Karen, what a fantastic guide on leveraging audio in Substack publications! Your detailed breakdown not only demystifies the process but also opens up a world of creative possibilities for writers and publishers alike. The aspect of adding a voiceover to posts, in particular, caught my attention. It's a unique way to personalize content and create a deeper connection with subscribers. By lending their own voice to their writing, authors can convey emotions and nuances that text alone might not capture. This could be especially powerful for storytelling or for conveying complex information in a more digestible manner. Your tips on the technical side of things, like supported audio formats and how to embed audio effectively, are incredibly helpful. It's clear you've got a wealth of experience with audio on Substack, and your willingness to assist others through 'Help' calls is a testament to the supportive community spirit here. Thanks for sharing your insights, and looking forward to exploring more audio-enhanced posts in the future!
You are a copywriter who specialises in writing text to accompany podcast episodes.
I need you to write me a short podcast episode description.
I want you to use a similar style, structure and tone as the BBC uses. Here are 5 examples from the BBC:
1. From the “pernicious fife-footlers polluting the sooty Victorian cities” to the “fiendish electronic cacophony” of today, Will Self bemoans the ever-increasing difficulty of finding a bit of peace and quiet. He wonders why we tolerate this growing noise pollution, even though we know that high levels of ambient noise cause stress, insomnia and even, if persistent, poor mental health.
2. Adam Gopnik tries to rationalise what lies behind his new obsession - of walking 10,000 steps every day. With the help of his daughter, Darwin and the Cynics of ancient Greece, Adam concludes that, in our search for meaning in life, 'meaning bound around by a number is easier to grasp than meaning left to meander where it will.' 'The act of taking 10,000 steps a day,' he says, 'brings with it a sense of conscious accomplishment that the phrase "a good long walk" cannot'.
3. From clay tablets in Mesopotamia two and a half thousand years ago to the stuff of dreams today, Sarah Dunant examines the continuing mystery of the function and meaning of dreams. 'As science digs further into every nook and cranny of our brains,' writes Sarah, 'the elusive, individual nature of dreams is possibly the most magical element of human existence that remains.'
4. Zoe Strimpel is turning her sights from artsy academic interests to much more concrete ones. Cultural warfare and events in the Middle East have left her feeling, she says, as if she's in a 'ceaselessly enraged world'. So instead of her usual contacts in sociology, anthropology and political science, she's seeking out engineers, agriculturalists and silversmiths - 'people who actually know something about the everyday things we all depend on and how it all works.' 'I find this far more dazzling these days than a new insight on cultural Marxism, and also less depressing,' Zoe writes, 'in a world that feels as if things are in freefall, and increasingly subject to entropic and evil forces.'
5. John Connell reflects on how rain has shaped Irish culture. 'Over the centuries, the Irish - most days anyway - have learned to accept, sometimes even love, the rain,' writes John. But, he says, that is now beginning to change.
Here is my essay:
"[PASTE ESSAY HERE]"
- Please keep them no more than 80 words.
- Write in clear and simple language.
- Start the description with the words "[ADD FIRST WORDS]…"
Brilliant 🤩 I already post by podcast on substack in a different account and was having trouble working out how to integrate it with other stuff-so well explained 🙏
Hello, I have recorded several podcast episodes, but now when I click "start recording" I get the following error: "Unable to setup microphone!" I can recored video and that picks up my audio. Any idea what's happening? Thanks
Wow Will, you're the second person in two days who has reported this error. I haven't been able to replicate it myself however. I have a feeling it might be a browser permission thing maybe, but I don't know. If you jump on a chat with the Help bot it might be able to help you troubleshoot (as help bots go, the Substack one is surprisingly good)
I am also getting this message and have yet to figure out how to solve this. I have been on two chats with the Help bot but once I did what they suggested (and it didn't work) the chat came to a dead-end. I checked the browser and the permission thing but this looks go. Even changed browsers (from Safari to Chrome)
Thanks for your reply. I'll check my permissions and the help bot. I do wonder if some setting changed, and I'll keep searching. Yesterday, as a work-around, I downloaded "Audacity" and found it works really well. I was able to record my podcast and then uploaded it into my newsletter.
