In the modern world, communication is key. It is essential that every person has the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions, no matter where they come from or what their background may be. This is why the innovation of Sound Branch is so important.

Sound Branch is a cutting-edge technology that allows individuals to capture and transmit high-quality audio from anywhere in the world. This has revolutionized the way that people communicate, breaking down barriers and making it possible for people to share their stories and perspectives with others.

One of the key benefits of Sound Branch is that it empowers people who might otherwise have limited access to traditional forms of communication. For example, individuals living in rural areas, people with disabilities, and those in developing countries often face challenges when it comes to getting their voices heard. Sound Branch provides a solution, making it possible for these individuals to share their experiences and opinions with the world.

Another important aspect of Sound Branch is that it allows for greater diversity in the media. With this technology, it is possible for a wider range of voices to be represented in the news, podcasts, and other media outlets. This can help to challenge the dominant narratives and bring fresh perspectives to the table.

Furthermore, Sound Branch has the potential to democratize the media, giving individuals the power to create and share their own content. With this technology, anyone can produce a podcast, record an interview, or capture the sounds of their surroundings. This means that individuals have greater control over their own narratives and can share their stories on their own terms.

In conclusion, the innovation of Sound Branch is a game-changer for communication and media. It empowers people to have their voices heard, promotes diversity, and gives individuals greater control over their own narratives. This is why it is so important to embrace and support this technology, and to continue to push for greater accessibility and inclusiveness in the world of communication.

Sign Up to Sound Branch 

Create Podcast Site 

When you think of podcast production, you probably imagine sitting in a room with your interviewees, asking them questions. But what if you could record those interviews without having to set up an appointment? If you use voice notes and Sound Branch, you can easily turn sound-bytes into full podcasts. You can also use this technique for recording educational content for your business or personal brand.

Podcast interview scheduling is hard

If you’re like me, scheduling a podcast interview with someone is difficult. There are several reasons why this is the case:

• People are busy. Many people have jobs and other obligations that take up their time, and finding an hour or two in their week to sit down with me so I can interview them for my podcast is not always possible.
• The person I’m trying to schedule an interview with doesn’t want to do it. Maybe they don’t see the value in being on my podcast yet, or maybe they’re just not interested in being interviewed by anyone at all. Either way, it’s hard for me because I’d love for them to be on my show.
• They might be too busy for editing once we’re done recording our conversation together. Again, if a person isn’t planning on doing any editing themselves then this doesn’t apply as much but even if someone does plan on editing alone after our session together then there’s still some work involved here.

Podcast editing is time-consuming

Editing is the most time-consuming and expensive part of recording podcasts. If you’re not a professional editor, it’s likely that you’ll need help from someone with experience in audio editing. They can help you cut out dead air, fix any mistakes and make sure your podcast sounds its best before sending it off to be published on iTunes or another platform. The first thing to do is to listen to the recording and figure out where you want the cuts to be. If there’s a mistake, like if someone coughs or says something wrong, then you’ll need to edit that out so it doesn’t distract your listeners. You can also cut out any pauses or awkward moments where no one is talking for too long. It’s also a good idea to edit out any dead air. If you’re not sure how much time is too much, try listening to some of your favourite podcasts and see how long they take before starting up again. You’ll want to remove anything that doesn’t directly relate to the topic at hand or add extra value for your listeners.

Tools to record podcast interviews with voice notes

Sound Branch is a platform that allows you to create podcasts without any fancy equipment. It works on Alexa, Google Assistant, iOS, Android and the web. All that’s needed is a laptop or mobile phone for recording. The app records your voice and syncs it with the interviewee’s answers, which makes it easier to edit.

You simply record your questions as voice notes in a playlist and share this with your interviewee so they can record answers. Using voice notes means you have a more flexible schedule for recording and you can take more time. Using voice notes to record podcasts means you edit as you go along rather than at the end of a podcast interview recording. Once you have recorded a voice note you can stick with it or delete and re-record. Voice notes are usually 20 seconds to 2 minutes long and using short voice notes to record podcasts means you can eliminate ummhs and urhs.

