WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:03.919 6 unexpected upgrades for your podcasting workflow. 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:12.799 Thank you for joining me for The Audacity to Podcast. 00:00:12.799 --> 00:00:13.759 I'm Daniel J. Lewis. 00:00:13.984 --> 00:00:16.704 When thinking about upgrading your podcasting workflow, you 00:00:16.704 --> 00:00:21.504 probably immediately think of actual podcasting tools, like 00:00:21.504 --> 00:00:25.504 microphones, recorders, mixers, interfaces, or combinations of 00:00:25.504 --> 00:00:29.070 all of those things, or podcast hosting, podcasting software, 00:00:29.070 --> 00:00:30.670 cameras, lighting, and such. 00:00:30.750 --> 00:00:33.149 But that's not what I'm going to share with you. 00:00:33.390 --> 00:00:39.310 In fact, none of these recommendations for you are explicitly 00:00:39.310 --> 00:00:40.350 podcasting tools. 00:00:40.545 --> 00:00:43.984 Well, 1 of them is kind of on the fence, but still, it's not 00:00:43.984 --> 00:00:45.905 explicitly a podcasting tool. 00:00:45.984 --> 00:00:52.225 And not a single 1 of these is yet another AI tool. 00:00:52.304 --> 00:00:55.590 I would love to recommend podcasting tools to you like 00:00:55.590 --> 00:00:59.989 Podgagement or PodChapters, especially PodChapters because I went 00:00:59.989 --> 00:01:04.709 from using 5 tools for about 30 minutes for every episode down to 00:01:04.709 --> 00:01:08.765 now just 1 tool taking me only about 30 seconds per episode. 00:01:08.765 --> 00:01:09.965 That's a huge win. 00:01:09.965 --> 00:01:13.644 I'd love to tell you to go to podchapters.com to try it on your 00:01:13.644 --> 00:01:14.524 next episode. 00:01:14.685 --> 00:01:17.564 I'd love to tell you about all the cool features that are in that 00:01:17.564 --> 00:01:21.164 that will save you time, helping you transcribe and chapter your 00:01:21.164 --> 00:01:24.709 podcast so that you can boost engagement and even profit from 00:01:24.709 --> 00:01:27.989 your podcast through chapters, I'd love to tell you to do that. 00:01:27.989 --> 00:01:32.469 And I'd love to remind you to go to podchapters.com to try it out 00:01:32.469 --> 00:01:35.670 for free on your next episode. But I'm not going to do that. 00:01:36.194 --> 00:01:40.755 Instead, I'm going to give you these 6 unexpected upgrades for 00:01:40.755 --> 00:01:42.194 your podcasting workflow. 00:01:42.275 --> 00:01:45.075 And if you'd like to follow along, they are a simple tap or swipe 00:01:45.075 --> 00:01:48.275 away in the show notes or the chapters or go to the 00:01:48.275 --> 00:01:52.439 audacitytopodcast.com/unexpectedupgrades. 00:01:52.439 --> 00:01:54.200 Quick little disclosure. Yes. 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:57.079 Some of these products, I have affiliate relationships with the 00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:01.239 providers or the links that are in the notes, but I am not paid 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:02.439 to talk about anything. 00:02:02.844 --> 00:02:06.364 I earn only if you purchase through my links, if they're even 00:02:06.364 --> 00:02:08.925 affiliate links, and some of these things are not affiliate 00:02:08.925 --> 00:02:12.205 links, and I earn absolutely nothing if you purchase them. 00:02:12.205 --> 00:02:14.685 And I earn only if you purchase through my links. 00:02:14.819 --> 00:02:18.659 But I recommend things I truly believe in regardless of earnings. 00:02:18.659 --> 00:02:22.420 So with that disclosure out of the way, here we go with number 1, 00:02:22.420 --> 00:02:24.180 your keyboard and mouse. 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:29.764 These are the 2 things that you are touching constantly No matter 00:02:29.764 --> 00:02:32.085 what you're doing on your computer, but especially with 00:02:32.085 --> 00:02:36.645 podcasting, you are constantly touching your mouse and keyboard. 00:02:36.805 --> 00:02:39.844 Maybe even keeping your hands on them while you are recording 00:02:39.844 --> 00:02:42.165 your podcast, and you're certainly using them while you're 00:02:42.165 --> 00:02:45.080 preparing your podcast, while you're producing your podcast, 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:47.319 while you're publishing your podcast, while you're promoting your 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:48.040 podcast. 00:02:48.040 --> 00:02:52.520 At every point in between and beyond that, you are using these 00:02:52.599 --> 00:02:55.880 the most of everything else you work with. 00:02:56.040 --> 00:02:58.439 These are your most common tools. 00:02:59.034 --> 00:03:02.474 So maybe they are due for some upgrades. 00:03:02.474 --> 00:03:04.955 I recommend a few things to look for with this. 00:03:04.955 --> 00:03:08.794 And there are some specific keyboards and mice that I might 00:03:08.794 --> 00:03:09.515 recommend. 00:03:09.675 --> 00:03:13.514 But there are some specific things that I recommend that you look 00:03:13.514 --> 00:03:13.995 for. 00:03:14.155 --> 00:03:18.740 First, look for something that's quiet because this is what we 00:03:18.740 --> 00:03:21.620 typically think of when we're getting accessories or at least I 00:03:21.620 --> 00:03:23.060 hope you think of this. 00:03:23.060 --> 00:03:26.659 Since we're recording podcasts around our podcasting workflow, 00:03:26.659 --> 00:03:30.340 whether you're audio or doing video, you want something quiet. 00:03:30.805 --> 00:03:34.485 So maybe avoid that mechanical keyboard that makes really loud 00:03:34.485 --> 00:03:36.805 sounds if you even look at it. 00:03:36.885 --> 00:03:40.485 Maybe consider getting a quiet keyboard, even if it's only for 00:03:40.485 --> 00:03:43.444 while you are recording your podcast or a quiet mouse. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:47.599 So definitely look for something that's quiet, but also look for 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:49.360 something that's comfortable. 00:03:49.519 --> 00:03:53.120 You want it to be comfortable for you to use and not cause strain 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:56.879 on your wrists, on your fingers, on your arms, elbows, shoulders, 00:03:56.879 --> 00:03:57.519 anything like that. 00:03:57.519 --> 00:04:01.284 Just think of the whole workflow of how your energy goes from 00:04:01.284 --> 00:04:05.525 your body into that device and make sure it is comfortable all 00:04:05.525 --> 00:04:06.485 along the way. 00:04:06.485 --> 00:04:09.365 There might be some adjustments you can make in other aspects 00:04:09.365 --> 00:04:13.125 like with your chair, with your desk, or positions, or wrist 00:04:13.125 --> 00:04:16.129 rests, or anything like that. But make sure it's comfortable. 00:04:16.290 --> 00:04:19.889 And the third thing is make sure it is customizable. 