Afterhell Volume Three Now In Production

Copied from SFF Audio. But hey, I wrote it, so it's not technically cheating, is it?

The amazingly horror-ific series by the extremely creative folks at Ollin Productions have just started production of Volume Three of their Afterhell series. If you have never heard of Afterhell, you are missing out on an eargasm of multiple proportions. No better way to explain the series than to read it from the source itself:

"This is your gateway to a nightmare world of the ear and the mind.

There, horrors have been set loose on the world. Planet Earth is changing to fulfill a new role in the universe. It is the new Hell. Madness and evil are everywhere. In everyone. In everything.

All over the world, civilization has fallen. Cities burn with lunacy and brimstone. Science can't explain it. Faith can't account for it. The human race is under attack from its own shadows, sins, and deepest fears. The survivors face a surreal existence where only the darkest dreams come true. No one is safe. And everyone is on trial.

Poetic justice and naked cruelty. Personal demons and infernal beasts. It's all here. This is the home of the damned. This is AFTERHELL."

I heard Volume One where else? The Sonic Society during their first season. It caused me to purchase Volume Two, because I couldn't wait for Sonic Society to air it. Being the horror/gore fan that I am, I have never heard anything to make me cringe as much as this series does. It's wonderful!

The best part of this is, Volume Three is going to be released first through a podcast sometime in May! How much better can this get? I'll keep you posted on the details. Here is a promo for Volume Three:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/audioaddict/Afterhell_Vol3_Promo1.mp3

Listen to Afterhell: Dark Descent through the Sonic Society archives:

Part 1

Part 2


See you in Hell!

With Spring Comes Finale's

In Sonic Society's case, it's only a mini-ending. Their latest podcast is not the season finale, but has the ending of their four-part Crazy Dog Audio Theatre feature, Infidel. Next week will be their season finale, and it feature something homegrown by Sonic Cinema productions, Phil Morris: Celestial Lawyer. It's a great story, you should all enjoy it!
They will also be finishing out the third season of Robotz of the Company from Dream Realm Enterprises as well.
Why is this a mini-ending? Well, the Society is planning on bringing us summer fun every two weeks over the summer months, with fan fiction and tribute audio! Yay!

Hmm.. I wonder if there will be a Dr. involved...

Podcast Pickle Upgrades Good For Audio Cinema

On April 6, the newest upgrade of the Podcast Pickle directory, Pickle 5, was launched, sporting a new look and several new features. The features are designed to make the Podcast Pickle experience even more user-friendly, and a one-stop resource for both the podcaster and the listener alike. The upgrades include:

* A newly-designed podcast player, with the look of an mp3 player, designed to fit in any blog margin. It streams through your podcast feed, so your listeners can listen to any episode directly off of your podcast site, or any website you wish.

* A “tip jar”, in which listeners can opt to leave a few dollars for their favorite shows. (This option can also be removed by the podcaster.)

* A direct link to your Amazon or Ebay store.

* Rss for any blog you wish to feed into your Pickle page.

* For the listener, especially those who listen through their computer, all of your favorite shows can now be played on the “My Pickle” player. This feature is located directly on the Podcast Pickle homepage. It opens up a player containing every one of your chosen favorites.

Pickle 5 is still beta, with many threads and discussions in the Pickle Forums for feedback on glitches that still may be in the system. Site owner Gary Leland and team appreciate and ask for all feedback regarding any portion of the website.

I've tried most of these things out, and have found no kinks thus far.

Now I know, I'm a total cheerleader for this website. However, when you look at these features, and how inclusive and supportive they are to the podcasting community, how can I not be?

With so many audio cinema groups now podcasting, along with collectives like the Sonic Society and the endless array of pod-books out there, the pickle player would be an asset to their websites. It not only has the look of an mp3 player, but also works in the same fashion. People who hit your site do not have to search the archives for your content- it's all right there in the player. An example? Well, none better than mine, since I haven't searched around to see who else is using it yet (yes, you can customize the color).

Take some time to play around with all these features, you will definitely find they will work for you, whether a listener or a podcaster. :-)

Three neat-o podcast hits

Tee Morris's new pod-book, "Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword", takes the podiobook to the next level. Sure, you get straight narration of the story. The twist is in the added sound effects, music, and even a cast! It's a great fantasy twist on the old private-dick theme. The 9th chapter just went up, so you can start listening and don't even have to have lag time in-between chapters!

Why have I waited so long to bring this up? Why, because I was waiting for my debut, that's why! LOL!

What's funny is, I had several audio things that I did at different times, and it's all coming out at the same time. It's quite hilarious to me, but the little stroke of the ego is kinda nice too... heheheh. I've been a long-time listener to the Variant Frequencies podcast. So when Rick asked if I'd like to read a flash fiction piece, I was like uh, hell yeah!

