Podcast Workshop Series: Spring 2023
Create and share your own stories, build an engaged audience and make your voice heard.
Our podcast veterans will show you how to successfully develop a lasting idea, record the highest quality audio, edit like a pro and help you promote your podcast for your community to hear.
Making a podcast from scratch is a monumental task, one that can take months of trial and error, hard drives spilling over with forgotten audio files and a Google search history littered with versions of “how to podcast” – but it doesn’t have to be that way!
With this course held both in-person at noisy Rooms Berlin and online, you’ll get all the information you’re looking for, and more! You’ll have access to premium podcasting equipment, exclusive resources, personal feedback, access to an incredible network plus the expertise and support of your instructors and peers every step of the way. By the end, you’ll have found your unique voice, finished your first piece (produced by you!), and hold skills that will ensure your show’s longevity and catapult your audio storytelling project.
What You’ll Learn
What You’ll Leave With
- Finding your unique voice and driving question
- How to tell an engaging story
- Developing strong interview techniques
- How to prepare you and your guest for a recorded interview.
- How to write your own scripts and develop narration for your podcast
- How to professionally edit audio using Hindenburg (and get a FREE 3-month license)
- Your “ear for sound” – learn to source music, record ambient audio and explore found footage
- Developing a podcast plan and workflow that suits you and ensures that you avoid burnout
- How to choose the right audio equipment
- How to record quality podcasts no matter where you or your guests are based
- How to get your podcast out into the world, and how to get it noticed
- A roadmap for the first six episodes of your podcast
- A 3-month Hindenburg license
- A Descript Audio Transcription license
- 20 hours of in-person training and curriculum or 20 hours of online training and curriculum
- 2- hours of office hours and one-on-one training with the instructors
- Two weeks of access to recording equipment (for in-person students)
- Ongoing access to the incredible Bear Radio network of podcasters and audiophiles
- A first episode, interview, or a trailer for your project
- A guaranteed spot at Podfest Berlin 2023 including an All Access Pass and your own LIVE RECORDING.
“A motivating goal-oriented course that structures its participants to produce a tangible product by the end!”
— Sen Zhan
Who can register?
We welcome everyone interested in podcasting and audio production to our workshops. We have taught students from a range of industries, backgrounds, and experience, including journalists, policy researchers, content marketers, media professionals, entrepreneurs, climate activists, the list goes on! Individuals from underrepresented or marginalized communities are encouraged to register.
Bear Radio is proud to announce that we are offering THREE FULL SCHOLARSHIP POSITIONS to those who apply – made possible thanks to the incredible support and generosity of PodFest Berlin.
You will find the application in the registration section of this page.
“Julia and Jill from Bear Radio were absolutely incredible consultants and advisors for my podcast – the two workshops I had with them transformed my recorded interviews into a much stronger narrative-based storytelling podcast, and they built up my confidence as a host and writer for audio. Thank you so much!”
— Rhianna Ilube
Workshop Schedule
All in-person workshops will take place at noisy Rooms Berlin in the House of Music
Module 1 – Your Podcast Strategy: 11 March 2023, 11:00 – 18:00 CET w/ lunch break
Module 2 – Pre-Production: 12 March 2023, 11:00 – 18:00 CET w/ lunch break
Module 3 – Post Production: 18 March 2023, 11:00 – 18:00 CET w/ lunch break
Module 4 – Getting Your Podcast Out There: 19 March 2023, 11:00 – 18:00 CET w/ lunch break
Production Weeks: 20 March – 2 April 2023
Listening Party: 6 April 2023, 19h00 – 21h00
Module 1: Your Podcast Strategy
Session 1 – Planning Your Podcast:
We begin by helping you find your unique idea or story, and then turn that idea into a viable podcast and develop the next months of your podcasting roadmap. In this workshop, we will dive into the world of podcasting formats, techniques, and strategies to show you what’s out there and inspire you with the possibilities and opportunities available. From determining which resources are needed, to developing a long term reporting plan, this session will set the building blocks for you to build your podcasting strategy – without burning out.
