► Tell us about you and your podcast
It's a comedy show called Insane Ramblings, hosted by two typical Australians, Ben and Vicki.
Ben's the brains behind the technical side of things. He's a humble guy and will only admit that his rugged good looks are wasted in the audio medium he has chosen to express himself after much prodding.
Vicki is now in her thirties, with her claw marks still thoroughly etched as she was dragged kicking and screaming from 29, and has recently been taught how to be assertive by Ben's roommate.
We met in high school and studied Media together at uni. We started the show in 2009, which centres around our lives and the minutiae of being a 20-something (and now 30 something - yikes!) in Melbourne.
We discuss topics like, can you call 'dibs' on a potential partner, correct sms-etiquette and Ben's two exhibitionist neighbour's waxing routines.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
Driving home one day, we got into a heated discussion about whether or not you would date someone with the same name as a family member. After arguing about it for an entire 40 minute drive, we decided we needed to share these kinds of questions with the world.
Somewhere along the line, the concept bizarrely evolved into a fan-made One Tree Hill (early 2000s teen drama) audio commentary. However after recording several hours of thoroughly confusing content, we decided we were better off without Chad Michael Murray.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
Initially we were both unemployed so finding the time wasn't hard. Plus our recording setup consisted of taping a microphone to a chair, so the budget was manageable. Since then, we've both found full time jobs, which makes scheduling trickier. However we were able to upgrade to microphone stands!
Now that we're up and running, the podcast only costs us each around $200 a year, depending on whether or not we're going to update equipment.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
We're currently completely independent, and focusing on building a following more than anything else. It's been a great experience and it's basically given us an audio catalogue of our entire lives for the last 10 years, which is kind of amazing.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
We tend to prepare separately with a few topics each, since throwing one another into the deep end is part of the format.
We record using Shure microphones, and a basic mixing board onto Audacity. It's typically just the two of us, so we rarely have to worry about guests but we can easily plug another mic or phone into the mixer when we do.
► How do you market your show?
Currently we're really relying on grassroots and word of mouth. We've done a postcard drop around Melbourne and we tend to use our Facebook page, and post shareable clips to social media to build a following through our listeners.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
The podcast landscape has really evolved since we first began. It would probably be more fruitful these days to consider having your series focus around a particular topic or niche, whereas ours is quite general, revolving around our lives and pop culture, which tends to be harder to pitch. Podcasts with a clear "elevator pitch" seem to be easier to market.
Having said that, just try recording and see if you like it! At the end of the day, it's about creating content and you don't need expensive equipment to see if it clicks with you as a creative outlet. We've recorded shows using only our mobile phones at times.