Breaking Ice, Building Bridges
Community Podcast Platform
by Possibilities, Inc.
The Breaking Ice, Building Bridges Community Podcast Platform is a space where voices from our
local community share stories, inform others, ask questions and have meaningful discussions.
As a service, we provide a studio space for you to record podcasts and provide everything you need to get a podcast out there without having to worry about the technical side of things like audio or distribution so that you can focus on making your podcast as good as it can be.​
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As a podcaster on our platform, you get to schedule hour-long recording sessions in our studio. Based on your subscription level, you can schedule as many as four sessions a month, so you could have your own weekly podcast that is professionally produced by our highly skilled podcast producers!
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We have three podcast subscription levels where Possibilities, Inc. will produce and distribute your podcast:
Free - $0* per month
Up to 1 session per month.
Basic - $75* per month
Up to 2 sessions per month.
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Premium - $125* per month
Up to 4 sessions per month.
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Each session is yours to use however you like; if you record 3 episodes in one hour, that still counts as one session for the month!
*Payment processing fees are required. Processing fees are different depending on your payment method.
Here's how to Podcast with Possibilities!
1. Attend one of our podcast workshops.
The BIBB Podcast Workshop is designed to teach you how to host and be a guest on a podcast, the Possibilities way!
The Podcast Workshop is for anyone curious about starting a podcast and is facilitated by our podcast experts that are ready to answer any of your burning questions about podcasting.
The Podcast Workshop takes place periodically on a Saturday at our office in Oklahoma City's NewView building. It costs $50 and lunch is provided. It starts at 9am and ends at 3pm.
If you're interested in attending the Podcast Workshop, send an email to podcast@possibilitiesinc.org and ask us when the next Podcast Workshop is scheduled for.
2. Be a guest on Breaking Ice, Building Bridges
Our podcast, Breaking Ice, Building Bridges, is Possibilities, Inc.'s flagship podcast. It cultivates a safe place where members of our community in the Oklahoma City area can share their stories and connect to their neighbors. Breaking Ice, Building Bridges brings the mantra of Possibilities Inc. right to your speakers by connecting through trust, dignity and service.
By being a guest on BIBB, you're able to get firsthand experience being a guest on a podcast. You get to practice being in front of a microphone and being recorded - this podcast goes live to the public!
Contact us if you've just attended the workshop and would like to be a guest on BIBB!
podcast@possibilitiesinc.org
Click on the image below to listen to BIBB:
3. Schedule and attend your "Session Zero"
Session Zero is your opportunity to get specific and have of all your questions answered about your podcast.
Come into the Session Zero prepared with your podcast's title, vision statement, intro and outro, and any questions you might have about your podcast's artwork, and if you're feeling enthusiastic, some musical ideas to give our producer if you want original podcast theme music for $100.
Session Zero is a one-on-one session with our podcast expert to hone in on what will make your podcast your own, best practices, and ideas to move forward with. If you're feeling confident, you can also record your first episode during this session.
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If you've already been a guest on BIBB and want to schedule your Session Zero, send us an email!
podcast@possibilitiesinc.org
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Once you've already completed your Session Zero, you don't have to wait until you have artwork, music, or an intro and outro to subscribe or schedule a recording session. We want you to get started podcasting while you're excited and motivated! Besides, you have to get to six episodes before your podcast is released on our platform, so let's get recording!
4. Subscribe to our podcast platform at your preferred subscription level.
As stated above, there are three subscription levels:
Free - $0* per month
Up to 1 session per month.
Basic - $75* per month
Up to 2 sessions per month.
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Premium - $125* per month
Up to 4 sessions per month.
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*Payment processing fees are required. Processing fees are different depending on your payment method.
How To Become A Subscriber!
If you've attended the Podcast Workshop, been a guest on BIBB, completed your Session Zero, and you want to become a Free subscriber, send us an email and let us know:
podcast@possibilitiesinc.org
If you want to be a Basic or Premium subscriber, here's the step-by-step process to subscribe:
1. Go to our Donate page on the Possibilities website:
2. Select the "Monthly" option at the top, enter the "Custom Amount" corresponding to the subscription level you want, and click the "Donate" button.
(The screenshot below shows the amount for the Premium subscription.)
3. Select your preferred payment method.
The "Bank" option has the least amount of payment fees.
4. Enter your information and enable the switch that adds the payment processing fees.
We do require that you enable payment processing fees in order to consider your payment a subscription.
5. Follow the instructions to finalize the payment through your preferred payment method.
Bank payments go through Stripe, which is an external service for which you may need an account.
6. Forward us the receipt from Give Lively showing proof that you've set up monthly payments:
podcast@possibilitiesinc.org
7. Send us an email confirming which subscription level you've subscribed to and that you've set up your payment!
podcast@possibilitiesinc.org
These last two steps are the most important steps! If you don't let us know you've subscribed, your scheduled sessions could get cancelled!
That's how you subscribe!
If you would prefer to send a monthly check instead, you can arrange for your bank to send a recurring check and avoid those pesky payment processing fees! Contact your bank for more details.
5. Schedule your recording session.
Our scheduling page will take you through a few questions so that you can get to the correct calendar based on your subscription level.
Here is the link to schedule your hour-long recording session:
Session Scheduling
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Let's go over the questions to make this process as painless as possible!
The first question:
What is your subscription level with our community podcast platform?
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I am not a subscriber
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Free (1 session/month)
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Basic (2 sessions/month)
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Premium (4 sessions/month)
Follow our instructions above to subscribe, if you haven't already! Select the level that you're subscribed to.