00:04:19.889 --> 00:04:23.170 Don't you like that quiet, comfortable, customizable, the hard c 00:04:23.170 --> 00:04:25.730 sound in each of those? I could be a pastor. 00:04:25.810 --> 00:04:27.889 That's what you want these devices to be. 00:04:27.889 --> 00:04:30.264 Quiet, comfortable, and customizable. 00:04:30.345 --> 00:04:33.785 And you want them customizable so that you can make them do 00:04:33.785 --> 00:04:36.185 things inside your podcasting workflow. 00:04:36.185 --> 00:04:40.985 For my mouse, I use a Logitech MX Master 3 s for Mac. 00:04:41.180 --> 00:04:43.980 And there are different versions, and now there's even a newer 00:04:43.980 --> 00:04:46.699 version that replaces this that has some kind of minor 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:47.660 adjustments to it. 00:04:47.660 --> 00:04:51.259 But what I love about this is it has multiple buttons that I can 00:04:51.259 --> 00:04:51.980 customize. 00:04:52.060 --> 00:04:56.735 It also has a really nice scroll wheel on it that can free flow 00:04:56.735 --> 00:04:57.935 or it can click. 00:04:58.014 --> 00:05:01.694 And it has a horizontal scroll wheel that is great for things 00:05:01.694 --> 00:05:05.935 like scrolling through a timeline in an audio editor or video 00:05:05.935 --> 00:05:09.375 editor and doing other things like zooming or all kinds of cool 00:05:09.375 --> 00:05:09.535 things. 00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:13.560 And any of the buttons on the mouse could be customized to do 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:17.240 certain things within specific apps. 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:20.600 I think now all the major mouse providers with their drivers 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:23.000 offer customization at an app level. 00:05:23.254 --> 00:05:26.615 I remember a day when you had to buy extra software to do that 00:05:26.615 --> 00:05:27.334 kind of thing. 00:05:27.334 --> 00:05:30.854 So for example, in your browser, a button could switch between 00:05:30.854 --> 00:05:31.574 tabs. 00:05:31.654 --> 00:05:34.615 But in your audio editing program, that same button could do 00:05:34.615 --> 00:05:36.854 something like silence a section that you've got. 00:05:37.009 --> 00:05:40.050 Or maybe it's the export, or anything like that that you find 00:05:40.050 --> 00:05:43.810 yourself trying to remember the keyboard combination for it or 00:05:43.810 --> 00:05:47.089 going to the menu, consider mapping that to your mouse. 00:05:47.089 --> 00:05:50.930 Or if you have a special keyboard that gives you extra keys that 00:05:50.930 --> 00:05:54.714 you can customize, then customize those and map those little 00:05:54.714 --> 00:05:56.395 shortcuts to those keys. 00:05:56.555 --> 00:06:00.795 1 of the things that I do that might sound crazy is I use 2 mice 00:06:00.795 --> 00:06:05.595 for my computer on a regular basis. I am on a 27 inch iMac. 00:06:05.595 --> 00:06:09.439 It's the last Intel iMac that Apple created, and I use 2 mice. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.120 I have the Logitech mouse in my right hand, and that's what I'm 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:16.079 doing most of my computing with when I'm using a mouse cursor. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.279 But in my left hand, next to the keyboard, to the left of the 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:23.495 keyboard, I have an Apple touch pad. That's all that it is. 00:06:23.495 --> 00:06:26.694 It's the big nice big touch pad that's even bigger than my hand. 00:06:26.774 --> 00:06:30.774 And with that, I can do really cool multi finger swiping gestures 00:06:30.774 --> 00:06:34.214 too. That's how I swipe spaces between full screen apps. 00:06:34.214 --> 00:06:37.839 That's how I easily swipe between certain tabs or scroll more 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:41.279 easily and more fluidly with my mouse instead of the scroll wheel 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:41.680 even. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.879 And certain other things like pinch to zoom and stuff like that. 00:06:45.039 --> 00:06:48.879 Really nice things that can be done with multi finger gestures 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:50.399 that are possible with that. 00:06:50.564 --> 00:06:54.564 So I've always got these 2 mice on either side of the keyboard, 00:06:54.644 --> 00:06:57.845 and that really helps my workflow and my productivity and my 00:06:57.845 --> 00:07:00.404 station. You could consider something like that too. 00:07:00.404 --> 00:07:03.045 Maybe you have 2 different mice. Maybe you have a trackball. 00:07:03.045 --> 00:07:04.324 Maybe you that's what you like. 00:07:04.324 --> 00:07:06.740 Maybe you want a vertical mouse because that would be more 00:07:06.740 --> 00:07:09.940 comfortable for you. You find out what works for you. 00:07:10.020 --> 00:07:12.420 But I recommend that you look at something that's quiet, 00:07:12.819 --> 00:07:15.139 comfortable, and customizable. 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:19.300 Number 2, kind of related to this, a control interface. 00:07:19.545 --> 00:07:23.384 That's what I'm going to call this genre of devices, like, my 00:07:23.384 --> 00:07:28.504 favorite 1, is the Elgato Stream Deck. I have a Stream Deck Mini. 00:07:28.504 --> 00:07:32.025 It is a 3 by 5 button interface. 00:07:32.025 --> 00:07:34.985 It doesn't have any knobs, dials, sliders, anything like that. 00:07:35.089 --> 00:07:36.370 It is only buttons. 00:07:36.370 --> 00:07:39.650 But what's nice is that the buttons have little screens on each 00:07:39.650 --> 00:07:40.290 of them. 00:07:40.370 --> 00:07:44.449 So I can customize the text or icon or color that goes in those 00:07:44.449 --> 00:07:45.009 buttons. 00:07:45.089 --> 00:07:48.895 Those buttons can change based on which application I'm currently 00:07:48.895 --> 00:07:49.455 in. 00:07:49.535 --> 00:07:54.495 Those buttons can also do really cool things like be toggles in 00:07:54.495 --> 00:07:55.455 and of themselves. 00:07:55.455 --> 00:07:59.295 So if I press play, then I see a pause button, and now it's a 00:07:59.295 --> 00:08:00.095 pause button. 00:08:00.095 --> 00:08:02.980 And then when I press pause, now it's a play button or a stop 00:08:02.980 --> 00:08:05.379 button or something like that. And you can have multiple stages. 00:08:05.379 --> 00:08:08.979 You can even do certain automations just within the Stream Deck 00:08:08.980 --> 00:08:09.620 workflow. 00:08:09.620 --> 00:08:13.220 Like, I've got a button for whenever I'm doing my episode images 00:08:13.220 --> 00:08:14.500 for The Audacity to Podcast. 