There’s a lot that goes into converting a Live Show video into a meaningful audio podcast, so here’s how I do it:
- Once the live show is finished I download the video file, which I’ll need to generate the audio later. It also means that I can work “Offline” if needed.
- I rewatch the entire show from start to finish (usually offline). As I go I’m making notes on the following:
- Timings of the main sections like introduction, question 1, key moments. You’ll see these timings along with a heading in the final podcast. I also use these to make the chapter markers in the Rumble video description. These markers, which are visible on the desktop version, allow you to jump to that moment in the video.
- Description of each section. As I’m rewatching I’m writing down a summary of what I’m discussing. These form the episode notes.
- Tags. These are single words or short phrases like “Jesus”, “Spirituality”, “Love”, or “Higher-Dimensions”. You’ll see them at the end of the podcasts on the main website. For each episode I’m recording the key tags and also trying to make sure I use the same tags as previous episodes. This allows you to find related podcast episodes and navigate around all our content. Go ahead and try it on the tags at the bottom of this article too, click on one of the tag words you’re most interested in.
- I’m also looking for Addendum, where for example, I may have forgotten to give a piece of information or there is more that could be said. If find these then I make a record of them in the next episode’s notes, so I don’t forget!
- Things to Fix in Audio. Sometimes there’s an issue in the live show which I need to fix in the audio version. For each thing to fix, I make a note of the time in the video where the issue is. The trick when doing the fixes is to work backwards dealing with the last issue first. If you do it the other way around then the moment you delete a pause or remove a cough, you throw the timings out completely for all the other fixes. Fixes typically include:
- Big pauses – I remove them.
- Cough’s, hiccups etc. – To be removed.
- Audio too quiet or loud – In which case I’ll bring it down or up to the right levels.
- Stammering – say I say something like “When I, I, I find” which often happens when you’re talking naturally.
- Sudden noises like catching the mic with my elbow – sorry about that!
- Links to resources mentioned. This is a big one. Whenever I mention something in the live show, whether its on my website or a 3rd party resource, then I pause the video and find the link to that resource. In the case of my own work there could be two or three links, say one for the podcast, one for the video, and one for a book or article. I think it’s really important to provide these links.
- Images are also important. Any time there is something important on the screen such as a slide which I’m referencing I take a snapshot of the video frame. This means that people who are listening to the podcast can jump to the podcast page and view these images to help them make sense of what’s being discussed.
- The Title evolves out of the rewatching of the video. Often it changes during the process and it may vary considerably from the original live show’s title.
So now you know how much extra work goes into making a podcast from a live video, see if you can spot all these elements on the web page for episode 48. But that’s not the end of the story!
Watch this video on Rumble or alternatively on YouTube
Once I’ve finished the re-watching of the live show and I’ve got all the timings, descriptions, tags, addendum, audio fixes, links, images and title. I then create an “Episode Synopsis TL;DR”. TL;DR means “Too Long; Didn’t Read” and it is a top level summary for those in a rush (or lazy?).
Once all that is done then there’s a few more steps:
- I create the audio podcast.
- Setup the meta tags on the podcast MP3 file.
- upload the podcast along with all the information and images above.
- Publish the podcast.
- Update the description of the original live show to include a link to the podcast version and the timings (chapter markers).
- Then I let the worlds know on social media, and hope that people remember to share it with other like-minded good people.
- And relax! I usually go for a long walk and listen to the podcast as if for the first time.
Why not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make life simpler?
In the video above I talk about why, as a creative person, I cannot abide AI and prefer to do it myself. Sure AI could definitely speed up the process but…. is life really about getting things done quickly? For me it’s more about authenticity, integrity, and intention.
For example I’ve written this article myself, so the words you read are the words I intended you to read. There’s been a human process in all of this. I’ve had to make choices, I’ve had a conversation with myself: “Where it says ‘big pause’ should I tell the joke about a bear that walks into the bar and doesn’t say anything, the barman says ‘why the big pause’, maybe not!“. Luckily I chose not to share that dad joke with you! But you get the point, what you’re ready has some thought, intention, and real personality behind it. Then there’s the darker side of AI, which is part of a bigger picture about the roots of technology being negative. I’m pretty sure that if there wasn’t all this negative/dark interference, human life would be a very different affair. We’re not meant to be pushing technological boundaries in the interest of faster, quicker, cheaper, more efficient.
We’re supposed to be experiencing life at a natural pace, and yes that may involve a little bit of hard physical work. Life is about the choices made within these experience it’s about putting your God-given real intelligence to work not relying on Artificial Intelligence. Growth comes from personal responsibility. It’s about interacting with others and your environment. Life is meant to be lived. I don’t see how Artificial Intelligence fits harmoniously into that. But maybe that’s just me. Right I’m off to go and throw my wooden clogs into the gears of a cotton mill… let’s see how many people get that reference. Failing that I’ll watch Terminator II whose real author (not the Hollywood team who stole the story) tried to warn us about an AI future. Here’s some more thoughts and spiritual explorations on AI.