What are you waiting for?
Creating a professional sounding audio drama doesn’t take the big bucks you may think.
So you want to do an audio drama but you’re afraid you can’t afford it or will need to do some huge Kickstarter campaign? Here’s my story on how Madison is brought to life on a low, no budget.
HOSTING
Yes, I do pay for a podcast host. I understand there are some free hosting sites out there which exchange ads for a yearly fee. I’m not at all opposed to ads, but I would suggest listening to some podcasts hosted on the free site before you jump in. I have heard ones where the commercial literally cuts off the person speaking mid-sentence. Maybe for a talky-talk type podcast that’s not a big deal, but if you are building characters, plot or have a joke that needs to land… ugh. Honestly, the fee to host for the year isn’t bad. So make an educated decision there. Also, we are on YouTube. Why? Well, it’s free, and you might be surprised how many people actually use that platform to consume audio-only content. I create a “video” with a moving wall paper and images I build in Photoshop, using my free iMovie. I’ve had over 2,000 downloads on there alone!
RECORDING
I was fortunate enough to have Jeremy (our sound engineer/musician/my husband) already own the microphone and recording/editing software for his music work. We did turn our office area into a recording booth by hanging moving blankets as curtains that we can open and close. There are a LOT of online suggestions for creating a viable recording space that you can do creatively, probably with what you already have around your home. As for the microphone, it doesn’t need to be expensive. It’s really more about having a “dead room” space. But you will need more than a cellphone mic. As for the editing/recording software, plenty of people use free software like GarageBand or Audacity. Maybe start there and make an investment later on so you aren’t spending a ton just to start. We use Logic Pro X and it’s served us well.
CAST
Of course, I absolutely would love to pay my very talented cast, and I absolutely could not do this without them, so the fact that they are giving their time to my project for free is amazing. You can find great people out there. Just be upfront that it is unpaid. No surprises. Also, I make a point to have a 3 week turnaround for my actors to record (our model is they record alone and upload the mp3 or wav files). I appreciate that these people have to make a living, so I give a large amount of time so they can prioritize their jobs/paid opportunities. This is all on YOU to have enough of a cushion in your production schedule. Nothing that bugs me more is people asking me to record for free and then demand it in less than a week. “Do it this weekend!” Uh… not ALL of us have M-F jobs.
EDITING/POST
Going into this project, I had done some video editing, but had never worked in Logic editing audio. You can pay someone for this service, or teach yourself! I spent a lot of time learning the program and creating an efficient way to edit. I get all of my sound effects from free websites like ZapSplat and FreeSounds (just make sure you credit when they ask for that). Jeremy takes the raw edit and does the equalizing. I haven’t learned that part myself yet, as he’s very skilled at it, but it isn’t beyond learning. PLUS this is where your choice of cast comes in to play. I prioritize those who have good recording set ups so we aren’t spending a ton of post-production time cleaning up messy audio. Jeremy does all original music for us, but you certainly can find royalty free music out there, too.
MARKETING
Never before in history have we had so many free ways to get the word out about our product. This is indie. So reach your audience where they live. I am heavily active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the r/audiodrama subreddit, and now Mastodon. I post every single day and, time allowing, do my best to also engage in other people’s posts. Don’t be that “post and go” guy. Engage. I do pay a bit for this website, but there are inexpensive ways to host a website for sure. Also, if you’re getting the newsletter, THAT is free, too! Mailchimp has a free option that allows you to build the newsletters on their platform and maintain an emailing list, as well as giving you the tools to created a sign-up form. Why do the newsletter? With all the podcasts and audio dramas out there, this allows you to keep the conversation about yours going and remind people you’re here!
Do you have questions or want advice? Happy to share my journey to help you get started on yours! MadisonOnTheAir@gmail.com