Recording podcast interviews with voice notes saves time

Recording podcast interviews with voice notes is a great way to save time. No editing or scheduling is needed because you can edit voice notes as you go along. You can also share your recordings with the interviewee if they want to hear their voice on air and make any changes before the final version is edited for publishing.

You may even find that some people prefer hearing their interview in audio form rather than reading it back in text form (as I do). It’s a nice option to have!

Not only is it easier and faster to record a podcast interview with voice notes, but there are also some great benefits to using this method. First of all, you don’t need any fancy equipment or software because all you need is an iPhone or Android phone with built-in microphones. Second, recording an entire episode using voice notes means that you don’t have to worry about editing. Thirdly, there is no scheduling involved when conducting interviews via phone calls which makes life so much easier!

Get started with a podcast with no fancy hardware needed, no editing and no scheduling:

Create Your Sound Branch Account

Watch Sound Branch Tutorial Videos

If you’re not familiar with the term, a podcast is basically an audio or video series that you can listen to or watch online. Podcasts are often created by independent media companies, but they can also be made by individuals or schools. They come in many different formats and genres, from comedy to history lessons to food reviews. Currently, there are over two million podcasts available on iTunes alone. Kids are listening to them more than ever before: A 2017 study found that American teens spend about six hours each day consuming digital media—and podcasts account for nearly half of that time!

Podcasts are everywhere

If your school doesn’t already have a podcast, it’s time to get on board. Podcasts are everywhere, and they’re not going away anytime soon! Here are just a few reasons why:

• They’re a great way to keep up with current events. You can listen while you’re making dinner or walking the dog—there’s no need to carve out time in your schedule to watch that news show or read the paper when you’ve got podcasts available at all times.
• They’re a great way to learn more about your interests. Whether it’s comedy, science fiction or history—there are podcasts out there covering every topic imaginable! You don’t even have to subscribe; just search “podcast” on Google or iTunes and see what comes up!

Kids are already listening

Students are already listening to podcasts, and they’re doing so for longer than you might think. The average American listens to radio for around 15 hours per week—but students spend an average of 24 hours a week listening to media in general, according to recent research from The National Endowment for the Arts’ “Reading on the Rise” report. And although audiobooks have been around since the dawn of time (or at least since cassette tapes), it’s only recently that we’ve begun seeing significant growth in podcast consumption among young people: A 2018 survey by Edison Research found that 13% of Americans ages 12-24 had listened to a podcast in the previous month, up from 8% just two years earlier.*

If your school has been hesitant about launching its own podcast because you don’t know how many listeners you’ll get or how hard it will be to make one, consider this: Kids are already listening—so even if you don’t reach out directly with your own show, with enough content produced across schools and libraries nationwide there will soon be plenty of new options available for your kids who want more than doodle comics about their weekends.

Podcasts are more engaging than books and blogs

Listening to a podcast is an active, immersive experience that can be done anywhere and at any time. Unlike a book or blog post, you don’t have to read anything during your commute, while cooking dinner or during your workout—podcasts are available when you want them! You don’t even have to be in front of your computer screen; podcasts can be listened to on smartphones, tablets and dedicated devices like the Apple Watch or Google Home speakers.

Because podcasts are so convenient (and often free), they’re perfect for busy people who want information on demand—like students! In fact, many schools already offer online courses through iTunes U where students can watch lectures from their favourite professors or learn about topics like financial literacy. So why not expand these resources by podcasting?

Students are more likely to listen to something they created

When students have a stake in the content of a podcast, they will be more likely to listen. A podcast about student interests has the best chance at being listened to by students. Students are also more likely to listen if it’s about their school or community.

