Today as a musician I need to be able to write, record, mix, edit, distribute, conceive artwork, implement it and the list goes on and on!
One of the many useful tools available is a Blog. All bands and artists should have one.
So here is a list of some of the easiest ways to get good quality content on your blogs.
Many people think that Blogger lacks in all of the extra goodies you can add to other platforms like WordPress, but it simply isn’t true. By using widgets you can customize your blog as much as you like by just adding little snippets of code to the sidebars.
Allow users to talk to you via IM, see what your most popular posts are, or even read news from sites such as Mashable. With these 25 widgets, you can create an even more powerful way of communicating with your visitors, just make sure you don’t overload them with too many!
What are some of your favorite widgets for use on Blogger?
Communications Widgets
Google Talk – Give visitors the ability to talk to you via Google Talk directly from your blog sidebar.
Jaxtr – Create a widget that allows people to call you on the phone without revealing the phone number to them.
Meebo Me – Meebo Me will allow you to create a chat box that you can install on your Blogger page, giving you the chance to converse with visitors to your site.
Skype – The official Skype widget allows you to create various buttons that can show your current status and also allows people to just click it and give you a call.
Tag-Board – Allows you to add a real-time chat board to your blog that your visitors and you can use to converse.
Social Widgets
Delicious Linkrolls – Share your Delicious bookmarks with the world with this easy to install linkroll widget.
FriendFeed Widget – Share all of your FriendFeed activity with the readers of your site.
Google Friend Connect – A makeshift social network that runs across any site that has installed Google Friend Connect. You can join a site, see the other members, play games and more.
LinkedInABox – LinkedInABox retrieves your LinkedIn profile to display on your blog, allowing people to look through things such as your specialties and experience.
MyBlogLog – If someone visits your blog that is also a member of MyBlogLog, their avatar and username will appear in the box. You can then click on any person to check out their profile on the service.
Twitter – Add your Twitter stream to your blog and display anywhere from your last tweet to the last twenty. Also gives a link for people to be able to follow you.
Share on Facebook – A simple widget that allows your readers to share items from your blog on Facebook.
SocialFeed – A miniature lifestreaming widget that broadcasts your activities on sites such as Twitter, StumbleUpon, Last.fm and so on. Has several different skins you can choose from.
Utility Widgets
Add This – The popular social bookmarking button is available for Blogger accounts.
Easy Comments – This widget allows you to add commenting to any page of your site by placing the widget at the bottom of a page. Allows people to say if they liked the comment, includes comment threading and more.
Google Search – Add an AJAX powered Google search box to your blog that you can allow to search the web and your blog, or even just restrict it to the contents of your site.
Popular Posts – This widget will take a look at your comments, up to the last 5,000, and generate a list of which posts had the most conversation around them.
Recent Comments – Display the most recent comments on your blog in this widget so that readers can join in the conversation.
Related Posts – Not so much a widget as a hack, this will give you the related post functionality that so many WordPress powered blogs use.
ShareThis – The highly customizable green button that ShareThis is known for can be added to your blog. Choose if you want it for social bookmarking, users emailing your posts and more.
Shout List Icons – Be the king (or queen) of social sharing with this widget that generates icons for over 30 social sites your blog can be added to.
Tag/Label Cloud – Gives you the ability to install a traditional tag cloud in your sidebar so people can see what you write about the most.
Podcasting is creating your own content (mp3 or video for example ) with intent for users to download using one of several programs that have been created to retrieve your audio file automatically, like iTunes or Google reader etc.
Podcasting is simply distributing audio content using RSS. The process is suprisingly simple, and by making audio content available using RSS, podcasters give listeners more control over what they listen to and when. Also, many podcasts are available for syndication, which increases a broadcasters exposure.
Here is a breakdown of what you will need and need to know to be able to Podcast:
Skills you may need….
