It occurred to me the other day, while I was looking at the upcoming expenses for the podcasts, just how different they would be if I didn’t have the resources to invest in them the way that I have.
Music licensing is probably the biggest expense. Music for podcasting costs a LOT of money. To put it in perspective, when you buy a song from iTunes, it costs around 99p. When you buy a song to use in a podcast, it usually costs around £20. In the Bullets & Blood series alone I used over 200 pieces of music!
I’m just about to sign a new licensing deal that will allow me to create the two series’ I’m working on for 2017, but without the financial support of my backers, I would be doing no such thing!
Hosting and storage has begun to cost even more lately, too. The combines services I use to create Attaboy Clarence and The Secret History Of Hollywood are now well into three figures per month, which, again, I wouldn’t be able to manage alone.
Research materials for my chosen subject are desperately expensive. When I first started making these things, I relied very much on internet research, but as the subjects grew larger, I had to cast my net out further for more detailed resources. These are very costly. Most of the books I require regularly are out-of-print, which pushes the price up to ridiculous proportions. Supply and demand, as they say…
I’ve invested hugely in hardware and software over the past year. Before I had patrons, I used to record while standing in a crouched position in an under-stairs cupboard, trying to make the best use of a rather cheap microphone. Because of the sound quality, I would then have to spend hundreds of hours in editing for each SHoH episode. I am now much more comfortable when I record (which takes a week or two) and my editing time has been slashed in half.
So while I was thinking about all this the other day, it occurred to me that I am so very lucky to be able to invest in these podcasts the way I do, and it is all down to the fact that many of you have become patrons of the show. I cannot impress upon you all enough how much of a difference it has made to my work, and to me personally.
But is “patron” an accurate description for what you’ve done/are doing by supporting the shows financially?
You see, I don’t think that it is…
In actual fact, I prefer to think of you investors as co-producers? Literally, I could not produce these shows in this way without you.
And so I would very much like to officially credit you all individually as such, if that’s okay?
I am in the middle of creating a credits page, to be hosted on the website, and which will be reachable through any podcatcher displaying episodes of either The Secret History Of Hollywood or Attaboy Clarence, meaning that if people want to know who is responsible for the production of either show, they can now find out.
In gratitude for your kindness and support, I would like to list you all as co-producers of the shows on this page. This will apply to all shows currently available on The Secret History Of Hollywood and Attaboy Clarence podcast feeds. I will keep this list up to date, so if you sign up to invest, you will be added as a co-producer within 24 hours of doing so.
Obviously, if you would rather not be included on this credits page, I will be more than happy to remove your name. Just let me know by mailing me at adam@attaboyclarence.com
Once again, may I just thank you if you’ve signed up to be a patron/co-producer, or are thinking of signing up and joining. You’ve made so many improvements, and are making so many amazing things possible.
My very best
Adam