Podcasts have a low barrier to entry

Podcasting is an easy and accessible medium to start with. You don’t need much equipment, and you don’t have to spend a lot of time learning how to use it—and even if you do, there is plenty of free software out there that will help you edit and publish your podcast such as Sound Branch. All in all, the barrier for entry for podcasting is actually quite low!

You can get started with just a simple recording device: a smartphone or tablet will suffice. If you’re using your phone or tablet as your recording device, make sure it has enough space on its storage card so that you can record multiple episodes at once; if not, be sure to delete old recordings after each new episode is published. If you want better quality audio but still want something portable, consider getting an external microphone like this one from Blue Yeti .

Your students can create podcasts outside of school using SoundBranch.com

You can create podcasts for free using SoundBranch.com. Podcasts are a great way to connect with the world and share your voice and perspective with others, so it’s really important that you be able to share your podcast creations outside of school.

The site gives students a platform where they can upload their podcasts, share them with friends and family, listen to other people’s podcasts and more! You can even embed your SoundBranch content on web pages as an audio player. It’s an invaluable resource for any student interested in podcasting or anyone who wants an easy way to listen to them while at work or school (or anywhere else).

Starting a podcast is a great way to engage your students in learning and allow them to express themselves creatively

Starting (or having your students start) a podcast is a great way to engage your students in learning and allow them to express themselves creatively and meaningfully. Students can then share their work with others, showing what they learned in class.

It’s also a great way for students to show off their personalities and make friends with people who like the same things that they do. For example, if someone likes sports, they might make an episode about their favourite sport or team; if someone likes fashion, they might create an episode about what supermodel they think has the best style; if someone doesn’t know much about current events but wants to learn more about them before they graduate high school so that they will be more knowledgeable when looking for jobs after graduation—the possibilities are endless!

If you’ve been hesitating to start a podcast with your students, now is the time. Podcasts are more accessible than ever before, and they’re becoming more popular every day. We hope that this article has given you some ideas on how to get started with podcasts in your classroom. We also recommend checking out our website for more information about using SoundBranch for creating podcasts in school or at home!

Get started with a podcast with no fancy hardware needed, no editing and no scheduling:

Create Your School Sound Branch Account

Watch Sound Branch Tutorial Videos

Sean Gilligan is the Founder & CEO of a global company Webanywhere. He knew his sales team preferred to talk than type, but sending voice notes via WhatsApp on mobile apps seemed like the only way they could communicate while remote working. At work, his team used laptop computers and had to stay logged into a variety of systems and platforms as part of their daily routine. He wanted everything integrated into one place where he could easily communicate with all his employees, but couldn’t find anything that would allow him to do this effectively enough. Sean has offices in both the US and the UK, where he spends most of his time.

Connecting UK and US teams

As you might imagine, the need for real-time communication was a big challenge at Webanywhere. This was Sean’s first time working on such a large scale and he had no idea how to manage it all. Sean needed a different way of communicating with one another and sharing work across different platforms and locations.

Another challenge was making sure that everybody could access voice notes whenever they needed them. There were times when Sean would send voice notes via WhatsApp but then others would have trouble accessing them because they weren’t coming through on their computer or mobile device as expected. Sean knew that if he wanted everyone involved in voice note conversations, then he’d need something better than just using WhatsApp alone!

Sean knew his sales team preferred to talk than type

When Sean found out that his sales team preferred to talk than type, he knew his problem was a common one. He’d heard that WhatsApp voice notes were the answer to this problem—but when he tried them on mobile apps, it turned out that sending voice notes via WhatsApp on mobile apps didn’t work well at all.

Sending audio messages from your desktop computer with Sound Branch is so much better! You can easily send and receive voice notes from anywhere in the world without having to worry about switching devices or platforms. Plus, you can record up to 2 minutes of audio.

