That Eric Alper

Starting your own podcast can seem like a daunting task – especially when you’re entering such a saturated market.

But, in reality, creating a podcast is actually quite simple since it doesn’t require much equipment or special skills. If you’ve got a half-decent microphone and a pair of headphones, you’re halfway there!

Keep reading for more steps on kickstarting your podcast career.

1) Pick Your Podcasting Platform

Picking the best platform to upload your podcasts can seem difficult since there are so many choices. That’s why you should carefully consider comparison articles, like this Podbean vs Buzzsprout guide.

The platform you choose is important because some have a wider user audience, and can help you gain more listeners.

Other considerations include things like cost. Podbean allows you to upload your episodes for free, while other platforms like Buzzsprout charge you monthly to utilize the website.

Research every website before making a final decision of where you want to upload your podcast. However, uploading to multiple platforms is best if you can afford it.

2) Choose a Topic You’re Passionate About

To have a successful podcast, you must pick a topic that you’re truly interested in. Once you find that one subject you love, recording podcasts will feel more like fun than work.

From there, your episodes should have a clear focus that relates to your topic.

3) Get a Co-Host

Your podcasts will be much more interesting when you involve other people! If you include a friend, co-worker, or even a family member, you can expand on the topics you discuss with new perspectives, and gain a larger audience.

Once you both share your views on the topic, it is easier to have a more engaging conversation for your podcast listeners to enjoy. Also, it helps to have someone on your team to help with recording, editing, and other tasks.

4) Decide On a Catchy Name

A great name can draw thousands of listeners to your podcast. Your name could describe what the show is, or it doesn’t have to have meaning, so long as it’s memorable.

By creating a catchy title for your show, you have the ability to talk about many topics other than your main idea. Make sure not to pick a name that is too specific so that it cuts out other important topics of your podcast.

5) Create Eye-Popping Cover Art

When scrolling through podcast websites, one of the first things listeners will see is the cover art for your podcast. Viewers should see something creative and inviting, making them more likely to click on your show.

Make a good first impression by either designing your own cover art or hiring a graphic designer to create a professional image. Remember, your cover art will be the first thing people see when your show is shared on social media websites – make it good!

6) Invest in a High-Quality Microphone

To have the highest quality podcast, you should invest in a microphone. It doesn’t cost a ton of money to get a good-quality microphone at an affordable price. A podcast is purely audio-based after all; so having below-par sound on your recordings isn’t going to grow your listener base.

Podcasting Made Easy

Starting your own podcast is exciting, but a lot to organize. With a bit of careful preparation and proper equipment, you can get your show up and running in no time!

High-quality microphones and editing programs will ensure great audio. If you are looking into starting your own podcast, get this basic equipment, and don’t be afraid to just get started!

At this point, no matter what happens to the economy, the rest of 2020 is going to be difficult for most people and the country. However, they do believe that they might be able to avert disaster. The chancellor, along with the UK Government, has a plan and is hoping that if things follow it, people are going to start bailing the economy out in small ways. The cash that households accumulated for the past three months will be spent rescuing bars, shops and restaurants from looming bankruptcy. The Government is also planning on withdrawing the furlough scheme, introduced by chancellor Rishi Sunak toward the start of the pandemic since it might not be necessary.

While most people were technically receiving their salaries through the Government’s scheme, the companies were not capable of handling the output that they thought they could, which meant they could not stand alone through the pandemic. Even with the assistance of the Government, a lot of people were losing their jobs. People who were working jobs that could be replaced by software or automation found themselves out of work while companies were struggling to reduce costs.

There are massive changes taking place in the job market in the UK, and not everyone can adapt to these new changes. The youngest section of the workforce, along with the oldest seems to be the worst suffering. In most cases, the youngest seems to lack the experience needed to hold a job since they would by default be the first to do, while the oldest are not always capable of adapting to these changes. With the largest number of companies in the UK needing human interactions, not only people but not all companies could keep up with these changes either.

According to the Paris-based thinktank, which is funded by 35 mostly rich countries, there will be  a rise in the unemployment rate to 14.8% which would take the UK to a higher level than France, Germany and Italy. All these countries had the worst experience with the Coronavirus pandemic, some even dealing with its harsh second wave.

With so much changing within companies, employers and employees are trying to keep up. No one predicted that almost all work in the UK would move online, allowing people to work on their tasks from their homes for the most part. Employers were no longer meeting the teams that they coordinated with in person, but over video and virtual calls. This lead most companies and their management to start handling background checks through the DBS. Not only was it convenient    to get this one, but it can be done online or through the phone without having to leave the office,

through a possess called the enhanced DBS check. Depending on the job description, a company is trying to match, the hiring requirements vary, with some of them needing candidates without a criminal record.

The UK Government made it mandatory to register vehicles for their MOT tests after they complete three years of being on the road. The MOT is an annual test that vehicle owners have    to finish annually. A study conducted several years back showed most vehicle owners in the UK did not bother getting their vehicles tested unless they were facing serious issues with them. The unfortunate drawback was that the lives of the vehicle owner and others on the road could be at risk, which is one of the main reasons that the MOT test came about, to make sure that the vehicles plying on roads were safe, roadworthy, and gave out reduced emissions. Furthermore, each car, bike, or truck on the road had to have a valid MOT certificate.

The tests were standard with people applying and registering their vehicles, a month before their MOT licences expired. The UK has a little more than 30 million cars that go through the tests   every year. Multiple MOT testing centres across the country managed these tests with some of these centres also fixing the vehicles, along with the test, while others only handled testing them. However, the coming in of the Coronavirus caused a few issues with the tests, with the dates and timings changing because the pandemic caused some employment issues.