00:08:14.904 --> 00:08:19.064 I press this button and it instantly opens up 3 different 00:08:19.064 --> 00:08:20.185 applications I need. 00:08:20.185 --> 00:08:24.504 It opens up my browser to my image library that I choose images 00:08:24.504 --> 00:08:26.745 from and icons and try to find something from there. 00:08:26.819 --> 00:08:30.180 And it opens up all of these specific folders and locations that 00:08:30.180 --> 00:08:32.019 I need for that. 00:08:32.019 --> 00:08:36.100 And that automation is done simply with the Stream Deck software. 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:40.019 What's really cool now is you don't even have to have a hardware 00:08:40.019 --> 00:08:40.980 device for this. 00:08:41.254 --> 00:08:46.054 Elgato does make a virtual Stream Deck that you can have on your 00:08:46.054 --> 00:08:46.615 computer. 00:08:46.615 --> 00:08:49.575 So you have these buttons on your computer that you can then 00:08:49.575 --> 00:08:52.294 press, kind of like if you had a hardware thing. 00:08:52.294 --> 00:08:55.254 It's a little less convenient than the hardware because it means 00:08:55.254 --> 00:08:57.879 you have to move your mouse up to that position or maybe you can 00:08:57.879 --> 00:08:59.960 activate some of those things with keyboard shortcuts. 00:08:59.960 --> 00:09:01.960 But again, that gets more complicated. 00:09:01.960 --> 00:09:06.200 Whereas with a physical separate interface, you can just reach 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:08.920 over and press the button and very quietly press those buttons 00:09:08.920 --> 00:09:13.184 and trigger certain automations or even see certain information. 00:09:13.264 --> 00:09:16.704 Like right now, I can look at my Stream Deck and I see my current 00:09:16.704 --> 00:09:20.144 CPU usage updated every couple of seconds. 00:09:20.304 --> 00:09:22.464 That's displayed on the Stream Deck. 00:09:22.544 --> 00:09:25.600 So that way I can know if my CPU is starting to overheat and I 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:29.200 need to pause the recording and run my CPU fan at a higher speed. 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:32.320 Right now, it's at a lower speed, so it will be quieter and not 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:36.160 interrupt and mess up the quality of this recording. 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:40.004 I really love the Elgato Stream Deck line because they do more 00:09:40.004 --> 00:09:41.524 than only these buttons. 00:09:41.524 --> 00:09:44.725 They have really big Stream Decks that have lots of buttons on 00:09:44.725 --> 00:09:48.804 them, but they also have other devices that are unique in the 00:09:48.804 --> 00:09:53.009 controls that they offer, like that have knobs and sliders and 00:09:53.009 --> 00:09:55.730 bigger displays on them and certain things like that and in 00:09:55.730 --> 00:09:58.690 different shapes and such that you can do really cool things with 00:09:58.690 --> 00:09:59.170 them. 00:09:59.170 --> 00:10:02.769 Like the slider could be for scrolling through your audio, or you 00:10:02.769 --> 00:10:05.889 could have a knob that allows you to very quickly jump to a 00:10:05.889 --> 00:10:09.455 certain tab or scroll in your audio also, or adjust volumes of 00:10:09.455 --> 00:10:10.414 certain things. 00:10:10.575 --> 00:10:13.934 It's limitless, pretty much, what you can do with this kind of 00:10:13.934 --> 00:10:16.735 stuff, and there's automation built within it. 00:10:16.815 --> 00:10:21.190 There are other makers of devices like this, and there are some 00:10:21.190 --> 00:10:24.070 really cool things that you might be able to find on places like 00:10:24.070 --> 00:10:26.710 Kickstarter and things where you can get some modular things, 00:10:26.710 --> 00:10:29.429 where you get a slider, and a couple of buttons, and a screen, 00:10:29.429 --> 00:10:31.669 and different things like that. That can be really cool too. 00:10:31.669 --> 00:10:33.029 You figure out what works for you. 00:10:33.444 --> 00:10:36.964 But I love these kinds of control interfaces because they can 00:10:36.964 --> 00:10:41.365 bring automation literally at your fingertips by just pressing a 00:10:41.365 --> 00:10:44.964 button, and maybe that's all that that button does. 00:10:45.044 --> 00:10:46.884 So you don't have to remember a keyboard shortcut. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:48.959 You don't have to do multiple steps. 00:10:48.959 --> 00:10:51.679 You just press this button that is right there, and it's a 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:54.480 physical button. You might not even have to look at it. 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:57.839 You could just feel it with your fingers, which would be great if 00:10:57.839 --> 00:11:00.480 you're recording a podcast with someone and you need to maintain 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:03.495 eye contact with them, or you're trying to maintain eye contact 00:11:03.495 --> 00:11:07.014 with the camera, you could just reach down, feel the button that 00:11:07.014 --> 00:11:09.735 you want to press when you know which button it is, and press 00:11:09.735 --> 00:11:12.855 that button to take whatever that action is that you want. 00:11:12.934 --> 00:11:15.254 So that's why I love this upgrade. 00:11:15.254 --> 00:11:19.870 This is the 1 that is kind of on the fence as a podcasting tool, 00:11:19.870 --> 00:11:23.230 but some people frequently think of these kinds of devices as 00:11:23.230 --> 00:11:25.389 only being for live streamers. 00:11:25.549 --> 00:11:28.350 And certainly, they are fantastic for that, like camera 00:11:28.350 --> 00:11:28.990 switching. 00:11:28.990 --> 00:11:32.335 I really wish I had a Stream Deck back when I was doing multi 00:11:32.335 --> 00:11:36.335 camera live streaming for my once upon a time podcast because I 00:11:36.335 --> 00:11:38.975 would always forget to switch the cameras, and the keyboard 00:11:38.975 --> 00:11:42.014 shortcuts were complicated with that, trying to remember that and 00:11:42.014 --> 00:11:43.295 and press all those keys. 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:45.919 Something like a Stream Deck would have made that much easier. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:50.240 This is often thought of though for more video or streaming use. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:55.200 That's why they call it a Stream Deck, but that's not all it is. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:59.934 I use this thing so much outside of a typical podcasting 00:11:59.934 --> 00:12:04.334 workflow, doing other automations for me, and it is so powerful, 00:12:04.334 --> 00:12:08.095 saves me time, saves me frustration, saves me brain cells. 00:12:08.095 --> 00:12:11.695 I definitely recommend it. That's number 2, a control interface. 00:12:12.049 --> 00:12:15.409 Number 3, automation and shortcut tools. 