Voice Notes on Computers alongside Mobile Apps 

At work, his team was based in the UK and US. As part of their daily routine, they had to stay logged into a variety of systems and platforms as part of their daily routine. For example:

• Google Workspace – it was used for communication between teams around the world;
• CRM – this is where they kept all customer information and records;
• Jira – this provided support for employees using new applications or having trouble with existing software.

When you need to send or receive voice notes on desktop computers, use Sound Branch

If you’re using a desktop computer or laptop, Sound Branch is the best way to send and receive voice notes.

Sound Branch is an online platform that makes it easy to send voice notes from any device. You can also use Sound Branch on your desktop computer or laptop—no matter whether it’s Windows or Mac OS! Sound Branch has several advantages over other methods of sending audio files:

• It’s free to start with premium options
• It works across all major operating systems with web, mobile apps, Alexa and Google Assistant
• It’s fast and easy-to-use
• All voice notes are transcribed and can be searched

I hope that by hearing Sean’s story, you can see how Sound Branch can help your team achieve more. If you have any questions about this article or anything else in the world of Sales or Customer Service, don’t hesitate to Sign Up Free for Sound Branch for Business. 

Need to take your content on the go? Want to be able to easily access it from multiple devices? Sound Branch may be the answer you’re looking for, as it’s an innovative new platform that makes it easy to turn your voice notes into high-quality podcasts that are free to host, free to listen to and free to share on social media. Sound Branch makes podcasting faster and easier than ever before, so if you’re looking for podcast hosting with the added benefit of social sharing, this may be the right solution for you!

Creating an idea for a podcast

What are you passionate about? What topics do you find yourself constantly talking about with your friends? These are the things you should consider when starting a podcast. You need to be interested in your topic to keep recording episodes week after week, otherwise your podcast will fizzle out. Keep your niche small and specific to maintain a loyal audience, but make sure it’s something you’re genuinely interested in discussing. Once you’ve decided on a topic, creating a podcast is easy with Sound Branch.

Creating a playlist and inviting guests

Creating a playlist on Sound Branch is easy and only takes a few minutes. You can either use the default template or create your own custom playlist. Once you’ve created your playlist, invite your guests via email. You can also add other people’s voice notes to your podcast episode. Sound Branch makes it easy to record and syndicate your podcasts, without any need for editing.

Recording you playlist

Podcast episodes are created with voice notes as building blocks. You can record your voice note anywhere, anytime. All you need is a microphone and an internet connection. Once you’re done recording, simply upload the voice note to Sound Branch. Then, our algorithms will turn your voice note into a podcast episode. You can syndicate your episode to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Plus, you can share your episode with your friends on social media.

Publishing your podcasts

As a podcaster, you’re always looking for new ways to reach your audience. With Sound Branch, you can easily syndicate your podcasts to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Plus, with our user-generated voice notes, you can easily create podcasts without any editing. Simply record your voice note and we’ll turn it into a podcast episode. You can then publish your episode by associating it with a playlist. It’s that easy!

Sharing your podcast

Now that your podcast is live, it’s time to start promoting it! Share your episodes on social media and write blog posts about your topics to help attract new listeners. You can also submit your podcast to directories like iTunes and Stitcher, which will help people find your show. And don’t forget to reach out to other podcasters in your niche and build relationships – guest appearances on each other’s shows can be a great way to grow your audience.

Get Started with Sound Branch

Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster or just getting started, Sound Branch is the perfect platform for you. With our easy-to-use recording interface and social sharing features, it’s never been easier to create and share your podcasts with the world. Best of all, our service is completely free to use. So what are you waiting for? Sign up today and start podcasting!

The bad thing about working from home is the extra layer of added communication.  Having collaborative meetings at the workplace has moved to online. When there was a time when you could turn around and brainstorm with your colleague now requires it to be scheduled on a calendar. This is tiring and it leads to employee fatigue.

What if communication within the workspace can be trimmed to bit sizes via podcasts?

Well, let’s have a look at how podcasting tools like Sound Branch can be used in your workspace.

