The Basics of Video Conferencing and How You Can Up Your Game

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video conferencing

Video conferencing has become so common that almost everyone in the country is familiar with some kind of conferencing software such as Zoom, Teams, or Facetime. It has become the new “norm” to now meet with your colleagues in a 2 dimensional world as it’s ideal for safety, and less so for communication purposes. Video conferencing cannot compete against face to face, but it does have it’s benefits, especially when the very best of the technology is used properly. 

Multimedia professionals agree, video conferencing can be enhanced by better tech, and especially better technique. You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a professional looking view of your living room, kitchen, bedroom, or office space. 

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With More People Staying at Home, Media Professionals Turn to Voice Overs as a Potential Career

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voice over microphone

You can be driving down the highway with the radio blasting, sitting at home watching your favorite TV show, checking out groceries at the self checkout station, or even watching your kids play with their new Christmas toys. In every one of these scenarios, voice actors are impacting your life in some way. You hear voices come through your speakers so often that eventually, you stop paying attention to what’s behind the voice. You become desensitized to a man or woman in a studio actually recording that commercial you’re listening to or your favorite video game character shouting during a battle scene. 

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Is Satellite the New Pirate Radio?

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satellite pirate radio

When most people think of the word “pirate” they think of bearded, dirty, rotten teeth, foul mouthed criminals. Others, especially those in radio, think of “freedom”. Pirates are notoriously associated with taking orders from no one, no government, and certainly not the FCC. 

Radio is regulated by the government agency, and therefore there are rules and regulations they must follow and adhere to to ensure they are not fined, or worse, lose their license. Every terrestrial radio station on your dial must be registered and licensed. Ever since the telecommunications act of 1996, any company can purchase multiple licenses/stations in the same market, therefore removing any competition. This created oversaturation in certain markets, and media giants like iHeart, Entercom, and Cumulus began buying up stations like hoarders. Although this allowed professionals in radio to begin working at various stations simultaneously, these titans in media began implementing new “Corporate” regulations that began transforming radio from a freeing and vocal artform for truth into a corporate office where even wearing the wrong kind of tie could get you into trouble. 

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Podcasting, the New Titan of Digital Media

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Vintage Microphone

The concept of podcasting was originally conceived by the former MTV video jockey Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer. Podcasting, originally called iPodder, was a software that enabled users to download internet radio shows to Mp3 devices like iPods. The term “podcasting” came from journalist Ben Hammersly who was attempting to combine the concepts of the software like blogging, independent media, amatuer radio into one term. It’s credibility was in its infancy. In other words, non existent. That was until a year later when larger companies started to recognize it’s potential. Apple was one of the first to pick up the software, allowing users to download podcasts on the newest version of iTunes. 

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