It’s often said that everyone has a book inside them, with the follow-up quip usually something like: “And that’s where it should stay.”
Perhaps the modern-day version of the saying is that everyone has a podcast in them. Whether it should be shared with the world or kept to oneself largely depends on the idea and the quality of the presentation, but in recent years it’s fair to say that the format has really taken off.
Established radio hosts, unknowns, and everyone in between have been finding success with their own audio-based productions covering niche (and not so niche) subjects, with the best ones finding enthusiastic and devoted audiences.
Keen to put its finger in the podcast pie, Staples recently revealed it is setting up professional recording studios where people can produce their shows.
The facility is part of Staples Connect, a new co-working and community space launched by the retail giant earlier this month at six redesigned stores in the Boston area. Beside podcast recordings, Staples Connect can also be used for events such as workshops, seminars, and meetings, with tech and marketing services offered, too. Of course, you’ll find a wide range of office products for sale as well.
Designed and built in collaboration with iHeartRadio and podcast specialist Spreaker, each studio feature a soundproof room for up to four people, with professional recording equipment and, if required, an audio engineer to twiddle the knobs.
An hour-long studio booking costs $60, which also gets you discounted access to hosting services and the ability to distribute podcasts on Spreaker’s online platform.
Spreaker said it’s pleased to play a role in making podcasting even more attainable to creatives in and around Boston, adding, “With access to quality recording facilities and the addition of a tool like Spreaker on-hand – for everything from editing to distributing – we really think the Staples Connect podcast studios will make a big impact in their communities.”
Of course, you can produce a basic podcast with little more than a cheap microphone and some free audio software (here’s everything you need to know), but a session or two at a Staples studio with a professional recording engineer may be a useful learning experience that can take your production skills to the next level.
If, on the other hand, you prefer to listen rather than make, check out Digital Trends’ updated guide for some great podcast suggestions.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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