Am having a problem. After recording a podcast on the Substack platform using the Record Audio function, Substack processes and compresses it so it plays speeded up, which is weird. Why is it doing that?
I'm just hitting the Record Audio option for a podcast and using my laptop's microphone. And oddly, it doesn't seem to happen every time. It starts out at normal speed and then accelerates. This was the most recent one: https://suelanimadsen.substack.com/p/ecology-dropped-the-ball-dol-picked
Really useful, Karen, and very timely, as I'm hoping to incorporate audio into my Substack soon. If you have any tips for editing audio, please share 😊
My best tip for editing voice-overs is: try not to.
By that I mean, aim for single-take recordings, correcting minor fumbles as you speak, so you don't have to edit later, and stick to the script so u don't add accidental ums and 'ah's.
I record into the (free) auphonic app, do minor edits there if needed, then process it for volume levelling and background noise reduction using the (free) auphonic engine.
I'm wondering if someone might have some answer to this issue as I've tried everything at this point. I made sure browser, computer, microphone all have permissions but still when I try to record I get the "Unable to setup microphone!" error. What else could it possibly be? The microphone works perfectly fine. Tried restarting browser, computer, permissions and settings and nothing.
Since the problem isn't in your computer>mic connection I think you're right in guessing it's related to the Substack to mic interface. Unless you've got a gaming/streaming service like OBS running on your computer?
The Substack help bot suggested to check your browser settings to ensure Substack.com has microphone access. You could try a trouble shooting process with the bot, explaining which browser you are using (click 'help' at the bottom right of the publication dashboard page)
Thanks, Karen. Another post everyone writing on Substack should read.
This is an excellent read and very helpful. Even someone like me with an audio background finds it confusing but you've nailed it!
So well explained. Thank you!
Karen, what a fantastic guide on leveraging audio in Substack publications! Your detailed breakdown not only demystifies the process but also opens up a world of creative possibilities for writers and publishers alike. The aspect of adding a voiceover to posts, in particular, caught my attention. It's a unique way to personalize content and create a deeper connection with subscribers. By lending their own voice to their writing, authors can convey emotions and nuances that text alone might not capture. This could be especially powerful for storytelling or for conveying complex information in a more digestible manner. Your tips on the technical side of things, like supported audio formats and how to embed audio effectively, are incredibly helpful. It's clear you've got a wealth of experience with audio on Substack, and your willingness to assist others through 'Help' calls is a testament to the supportive community spirit here. Thanks for sharing your insights, and looking forward to exploring more audio-enhanced posts in the future!
Thank you, Karen!
Such great info here. Thank you!
Thanks Karen! I’ve written a good AI prompt that’ll turn my finished essays into punchy podcast synopses. If anyone wants it, happy to share
Oh that sounds great. I'd love to know the prompt, Harrison.
Here's the prompt:
You are a copywriter who specialises in writing text to accompany podcast episodes.
I need you to write me a short podcast episode description.
I want you to use a similar style, structure and tone as the BBC uses. Here are 5 examples from the BBC:
1. From the “pernicious fife-footlers polluting the sooty Victorian cities” to the “fiendish electronic cacophony” of today, Will Self bemoans the ever-increasing difficulty of finding a bit of peace and quiet. He wonders why we tolerate this growing noise pollution, even though we know that high levels of ambient noise cause stress, insomnia and even, if persistent, poor mental health.
2. Adam Gopnik tries to rationalise what lies behind his new obsession - of walking 10,000 steps every day. With the help of his daughter, Darwin and the Cynics of ancient Greece, Adam concludes that, in our search for meaning in life, 'meaning bound around by a number is easier to grasp than meaning left to meander where it will.' 'The act of taking 10,000 steps a day,' he says, 'brings with it a sense of conscious accomplishment that the phrase "a good long walk" cannot'.
3. From clay tablets in Mesopotamia two and a half thousand years ago to the stuff of dreams today, Sarah Dunant examines the continuing mystery of the function and meaning of dreams. 'As science digs further into every nook and cranny of our brains,' writes Sarah, 'the elusive, individual nature of dreams is possibly the most magical element of human existence that remains.'