And I got to be creepy... me likey. I hope you do too! Though I couldn't do it without an awesome story to begin with, written by Anne Stringer. (See? Matt Wallace doesn't take up the WHOLE podcast... ;-) )


And finally... me thinks I should finally watch Buffy and see what the hub-bub is all about.

Boxcars711 providing another OTR outlet

My oldest old-time radio friend Jack, half of the dynamic duo at The Sonic Society, sent me this.

It's quite an eclectic mix of old time faves... although I do see they've got some Decoder Ring in the feed too. Which just goes to prove what an awesome old time sound they have!

Check the show out at the link below!

On Money and Podcasting

I've had some thoughts banging around in my head lately concerning podcasting and money. I think it all started with the debate that went on concerning the new Tip Jar that is now a feature on the Podcast Pickle podcast pages. A few select people, out of dozens, asked that they have an option to not show the tip jar button. (For an idea of how completely obscene* it looks, take a gander at mine.) The reason for wanting the option was basically that it ruins the "image" that the podcaster has. The image that content is provided for free, with no profit whatsoever.

Um, ok. I found this argument rather confusing, because by no means would giving someone the option of throwing a few dollars your way for job well done be considered profit. At least not to me. Not to mention the fact that we are all using space generously provided to us for free by a man who just wants to help promote podcasting, and watch this genre grow. Besides, other than those who stumble across the pickle page randomly, you'd pretty much have to ask your listeners to go over and give you a tip for anyone to know it's even there. And out of all your listeners, realistically how many actually would?

Bless Gary Leland's dear heart, he made the tip jar a removable option. I hope those three podcasters are happy, because I never would have catered to their request. I tell you, I respect Gary more now for his expertise in dealing with this, and have a little less respect for those who caused such a ruckus over nothing. In my eyes, their image has all ready changed.

Image. I completely understand the image that podcasters would like to keep. It's free. It's independent. It bucks the system, sticks it to the man. (Insert your own cliche' here). Yet, even in the midst of keeping the medium free, there are those who have their very own podcasts and blogs geared towards helping you profit from your podcasts. Leesa Barnes and Paul Colligan come instantly to mind. I subscribe to both of these blogs, as they provide a plethora of information on how to make your podcast better.

Is this a bad thing? Of course not. Everyone podcasts for their own reasons, and wants to put forth their own content. If you want to profit, and people pay you, great. If you want to remain independent and never see a nickel, go for it. Me? I just wouldn't mind offsetting my costs a bit. My show would be a horrible thing to try and profit from anyway, considering the content. I look at my show like any news/talk show... once you profit, your content can easily be dictated to you. I refuse to let myself do that.

This issue will be debated forever, and that's fine to debate. What bothers me is the harsh judgment of those who might want or need to make some money doing what they love to do. If you love what you do, AND get paid for it, isn't that the best of everything? It only makes the quality of your work better, in this case, it would be your podcast.

Do I dare add that Podcast Pickle is now offering an option for your Amazon and Ebay store, linked directly to your account page? ;-)



*not.

No, I did not forget PAB

Podcasters Across Borders is also sporting a nice speaking list as well. (I hear Mr. Mostly News is bringing the whole family across the border!) I'm not able to attend (again) this year, as I'm still trying to kiss Mark and Bob's butts to change the date on a weekend that doesn't involve my kid's birthdays. (Yep, the 22nd and 24th. I think it's a Canadian conspiracy to keep me from attending).

Until then, I will just have to get all the juicy details through blogs and flickr. ;-)

Click the link for the schedule of events for the weekend!

Conference Sessions for Podcast Expo Posted

All the conferences for the 3rd annual Podcast Expo in Ontario, CA have now been posted. There are 5 tracks for attendees to follow:

- Track 1: Audio & Video Podcasting 101 - A to Z for Beginners - Get Up To Speed Fast
- Track 2: Attracting & Growing Your Audience - Connecting To Your Audience & Guerilla Marketing
- Track 3: The Business of Podcasting & New Media - Monetization & Business Podcasting
- Track 4: Advanced Audio & Video Creation - "How To" Techniques for Editing and Creation
- Track 5: New Media for Special Interests - Educators, Musicians, Non-profits and more

I'll be there again this year, but unfortunately I'm not able to attend the sessions. I think I may have to email the Bourquin Bros. and suggest they offer more flexible options if you can't afford the whole shabang. It sure would be neat to hear fellow podcasters like Grammar Girl, Evo Terra, Tee Morris, and Charles Cadenhead speak on some of these topics! Check the link to see details on all the sessions and what everyone is speaking on specifically.

With or without attending the sessions, it will be an awesome time. Just meeting other podcasters, and the exhibits on the floor alone make it all worth it, and you don't walk away empty handed.

Come to the Greenpond

This was about one of the cutest kids audios I've ever heard! Broken Sea Audio brings you "Greenpond", which is for kids, with child actors from around the globe.