• Research and Global Podcasting Landscape
• Explore Inspiring Examples
• Exercise to find your WHY
• Resource to develop your podcasting strategy
Session 2 – Podcasting Tech + Recording:
The world of podcast tech is a big one! So how do you know what to buy? How do you do it on a budget? And how do you even use it? In this workshop we will be exploring the possibilities of recording equipment, and determining which gear is right for you. Not only have we done the digging for you, but we have something of everything for you to test out and use yourself. You will have access to our range of microphones, mixers and recorders and we will teach you how to use them out in the field, in a studio and at home. Digital technologies have made it much easier for people to record at home using web tools and USB microphones – and we will also help you tap into and feel comfortable with these newer technologies in order to capture the perfect audio.
• What kit do you need?
• What software do you need?
• How do you use podcasting tech?
• How do you record the best quality audio?
Module 2: Pre-Production
Session 1 – Storytelling, Hosting & Interview Skills:
Speaking into a microphone can be intimidating for new podcasters and their guests, so in this workshop you will learn how to be confident during a recorded conversation and help your guests do the same. Our instructors will guide you in finding your unique voice, crafting a story and communicating honestly and effectively with your audience. In Module 1 we explored your podcast idea or ‘thesis,’ now you will learn how to bring that idea to life. You will learn how to conduct interviews, prepare your voice for recordings, and schedule and manage guests. You will leave with the knowledge and skills necessary to host your podcast and have compelling, natural sounding recorded conversations with guests.
• How to create a narrative arc
• How to be and sound confident behind the microphone
• Interviewing Techniques
• Best Practices for recording
Session 2 – Writing For Audio:
Anyone can write a script, we’ll show you how! Script writing is an incredible tool that you can use to elevate your storytelling and podcast as a whole. In this workshop, we will explore various techniques, formats, and exercises to help you develop scripts both for yourself and for others. We will guide you through developing a template that helps streamline your interview and production process, ensuring that you develop confidence and maintain structure while still sounding like yourself. You will also learn how to impart this information on to future hosts, collaborators and writers.
• Develop a clear, concise and engaging script
• Learn how to write the way you speak
• Learn how to read from a script authentically
• Repurpose interview content as curated script
Module 3: Post Production
Session 1 – Basic Editing:
In this session we will be going into the basics of editing audio. These are skills that will serve as the fundamental building blocks for any audio story. You will learn how to sync audio, record from Zoom or Skype calls into a Digital Audio Workstation, remove parts of audio you wish to exclude and fine-tune your recordings to sound as good as possible
• Learn how to set the scene with audio elements
• Learn how to record remotely and use editing software
• Learn how to edit according to a script
• Learn how to edit raw audio and make you and your guests sound great.
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Session 2 – Mixing and Mastering:
In this workshop, we take what you’ve learned in the first session and build on it to turn your captured audio into dynamic stories with depth, creative flow and effective narrative progression. You will learn the often intimidating digital tools of mixing, mastering and manipulating audio and be able to build out audio stories with music, collected ambience, found footage, filters, effects, and more.
• Learn how to use effects like compression, equalization and noise reduction
• Learn how to montage using ambiance, found footage and music
• Learn about leveling audio and establishing a workflow
• Learn how to export audio to be uploaded
Module 4: Getting Your Podcast Out There
Session 1 – Uploading and Distribution:
So you have your beautifully mastered piece of audio, now what? How do people find your work? In this session we will explore the ways in which you can publish your podcast – from figuring out file formats and upload requirements to building our RSS feed, automating releases, scheduling and accessing data and analytics.
• Learn how publish a podcast on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more
• Learn about RSS feeds
• Learn how to analyze data and analytics to find more listeners
Session 2 – Podcast Marketing & Monetization:
Producing a podcast takes real effort, creativity and time, and we believe that your work deserves more than a like or a listen. In this workshop, we explore everything from traditional digital marketing tactics like Social Media, SEO and email marketing, to reaching out to potential advertisers, audience engagement, organic reach, subscription-based sharing, affiliate podcasts, memberships with platforms like Patreon or Steady and more.
