Sharing a Spiritual Message via Podcast: The Story of a Successful Daily Jewish Podcast

December 4, 2017February 25, 2020 / Shannon Martin, Podbean / Leave a comment

The 5-Minute Daf Yomi podcast with Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld is a daily show that’s recently achieved 100,000 downloads. Rabbi Herzfeld has published more than 700 straight episodes of the podcast, which provides commentary and insight into a page of the Talmud in around five minutes. These concise spiritual lessons have been popular with listeners around the world. Rabbi Herzfeld’s podcast was recently featured in a Jewish community newspaper, which shared stories of the many ways the Rabbi has spread Jewish teachings over the years and how podcasting is extending that.

Rabbi Herzfeld took some time to share his thoughts on podcasting with us. Read on to learn how podcasting can be a simple and fruitful way to share a message.

Why did you decide to start a podcast?

I started to do a podcast because I found that not enough people in our congregation were able to attend my daily Talmud class. I originally started it so that I could share one short spiritual teaching with our congregation on a daily basis.

Was starting a podcast easy for you?

I am technologically inept so I was very skeptical about being able to do a podcast. I thought it would take me hours of extra work and that I wouldn’t have the resources to do it. I was shocked at how easy it was for me to record a podcast using the Podbean app. Basically I just use my smartphone and speak into it and then upload it. It’s so simple.

What have you discovered since having a podcast, or what’s surprised you?

When I started I was shocked at how many people listened. The Talmud is a very esoteric text and I use a lot of technical terms but clearly there are fans of the podcast. This gratifies me because I believe the message of the Talmud is a pure spiritual message worthy to share with people.

I am always surprised when strangers tell me that they hear my podcast. One time a lawyer actually cited one of my podcasts as part of a legal proceeding. I got a kick out of it.

But my favorite times are when my children listen to it and cite it back to me.

What tools have you used to promote your podcast?

The only promoting of the podcast that I have done is that I use it as my signature in my email and I post every episode on my Facebook account. (Podbean has auto share options that make social media easy!)

What’s in the future for your podcast?

There are over 2700 pages of the Talmud and it is my goal to do a show for each of the pages. I have less than 2000 episodes to go!

When I am recording the podcast I feel that I am not only making an episode for people today but also a teaching for my children’s children and future generations.

What one thing would you tell someone thinking about starting a podcast?

To all those who think they have a compelling message to share I suggest you don’t worry about how many listeners you will have, just be true to your message!

5-Minute Daf Yomi with Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld can be found on Podbean. Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld of Ohev Sholom – The National Synagogue provides commentary and insight into the daily Daf (a page of Talmud studied around the world), offering spiritual lessons from the Torah and Jewish tradition.

Want to know about creating a podcast on Podbean? Read more and learn about recording a podcast right from your phone with the Podbean app.

Better Listening with Enhanced Android App Features

July 17, 2017July 19, 2017 / podbean / 10 Comments

We’ve added two exciting new features to the Podbean Android app (coming soon for iOS too). With these features, you can customize your listening experience to your preferences and listening conditions.

Volume boost normalizes volume to make listening in noisy situations easier. With dynamic compression equalization, listeners get a more consistent volume. This can really help when podcasts don’t have perfect sound and for listening when there’s a lot of background noise.

Intelligent speed shortens silences in the podcast without distorting the audio. It’s a great way to save time while listening at a normal speed.

To use these features, simply click on the “speedometer” icon on the bottom right when listening to a podcast. You will be able to apply the features there. You can read more about How to Use Intelligent Speed and Volume Boost for Podbean’s Android podcast app here.

How to Make a Podcast on Android

May 4, 2017February 25, 2020 / Shannon Martin, Podbean / 3 Comments

For a simple podcasting setup on your Android phone, the free Podbean podcast app is a great tool. Get the free Podbean app from the Play Store now. You can make a podcast on Android few minutes by following these simple steps.

Steps to Make a Podcast on Android

1. Sign up with your Facebook account or an email address.

2. Enter the recording page by clicking the red “Record” button on the home page.

Or, click the person icon on the top right to enter your personal profile page and then click the red “Record” button .

3. Click on the red Record button (microphone icon) to start recording. You can tap to pause and resume at any time. You can also hit the play icon on the screen to listen to what you’ve recorded so far or hit the trash icon to delete.

If you make a mistake or have audio you wish to cut, simply tap stop at any point and hit “edit” (the scissors icon). You will see the audio file and can drag back to the point you wish to cut and hit “trim”. Then, continue recording and when done, hit “Save”.

(Optional) Importing audio: You can also import audio recorded using other apps. On the record page, tap on the three dots on the top right and choose “import audio”. This will bring up a screen where you can choose from the audio files on your phone. Select the audio you wish to use and hit “Done”. From here, follow the steps below.

4. After hitting save, you will be taken to the “My Drafts” page. Tap the upload icon and you will go to the episode publishing screen, where you will need to add an episode title (five characters minimum), and can add an episode description and optional image. You can also choose to share the episode to Facebook and Twitter when it publishes. Click “Publish” when you’re ready, or “Save Draft” (top corner). Click the edit icon by a draft to continue publishing it.

Congratulations, you’ve just made a podcast on Android! Your podcast is online now.

If this is a new account (or you wish to edit your information), click the three dots next to your podcast title to edit your podcast title, logo, category or description.