1. How to record your audio and save it to an .mp3 file. (Video is of course also allowed)
2. How to upload the .mp3 file to a website or hosting service
3. How to upload the RSS “feed” burner service.
After creating your material using an audio editing program of your choice you’ll need somwhere to store it online. if you have a sever upload it here, if your lost at the word ‘server’ …get a blog like ‘WordPress’ or ‘Blogger’.
The majority of things you will have to master in order to Podcast are online and if your new to Blogging, Podcasting is an ideal reason to start. Your ‘Blog’ will allow to to upload you MP3′s and store them within your Blog enabling users to visit your site and download or even better ‘Subscribe’!
There are many different ways to create/ store your Podcasts, you just need to find the server and Feedburner that works for you, the videos here all do things a little different so dont worry if you do things different also!
An RSS feed is the final step in transforming your collection of audio/video files into a bona fide podcast! With FeedBurner’s SmartCast service, you can use any blogging tool that creates a feed to publish your podcast. Here’s how it works: If your blog post contains a link (<a href=”"></a>) to an audio/video file, we’ll convert it to an RSS enclosure — a special link found only in your feed — that programs like iPodder, iTunes and NetNewsWire recognize. Google Reader and several other online readers also recognize enclosures and offer a playback link or audio control when they encounter them.
Sequel turns you into a producer, and gives you your own fully-loaded music studio. You need HipHop beats for your latest track? Or want to surprise your friends at your next party with your own electro live-set? Sequel gives you everything you need to produce pro-quality tracks at home, on a plane, in the rehearsal room or even live…
If you’re serious about making your own music, ACID Music Studio software is the perfect tool for original song creation, multitrack audio and MIDI recording, and studio-quality mixing, and effects processing. Share your songs any way you want — burn your own CDs, upload to the web, prepare audio for podcasts, or export to your MP3 player.
Blue offers up the Snowflake, the world’s first truly professional and portable USB mic. With plug-and-play simplicity, podcasts, web conferences, or adding voiceovers to video projects takes on a new level of ease and quality. The Snowflake is compatible with both Macs and PCs, and it’s low-profile design makes it a perfect fit with either desktop or laptop systems.…
Introducing the Radiolutionary Podcastudio USB Bundle from Behringer. Looking for a new way to express yourself? Ever wanted to be a famous producer? Then podcasting is the answer and the Behringer Podcastudio bundle has all you need to make high-quality podcasts and home recordings. Go on air straight out of the box with this fantastic Podcastudio recording…
Samson changed the way the world records audio with the C01U and C03U USB Studio Condenser microphones — the first studio quality condenser microphones equipped with a USB interface. The C03U Recording / Podcasting Pak includes everything needed to record digital audio on a PC or Mac with an eye on maximum portability.
Mobile Connectivity with Pro-Studio Extras Rugged, compact, and feature-filled, the new UA-25EX is a portable-interface powerhouse. Ideal for computer-based audio engineers who appreciate mobility, this 24bit/96kHz USB audio interface is equipped with pro-grade microphone preamps, a newly-developed analog compressor/limiter, and ground-lift functionality for studio and stage.
The follow-up to the mega popular US-122, the new US-144 delivers everything you’d want in a portable audio/MIDI interface and more.
Record two tracks at a time with zero latency; whether you have a PC or a Mac, your song ideas go down in real time, real easy. Its size means you can take it anywhere you go…
The R-09HR is a professional, high-definition recorder that travels light and performs like a heavyweight. With crystal-clear 24/96 fidelity, the R-09HR is the new flagship of EDIROL’s award-winning R-series recorders. Features 24-bit/96kHz linear PCM high-resolution, low-noise recording Newly developed Isolated Adaptive Recording Circuit (I.A.R.C.) High-grade, high-sensitivity stereo condenser microphone built in …
Many people think that Blogger lacks in all of the extra goodies you can add to other platforms like WordPress, but it simply isn’t true. By using widgets you can customize your blog as much as you like by just adding little snippets of code to the sidebars.
