How Notetracks Helped Sydney Podcast Studios Use Remote Collaboration to Easily Gather Precise Feedback with their Clients and Cut Editing Time by 50%
50%
time savings for podcast producers
20%
time savings for podcast editors
Sydney Podcast Studios helps businesses produce branded podcasts through professional recording, editing, and publishing services. Notetracks gave the podcast editing team at Sydney Podcast Studios the ability to allow clients to make precise comments regarding episode revisions, reducing client review and podcast editing time by 50%.
Their team also uses Notetracks to export and import comments directly into their digital audio workstation (DAW), Audacity. This streamlines the editing process, saving everyone time and energy.
Rod Morri explains that when clients start a podcast there's great enthusiasm for it, however, the big danger is they don't know just how much time is involved and can lose that momentum months down the production track. The first thing he mentions to them is that when they start a podcast for their business, they are generally not going to stop something else to replace it with their podcast production, so they must be aware that they will be adding this new project to their workload.
Anybody in small business, he states, knows that there’s not a whole lot of scope for additional time which is why by adding an entire podcast series, the more effort that it takes along the way, the more of an irritant it becomes.
Prior to discovering Notetracks, Rod and his clients faced the challenge of juggling multiple storage links, applications, documents, and emails when sharing and editing audio. To provide a closer look into this process, Rod would have to convert audio to an MP3 file, upload the file to a storage provider, copy the link, and then share it with his clients so they can open it in their browser. His clients would then have to open a Word document, pause and play the audio, record time codes, and provide feedback.
Rod often found himself repeatedly going back and forth in the audio to ensure edits were made where they were needed. However, accuracy on both sides could never be fully guaranteed with this method. Using the example of medical podcasts, Rod emphasizes the legal responsibilities involved and the need to prevent defamation issues. As such, having precise tools is crucial for identifying specific details that require editing or omission.
“You could imagine just how labour-intensive that was, especially if there were a lot of changes. It'd take people an hour and a half to two hours to go through a 40-minute file and then you've gotta get all the edits right at the other end. And it's just clumsy.”
Managing audio files, edited versions, and email chains spread across numerous platforms not only extends the editing process but also heightens the risk of increased frustration and errors. He viewed this as a clunky system that could quickly get out of control and lead to costly mistakes. Especially when multiple people are involved, it becomes increasingly challenging to oversee and ensure everyone’s satisfaction.
“Particularly if you're working with multiple people at the other end, if you've got two hosts and both need to listen to it and make sure that they're both happy with everything that's in it or even more, it really becomes problematic and it can become so confusing as it makes it almost impossible.”
The strenuous system in place had the potential to cause Rod’s clients to discontinue production, leading them to believe “this isn’t worth it”. Hence, for Rod, anything that would make it easier on the podcast producers’ side is just as important to him, so his clients can keep podcasting.
Rod had always wished there was a better way to go about his editing process, but couldn’t envision what that solution might look like. It was during a webinar that he discovered Notetracks and believed it offered a solution to a multitude of problems for people in his position.
Notetracks allows users to easily listen, review, and edit audio projects online without needing to download anything. Clients and their teams are able to collaborate in one place and mark edits directly onto the track.
“From the moment that I first encountered Notetracks and sent the first sample off to my first customer and said, ‘I want to try using this instead of the horrible clunky system we've been using previously,’ the feedback immediately was, ‘yeah, this is way better, way better for both sides.’”
From the early stages of his engagement with Notetracks, he was encouraged to provide feedback on ways the platform could be improved and found unwavering support in his podcasting endeavors. Notetracks’ dedication to fostering open communication further alleviated his concerns and made him feel better supported.
By integrating Notetracks into his workflow, onboarding new clients has become frictionless. No longer having to convert audio files and upload them to a storage provider, Rod simply uploads his projects to Notetracks, shares episodes with clients via an instant link, and waits for a notification on changes to be made. He will then export the Audacity labels and start working in the audio editor. To learn more about this process, check out our Notetracks and Audacity page.
One of Sydney Podcast Studios’ clients, who has found value in utilizing Notetracks, is a sports organization that produces two podcasts every month. Podcast episodes for clients like this require approval from various departments before being released, such as marketing, media, communications, and sponsorships. With everyone focusing on different aspects, the ability to share projects and collect comments from multiple individuals efficiently saves podcasters from dealing with excessive audio files and feedback.
“All of those people can have their input and then the editor can make all of the changes in one go. And that's been really efficient. I don't know how I would've done it if I didn't have Notetracks.”
The capacity to make direct comments and accurately annotate intended edits eliminates the risk of errors associated with time codes. The precision of this tool solves one of Rod’s primary concerns as “there’s no scope for the customer to get the time code wrong.” This feature prevents the need for costly revisions and mitigates legal trouble down the line.
The ability to access original and edited files in a single location is another feature that allows Rod and his clients to easily compare and resolve issues between audio revisions. For new versions and comments, a new set of labels are generated, which Rod can then import directly into his audio editor to make additional changes.
“The time-saving is extraordinary and the accuracy is so much better. So it solves the two biggest problems that we previously had. I don't know what other editors are doing if they're not using Notetracks. In all honesty, it's madness. Madness.”
For users, Notetracks proves to be a resourceful tool with a minimal learning curve that can easily be grasped within two sessions. There is no need for any prior audio knowledge or digital audio workstation (DAW) experience as the platform's features are straightforward and user-friendly.
Now, Rod can’t imagine his workflow without Notetracks and considers it a vital tool all podcasters should adopt.
Since incorporating Notetracks into their podcast operations, Sydney Podcast Studios has reduced the time investment required by their clients by 50% and achieved at least 20% time savings for their podcast editors. They’re able to bring podcast episodes to listeners faster while also empowering podcasters to sustain their podcasting initiatives.
For Rod and his clients, Notetracks conserves time and energy by improving file management and eliminating the need for extensive back-and-forth exchanges.
“I’d be staggered if every podcast producer who’s in my position who comes across Notetracks doesn’t immediately say, ‘That’s a tool that I have to have’. It really does make that much of a difference.”
Rod believes Notetracks’ interactive sharing capabilities make it an excellent collaboration tool, offering an all-in-one solution that significantly improves his previous complicated workflow. He can delve into the finer details and ensure precise cuts are made correctly from the start, sparing him from hours and hours of grief.
“Anything that reduces time is huge and Notetracks has been a real catch-all for the editing process for me. As I said, I love it as an editor, it’s made my job more profitable, it takes me a whole lot less time and everything’s more accurate, but it’s made me look good with my customers because I’ve given them a tool that’s made their life easier as well, much easier. So it’s a win-win.”
A service that seeks and values customer input for continuous improvement is, to Rod, more valuable than the service itself. He highlights Notetracks' exceptional receptiveness to feedback, a quality that has made a strong impact on him.
“That was hugely important to me. If I'd fired off an email to you or to support at Notetracks and hadn't heard anything back for a week and a half, I'd be far less rosy. I would be looking for somebody else in the marketplace who was doing something similar.”
Notetracks provides ease and simplifies processes for everyone involved, ensuring a better collaborative experience for podcasting teams. For Sydney Podcast Studios, Notetracks is a dependable partner, a critical part of their workflow, and a cornerstone of their success.
Thinking about making a change? Notetracks could serve as a valuable resource for your podcasting endeavors.
