, in a sort of an environment - a TV studio environment - it may be a little bit more I don't know just uncomfortable for them to do that and you're just sat in a room two microphones talking directly to somebody else there's a lot of connection there.
Baasit: It comes a little bit more intimate in that situation I think doesn't it which I think it's really really important yeah and I think you've answered that question brilliantly. It's not necessarily going to be for everyone but at the same time I can imagine there's a lot of people that would feel much more confident having a conversation or talking into just a microphone without the camera on there and you just get a little bit more authenticity there in that situation as well.
But to wrap up with my final question when it comes to podcasts that you're listening to - what are the ones that you enjoy listening to, what genre, what type, have you got a specific one that you're listening to at the moment?
Pete: Oh crikey. It changes all the time, it changes all the time. I'd have to look at my phone. I would say that I think - I'm listening to a true crime podcast at the moment - 'British Scandal' - which is interesting it's a really nicely produced podcast. I was listening to that on the train yesterday. A lot of the time you know like we do 20-odd podcasts, so there's so much audio going into my head the whole time. So to like just sit and chill out and relax doesn't happen that often. I'm also listening to a - you might want to bleep this - a podcast called 'Who Shat at My Wedding?'
Baasit: Right okay!
Pete: Somebody had a poo at somebody's wedding, they're trying to work out who did it.
Baasit: Oh wow!
Pete: I know, I know!
Baasit: Is it fiction?
Pete: No, it's true. This is true. It's true crime, it's true crime!
Baasit: True Crime, okay brilliant.
Pete: Yeah just - it changes all the time, it changes all the time.
Baasit: I'd have to echo that to be honest. Not to go into it too much, but I go through phases of listening to fiction, nonfiction, self-help ones, bit of historical ones, funny ones, sad ones, but there's so many different things there. But at heart of it all, and just to bring it back to it I think podcasts as you can tell are a really really powerful tool for people to get their creativity across as well. So thank you so much Pete it's been just brilliant to hear kind of your journey, your passion for podcasts. Thank you so much for joining me.
Pete: Pleasure thank you, awesome.
[We transition into the next section and Baasit is the only person on screen.]
Baasit: So we've talked about the how's and why's of podcasts. Now let's have a quick look at making one ourselves. So on this page of the site that you've joined us on, you will have noticed a link to my Let's Podcast workshop. Now when it comes to creating a podcast - and as Pete said in our previous interview - there are ways of doing it at a professional level. But we really want you to start creating a podcast at a simple level and dare I say just a really cost effective way. Now this resource is there for you to use as much of it or as little of it as possible. So Let's Podcast is a session that I run within schools and colleges, but you'll have access through everything that you're doing with the University of Derby, you'll have access to all of these resources.
The first five videos give you an idea of podcasting theory: the history of podcasting. But within that, is a little section about the formats. The different types of podcasting formats that are out there. And what I mean by that is essentially that you might decide to do a podcast as a solo cast where it's you talking as an individual. You might do it as an interview. You might do it as a fiction, non-fiction. There are videos and guidance there for different types of formats.
The next stage of the theory side of it is to help you to really structure your podcast. And when I say 'structure' - as with anything, and your teachers will say this as well - planning is so important. To fail to plan - to plan to fail is to fail to plan, I think is they're saying. But there's a section within Let's Podcast that shows you how to structure and plan your script for your podcast.
The last few videos are the technical side of it where they're little how-to videos on whether it's recording it on your phone or your tablet or using Zoom to record it and taking the audio away and then using some software some free software called Audacity, that shows you how to trim little bits and pieces and edit little bits and pieces, to put your podcast together.
Within my resources - the Let's Podcast resources as well - are some guidance on how to make some music. Now I won't lie to you: I've used Google Chrome Music Lab to do it. My examples aren't great if I'm honest with you, and I'm sure after you watch my how-to videos you'll make some fantastic intro music.
Last but not least, once you've created that final podcast you've added your music at the beginning and the end - you've edited the sound and the background noise using Audacity. You've got your final podcast ready to upload.
And that's it really, that is it in a nutshell when it comes to podcasting. The main thing and the main message I want you to take away from this is that you've got the Let's Podcast resource to use. It's got 12 videos on there. And you can access them to help you in creating a nicely structured, fairly decent quality podcast as well.
[We arrow wipe transition into the final section with Baasit]
Baasit: So that's a quick run through on the Let's Podcast resources. But the main thing is - if you are starting out in the world of podcasting, it's a nice free, easy to use introduction to get your own podcast off the ground. Until then - thanks for getting ready for uni with me, and happy podcasting.
[End titles - 'Get Ready for Uni with Baasit Siddiqui' - and the University of Derby logo]
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