00:12:15.649 --> 00:12:19.809 These are software tools that you could use to make certain 00:12:19.809 --> 00:12:21.409 things go faster for you. 00:12:21.409 --> 00:12:24.529 I hinted at this a little bit with the Stream Deck that does have 00:12:24.529 --> 00:12:26.370 some of this automation built in. 00:12:26.370 --> 00:12:29.225 But look at tools like TextExpander, TextExpander or what I 00:12:29.225 --> 00:12:32.664 really love from Mac OS that I found in the last couple of years 00:12:32.664 --> 00:12:36.105 is Keyboard Maestro or an alternative for Windows would be 00:12:36.105 --> 00:12:39.865 AutoHotKey or look at things like Apple shortcuts built into Mac 00:12:39.865 --> 00:12:41.144 OS and even iOS. 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:44.560 And another new app that I've started using recently is Raycast 00:12:44.560 --> 00:12:48.240 that allows you to jump to certain features and functionality by 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:51.600 typing things with your keyboard, and that's available for both 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:53.040 Mac OS and Windows. 00:12:53.040 --> 00:12:56.000 But the point of all of these things is automating certain 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:00.054 repetitive tasks or even doing certain things for you in a more 00:13:00.054 --> 00:13:01.174 intelligent way. 00:13:01.254 --> 00:13:05.014 And these can play out in all kinds of different context for you 00:13:05.014 --> 00:13:06.615 in your podcasting workflow. 00:13:06.615 --> 00:13:10.615 For example, I just recently set up an Apple shortcut automation 00:13:10.615 --> 00:13:14.960 on my Mac OS so that I can right click on an episode folder from 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:18.960 The Audacity to Podcast and choose to archive that folder. 00:13:19.040 --> 00:13:23.120 And it automatically then moves it to the specific archive folder 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:27.154 on my separate hard drive where I put all of my archived 00:13:27.154 --> 00:13:29.394 episodes. Now you might think, oh, come on. 00:13:29.394 --> 00:13:32.035 That's just moving a folder. That's not saving you much time. 00:13:32.035 --> 00:13:33.075 Well, it is. 00:13:33.154 --> 00:13:35.795 Because before then, what I would have to do is I would have to 00:13:35.795 --> 00:13:39.315 open up 2 finder windows on Mac OS so I could see the folder I 00:13:39.315 --> 00:13:41.154 wanted to move and where I wanted to move it to. 00:13:41.370 --> 00:13:44.570 And in that second folder, I would have to go to the drive, then 00:13:44.570 --> 00:13:47.529 go to The Audacity to Podcast folder, then go to the episodes 00:13:47.529 --> 00:13:50.250 folder, and drag it into there. 00:13:50.409 --> 00:13:53.850 Now, I can just right click, choose the option to archive it, and 00:13:53.850 --> 00:13:56.134 it moves it for me. That's an Apple shortcut. 00:13:56.134 --> 00:13:58.294 You can do that kind of stuff with other tools too. 00:13:58.294 --> 00:14:02.134 With Keyboard Maestro, oh, man. This thing is so magical. 00:14:02.214 --> 00:14:04.214 I don't think they have an affiliate program, by the way. 00:14:04.214 --> 00:14:06.774 If they do, I would totally love to be in it. 00:14:06.774 --> 00:14:08.934 Maybe I am in it already. I don't remember. 00:14:08.934 --> 00:14:12.029 But whatever the case, just expect if there ever is an affiliate 00:14:12.029 --> 00:14:14.350 program, I'll be using affiliate link for it. 00:14:14.350 --> 00:14:16.990 But even if it doesn't have an affiliate program, I still love 00:14:16.990 --> 00:14:17.389 this. 00:14:17.389 --> 00:14:20.350 You can do similar things with AutoHotKey, but with some of the 00:14:20.350 --> 00:14:24.894 stuff that I do with Keyboard Maestro is system wide automation. 00:14:24.894 --> 00:14:28.335 Because Keyboard Maestro, even though the word keyboard is in the 00:14:28.335 --> 00:14:30.415 title, it can do stuff with the mouse. 00:14:30.495 --> 00:14:34.174 It can simulate mouse movements for you and click things. 00:14:34.414 --> 00:14:38.550 Not only specific locations on the screen, like certain pixels 00:14:38.550 --> 00:14:42.230 down from the top and from the left and such, but it can also 00:14:42.230 --> 00:14:47.110 look at your screen to find something on your screen, like a 00:14:47.110 --> 00:14:49.350 button that might move to different locations. 00:14:49.804 --> 00:14:53.084 In my accounting software that I use, which is currently Odoo, 00:14:53.084 --> 00:14:56.924 I'm not necessarily a big fan of it, by the way, but it has the 00:14:56.924 --> 00:14:59.164 features I need, so I'm using it. 00:14:59.164 --> 00:15:01.804 But it's a little complicated with some of its workflow stuff. 00:15:02.139 --> 00:15:05.659 I've made about a dozen automations with Keyboard Maestro and 00:15:05.659 --> 00:15:09.339 mapped all of those automations to buttons on my Stream Deck so 00:15:09.339 --> 00:15:12.940 that I can do things like record payments and create new invoices 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:17.514 and reconcile deposits and transfers and all of this stuff in my 00:15:17.514 --> 00:15:18.154 software. 00:15:18.315 --> 00:15:21.995 And some of it is using keyboard shortcuts that Keyboard Maestro 00:15:21.995 --> 00:15:22.794 triggers. 00:15:22.955 --> 00:15:27.034 Some of it is using the clipboard and it has multiple clipboards. 00:15:27.115 --> 00:15:32.080 So it can copy multiple fields of text from my email reports, and 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:34.559 then paste each of those into different places. 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:37.040 It doesn't have to go back and forth, copy paste, copy paste. 00:15:37.040 --> 00:15:40.639 It just copies, copies, copies, copies, copies, and then paste, 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:43.360 paste, paste, paste, in the different places where I want it to. 00:15:43.424 --> 00:15:44.945 And it clicks what I want it to. 00:15:44.945 --> 00:15:47.825 It can wait for certain things to appear before it takes action. 00:15:47.985 --> 00:15:50.225 All kinds of really cool stuff. TextExpander. 00:15:50.225 --> 00:15:52.705 I've done a whole episode previously about the power of text 00:15:52.705 --> 00:15:56.865 expansion where I can type in an acronym of some sort, and it 00:15:56.865 --> 00:15:58.705 will automatically expand out things. 00:15:59.070 --> 00:16:03.710 The easiest 1 that I use for The Audacity to Podcast is .tap. 00:16:03.950 --> 00:16:07.629 That then expands out to The Audacity to Podcast URL, but it pops 00:16:07.629 --> 00:16:10.670 up a little prompt that gives me the option to add something 00:16:10.670 --> 00:16:12.269 after .comslash. 00:16:12.654 --> 00:16:15.534 Like, for example, my affiliate link for TextExpander would be 00:16:15.534 --> 00:16:18.654 the audacitytopodcast.com/textexpander. 