For someone who’s been in the world of podcasts for quite a long time, podcasting doesn’t seem like a cutting-edge technology that only limited people can enjoy.
In fact, it’s exactly the opposite of it. In podcasting, you have a pretty level playing field that anyone can take part in. This is how Jim Salveson, our guest on the show, describes what makes podcasting exciting.
Jim and Ant have long been colleagues in radio productions and On The Left Side: The Funny Football Show. Now Jim’s in Sport Social, an on-demand audio company that creates high-quality, engaging, and entertaining audio products on a variety of sports and competitions for various platforms.
Having experienced both radio and podcast productions, Jim can easily differentiate the two. For starters, podcasting has a low barrier that “absolutely anyone can pick up a device, make a podcast and have a voice to someone in the world.”
Another thing that sets podcasting apart is that it gives creative freedom to the individual. Unlike radio which is filled with rules and format, podcasts don’t necessarily have to follow a rigid structure.
Jim added, “the beauty of podcasting is that there are no rules and imitations. It doesn’t matter what everybody else is saying and everything is 100% within your control.”
For someone who used to work in a professional radio setting where everything has to be structured, Jim found podcasting a refreshing take on doing something that he’s passionate about.
But this is not to say that radio is all awful, what Jim liked about radio is that he’s able to manipulate his way of thinking to fit a certain way. While in podcasting he’s in control of how he wants it done.
Some people may be dreadful to start a podcast because it doesn’t follow strict rules or format and Jim’s advice is “start by recording your voice.”
Your first recording may never see the light of day, but you managed to do something great and that is to get over your fear. You don’t have to know everything to start a podcast, but you have to begin with the basics and that is to record your voice.
Jim states that what he got from podcasting is more than the podcast itself. Through the course of his podcasting journey, he was able to develop other skills such as writing. It taught him a lot about being able to let go and gave him a chance to focus on other things such as sports.
He also learned that podcasting is an art, and its beauty is completely dependent on the person listening to it. Podcasting is also a powerful storytelling tool that allows you to form a connection with someone you haven’t met or someone who’s on the other side of the world.
If there’s one thing that Jim discovered and wanted to share with other people it’s that, in podcasting, you just have to go and do it, do your own thing.
