Having read Gary Marshall’s Big Mouth article “Vision On” in this month’s .net magazine, it urged me to explain a bit of the how’s and why’s behind the One Phat DJ Podcast.

The September issue of .net magazine is devoted to sound and video, a very influential and important factor of the Web 2.0 era. For me, two of the biggest areas in the recent surge in Internet usage and popularity (that generally defines the term “Web 2.0″) are user generated content and podcasts. You might forgive me for underlining the obvious here but the One Phat DJ Podcast is a perfect example of what I am trying to get across here.

Gary Marshall’s article basically goes along the argument that not everyone is an ideal candidate for audio or video commentary. Just because you’ve got a built in mic on your laptop, it doesn’t mean people want to listen to you. Computer geeks have long been stereotyped with a ridiculously nerdy voice - not exactly motivational speaking. I’m inclined to agree with this.

When I started the podcast, I had contemplated with the idea of doing it in a typical podcast format, i.e. a discussion about a topic, in this case funky house, with some snippets and samples thrown in for additional backup content. I have always had a very distinctive voice since the age of about 14, when the obvious teenage lad syndrome happened. The problem I have is many people who speak to me for the first time struggle to understand what I am saying. I hope its a passing phase now as I am becoming more confident with public speaking (on the rare occasion I make it to a Multipack meeting for example). However, it still seems like early days.

When I first heard DJ Cruze’s podcast back in December 2005, I was inspired. After a fair bit of correspondence with the man, finding out what equipment and software he used as well asking for some advice, I decided to give it a try recording some audio commentary to lay over the pre-recorded mix. After about 4 hours of embarrassment, doing those typical DJ voiceovers, fumbling through some information I had typically gathered for the podcast, I realised this wasn’t my gig.

Part of the reason the podcast is so well received is because its nothing but music so it seemed silly changing the format. I’ve built up a strong and dedicated fan base with the podcast and I wouldn’t want to ruin that. The sole driving force for the podcast is to enlighten all those loyal listeners every month. It costs me to run the podcast. Hosting costs money. Reliable hosting doesn’t come cheap neither (although this is still an issue I need to address). However, it all seems worthwhile when I receive thank you emails from completely random people from around the World and the continuous stream of friendly comments on the website.

I’m not completely discarding the idea of introducing voice overs into the podcast. I have many plans for the future which I intend to implement at a some point. I doubt it will ever be a solo gig though. The reason the modern radio show works so well is due to the reinforcement from sidekicks. Even the best DJs have them.

The fundamental point I’m trying to get across here is don’t think you are destined to be the next Ze Frank, lonelygirl or Star Wars Kid just because you’ve got a digital video camera. How did that Eighties track go… “video killed the radio star”? That definitely has some meaning here.