00:16:18.654 --> 00:16:22.815 So for that, instead of having to make a TextExpander snippet for 00:16:22.815 --> 00:16:27.319 every single affiliate link I have, I just do .t a p, and then I 00:16:27.319 --> 00:16:30.759 type in TextExpander into that URL field. 00:16:30.839 --> 00:16:34.679 I press enter, and then it paste that full URL for me as the 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:39.414 audacitytopodcast.com/textexpander, except also with the HTTPS. 00:16:39.414 --> 00:16:42.774 So it's a full valid URL for hyperlinking and such. 00:16:42.774 --> 00:16:45.174 There are all kinds of really cool things you can do with 00:16:45.174 --> 00:16:49.495 TextExpander too for email correspondence, for social posts. 00:16:49.929 --> 00:16:53.690 Like, if you ever do live streaming, you can make a TextExpander 00:16:53.690 --> 00:16:55.529 snippet for we're going live. 00:16:55.529 --> 00:16:58.649 Visit this URL to watch or listen live right now or share the 00:16:58.649 --> 00:17:01.690 show. Anything like that could be a TextExpander snippet. 00:17:01.690 --> 00:17:05.845 You can make entire email templates where you change certain 00:17:05.845 --> 00:17:08.404 things in the templates with TextExpander. 00:17:08.404 --> 00:17:10.964 You can even do some of this kind of stuff with Keyboard Maestro 00:17:10.964 --> 00:17:12.884 or AutoHotKey as well. 00:17:12.884 --> 00:17:16.164 But I've used TextExpander for now, I think, 2 decades. 00:17:16.660 --> 00:17:20.740 TextExpander is now available on Windows as well as Mac OS. 00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:24.099 But back when I started using TextExpander, it was only on Mac 00:17:24.099 --> 00:17:26.500 OS, which back then was called OS 10. 00:17:26.579 --> 00:17:30.660 And that was a big thing that got me to switch from Windows to 00:17:30.660 --> 00:17:34.264 Mac because I wanted TextExpander. And Raycast. 00:17:34.264 --> 00:17:37.464 I'm discovering more and more cool features inside of Raycast and 00:17:37.464 --> 00:17:40.264 the ways that it can jump straight into certain things. 00:17:40.264 --> 00:17:44.424 Just for example, I can tie it into Zoom so that when I press on 00:17:44.424 --> 00:17:46.345 my Mac, it would be command space bar. 00:17:46.609 --> 00:17:50.369 It will automatically show my next meeting in Zoom. 00:17:50.450 --> 00:17:53.890 So I can just very quickly with my keyboard, select that meeting, 00:17:53.890 --> 00:17:57.009 press enter, and it opens that meeting in Zoom. 00:17:57.090 --> 00:18:00.934 So I'm jumping straight into my Zoom meeting or certain other 00:18:00.934 --> 00:18:02.055 things like that I can do. 00:18:02.055 --> 00:18:07.255 It can also do silly things, like provide animated GIFs for me or 00:18:07.255 --> 00:18:10.934 help me find emoji better or all kinds of cool stuff. 00:18:10.934 --> 00:18:15.335 There's even a domain availability checker built into Raycast. 00:18:15.730 --> 00:18:20.609 And, yes, it can have some AI features in it as well, but I don't 00:18:20.609 --> 00:18:23.970 use the AI features in it. But if you want to, you can. 00:18:23.970 --> 00:18:24.529 They're in there. 00:18:24.529 --> 00:18:26.769 That's not why I'm listing it because of AI, but because of 00:18:26.769 --> 00:18:28.129 everything else it does. 00:18:28.130 --> 00:18:32.375 These kinds of things are software based ways to improve your 00:18:32.375 --> 00:18:36.615 workflow by automating things and by giving you shortcuts to 00:18:36.615 --> 00:18:39.894 certain things, remembering things for you so you don't have to, 00:18:39.894 --> 00:18:42.695 or doing multiple steps so you don't have to. 00:18:42.695 --> 00:18:46.549 Number 4, smart home accessories. You might think, wait a minute. 00:18:46.549 --> 00:18:49.429 We're talking about podcasting, not automating your home. 00:18:49.429 --> 00:18:50.309 Well, yeah. 00:18:50.390 --> 00:18:55.589 But many independent podcasters podcast from home and work from 00:18:55.589 --> 00:18:56.549 home maybe too. 00:18:56.884 --> 00:19:01.285 So smart home accessories can be a great podcasting workflow 00:19:01.285 --> 00:19:04.644 improvement because of different things that you can do with 00:19:04.644 --> 00:19:05.845 smart home accessories. 00:19:05.845 --> 00:19:09.365 For example, you could use a smart thermostat so you can make 00:19:09.365 --> 00:19:12.349 your HVAC quiet while you're recording. 00:19:12.429 --> 00:19:16.829 Like I do every time before I record an episode of my podcast, I 00:19:16.829 --> 00:19:20.190 turn off the thermostat, turn off the heater, the ventilation, 00:19:20.190 --> 00:19:21.869 the air conditioner, whatever's running. 00:19:21.869 --> 00:19:24.990 I suffer for the craft so it's not running in the background and 00:19:24.990 --> 00:19:25.869 being really noisy. 00:19:26.105 --> 00:19:29.384 I turn that off whenever I'm recording and then turn it back on 00:19:29.384 --> 00:19:33.384 afterward. I also have smart light bulbs for special effects. 00:19:33.384 --> 00:19:36.664 Like, you ever watch some of the videos that I have, I'll have my 00:19:36.664 --> 00:19:40.825 acoustic panels behind me have LED strips in them that can change 00:19:40.825 --> 00:19:41.144 colors. 00:19:41.419 --> 00:19:44.380 Those turn on and off, and I can change their colors through my 00:19:44.380 --> 00:19:48.380 smart home devices, like my Amazon smart speaker or even some 00:19:48.380 --> 00:19:50.859 iPhone or Mac OS automations. 00:19:50.859 --> 00:19:54.380 I also have LIFX smart bulbs that can do things like change 00:19:54.380 --> 00:19:55.659 colors or simply turn off. 00:19:56.125 --> 00:20:00.684 And I have studio lights that are on this other thing I would 00:20:00.684 --> 00:20:05.005 recommend would be smart switches or outlets for even simply 00:20:05.005 --> 00:20:09.164 controlling the power to things that might otherwise not be 00:20:09.164 --> 00:20:09.565 smart. 00:20:09.890 --> 00:20:13.570 So my smart bulbs can do some really cool lighting effects or 00:20:13.570 --> 00:20:17.330 even simply turn on and off, but the smart switches can turn on 00:20:17.330 --> 00:20:21.890 and off those things that I can't reach, like a room heater or a 00:20:21.890 --> 00:20:25.634 fan or certain light bulbs or turning on things. 00:20:25.714 --> 00:20:29.234 Like, I have this automation setup with my smart speaker that I 00:20:29.234 --> 00:20:31.554 just tell it switch to podcast mode. 00:20:31.554 --> 00:20:35.234 And then what it does is it turns off all the normal light bulbs 00:20:35.234 --> 00:20:38.274 in my room, which are all smart light bulbs, but it turns all of 00:20:38.274 --> 00:20:38.835 them off. 00:20:39.340 --> 00:20:44.619 Then it turns on the smart power outlets that turn on my studio 00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:47.820 lights, which are LED light panels, and they're not smart 00:20:47.820 --> 00:20:48.380 devices. 