1. Easy Status Updates and Day end Catch Ups

Say there’s a team of 10 marketing executives. The boss has decided to set up a scrum call at morning 10 AM every day for  30 minutes. Everyone shares their agenda for the day and discusses roadblocks.

This is 30 minutes of your valuable time just hearing out what your colleagues are up to. This process can be simplified by creating a weekly playlist and uploading snippets of your day’s agenda.

2. Short Interview Introductions

Interviews can be conducted easily and communication skills can be tested with voice notes. Say goodbye to the days when you had to go through resume after resume when the HR personnel can listen to their voice notes from the candidate. This way the first round of an interview can be completed faster.

This can also be used to test a candidate’s skill where questions can be sent to the candidate and the person can respond with their answers.

Voice notes from candidates makes an HR professional’s work much easier.

3. Feedbacks Gathered Easily

Let’s say there is a new design that you’ve worked on and requires your team’s feedback. You can set up a call and give them a walkthrough. The drawback with this approach is that there can be time constraints when a person needs to jump into another call or they might not be fully immersed in your presentation for unknown reasons.

You can make this process easier by creating a project group and requesting your time to share their feedback within a given timeline. This cuts the whole approach of scheduling a meeting and also saves everyone’s time and everyone’s inputs are captured in a repository which makes it easier to go back if more clarity is required.

4. Announcements Made Engaging

A company will have announcements to be made at any given point in time. It could be the latest deal that was signed with a client or achieving milestones.  Does it sound like a good idea to mail this to the entire team when they already have 100s of unread emails sitting in their inbox? Obviously, not.

What if the announcements can be shared as a podcast entry to their entire team? They can carry on with their work while they can listen to the announcement at the same time.

Announcements can directly pop up right on your employee’s timeline.

5. Pick Brains with your Ears 

Veteran employees can create a podcast channel to share their latest marketing insights which can be either open for the public or their closed group.  This helps veterans to share their valuable knowledge with their entire team to implement it in their day-to-day tasks.

This bids adieu to the days when we had to sit for a long time when someone shares their experience or takes a lecture. Instead, the person can share her secret mantra from her couch while enjoying the fire and the employees can listen to them in the morning to get their motivation up and going.

Podcasts can be broadcasted to all the employees.

6. Welcome new employees

When a new employee joins a company in the remote work era, it’s going to be tough for that person to get to know the entire team and vice versa. This might keep them close-knitted only to the team they work for. If there was a physical workplace, the situation is different where they get to know each other with their physical presence.

With the help of tools like Sound Branch. They can share the introduction and voice notes of their key interests for everyone to get to know them outside of work.

With hybrid work models taking over the way people work, companies need to adopt at the earliest to keep their employees happy. With platforms like Sound Branch, companies can make the transition to a new communication model that makes working from home much easier.

For over a decade now we have been debating over the communication practices or flexibilities that millennials desired at their workplace. And Gen Z has been clubbed in these discussions for the most part. But at the same time, it’s important to not assume that the needs and priorities of Gen Z regarding internal communications will be the same or similar. 

Being the digital-first generation who’s glued to their mobile phones for most part of the day, it can be safely assumed they love technology. It is evident from the studies that 98% of Gen Z owns a Smartphone and more than half of the generation spends about 10 hours everyday on different devices everyday. 

You may then ask, how would Gen Z prefer to communicate in the workplace?

Encourage face-to-face communication

Having grown up in an environment where they were completely surrounded by digital technologies, Gen Z always had an inclination towards in-person communication. 

According to a report, 72% of the Gen Z workforce prefers to have face-to-face communication. And 40% of them expect to communicate daily with their supervisors, lest they feel that something is not well. 

Though this generation is always used to online communication, in matters of professional communication, they prefer to have it face-to-face, else it becomes difficult for them to comprehend certain differences in tone and expectations. Again when it comes to difficult conversations, most of them prefer to have it over text rather than direct communication. 

