Making Smart Purchasing Decisions for Your Podcast
In this podcast, Dave Jackson talks about how he was able to save himself over one thousand dollars by setting logical criteria while making purchasing decisions regarding podcasting equipment. He also shares his experiences with YouTube product reviews and how some of these reviews can be misleading. Dave also discusses Elgato and Logic-Tech webcams and their prices. Helping you to make smart podcasting purchases when purchasing podcast gear.
In this episode of the School of Podcasting, Dave Jackson shares his experiences with buying podcasting equipment and provides tips on how to make purchasing decisions that will help your podcast grow. He explains how he was able to save himself over a thousand dollars by setting logical criteria. Dave also evaluates YouTube product reviews and discusses Elgato and Logic-Tech webcams and their prices, helping your make smart choices when purchasing podcast gear
DON'T GET SUCKED IN BY THE HYPE WHEN PURCHASING PODCAST GEAR
It can be so tempting to get sucked into the hype of the latest and greatest piece of technology or equipment. We often think that if we just had that one thing, our podcast would be a success. Unfortunately, this often leads to us spending more money than we need to, or buying something that isn’t quite right for us.
Take, for example, the case of someone buying a camera for their podcast. They may watch YouTube videos that hype up the newest and greatest camera and convince them that it is the perfect choice for them. However, often these videos are just low-energy infomercials that don’t point out the flaws in the camera or the fact that a newer version with more features will be coming out soon.
This happened to me in 2021 when I bought the Sony ZV-1 camera, only to find out a few months later that the Sony VZ-E10 had been released. I had spent around $900 on the ZV-1, and the E10 was going to cost me around $1,200 to $1,500. I was lucky that I caught this before I made the purchase, but it could have been a costly mistake.
The moral of the story is to be careful when making decisions about what equipment to buy for your podcast. Don’t get sucked into the hype of the newest and greatest. Take the time to do your research, watch reviews from trusted sources, and make sure you’re getting the best product for your needs and budget. It’s also important to remember that no matter what you buy, a newer version with more features will eventually come out, so don’t get too attached to any one piece of equipment.
Invest in lighting, not cameras.
This is something I’ve learned the hard way. I’ve made the mistake of investing in the latest and greatest gear, only to discover that it didn’t really make that much of a difference in the quality of my podcast. What I should have done is invest in lighting. Good lighting can make all the difference in the quality of your video, and it’s much less expensive than buying the latest and most incredible camera.
I recently upgraded from my Logitech C920 webcam to the Elgato FaceCam. The Elgato had a bigger lens and was slightly better, but no one had ever complained about my video quality when I was using the Logitech. I had invested in some Elgato Key Lights, and they made a huge difference in the quality of my video.
I then fell into the trap of upgrading again, this time to the Sony ZV-1. It had a single button that made the background blurry, which I thought was cool. But I soon realized that I had to unplug it, turn it on, go through the menus, and then plug the cable back in to use it as a live streaming camera. This was not the convenience I was looking for. I ended up going back to the Elgato because I didn’t have to get out of my chair to use it.
Take the time to do your research, watch reviews from trusted sources, and make sure you’re getting the best product for your needs and budget.
THINK BEFORE YOU BUY
It’s also important to ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it. Just because something has a lot of features doesn’t mean you need it. There is a difference between NEED and WANT.
This is why it’s important to ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it. Ask yourself what you will gain from the purchase and if it will enable you to do something that you can’t do now. If the answer is no, then it’s probably not worth the money.
SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME
It’s also important to be careful of buying items that will give you room to grow in the future. Just because something has a lot of features doesn’t mean you will use them. In the podcast, I signed a year contract for a service that had a lot of features, but he ended up never using half of them.
When buying new gear is the benefit. Is it for you or is it for the audience? If it’s for the audience, then it might be worth investing in, but if it’s for you, then you might want to think twice. For example, I recently wanted to buy a microphone boom arm. I realized that I didn’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on one because all I needed it to do was hold the microphone in one place.
