Monthly Archives: February 2017

Cliff Note Transcriptions for Storytellers using YouTube

February 26, 2017 grittybirds

We have made a BIG breakthrough!

I am Jeni. I run a weekly narrative music industry podcast called Gritty Birds at XRAY.FM in Portland, Oregon.

We spend A LOT of time on transcription. Thanks to one of our friends in She Podcast, we’ve FOUND A HACK!

The process takes a few hour of loading, but leaves you with a time stamp heavy transcript. It’s perfect for pre-editing and scripting and just left us VERY excited.

“Greedy Bird Podcast” lol

We’ve got more videos coming in the next week including a follow up to my live video on Facebook on my new live set up including reviews.

This week’s episode is with Australian rockers, The Griswolds.

Jeni Wren

Support on Patreon

http://www.patreon.com/grittybirds

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Hey! We’re growing! Have you subscribed to our Newsletter?

Video February 23, 2017 grittybirds

Our lovely website is now the host to our newsletter! We’re going to be launching a new website in a few months, but here is our latest update!

Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter on the side of the site.

Or you can follow us by supporting us on Patreon.

Or you can subscribe to us on iTunes for episodes straight to your inbox!

xo,

Jeni

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Podcast Movement Specials

August 13, 2019 grittybirds

End of Summer is upon us and that means the annual gathering of all things Podcasting, PODCAST MOVEMENT.

I’m here this week, ahead of my speaking gig on Narrative Podcasting in 2 months at She Podcasts Live, offering a couple special promotions!

Private Coaching bundle

Do you want to up your skills in audio production, social media or more? Over 4 hour long sessions or 6 half hour sessions, we can work on technique and more, for a discounted $300 rate.

This deal is extending through until She Podcasts Live!

Promo code: PM2019COACHING

New Client Special: DISCOUNTED INITIAL EPISODE

For all new clients who sign and give a deposit within 2 weeks of Podcast Movement, I’m offering 1 discounted episode for $100, up to an hour of advanced editing with a consult.

Promo code: PM2019EPISODE

LAUNCH PACKAGES

For all new clients who sign up and give a deposit within 2 weeks of Podcast Movement, I will take $50 off launch package pricing. Please message for more details on pricing.

Promo code: PM2019LAUNCH

See you soon!

If you are in Orlando, send me a message in the app if you’d like to schedule a meeting. Otherwise, feel free to book at time using the promotion codes listed above on acuity.

http://grittybirdspodcasting.as.me

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REVIEW: SPOTIFY’S SOUNDTRAP

May 15, 2019 grittybirds

This week Spotify unveiled their latest development in their buildout in the podcast and audio world, Soundtrap.

The big piece they unveiled for podcasts is a transcript and audio sync that allows you to delete audio straight from the transcript.

I specialize in narrative so this was very appealing. The program has a free trial that allows for 30 minutes of audio.

I uploaded my interview with artist Billy Strings from Pickathon in 2017. I already have a transcript for it from Amazon’s AWS service which is now offered for free in the next year if you using Auphonic, but it fit in right at that 30 minute mark.

First looks:

An online software at this point, it feels like a fusion between Garageband and Canva(an online graphic design tool). Uploading was very simple. The transcript took about an hr to be created and as advertised, you can absolutely delete audio straight from it.

The program also has audio integration including a large library of royalty free loops that come with a couple of levels of the subscription.

Soundtrap is making waves for podcasting but it’s main application when you enter the site is music production.

For podcasting, the delete tool is great, but it hasn’t really fleshed itself out yet to truly be effective for storytelling.

Where it can improve:

First, there is not an option for using plugins. This means that you cannot do audio clean up in here.

Second, it does not have space yet for clip saves. In narrative, being able to save small chunks and then reassemble them is important. Hindenburg and Audition are still far superior for both of these first two reasons.

Third, there is not yet a way to edit the transcript other than deletion. This means you can’t make a quick script and note when voices change without listening.

Final take:

Overall, it’s a pass for this editor currently. My current stable of programs are more effective. That being said, I hope they continue to develop this technology and I’m interested in seeing where it develops in the next year. If they are able to integrate plugins and clip save or if other programs are able to develop this technology themselves, it would be a wonderful tool for storytellers.

http://www.soundtrap.com

Tips

Lets Talk Content: PT 1

May 8, 2019 grittybirds

Lets talk Content.

As an audio producer, editing is far from the only part that matters. If we aren’t looking at what we’re making intentionally, even great audio can lose a listener.

Yesterday I spent my day working on my podcast, Grittybirds, which has been hiatus while I was focused on launching the company side of my life as a podcast editor and producer.

My show is a little different than some. While it is developed from interviews, it’s also narrative and works best in seasons. Looking at how I want to put it out, I’m spending a lot of time thinking about a few different things and it’s a perfect time to share some thoughts over the next weeks on creating great content.

