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 🙏
Substack would definitely be better for audio if they had wider support for oEmbed. Using the likes of a Spotify or Apple Podcasts embed limits the audience to these two platforms, which they might not want to (lots of podcasters veer their listeners away from Spotify) or be able to (Apple Podcasts is very difficult for Android users). Ideally, they'd let users add the podcast player that comes with their podcast hosting company, so the analytics for any listens would still be pulled back there.
Yes I agree Substack could do a lot better with its podcasting integrations. If I was a serious podcaster I wouldn't host any audio content here at all, and would send my newsletter subscribers off-platform to listen.
However for a simple audio add-on that is a compliment to a newsletter rather than a stand-alone offering, Substack is good. Using Substack keeps things simple for creators who aren't confident with tech. And it lets creators avoid adding yet another publishing platform to their stack.
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've tried that. Every time I try to post a new post, I get an audio window covering half the screen and none of the buttons in the audio window work. I've reported it to Substack.
How do I get rid of the audio window to publish a written post? It's hiding the publish button so I'm unable to publish any posts. I can't advance it, disappear it or resize it. Refreshing the page and restarting my computer doesn't help. I don't want to clear my cache because I need it for my offline activities.
Hi Stuart, I'm not sure I exactly understand your issue but I suspect the post type you are editing (or perhaps you've 'duplicated to drafts'?) is an Audio post. In that style of post you can't get rid of the audio section at the top and you can't publish it without audio.
The solution is to return to the Posts section of your publication dashboard, find the 'New Post' button and choose 'Post' from the drop down list. That will let you write a post without adding audio first.
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!
Thank you, Karen!
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!
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 🙏
Substack would definitely be better for audio if they had wider support for oEmbed. Using the likes of a Spotify or Apple Podcasts embed limits the audience to these two platforms, which they might not want to (lots of podcasters veer their listeners away from Spotify) or be able to (Apple Podcasts is very difficult for Android users). Ideally, they'd let users add the podcast player that comes with their podcast hosting company, so the analytics for any listens would still be pulled back there.
Yes I agree Substack could do a lot better with its podcasting integrations. If I was a serious podcaster I wouldn't host any audio content here at all, and would send my newsletter subscribers off-platform to listen.
However for a simple audio add-on that is a compliment to a newsletter rather than a stand-alone offering, Substack is good. Using Substack keeps things simple for creators who aren't confident with tech. And it lets creators avoid adding yet another publishing platform to their stack.
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.
I've tried that. Every time I try to post a new post, I get an audio window covering half the screen and none of the buttons in the audio window work. I've reported it to Substack.
How do I get rid of the audio window to publish a written post? It's hiding the publish button so I'm unable to publish any posts. I can't advance it, disappear it or resize it. Refreshing the page and restarting my computer doesn't help. I don't want to clear my cache because I need it for my offline activities.
Hi Stuart, I'm not sure I exactly understand your issue but I suspect the post type you are editing (or perhaps you've 'duplicated to drafts'?) is an Audio post. In that style of post you can't get rid of the audio section at the top and you can't publish it without audio.
The solution is to return to the Posts section of your publication dashboard, find the 'New Post' button and choose 'Post' from the drop down list. That will let you write a post without adding audio first.