00:20:48.380 --> 00:20:51.580 Well, they do have a remote, but the remote is a little bit 00:20:51.580 --> 00:20:52.860 cumbersome to work with it. 00:20:52.860 --> 00:20:56.384 If I'm simply turning on and off each light, I don't wanna have 00:20:56.384 --> 00:20:59.825 to mess with that. I just want everything switched automatically. 00:20:59.825 --> 00:21:02.944 So it turns on the studio lights, turns off the room lights, it 00:21:02.944 --> 00:21:08.259 turns on my pretty LED background behind the acoustic panels, And 00:21:08.259 --> 00:21:12.819 it can do some other automations too, like turning off the HVAC 00:21:12.819 --> 00:21:16.900 system and any kind of other heaters or fans or other appliances 00:21:16.900 --> 00:21:18.179 or anything like that. 00:21:18.179 --> 00:21:21.140 Or I've heard of some people having a little code in their home 00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:24.634 where they have a smart light bulb outside of their recording 00:21:24.634 --> 00:21:25.194 space. 00:21:25.355 --> 00:21:28.954 And whenever that light bulb is red, that is their now recording 00:21:28.954 --> 00:21:29.835 indicator. 00:21:29.914 --> 00:21:33.755 So everyone knows, oh, when that light is red, let's try to be 00:21:33.755 --> 00:21:34.394 quiet. 00:21:34.394 --> 00:21:36.954 Let's keep the kids out of that room, keep the pets out, 00:21:36.954 --> 00:21:37.355 whatever. 00:21:37.355 --> 00:21:40.789 Let's not decide this is the moment to vacuum and move furniture 00:21:40.789 --> 00:21:41.429 around. 00:21:41.589 --> 00:21:44.150 This is the moment to be quiet because someone is recording 00:21:44.150 --> 00:21:47.429 something and shouldn't be interrupted or there shouldn't be loud 00:21:47.429 --> 00:21:48.149 noises. 00:21:48.309 --> 00:21:51.429 These are really cool things that you can do to help your 00:21:51.429 --> 00:21:55.194 podcasting workflow by using these smart home automations. 00:21:55.355 --> 00:21:59.035 And it means that you could then do this right from wherever 00:21:59.035 --> 00:22:01.355 you're sitting, right when you're ready to record instead of 00:22:01.355 --> 00:22:02.954 getting up and remembering, oh, yeah. 00:22:02.954 --> 00:22:06.279 I need to go remember to turn off the heater or air conditioner. 00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:09.160 I need to turn on the studio lights. I need to close this. 00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:11.400 Open that. I need to switch this over. 00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:12.920 I need to change this light color. 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:16.680 You can just do that maybe with a button on your Elgato Stream 00:22:16.680 --> 00:22:17.080 Deck. 00:22:17.080 --> 00:22:19.960 Maybe you do it through your smart speaker, but switch it over. 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:24.474 And for me, then when I say turn on the office, although most of 00:22:24.474 --> 00:22:27.674 the time, the Amazon and some of the other smart speaker devices 00:22:27.674 --> 00:22:31.434 just recognize that as turning on the power to the room and the 00:22:31.434 --> 00:22:34.794 room lights, I've actually overridden that by making an 00:22:34.794 --> 00:22:37.979 automation that's triggered by those same words. 00:22:38.220 --> 00:22:41.740 So instead of simply turning on the lights, when I say turn on 00:22:41.740 --> 00:22:45.499 the office, it turns off the podcast mode. 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:47.659 So it turns off the studio lights. 00:22:47.659 --> 00:22:51.625 It turns off the LED RGB background that I have with my acoustic 00:22:51.625 --> 00:22:52.264 panels. 00:22:52.265 --> 00:22:56.424 It turns on the normal room lights and sets them back to normal 00:22:56.424 --> 00:23:00.585 brightness and normal colors for me and turns on the HVAC system 00:23:00.585 --> 00:23:03.089 and anything else like that that was turned off by the 00:23:03.089 --> 00:23:04.929 automation, it turns it back on. 00:23:04.929 --> 00:23:07.730 And then if I say turn off the office, it simply turns off the 00:23:07.730 --> 00:23:08.450 lights. 00:23:08.450 --> 00:23:10.769 So these are some of the things that you could start thinking 00:23:10.769 --> 00:23:15.505 about with smart home automation tools. Number 5, furniture. 00:23:15.585 --> 00:23:20.545 Especially think about your desk, your chair, and storage, both 00:23:20.545 --> 00:23:23.184 visible storage and invisible storage. 00:23:23.265 --> 00:23:25.345 So think first about your desk. 00:23:25.345 --> 00:23:28.545 This is the thing that your podcasting gear is probably sitting 00:23:28.545 --> 00:23:28.704 on. 00:23:28.909 --> 00:23:31.869 Your computer, your keyboard, your mouse, anything that you're 00:23:31.869 --> 00:23:34.990 working with, space for you to maybe write something on, jot down 00:23:34.990 --> 00:23:36.269 notes, anything like that. 00:23:36.349 --> 00:23:39.470 This could also be the space where someone else is sitting with 00:23:39.470 --> 00:23:42.349 you. Maybe you need to upgrade what you're working with. 00:23:42.605 --> 00:23:46.684 There was for a while when I first started doing in studio cohost 00:23:46.684 --> 00:23:50.125 podcast with my Clean Comedy Podcast and also then later the Once 00:23:50.125 --> 00:23:54.445 Upon a Time Podcast, it was a bit awkward, the setup that we had. 00:23:54.445 --> 00:23:57.180 Initially, I had to share a microphone with someone, which I 00:23:57.180 --> 00:23:58.700 never recommended doing that. 00:23:58.859 --> 00:24:02.700 And also just the if we wanted to do any kind of video streaming, 00:24:02.700 --> 00:24:05.580 just the angles weren't right, all this kind of stuff was 00:24:05.580 --> 00:24:06.220 complicated. 00:24:06.220 --> 00:24:09.900 So I figured out a way that I could move my desk in the room. 00:24:10.234 --> 00:24:14.634 I could also modify the desk a little bit because I have 1 of 00:24:14.634 --> 00:24:18.714 those very old desks that was built for CRT monitors. 00:24:18.715 --> 00:24:22.394 So it's very deep, but that also means it's table size. 00:24:22.474 --> 00:24:25.674 So someone could sit on the other side of the desk like it was a 00:24:25.674 --> 00:24:25.914 table. 00:24:26.069 --> 00:24:28.950 And then I got 1 of those little arms that you have for your 00:24:28.950 --> 00:24:29.429 monitors. 00:24:29.429 --> 00:24:31.990 I got 1 of those so I could move the monitor out of the way 00:24:31.990 --> 00:24:35.269 easily and look at my cohost while we were speaking. 00:24:35.349 --> 00:24:38.469 That was cool stuff that I was able to do with my desk. 00:24:38.549 --> 00:24:39.750 You could also look at your chair. 00:24:40.174 --> 00:24:43.054 Think about how quiet is your chair. 00:24:43.134 --> 00:24:46.015 Does it make squeaking sounds every time you move around? 