Buying new gear can be exciting, but it’s important to think before you buy. Invest in lighting instead of gear, ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it, and be careful of buying items that will give you room to grow. Doing all of these things will help you save money and ensure that you’re getting the best product for your needs.
JOIN THE SCHOOL OF PODCASTING
Join worry free at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/ypc
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
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In this episode of the School of Podcasting, Dave Jackson shares his experiences with buying podcasting equipment and provides tips on how to make purchasing decisions that will help your podcast grow. He explains how he was able to save himself over a thousand dollars by setting logical criteria. Dave also evaluates YouTube product reviews and discusses Elgato and Logic-Tech webcams and their prices.
DON'T GET SUCKED IN BY THE HYPE
It can be so tempting to get sucked into the hype of the latest and greatest piece of technology or equipment. We often think that if we just had that one thing, our podcast would be a success. Unfortunately, this often leads to us spending more money than we need to, or buying something that isn’t quite right for us.
Take, for example, the case of someone buying a camera for their podcast. They may watch YouTube videos that hype up the newest and greatest camera, and convince them that it is the perfect choice for them. However, often these videos are just low-energy infomercials that don’t point out the flaws in the camera or the fact that a newer version with more features will be coming out soon.
This happened to me in 2021 when I bought the Sony ZV-1 camera, only to find out a few months later that the Sony VZ-E10 had been released. I had spent around $900 on the ZV-1, and the E10 was going to cost me around $1,200 to $1,500. I was lucky that I caught this before I made the purchase, but it could have been a costly mistake.
The moral of the story is to be careful when making decisions about what equipment to buy for your podcast. Don’t get sucked into the hype of the newest and greatest. Take the time to do your research, watch reviews from trusted sources, and make sure you’re getting the best product for your needs and budget. It’s also important to remember that no matter what you buy, a newer version with more features will eventually come out, so don’t get too attached to any one piece of equipment.
Invest in lighting, not cameras.
This is something I’ve learned the hard way. I’ve made the mistake of investing in the latest and greatest gear, only to discover that it didn’t really make that much of a difference in the quality of my podcast. What I should have done is invest in lighting. Good lighting can make all the difference in the quality of your video, and it’s much less expensive than buying the latest and most incredible camera.
I recently upgraded from my Logitech C920 webcam to the Elgato FaceCam. The Elgato had a bigger lens and was slightly better, but no one had ever complained about my video quality when I was using the Logitech. I had invested in some Elgato Key Lights, and they made a huge difference in the quality of my video.
I then fell into the trap of upgrading again, this time to the Sony ZV-1. It had a single button that made the background blurry, which I thought was cool. But I soon realized that I had to unplug it, turn it on, go through the menus, and then plug the cable back in to use it as a live streaming camera. This was not the convenience I was looking for. I ended up going back to the Elgato because I didn’t have to get out of my chair to use it.
Take the time to do your research, watch reviews from trusted sources, and make sure you’re getting the best product for your needs and budget.
THINK BEFORE YOU BUY
It’s also important to ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it. Just because something has a lot of features doesn’t mean you need it. There is a difference between NEED and WANT.
This is why it’s important to ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it. Ask yourself what you will gain from the purchase and if it will enable you to do something that you can’t do now. If the answer is no, then it’s probably not worth the money.
SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME
It’s also important to be careful of buying items that will give you room to grow in the future. Just because something has a lot of features doesn’t mean you will use them. In the podcast, I signed a year contract for a service that had a lot of features, but he ended up never using half of them.
When buying new gear is the benefit. Is it for you or is it for the audience? If it’s for the audience, then it might be worth investing in, but if it’s for you, then you might want to think twice. For example, I recently wanted to buy a microphone boom arm. I realized that I didn’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on one because all I needed it to do was hold the microphone in one place.
Buying new gear can be exciting, but it’s important to think before you buy. Invest in lighting instead of gear, ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it, and be careful of buying items that will give you room to grow. Doing all of these things will help you save money and ensure that you’re getting the best product for your needs.
JOIN THE SCHOOL OF PODCASTING
Join worry free at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/ypc
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
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