Embrace new technology  

Equality and knowledge sharing are two of the most critical aspects that Gen Z considers in their workspace. 

Take the example of Sound Branch, which is an extremely smart solution designed to enable and support organization communication and learning through voice-based apps. 

Through this app, its founder Sean Gilligan introduces us to the concept of nano-casting and how it can be leveraged for public broadcasting, sharing team updates, recruiting new team members, and much more. 

Using this voice-based social communication app, you can now easily:

• Communicate with voice-based messages — You can share voice notes through private or group channels. It helps in saving the time to type the message and as we speak four times faster, we can utilize time better. 

• Hire using voice based notes – You can encourage a personable hiring experience by using voice notes to create audio profiles that can be shared with the hiring committee.
  
• Create podcasts that require zero editing knowledge — You can now create podcasts as easily as sending an email. Editing is one of the major hassles of podcasting. With Sound Branch you can simply create voice notes in 20 seconds and then stitch them together without taking any pain to edit those voice notes. Then, you can publish and share them through the popular distribution channels like Spotify, Google Podcasts, Alexa, Apple Podcasts, and more.

The best part is now you can connect your favorite apps and tools with Sound Branch and enjoy a hassle-free experience. Here are the most popular ones that will help you get started:

• Amazon Alexa — Use it to play your inbox, timeline, or conversations 
• Google Assistant — Listen to your voice messages using Sound Branch commands
• Google Drive — Enjoy the flexibility of adding voice notes to your Google Docs 
• Slack — Share sound bites through your Slack channels or apps
• Twitter — Attach sound bites to Twitter and share them with your followers
• Totara Learn — Bring learning forums to life by lending a voice to your Learning Management System (LMS)

Final thoughts 

Voice-based apps are indeed a smart solution that are meant to adopt and address the ‘new normal’ world of remote working especially after the unwanted repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Sounch Branch has the potential to not only encourage effective communication at the workplace but also save time by creating your own podcast website. 

We’re sure you’re there with us on this journey. Book a demo call to learn more about the product and how it functions. 

Clubhouse is a phenomenon at the moment. The invite-only audio app is becoming popular during the lockdown and has risen up the App Store ranks. Users join clubs or rooms for live audio conversations. The experience is similar to listening to podcasts but instead, you can speak up and get involved in the conversation. When audio rooms are small listeners are able to speak when invited up by the host. The problem is when rooms get large it’s really just live digital radio. Most people don’t get to ask a question or voice their opinion.

Sound Branch is more democratic and inclusive. If Clubhouse is the synchronous social audio app then Sound Branch is its asynchronous twin. Sound Branch is audio-only but is asynchronous in nature. Whilst Clubhouse is live Sound Branch is on-demand and works by users posting voice notes and listening when they want to.

There are pros and cons to Clubhouse’s twin Sound Branch. It’s good to frame the differences between the two audio apps with the similarities between listening to live music vs playing songs on Spotify. Whilst the majority of people would find a live music experience more memorable the vast majority of people don’t attend live music events. Instead, they listen to streaming music on their chosen smartphone apps. Clubhouse is a live experience Sound Branch’s strength is it’s on-demand nature.

On Clubhouse you have people joining audio rooms from around the world. Some people join in the middle of the night others early in the morning. It’s fair to say that some people don’t join because they’re asleep. Clubhouse does not record audio so there’s no way of playing back any sessions that you miss. You can speak to people on Clubhouse using audio but you can’t share a hyperlink, add images or text. Sound Branch allows you to add images, links and text to voice messages.

Clubhouse started very exclusively with venture capitalists and various celebrities before opening up to the public. Currently, people are given a number of invites they can send on. Much of the success of Clubhouse has been born out of it scarcity and it’s exclusivity. Sound Branch is quite the opposite. There is no waitlist for Sound Branch which makes it inclusive for anyone who wants to sign up for a free account. Not only is the audio app free but it’s accessible via Alexa, Google Assistant, iOS, Android and the web. Clubhouse currently is only available on iOS. Clubhouse and Sound Branch share similar traits being united by audio but they are divided by their approach.