Second question:
How many sessions have you scheduled for the month? (Not including the one you're scheduling right now)
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0
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1
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2
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3
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4
This question might be a little tricky. It's NOT asking how many sessions you're trying to schedule right now, NOR is it asking which session you're about to schedule. It's asking how many sessions you have scheduled for the month BEFORE scheduling this one.
Since the subscription is based on how many sessions you can schedule a month, the answer to this question is how many sessions you have previously scheduled on the month that you are scheduling a session.
For example:
Let's say you're a Premium subscriber, meaning you can schedule 4 podcast recording sessions in a single month. You've already scheduled 4 sessions in June, but you're trying to schedule your first session in July. In this instance, you would pick "0" because you have not yet scheduled a session in July.
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Third question:
What time are you booking your session?
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Daytime: 9am-3pm (Santiago)
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Evening: 4pm-7pm (Ben)
It's important to know the time you will be scheduling your session before you get to the calendar. We also understand if you're simply perusing in order to see what times are available. ​
If you still don't know how to answer one or any of these questions, feel free to reach out!
podcast@possibilitiesinc.org
6. Submit your podcast episode description.
Once you've recorded your session, we'll get to work on making your audio sound great!
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We'll send you a draft of the audio file once it's edited. You get one free round of revisions, so if you have any edits, listen thoroughly and make a list of timecodes like this:
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06:21-06:28 - remove from "That time..." to "...quite regularly."
12:42 - remove this cough
36:02-36:12 - remove the shuffling to look something up online
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After you submit your edits, or if you don't have any edits, respond to our email and submit your podcast episode description form.
You are in control of your podcast, which means that any writing about your podcast is all yours, from your entire podcast's description, the bio of you that'll be on our website, and to your episodes' titles and descriptions.
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Here is where you can submit your podcast's episode description:
Podcast Episode Description Form
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You'll be asked to submit your information so that we know whose podcast it's for, which includes your email, name, phone number, and your podcast's title.
Then, you'll be asked to provide the episode title. The title of a podcast episode can be up to 253 characters, which is actually fairly long. Here's an example of a podcast episode title:
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15 - My Favorite Podcast - Navigating the nuances of workplace politics and relationships with special guest, John Doe
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After that, you'll need to provide the episode description. Ask yourself:
What are the details of this podcast episode? What do the listeners need to know about this episode before, during, and after listening? Who was the guest (if you had one)? Where can we find them online and in the real world, if they want to be found?
This part is very important: If you want hyperlinks, please include the URL!
Podcast episode descriptions are able to contain hyperlinks, which means that your listeners can click on a link you provide and go to your website, your guest's website, or anywhere else online! This is very handy for promoting your products, services, and your social media!
Here's an example of a podcast episode's description:
Host Jane Doe invites John Doe (no relation) on My Favorite Podcast to discuss what it's like to work in an office in our current era. They discussed cliques, boss dynamics, pretending to work hard, the best bathrooms, and the effects COVID-19 had on the workplace.
You learn more about John's expertise here:
https://thisisnotarealwebsite.gov/dontclickonthis
You can find all My Favorite Podcast episodes here:
https://alsonotarealwebsite.net/podcastepisodes
Thanks for listening! We'll be back next week with a solo episode from the host, Jane.
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Lastly, you'll provide the date and time that you want the episode to release. Sometimes, if the release date/time you provide is too close to when you submitted the form, we may not be able to get to it in time for it to release when you want it to, so make sure that you set a reasonable release date. If this date/time is in the past, we will simply publish the episode immediately.
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Congratulations! You've done all the steps to ensure that your podcast is released to the public!
7. Share your podcast with others!
Once you've recorded six episodes of your podcast, it'll be available on our Home Page. You can click on your podcast's artwork and you'll be taken to your podcast's page where they can learn about you and your podcast as well as listen to episodes of your podcast! You can also listen to your podcast on your preferred podcast app.
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We distribute podcasts on our platform through Captivate.fm, which distributes podcasts to all of the players where most people listen to podcasts.
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Here's all of the players on which you can find our podcasts!
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There are probably even more players out there not listed here. Many of them might pull from the list of approved Apple Podcasts that are being distributed, like Overcast, Castbox, and Podcast Addict so you will find our podcast on those players, as well!
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If all of those apps and players sound too complicated for you,
you can also listen to your podcast right here on our website!
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So now your podcast is released and you want to send people to listen to it! What's the link? How can they listen?
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Normally, when an episode of your podcast is scheduled, we'll let you know and include a link to the Listen page generated by Captivate. This is a page that will send your listeners to their preferred player - maybe one listener wants to listen on Apple Podcasts, while another wants to listen on Spotify; This is where you send them!
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Here's the Listen page for our podcast, Breaking Ice, Building Bridges:
https://breakingicebuildingbridges.captivate.fm/listen
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As you can see, it's as simple as your podcast's title with no spaces, followed by "dot captivate dot fm". If you're not sure what yours would be, it'll be the "listen" button on the right side of your page on our website.
Maybe you're a little more advanced and want to have your own podcast player on your website like we do on ours!
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On the right side of your podcast player on your page, click on the three dots:
That'll give you an extra "Share" button that, when clicked, will give you the option to share a link to the selected episode or even embed the podcast player on your website, if you know how to do that!
If you'd like to change the colors of your podcast player, let us know and we will make that change behind the scenes in Captivate.
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There's lots of other creative ways to share your podcast. You can share links on social media, you can take video during your recording session and share that, or you can make videos with captioned audio clips and your podcast artwork. The possibilities of marketing are entirely up to you now that your podcast is out there, so have fun sharing and promoting your show in the ways that only you can!
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If you do share on social media, feel free to tag us:
http://www.facebook.com/possibilitiesOK