Podcasting - in case you didn't know - is now experiencing explosive growth across the internet... and where there's entertainment, there's cash!

I was listening to one of Jason Calacanis' podcasts last week during which he made the plea for someone to get in touch with him as he needed a jingle(s) for his shows (Sorry I forget which show it was now).

This is not the first time I've heard a podcaster make this plea either.

I used to make jingles for 2 or 3 online radio shows a few years back but it was more for fun than anything else. However, over the last few months or so I've been getting enquiries - completely out-of-the-blue - from people who remembered I used to do it back in the day. These people are either in the process of starting their own podcasts, or have started already and just realised they need some flash-whizz-bang intro with their name and show-ident thrown-in.

All of them offered cash!

Making Jingles

Jingles are fairly easy to make musically - They're usually only a few seconds long and have snippets of music overlaid with "whooshes" and "stabs" etc... The hardest part is doing the actual voice.

With a bit of practice though (ie... sitting there in front of a mic like a breast-end whilst contorting your voice to sound like Barry White!), and a few effects like delay, reverb, (excessive) filtering etc... (Oh and the obligatory compression of course!), you should be able to get the hang of it. The trick is voice intonation really.

But my best advice really would be to have someone else do it if you're not a "natural" with a fairly good voice-tone. Obviously, if you know a singer (or are one), then you're onto a good start. If you're not a vocalist - and you don't know one - try asking around MySpace (or a friend).

(Tip: Female's are always good to have (Like we didn't know that already, right lads!).

Cut a revenue-sharing deal; do a few testers; set your rate and put yourself out there - Given the sheer growth of podcasts at the moment, I'd wager that demand must be outstripping supply

Hey, it's work... and it's work doing what you love most, music!

(I'm nipping out now but I'll see if I can find an old jingle I did and post it up later... or not, depending on how bad it sounds!)

Later...

And so I found one.

I thought I'd better check with the station but a Google search turns-up nothing (Apart from a Malta Radio station of sorts but this is nothing to do with them... Unless you want it MNR Radio!

Anyway remember: It's just for fun.
Here it is: MNR Radio Jingle

Should give out props to Kate for her cameo part... t'is only right afterall