4. Zoe Strimpel is turning her sights from artsy academic interests to much more concrete ones. Cultural warfare and events in the Middle East have left her feeling, she says, as if she's in a 'ceaselessly enraged world'. So instead of her usual contacts in sociology, anthropology and political science, she's seeking out engineers, agriculturalists and silversmiths - 'people who actually know something about the everyday things we all depend on and how it all works.' 'I find this far more dazzling these days than a new insight on cultural Marxism, and also less depressing,' Zoe writes, 'in a world that feels as if things are in freefall, and increasingly subject to entropic and evil forces.'
5. John Connell reflects on how rain has shaped Irish culture. 'Over the centuries, the Irish - most days anyway - have learned to accept, sometimes even love, the rain,' writes John. But, he says, that is now beginning to change.
Here is my essay:
"[PASTE ESSAY HERE]"
- Please keep them no more than 80 words.
- Write in clear and simple language.
- Start the description with the words "[ADD FIRST WORDS]…"
Brilliant 🤩 I already post by podcast on substack in a different account and was having trouble working out how to integrate it with other stuff-so well explained 🙏
Hello, I have recorded several podcast episodes, but now when I click "start recording" I get the following error: "Unable to setup microphone!" I can recored video and that picks up my audio. Any idea what's happening? Thanks
Wow Will, you're the second person in two days who has reported this error. I haven't been able to replicate it myself however. I have a feeling it might be a browser permission thing maybe, but I don't know. If you jump on a chat with the Help bot it might be able to help you troubleshoot (as help bots go, the Substack one is surprisingly good)
I am also getting this message and have yet to figure out how to solve this. I have been on two chats with the Help bot but once I did what they suggested (and it didn't work) the chat came to a dead-end. I checked the browser and the permission thing but this looks go. Even changed browsers (from Safari to Chrome)
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your reply. I'll check my permissions and the help bot. I do wonder if some setting changed, and I'll keep searching. Yesterday, as a work-around, I downloaded "Audacity" and found it works really well. I was able to record my podcast and then uploaded it into my newsletter.
Thanks again!
Agree: using Audacity or another audio-specific app to create files is a better option than recording directly in Substack.
Am having a problem. After recording a podcast on the Substack platform using the Record Audio function, Substack processes and compresses it so it plays speeded up, which is weird. Why is it doing that?
Gosh, Sue, I don’t know why that would have happened…. Must be very frustrating. Have you tried using a different device?
I'm just hitting the Record Audio option for a podcast and using my laptop's microphone. And oddly, it doesn't seem to happen every time. It starts out at normal speed and then accelerates. This was the most recent one: https://suelanimadsen.substack.com/p/ecology-dropped-the-ball-dol-picked
same
Super-helpful post, thanks!
Thank you! Very helpful information! I've been wanting to add audio to my Substack but wasn't sure how to start.
Been experimenting on this ❤️ https://open.substack.com/pub/makepurethyheart/p/important-vs-urgent?r=1zorpg&utm_medium=ios
Really useful, Karen, and very timely, as I'm hoping to incorporate audio into my Substack soon. If you have any tips for editing audio, please share 😊
My best tip for editing voice-overs is: try not to.
By that I mean, aim for single-take recordings, correcting minor fumbles as you speak, so you don't have to edit later, and stick to the script so u don't add accidental ums and 'ah's.
I record into the (free) auphonic app, do minor edits there if needed, then process it for volume levelling and background noise reduction using the (free) auphonic engine.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Wish I had seen this a few months ago would have saved me quite a bit of time.
I'm wondering if someone might have some answer to this issue as I've tried everything at this point. I made sure browser, computer, microphone all have permissions but still when I try to record I get the "Unable to setup microphone!" error. What else could it possibly be? The microphone works perfectly fine. Tried restarting browser, computer, permissions and settings and nothing.
Hi Cavechan, sorry to hear you're having trouble.
Since the problem isn't in your computer>mic connection I think you're right in guessing it's related to the Substack to mic interface. Unless you've got a gaming/streaming service like OBS running on your computer?
The Substack help bot suggested to check your browser settings to ensure Substack.com has microphone access. You could try a trouble shooting process with the bot, explaining which browser you are using (click 'help' at the bottom right of the publication dashboard page)
Good luck.