00:24:46.015 --> 00:24:49.454 Especially if you've got a leather chair, you might get some 00:24:50.015 --> 00:24:54.174 little awkward sounds in your podcast recording whenever you just 00:24:54.174 --> 00:24:56.980 twitch slightly. And then you have to say, sorry. 00:24:56.980 --> 00:25:00.339 That was definitely the chair. Believe me. 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:04.019 Look at these things from a similar perspective of your keyboard 00:25:04.019 --> 00:25:06.019 and mouse, but in a slightly different order. 00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:08.500 First priority, I think, should be the comfort. 00:25:08.904 --> 00:25:12.825 Second priority should be supportive of whatever it needs to 00:25:12.825 --> 00:25:13.144 support. 00:25:13.144 --> 00:25:16.105 So your desk needs to support all the gear that you're putting on 00:25:16.105 --> 00:25:18.825 it. So think about what kind of gear you're putting on it. 00:25:18.825 --> 00:25:20.664 And might you need to modify the desk? 00:25:20.664 --> 00:25:23.779 Might you need to drill holes through the desk, which that was 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:26.259 really difficult for me the first time I drilled holes through my 00:25:26.259 --> 00:25:26.579 desk. 00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:30.179 But now, I'm glad I did because the cables are really nice going 00:25:30.179 --> 00:25:32.740 through these different holes and certain things stick through 00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:35.140 certain places, and it's much cleaner now. And I like that. 00:25:35.140 --> 00:25:36.259 More about cables in a moment. 00:25:36.515 --> 00:25:39.715 But also, if it's something you're sitting in, your chair, it 00:25:39.715 --> 00:25:43.795 needs to be supportive of your body and your posture, not only 00:25:43.795 --> 00:25:47.315 for the sake of your health, but also your energy level. 00:25:47.315 --> 00:25:51.799 Just think about how different your energy feels when you're 00:25:51.799 --> 00:25:55.480 sitting up straight with a straight back versus when you're 00:25:55.480 --> 00:25:57.720 slouched or if you're hunched over. 00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:59.480 Your energy level is different. 00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:03.240 So make sure that your furniture supports those things. 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:06.715 And the last point here for what you should look for in furniture 00:26:06.715 --> 00:26:08.634 is that it be quiet. 00:26:08.795 --> 00:26:12.315 You don't want your chair making sounds when you move in it. 00:26:12.315 --> 00:26:13.275 You want something quiet. 00:26:13.275 --> 00:26:16.234 So if you're looking at buying a new chair, I recommend look for 00:26:16.234 --> 00:26:21.099 something that has no hard plastic that is touching you and no 00:26:21.099 --> 00:26:22.059 leather at all. 00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:24.619 Make sure it's all fabric or mesh, something like that. 00:26:24.619 --> 00:26:28.619 Make sure it has good lumbar support and all that other stuff you 00:26:28.619 --> 00:26:29.340 have to think about. 00:26:29.340 --> 00:26:32.299 You might even need to think about, should it have armrests or 00:26:32.299 --> 00:26:32.460 not? 00:26:32.765 --> 00:26:35.245 There have been certain chairs that I've had that had armrests 00:26:35.245 --> 00:26:37.404 that always caused me to have bad posture. 00:26:37.404 --> 00:26:40.445 It was really because of the position of the armrests. 00:26:40.445 --> 00:26:42.845 So when I got a different chair where I could adjust the position 00:26:42.845 --> 00:26:47.164 of the armrests, that improved my posture because I wasn't 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:49.759 slouching over or hunching over in order to rest my arm on this. 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:52.480 I could raise the armrest, so then that helped the rest of my 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:55.919 posture. And the chair I have now is a quiet chair. 00:26:55.919 --> 00:26:59.555 Well, there are little parts that are kind of loose, but as long 00:26:59.555 --> 00:27:03.075 as I'm not moving too aggressively, then that part stays quiet. 00:27:03.075 --> 00:27:04.674 I also mentioned storage. 00:27:04.914 --> 00:27:09.234 Think of this not only as where you put things away, but also 00:27:09.234 --> 00:27:12.859 where you put things that you want to access and things you want 00:27:12.859 --> 00:27:13.659 to show. 00:27:13.819 --> 00:27:17.179 Maybe it's a shelf that is visible in your livestream or if you 00:27:17.179 --> 00:27:20.619 do any kind of other video, something that you want people to see 00:27:20.619 --> 00:27:23.179 because it looks really nice. Think about that storage. 00:27:23.179 --> 00:27:27.315 Maybe upgrade that to be something nicer, Something that maybe 00:27:27.315 --> 00:27:30.355 you have to move things around because of the space that you're 00:27:30.355 --> 00:27:32.994 using. So think about what's more movable. 00:27:33.075 --> 00:27:37.474 Maybe if you have a live streaming station that you need to move 00:27:37.474 --> 00:27:40.470 your computer screen or different things around, look at 00:27:40.470 --> 00:27:42.149 something that can be on wheels. 00:27:42.309 --> 00:27:44.150 So you can just move it around like that. 00:27:44.150 --> 00:27:49.109 Or 1 of the really cool investments I got for my original remote 00:27:49.109 --> 00:27:52.390 office before I brought my office back in the home is some light 00:27:52.390 --> 00:27:55.349 stands that drill into the wall or ceiling. 00:27:55.605 --> 00:27:58.565 So it made it really easy for me to position the lights exactly 00:27:58.565 --> 00:28:02.565 where I needed them to be and move them out of the way and easily 00:28:02.565 --> 00:28:05.845 move them back to where I needed them to be without messing with 00:28:05.845 --> 00:28:08.644 cables and light stands on the floor. 00:28:08.929 --> 00:28:12.529 Storage might also be where you're putting things away. 00:28:12.529 --> 00:28:15.970 Make sure that you're making good use of your storage, that stuff 00:28:15.970 --> 00:28:18.929 is staying dry and the right temperature and all of that stuff, 00:28:18.929 --> 00:28:21.730 and you're not just throwing things in the closet, but you've got 00:28:21.730 --> 00:28:23.410 good storage management there. 00:28:23.595 --> 00:28:26.954 That can be really good for your podcast, especially whenever you 00:28:26.954 --> 00:28:28.554 need to try and find something. 00:28:28.714 --> 00:28:30.874 It's so much easier when things are organized. 00:28:30.875 --> 00:28:34.075 And if ever someone comes over to look at your space, you want it 00:28:34.075 --> 00:28:35.434 to look nice too. 00:28:35.515 --> 00:28:39.940 And speaking of looking nice, number 6, cable management. 