Recording Tips: To record, you can use the Android speaker, but be aware of background noise and audio quality. A good headset or earbuds often produce decent sound quality. Or, you can get an external microphone. There are many good options, depending on your budget and audio needs.

That’s all it takes to make a podcast on Android! Some podcasters make a podcast on Android exclusively, while others use this process for occasional episodes when on the road, recording lectures or sermons, or doing live interviews.

When you sign up, you’re given a free Podbean hosting account. See Podbean prices and features for hosting options. You may wish to upgrade to get all Podbean’s great podcasting features. If you need to make changes or otherwise manage the podcasts made on your Android, you can manage all published episodes on Podbean.com website in your dashboard.

Turn Your Sermons into a Podcast in Three Steps

March 29, 2017March 29, 2017 / podbean / 1 Comment

Want to put your sermons online for church members (and others) to access anytime? Podcasting is a great way to share church sermons, teachings, and daily devotionals. This gives your followers a regular dose of inspiration that they can easily incorporate into their busy lives.

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It doesn’t have to be overwhelming to turn your sermons into a podcast. Creating a church podcast is easier than ever with Podbean’s mobile app. Here’s how you can turn your sermons into a podcast in three steps:

Record your sermons (or other teachings, devotionals, etc.) using the Podbean app on your phone. First, download the free Podbean app (for iPhone and Android) and sign up for your Podbean account. You can simply put the phone near your pulpit to record, or use a headset (even the iPhone earbuds produce good quality audio) to record yourself sharing your message. You can edit the recording later also.
Publish your sermon podcast. Create a title (and optional description) for this recording and hit “publish” when you’re ready to go. That quickly, your message can be accessed by your followers, via iTunes, Google Play, the Podbean app, on their computers, and in many other podcast apps.
Share your new church podcast! You can easily share to social networks and embed your podcast on your church website and other sites. You can even share to Facebook and Twitter directly from the app when you publish. Now, your church members and others can hear your message even if they can’t make it to church. And, they can continue to reflect and deepen their understanding and connection in daily life.

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Here’s a little more information about recording and publishing church sermons in the Podbean app:

Step-by-step instructions for the Podbean Android app

How to record and publish with the Podbean iPhone app

Now, you know how to turn your sermons into a podcast with your phone! We’ll also be sharing more about how churches are using podcasts, different options for recording, and various features that can help make your church podcast even better. Click “follow” in the sidebar to get our latest posts.

If you have any questions as you turn your sermons into a podcast, you can contact our Support team.

Improved Comments Management in the Podbean App

December 20, 2016January 19, 2017 / podbean / 7 Comments

Thanks to valuable podcaster feedback, we’ve made some great changes to the Podbean app. Users mentioned that it could be hard to locate and manage listener comments. You can now manage comments all in one spot, so there’s no more scrolling through episodes trying to find new comments.

Here are the easy options for viewing and managing your podcast comments:

Go to your user center in the Podbean app and manage all your comments right there. The comments here will include all your podcast’s comments as well as any comments you’ve made on other podcasts. You can click “manage comments” to view, reply, delete or block comments on your podcast (and view profile or reply to comments on other podcasts).
Go to the podcast page. You will see a red button at the top, “Comments” where you can view all the comments on the podcast.

The listener engagement functions in the Podbean app are a great way to interact with your listeners and build a strong community. Happy podcasting!

How to Set Background Music When Recording a Podcast Using the Podbean App

September 27, 2016September 27, 2016 / podbean / 1 Comment

First, it is essential that you make sure you have proper copyright permission for any music you use in your podcast. Podbean offers a few preloaded music options in the app, which are covered for podcast usage.

For music you have secured copyright permission for, you can sync the music from iTunes on your computer to your iphone by referring to Apple’s help link here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201253. Once you’ve done that, simply select it as your background music when recording in the app* (press + on the recording page to select the music).

*Currently, this feature is only available in the Podbean iOS app, not the Podbean Android app.

Podbean Now Supported on Android Auto

September 12, 2016September 12, 2016 / podbean / 1 Comment

We have exciting news for those who enjoy listening to podcasts on their drives! The Podbean podcast app is now officially available for use with Android Auto (Android 6.0 + phone). This makes it easy for fans to take their listening experience on the road, with quick phone/car integration and voice commands for drive-time safety.

For anyone with a compatible car and Android device, getting started is as simple as getting the Android Auto app and plugging your phone into your car’s USB port. Read more about using Android Auto. Podbean is always working to improve your podcast listening experience and convenience, so we’re thrilled to be part of this latest technological advancement.

Exciting New Listener Engagement Features in the Podbean App

July 4, 2016 / podbean / 3 Comments

Podbean’s pleased to announce some exciting upgrades to the Podbean apps for Android and iOS. These features are designed to help increase listener engagement and build stronger community. Now:

Podcasters can discover who their followers are and interact with them. Click on followers to see other podcasts they follow, follow them back, etc.
Listeners can discover more great podcasts they might like from followers of their favorite podcasts.
Listeners can submit comments. This innovation makes podcasting a more interactive experience, providing a convenient feedback and discussion mechanism. Podcasters can manage the discussions (add comments, reply, delete comments or block users).
The Podbean app’s intelligent recommendation system reward podcasts with high levels of engagement, by promoting them to more potential listeners.

We hope you enjoy the new community interaction features. We are constantly working on improving our features so stay tuned for more exciting innovations to come!

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