Geek Mom Review: Blog Talk Radio

Blog Talk Radio is a free way to host live audio (talk) shows online. It is the social radio network that allows users to connect quickly and directly withtheir audience. Using an ordinary telephone and computer hosts can create free, live, call-in talk shows with unlimited participants that are automatically archived and made available as podcasts. No software download is required. Listeners can subscribe to shows via RSS into iTunes and other feed readers. Our network has produced tens of thousands of episodes since it launched in August of 2006.

Blog Talk Radio is a great alternative to podcasting. It’s free, you don’t have to worry about the costs you might have to with podcasting your own show and it’s live, unlike most podcasts that are recorded previously and you just listen to them at your leisure. Your blog talk radio show can be podcasted following the show recording.

I love Blog Talk Radio, I don’t deny it. Here are a few reasons why:

1. It’s free!!! (the best reason in my book!)

2. Unlimited listeners

3. Unlimited callers (there are only 5 callers allowed on the line at a time, but any others that call in will be in line so that when one of the 5 leaves the next in line can be live and talk.)

4. Blog Talk Radio provides hosts with their own call in number for free.

5. They also provide a separate call in number for listeners for free.

6. Hosts receive half of all revenue that their show generates.

7. You receive your own Host page where all your shows are archived.

8. You can host unlimited shows (there is a limit of 1 per day and you can only schedule your shows up to 4 weeks ahead)

9. Your show can be 15, 30, or 60 minutes long and if you go over you can still talk for up to 2 hours

10. You will receive a button to place on your other sites that links to your host page where listeners can interact with your current live shows and listen to archived shows.

11. BTR may promote your show for you on their blog or homepage, but every show is listed on their programming guide and users can search for your show.

12. They support multiple languages.

13. You callers can talk live via a telephone or their pc if they have a microphone.

14. You can place an media player on your site so listeners can listen to your latest show right from there.

As much I love Blog Talk Radio, there are a few disadvantages of Blog Talk Radio :

1. You don’t have total control over your shows.

2. You can promote your show via email, but you have to do it via your host page.

3. Only 5 people can call into on your show at a time.

All in all, Blog Talk Radio is a great way to get started in the podcasting world if you’re looking for a reliable way to host your own show but don’t feel comfortable with the expertise/money/equipment that podcasting can sometimes require.

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