Episode one is basically set up. A group of kids on a hot day meet a horse whose come to warn them about the Gobblygunks... and the adventure begins!

Head to the link for more info, or grab the podcast feed here:

http://www.brokensea.com/greenpond/greenfeed.xml

My younger daughter has all of a sudden become a total audio book freak, so I can't wait to play this for her and see what she thinks!

What exactly *is* a Dibble?

Well, we are going to find out! I'm so very excited that I can finally blab about this! I was checking all my favorite radio drama places, and came across this wonderful news from Jerry Robbins! His funny radio series "The Dibble Show", which gets play on XM satellite and also had some podcast time on The Sonic Society, is being made into an animated series!

Read more about it over on Jerry's Colonial Radio blog!

Congratulations!!!

Happy Cute Bunny Day!

No, not audio related in the least. Just some fun for you on this eggceptional day!

Lego Weapons to Slay the Easter Bunny With:

Gettin' crazy on the Society

With Crazy Dog Audio, of course! The Sonic Society is counting down to the end of their second season with a 4-parter from the Irish group.

Then the second part of the Dick Dynamo interview, and yep, you guessed it- Robotz!

The are also going to be announcing the winners of the Firefly:Old Wounds T-shirt contest on next week's show, as well as posting pics of all the entries. Very exciting, can't wait to see who they chose!

EU price probe into Apple iTunes

Just an article I found I thought would be of interest to the musicians who read:

iTunes is the market leader in downloaded music

The EU has launched an inquiry into what Apple's online music store iTunes charges users across Europe, accusing it of restricting customer choice.

Brussels believes agreements between Apple and record companies violate EU laws by preventing users in one country buying music from a site elsewhere.

The move follows a complaint by UK body Which? that British users have to pay more to download songs than others.

Apple said it wanted to offer a single European service but faced obstacles.

Different pricing

The Commission's move is unrelated to an agreement, announced on Monday, between iTunes and EMI to make the latter's music available online without piracy protection.

Brussels has written to Apple and a number of unnamed record companies to notify them of their objections to the way music is sold, the first step in formal proceedings.

We were advised by the music labels and publishers that there were certain legal limits to the rights they could grant us -Apple

Media reports speculated that it had contacted each of the "big four" record companies - EMI, Sony BMG, Warner Music and Universal Music.

The Commission said Apple established customers' country of residence through their credit card details and only allowed people to buy tracks from the website for that country.

"Consumers can only buy music from the iTunes online stores in their country of residence and are therefore restricted in their choice of where to buy music," said EU competition spokesman Jonathan Todd.

ITUNES PRICING PER DOWNLOAD UK: 79p Denmark: 72p Germany: 66p France: 66p Belgium: 66p

Research by Which? in 2005 found that UK users paid 79p (1.16 euros) to download a song, compared with 66p (99 euro cents) in France and Germany.

Apple said it had always wanted to offer a fully pan-European service, but was restricted by the demands of its music partners.

"We were advised by the music labels and publishers that there were certain legal limits to the rights they could grant us," it said in a statement.

'Restricting competition'

The companies targeted by Brussels have two months in which to respond to the charges.

Which? welcomed the investigation, saying the benefits of the European single market should be available to music lovers in all member states.

"This investigation proves that iTunes is overcharging its UK customers, who are paying substantially more for their music," said Alena Kozakova, its principal economist.

"The announcement means that companies can no longer hide behind intellectual property rights to restrict competition for consumers."

Manna For The Arts

Great new podcast has debuted, that I think all audio drama enthusiasts will enjoy and benefit from.

Manna for the Arts is "a one-hour audio program featuring audio theater, interviews with inspiring artists, health tips, mind puzzlers and more. Listen at your computer or download it to jazz up your commute. write us with your questions, or to order a CD of the program."

It looks like a lot of fun, and I have put it in iTunes so I'm able to check it out later! (I'm currently in the middle of some GREAT audio drama entries, so I have a running list of what to check out when the "work" is complete). Here's the lowdown for the first episode:

• Part One: "The Extra News", Interview with opera soprano Delynn Ketcherside, "Health In the Jungle": weight loss tips, audio theater drama "Finding Peter"
• Part Two: Continued interview with Delynn Ketcherside, the "Artstimulant" (poetic puzzler), audio theater comedy "Where's My Sting?", the "Final Word to Ponder"

You can grab the feed:
http://www.horizongate.org/podcasts/rss.xml

Or get the show directly off their website:
http://www.horizongate.org/podcasts/episodes.asp?id=1001

Happy Birthday SFF Audio!

Everyone head over and have some cake!!!
Mmmmm.....

Imagination to the X-Factor

They are back with a whole new site, podcast, and story!

Background:

A skeptic in a Haunted House

Leaves with no evidence of the Supernatural

But did he leave alone?

Find out HERE.