00:28:40.099 --> 00:28:41.380 This could be zip ties. 00:28:41.380 --> 00:28:46.339 This could be cable tracks or rails or even stapling or gluing 00:28:46.339 --> 00:28:47.299 things down. 00:28:47.539 --> 00:28:52.845 Try to keep your cables in the same places looking nice so you 00:28:52.845 --> 00:28:55.724 don't have all of these loose cables around, tie up the loose 00:28:55.724 --> 00:28:59.644 ends, maybe even invest in shorter cables or longer cables 00:28:59.644 --> 00:29:01.325 depending on what you need. 00:29:01.404 --> 00:29:04.924 You could even look at things like angled cables or angled 00:29:04.924 --> 00:29:08.729 connectors. Like, maybe it's a 90 degree connector. 00:29:08.730 --> 00:29:12.490 So instead of something sticking straight out of the back of your 00:29:12.490 --> 00:29:16.250 microphone for your XLR cable, maybe it's a 90 degree connector. 00:29:16.250 --> 00:29:17.210 So it points up. 00:29:17.210 --> 00:29:20.730 So that saves a couple of inches from behind your microphone. 00:29:20.894 --> 00:29:24.894 Or it could be the same thing with USB cables or other kinds of 00:29:24.894 --> 00:29:27.054 data cables or power cables and such. 00:29:27.214 --> 00:29:29.934 Consider your cable management. Keep this in mind though. 00:29:30.015 --> 00:29:34.894 As much as possible, keep your power cables away from your audio 00:29:34.894 --> 00:29:35.214 cables. 00:29:35.509 --> 00:29:38.789 Data cables, I think, are mostly insulated, so you don't have to 00:29:38.789 --> 00:29:42.789 worry about them being around either audio or power cables. 00:29:42.950 --> 00:29:47.430 But your audio cables are not as well insulated unless you buy 00:29:47.430 --> 00:29:51.065 really expensive ones, especially from the kind of interference 00:29:51.065 --> 00:29:53.304 that can happen from power. 00:29:53.464 --> 00:29:57.544 I don't mean power like just the USB c cable that's powering some 00:29:57.544 --> 00:30:00.825 little device, but I mean the power that's coming from the wall 00:30:00.825 --> 00:30:04.559 or from a power adapter of some kind where there are a lot of 00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:08.480 volts and amps going through that line, that can sometimes cause 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:12.640 some little interference in your recording that sounds kind of 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:15.599 like constant mice squeaking in the background. 00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:19.565 So keep your audio cables separate from your power cables, and 00:30:19.565 --> 00:30:22.764 keep these things looking nice as much as possible. 00:30:22.845 --> 00:30:26.525 And it can be a thing of beauty when you have your cables managed 00:30:26.525 --> 00:30:30.044 really well. It's wonderful. It can look so much cleaner. 00:30:30.204 --> 00:30:33.569 And for many people, maybe it's not this way for you, but for 00:30:33.569 --> 00:30:38.849 many people, a cleaner space is a less distracting space. 00:30:39.089 --> 00:30:43.169 I know some people I don't know what type letter it is, but some 00:30:43.169 --> 00:30:46.929 people can get really distracted being around any level of 00:30:46.929 --> 00:30:47.250 clutter. 00:30:47.464 --> 00:30:51.384 Even if you're not that type of person, I would still suspect 00:30:51.464 --> 00:30:55.065 that it's a little bit easier for you to focus on things if 00:30:55.065 --> 00:30:56.825 you're in a cleaner space. 00:30:56.904 --> 00:30:59.625 I'm not saying you can't have your little memorabilia around, 00:30:59.625 --> 00:31:02.860 like if you've got podcast awards or fun little things that your 00:31:02.860 --> 00:31:03.660 audience sent you. 00:31:03.660 --> 00:31:07.019 Definitely have those things sitting out on some nice storage 00:31:07.019 --> 00:31:09.099 perhaps, like I mentioned in number 5. 00:31:09.259 --> 00:31:12.779 But have these things orderly so they look nice to you. 00:31:13.204 --> 00:31:16.404 If you do any kind of video work, they look nice in the video, 00:31:16.565 --> 00:31:20.085 and their positions are not in the way of anything that you're 00:31:20.085 --> 00:31:20.804 working with. 00:31:20.964 --> 00:31:24.805 So these 6 categories of things that I recommend as unexpected 00:31:24.805 --> 00:31:26.964 upgrades for your podcasting workflow. 00:31:27.045 --> 00:31:29.045 Number 1, a computer keyboard and mouse. 00:31:29.259 --> 00:31:31.499 Number 2, a control interface. 00:31:31.579 --> 00:31:34.220 Number 3, automation and shortcut tools. 00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:38.139 Number 4, smart home accessories. Number 5, furniture. 00:31:38.140 --> 00:31:40.460 And number 6, cable management. 00:31:40.619 --> 00:31:43.980 I've got a few links to some suggestions under each of these 00:31:43.980 --> 00:31:47.815 things If you're looking for certain things to solve some of 00:31:47.815 --> 00:31:51.015 these problems, like the mouse that I use and the Stream Deck and 00:31:51.015 --> 00:31:53.575 some of these other apps and tools and software and such. 00:31:53.575 --> 00:31:55.974 So you can check those out in the notes over at the 00:31:55.974 --> 00:32:00.619 audacitytopodcast.com/unexpectedupgrades. 00:32:00.779 --> 00:32:04.380 I am going to Podfest in Orlando, and I'd love to see you there. 00:32:04.380 --> 00:32:06.779 And when this episode is publishing, maybe you're even listening 00:32:06.779 --> 00:32:08.700 to this on your way to Podfest. 00:32:08.700 --> 00:32:13.575 So if you hear this before seeing me at Podfest, come to me and 00:32:13.654 --> 00:32:18.055 let's record a little answer because I want to ask you what kinds 00:32:18.055 --> 00:32:21.494 of unexpected upgrades you found for your own podcasting 00:32:21.494 --> 00:32:25.575 workflow. It can't be the normal podcasting kind of thing. 00:32:25.789 --> 00:32:29.710 Like, no microphones, mixers, podcast hosting, anything like 00:32:29.710 --> 00:32:34.429 that. Something that you wouldn't think of as a podcasting tool. 00:32:34.589 --> 00:32:38.750 But when you upgraded it or maybe you purchased a new kind of 00:32:38.750 --> 00:32:41.964 tool, it really helped you in your podcasting workflow. 00:32:41.965 --> 00:32:45.565 So find me at Podfest so I can record that answer from you, or 00:32:45.565 --> 00:32:49.325 you can send your answer in to me at podcast feedback dot com 00:32:49.325 --> 00:32:50.765 slash audacity. 00:32:50.765 --> 00:32:53.339 Now that I've given you some of the guts and taught you some of 00:32:53.339 --> 00:32:56.299 the tools, it's time for you to go start and grow your own 00:32:56.299 --> 00:32:59.819 podcast for passion and profit. I'm Daniel J. 00:32:59.819 --> 00:33:03.339 Lewis from theaudacitytopodcast.com. Thanks for listening.