People did not want to leave their houses since there was a possibility of catching the virus, and adding to that the Government implemented remote working, staying at home as much as possible, wearing masks and other such norms to keep people safe. The last time that the MOT test was redone and improved was in 2018, and post the new test more than 10 million cars across the UK did not make it through. The Government did not want a repeat of the same, so  they allowed people to test their cars, if they wanted, but did implement a six-month delay for people from 30th March to 31st July. Their only clause was that people had to make sure their   cars were roadworthy if they wanted to be driven on the road. There were higher fines for people driving vehicles that were not roadworthy.

Even though there was a delay, June received almost 1.3 million MOT registrations since most people did not want to wait for the queues, post the registrations becoming mandatory again. To assist people with these tests, the Government implemented rules allowing people to book MOT or even check MOT status from the previous year, online. This made the entire process easier for   a lot of the people who did not have to do to the MOT centre unless they had an appointment.

Some garages were assisting with these requirements further by sending people to the homes of their clients to collect their vehicles, get them tested and bring them back..

Michael Jackson, aka MJ, was a legendary artist who broke several records, overcame racial boundaries, and revolutionized the music industry. His groundbreaking creativity paved the way for others and changed the traditional patterns of song promotion and production. No wonder, he has been touted the King of Pop.

From songs that inspired people to care for the Earth such as ‘Earth song’, songs that challenged racial stigma such as ‘Black or White’, and dance-hits such as ‘The Way You Make Me Feel,’ Jackson gained worldwide success. When he passed away on 25 June 2009, the world was taken by shock and millions of global fans mourned the loss of a legend. Even today, when asked to write a pop culture essay on cultural icons, several of his fans write a Michael Jackson essay solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest performers to have ever lived. Here are the top reasons why Michael Jackson was and is a pop culture icon even today.

Fashion 

MJ was famous for defying conventional fashion and would often sport clothes that showcased his intriguing persona. He often performed in a red zippered jacket and white rhinestone-embedded glove. Even today, fashion students remark on Michael Jackson’s exceptional fashion sense and are often asked to write essays about MJ. He is still remembered for his fashion choices that include a fedora, sequined gloves, aviator sunglasses, red leather jackets, black high-waisted pants and white socks. At the height of his fame, he inspired fashion trends globally.

Dance 

Jackson was globally famous for many of his dance moves. But among them, the most iconic has to be the ‘Moonwalk’ that he debuted during his performance of ‘Billie Jean’. The performance aired on a TV special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, on 16 May, 1983. Another famous move of his, the Crotch grab as it was dubbed, was met with mixed reactions from his fans. However, when followed by the pelvic thrust, this gained popularity as another of his famous dance move.

The Anti-gravity lean that was made possible thanks to specially designed shoes was one that attracted a lot of excitement amongst Michael Jackson’s fan-base. Apart from his other dance moves such as The robot and the MJ spin, he was also famous for doing the toe stand, a move in which he stood on his toes and his cropped pants and white socks added to the flair.

Music Videos

Before MJ, pop stars didn’t assign extravagant budgets on their singles. He changed the way those videos were produced by replacing low-cost visual promos with high-budget short films.

In 1983, Jackson released the video for ‘Thriller’, produced by Quincy Jones, which is one of the most innovative and successful videos to date. The video was made iconic with the ingenious zombie dance choreography, the costumes, and the camera work. The set of the video cost $500,000 and was one of the most expensive videos ever produced. The 13 minutes and 42 seconds long video was given a film-like backstory that was unique for videos at the time.

The Jackson 5

Even before MJ’s solo accomplishment, he had gained popularity in popular culture as the lead singer of the group, the Jackson 5, during the 1960s. The group was widely successful, and besides having many hit records, they also had a cartoon series and a variety show.

In pop history, they became the first group to have their first four singles top the charts. The songs were ‘I’ll be there’, ‘I want you back’, ‘The love you save’ and ‘ABC’. The song ABC was nominated for a GRAMMY in the category Contemporary Vocal Performance by A Duo, Group or Chorus.

The GRAMMY Awards

Jackson won 13 GRAMMYs in his lifetime for several big categories such as ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Record of the Year’. He made history at the 26th Annual GRAMMY Awards by being the first to win 8 GRAMMYs on the same night.

Along with his GRAMMYs, he has also been awarded the prestigious GRAMMY Legend Award – A Recording Academy Special Merit Award. The award has only been presented to 15 individuals to date and is awarded to groups or individuals for ongoing contributions and influence in the recording field. He earned the award in 1993 and was the 10th recipient of the award.

Hollywood Walk of Fame 

Jackson made history by being the first celebrity ever to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the same category. He first earned his spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his group act, Jacksons, formerly known as Jackson 5 in 1980. Later, he earned a recording star again as a solo act.

He was also inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the first time with his family Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine, and Tito and the second time in 2001 as a solo artist. If you need more pop culture essays, you can find them on StudyDriver.

Posthumous success

In the week after Michael Jackson’s death, he became the first singer with more than 1 million digital tracks sold in a week. He was also dubbed the first in popular music history to have the three best-selling albums in the US. He was also dubbed the first to have six of the 10-best-selling albums.

In 2017, Michael Jackson’s single ‘Love never felt so good’ from the album that launched after his death, Xscape, reached no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. As such, he became the first-ever to score a top 10 hit on the Billboard hot 100 in five consecutive decades.

Years after his death, MJ remains in the hearts of his fans and will continue to do so for a long time. Even though he is no longer alive, he leaves behind his legacy of an iconic fashion statement, dance moves and videos that his fans cherish even today.