What do you want to say?

First, you can say anything you want. I mean anything. I can’t promise people will listen, but you can do whatever you want.

But in content creation, really taking a minute to know what your core story is and building around it is really important.

We’re talking episode archs. One thing I appreciate about my show is that there is no rule that says that you need to release your episodes from those guests in the order you recorded it.

Say for example you are a comedy show and your topic is wine and the Bachelorette(ps this is a shoutout to a couple different friends who have some great shows in this realm).

What if for the month, you threw in a segment about wines from certain regions the tv show favs are from? And then, match them with guests from those places who have opinions! You could then use those interviews as the show favs have big moments, while adding your own personal commentary to the intro and outro to keep it fresh.

How fun would that be? Plus it’s built in content for your ‘gram and more. At the end you could ask people listening is to give their favorite wine picks in a march madness style game.

Like I mentioned before, you can say anything. But setting it up in a thought out month-long concept lets you dig and create a conversation with the people who are in the show.

Someone once told me that storytelling is about shining a light to guide your listeners to the next part.

That’s what this is. You’re capturing the strength of content in whatever your niche is, to keep the conversation with your listeners going.

Check out my youtube video from the FB live the other day!

Podcast Editing, The Gritty Birds Podcast, The In

Podcast Production for the Podcast Boom

April 25, 2019 grittybirds

A couple years ago I applied for position doing audio for Iowa Public Radio. My family was stoked when I got the first interview. It was on a college campus a solid hour from the main freeways, much like the small town I grew up in, Fort Dodge.

I didn’t get the job and was torn. On one hand, I was not ready to leave the NW and go back to my home state. On the other hand, I loved producing audio and my mind was set on the process I’d assumed was the way people could work in podcast production: network positions.

Guess what, I was wrong.

Today, there is an entire growing industry around creating great audio for podcasts. Whether you are looking to hire someone, or want to get those skills in your own pocket, the fact is that the Podcast Boom is finally here.

How amazing is an era where you can use youtube for in-depth tutorials on sound issues, take an inexpensive workshop or join one of dozens of FB, Google, WeMe, or other communities that give whatever guidance you are curious about in minutes.

The podcast Boom is here. And after 4 years since releasing my first show, I’m here FT.

Are you in for the boom?

If you’re in the Portland Area, join in next week on Friday May 3, for the launch party including music by myself and a DJ set from DJ Pacemaker, 8 pm at the Barrio in the Portland Mercado.

podcast podcastediting podcasting

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The Silent Protest: Music’s Revolution with Wild Ones, Reptaliens and Priests

October 26, 2017 grittybirds

The Silent Protest: Making Music Today with Wild Ones, Reptaliens and Priests

“People think because we’re outspoken, or because we have opinions about the fact that like a fascist is running our country, we’re a political band. But I think that that binary of political non-political music ignores the fact that there’s a political dimension to almost any kind of art.

Saying let’s keep politics out of this is a way to reinforce the status quo. So we shy away from from the label political band for those reasons about the world around us.”, say Katie Alice Greer, from woman for DC band Priests.

They are a post punk band in a post the rich asshole era, who just released their latest album in January. This feeling defined a large number of the perspectives from artists I spoke with this year for this Season’s interviews.

Wild Ones Danielle Sullivan shared, “I’ve always thought obviously going to concerts is a really special thing, but it’s felt like elevated in a special way since all of the upsetting and disturbing things have been going on for the last year.

Almost just the act of going getting out of your house going to a room to be with all of these other people that you don’t know.. and they could believe or think or like be different from you in every way. Getting sweaty right next to strangers, just to absorb an experience and be part of art feels so important right now. It feels even more important than before somehow.

Wild Ones new album plays with the ideas of anxiety, set to a pop and synth splattered canvas. In both Priests and Wild Ones albums, there is a certain escapism that folds in the message, a certain defiance. Despite all the darkness, we’re not getting held down from the light.

Reptaliens smooth and upbeat optimism, paired with the downright experimental stands against uniformity, taking challenges with their music and in their approach.

“It’s all about a serial killer and it kind of takes you through his life and like his childhood and then through… there’s this saxophone bass solo that kind of takes you through him killing somebody. So it’s a really intense song it’s called olive boy. “oh this boy on everyone’s minds.. who is the olive boy,” shared vocalist and shredder Bambi B about a track from a B sides record released this spring.

Stepping on stage with a dancing alien, singing music about serial killers, they called the attention of Captured Tracks. It was the only label they reached out to but they were quickly signed with the label.

For Wild Ones, Reptaliens and Priests, it’s a time to take risks with music and not be afraid to tell it how it is.

You can check out each other albums, which were released this year, on their websites.

Listen to the episode for more stories, set to music from their recent albums.

Subscribe now on iTunes

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