Sound Branch means time zones don’t matter because you can tune in when you want. You can post voice notes and everything is recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions mean that all the audio is searchable and accessible. You can even create a traditional podcast from the social audio curated from Sound Branch. This works through playlists where are you can invite other users to join in the conversation. You can re-order voice notes, delete voice notes which are inappropriate and publish to major podcasting platforms such as Apple podcasts, Spotify and Google podcasts.

Sound Branch is learning from Clubhouse and will soon launch live audio. Sound Branch started in 2016 and is the older of the two audio apps. Both apps are well suited to the pandemic and social distancing where we often find a lack of empathy online. People are tired of video calls and want the ability to multitask. Listening to audio allows you to cook, garden or do other work simultaneously.

If you’ve got screaming kids in the background or other inappropriate noise you can mute yourself on Clubhouse but you do miss out. Alternatively, Sound Branch gives you greater flexibility when handling interruptions. You can join a conversation even if your environment is noisy. You simply wait for a quiet pause and then post your short voice note and playback audio. This means you can still be part of conversations rather than missing out.

Clubhouse audio rooms can last many hours. Sound Branch and it’s asynchronous nature means that conversations can go on for many days, not just many hours. On Clubhouse an audio room naturally comes to an end. Conversations on Sound Branch, in theory, can go on forever.

In conclusion, there is a golden age of podcasting. Podcasting doesn’t have a social graph and is quite one-dimensional. Both Clubhouse and Sound Branch make audio social. You can meet new and interesting people globally in both applications. Which one you choose really comes down to how much time you’ve got and what is your mood. If you don’t have an iPhone you will have to wait for Clubhouse. Sound Branch is already available for all smartphones, smart speakers and the web.

If you don’t like being put on the spot and you’re introverted then Sound Branch allows you to pause to think before you speak. There is no simple answer to whether live audio or async audio is better. It really does depend on the use case. I can imagine many cash-rich time-poor individuals finding Sound Branch more efficient in fostering conversations. Sound Branch and it’s audio-on-demand nature gives greater flexibility for busy schedules diaries and other personal commitments that we all have to juggle.

Clubhouse has helped with the renaissance of the audio medium. It will be one of many apps that start to change the way we communicate and interact. Clubhouse and Sound Branch are both a force for good against fake reviews and fake news. The empathy of audio and its authenticity is a breath of fresh air rippling through the Internet. It’s getting people talking more and texting less. Bring on the audio revolution. I can see users who join audio rooms on Clubhouse continuing over on Sound Branch so that conversations never end.

There are lots of question and answer forums out there but none using voice. Reddit, Quora, Stack Overflow, TripAdviser – the list goes on.

Comments on particular issues can give insights but voice comments and intonation of the voice gives greater trust. 

Sometimes people want to watch a video for help, and other times reading text is just fine. When you have emotional issues to discuss, this is when voice comes in. It could be, for example, advice for new mothers. MumsAnywhere.com, an audio forum for mums by mums, is a great example of where voice can have an impact. Thousands of mothers on Mums Anywhere help each other with questions and answers all driven by voice notes. Users can listen to advice, and the listening to the voice gives users the wisdom of the crowd, and the empathy of the human voice. Founder Claire Morritt invented Mums Anywhere to solve a problem she had when she was pregnant with her first child. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed late in Claire’s pregnancy which led to much anxiety. Claire would often type emotional questions into Google only to get plain text returned. This simply amplified the anxiety. Emotional problems need platforms where emotions can be expressed and this is where the human voice wins. 