• Learn about how to reach out to potential advertisers
• Learn how to best market audio content on popular social media platforms
• Learn about how to repurpose content to grow your audience
• Learn how to build a community of listeners on platforms like Steady and Patreon
About the Instructors
Jill Beytin and Julia Joubert have a combined 20 years of experience in the podcasting, audio production and radio industries. As the Co-Founders of Bear Radio, they’ve produced podcasts for clients like Earlybird Venture Capital, Merck, APX, The Student Hotel, and Native Rejekts. They’ve taught over 500 students the ins and outs of podcasting over the past four years, and have led podcasting workshops for Zalando, Blinkist, Land Portal, the Hertie School of Governance, HMKW, The Netherlands Podcasting Festival, and many others. They are also the executive producers of Bear Radio Originals like URSA, What’s The Mate?, Berlin Bigwigs, All Boats, and September 26.
JILL BEYTIN
Jill is a podcaster, journalist and audio producer from California. She has lived in Berlin since 2014. Prior to co-founding Bear Radio, Jill worked at radio stations in her native California and New Zealand, as well as at NPR and Deutsche Welle in Washington, D.C.
JULIA JOUBERT
Julia is a radio producer, host and personality from Cape Town, South Africa, living in Berlin. Prior to co-founding Bear Radio she worked in commercial radio, hosting and producing talk and music shows. She is the co-host and producer of multiple Bear Radio productions and has extensive experience training indie podcasters, radio hosts and corporates on how to create meaningful and engaging content.
OUR PARTNERS
“I really enjoyed working with you during these past few weeks, Jill and Julia! Thank you for all your support and encouragement, for everything you thought me and for helping me to start believing, I could be good at this!”
— Militsa Tekelieva
€400.00 EUR*
This fee includes: 8 sessions with 20 hours of in-person instruction, 2 weeks of access to high-quality equipment, a 3 month Hindenburg license, 2 hours of one-on-one instruction and more.
€350.00 EUR*
This fee includes: 8 sessions with 20 hours of online instruction, a 3 month Hindenburg license, 2 hours of one-on-one online instruction and more. Does NOT include 2 weeks of access to high-quality equipment.
* We will provide a payment plan for anyone unable to pay the lump sum – we don’t want financial limitations to hold you back from partaking in this workshop series. If you are a student, unemployed, underemployed, on Hartz IV or able to prove financial difficulty, reach out to us to discuss payment plan options.
Payment methods: Debit / Credit Cards, SEPA Bank Transfer or Invoice.
Please make transfers to the account below, with ‘[Full Name] 2023 Spring Podcasting Intensive’ in the Transaction Reference. Send us an email to confirm your registration, so we can reach out to you with information about the Workshop Series.
Beytin und Joubert Podcasting, GbR
IBAN: DE68100101236971076592
Swift / BIC: QNTODEB2XXX
Bank domiciliation: Olinda Zweigniederlassung Deutschland
THE BEAR RADIO SCHOLARSHIP
in partnership with PodFest Berlin
With the generous support of PodFest Berlin, Bear Radio is pleased to offer three full scholarships for students who have excellent and important stories to tell, but who would otherwise be unable to afford to partake in the Workshop Series.
We want to be intentional and supportive in our invitation for producers of color and storytellers from nontraditional or underrepresented backgrounds to apply for these scholarships. We aim to be a platform for people to get their work and ideas out there and to support voices we don’t hear often enough in the European media landscape. This scholarship is intended to up-skill those from under and non-represented communities, and facilitate telling their stories in their own voices – and not let financial constraints stand in the way.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP POSITIONS ARE CLOSED
AND THE RECIPIENTS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN.
Take a listen to some of the work to come out of our Public Workshops Growing Pods – wherever you listen to your podcasts.