Another voice forum has been created by James Knight, a business coach. James’ business, IMA Strategies, is designed to enable better connections in the workplace. Once people complete the IMA questionnaire, they are given a colour to explain their personality type. Personality types can be High Red, High Yellow, High Green or High Blue. Red and Yellow are big picture thinkers who prefer a faster pace. Blues and Greens are more interested in the detail and prefer to work slower. Greens and Reds are logical in their approach to business whilst Yellows and Blues are creative. Now everyone is unique and all have our own DNA and particular level of intelligence, but IMA allows you to better understand the people you work with. People with the same colours tend to be on the same wavelength, and our communication approach needs to be adapted to fit the personalities in question. James has set up IMA Nation as a podcast site to allow people to listen to audio explaining their strengths and weaknesses. Members of IMA Nation can join groups and discuss all sorts of issues using voices notes. 

Everyone likes a good discussion, and discussion forums have been around for years online. Whether it’s the bottom of newspaper articles, product reviews or self help support groups. Enabling audio forums for your brand gives greater authenticity and truth to comments. In a world of fake news and fake reviews, listening to genuine people and their tone of voice goes that little bit further when building communities online. 

Useful Links 

Mums Anywhere

https://mumsanywhere.com/

IMA Nation

https://ima.soundbranch.com/timeline

Audio broadcasting has been around for decades, but the first podcast – an audio programme, usually part of a series, available to listen to or download over the internet – dates back to 2004. There are now thousands of podcasts available on every topic imaginable, from health and well-being to true crime, comedy and politics

As well as becoming one of the fastest-growing forms of digital entertainment, podcasts have also carved a niche for themselves as business marketing tools. So what are the benefits of podcasting for business, and how do you go about using podcasting to market your business? 

While we all watch videos or read blog posts, podcasts are often a much easier way of accessing information. After all, you can download podcasts to listen to offline, whenever and wherever you want – on your commute, at the gym, while you cook dinner or even in the bath!  As a result – and because we often listen to them through headphones – podcasts feel much more personal and intimate than other forms of digital media. This means there’s an instant connection between the presenter and the listener. Deliver interesting, engaging content week after week and your listeners will stay loyal to you. Podcasting is a unique opportunity for you to promote your brand, raise your profile, share your knowledge and develop long term relationships with prospective customers and influencers all around the world.

So how do you start a podcast for your business? There are four key steps.

Identify your audience and decide on the style and content

Who is your ideal listener? Once you know who your podcast is for, you can tailor the style and content to suit them. How many presenters will you have? Formal or informal? Will each episode focus on one key topic or will it be more magazine-like, with tips, Q&As and guest interviewees? Do you have existing content you can repurpose? 

Record and edit your podcast

You probably have everything you need to record your podcast in your pocket – a smartphone! You can record your podcast directly to your phone’s voice memo app, export it and edit it using software like Audacity. However, editing takes a long time, so perhaps the easiest way is to use an app like Sound Branch, which enables you to record your podcast in short segments, delete and re-record any sections, and drag and drop them into a playlist ready to export. 

Publish and distribute your podcast

We listen to podcasts through Apple, Google and Spotify, but how do you get yours out there? Your podcast needs to be uploaded to a podcast hosting platform, who will publish it online and also distribute it to all the major podcasting directories. If you use the Sound Branch app, your podcast can be pushed out to Spotify, iTunes, and a whole host of other podcasting sites quickly and easily. 

Promote your podcast

Publishing your podcast is only the start: you now need to find an audience for it. Here are a few tips to make sure your podcast reaches the right listeners:

• Choose a strong title and create eye-catching imagery to make your podcast stand out 
• Stick to a regular schedule so listeners know when to expect new episodes
• Create engaging, interesting content to keep people coming back
• Share your podcast in your newsletter, on social media and by word of mouth
• Create a community of listeners you engage with and encourage them to tell their friends
• Invite guest speakers and ask them to promote the podcast to their followers 

So now you know why podcasting is such a valuable marketing tool for your business, what are you waiting for?

Download Sound Branch and you could have your first podcast ready to go in just a few minutes!