The question of how much content to give away for free (and what to charge for it) always vexes online content creators. Fortunately, there is a rather simple rule of thumb to guide you.

We begin this episode by following up on last week’s listener question regarding which link is better to include in weekly episode emails: the platform link or the iTunes link. We looked at our Showrunner data and have a better answer for you.

Then we dive into the topic of the week: how much content you should give away, and what you should be charging for.

We discuss:

• The powerful rule of thumb — endorsed and espoused by both Brian Clark and Darren Rowse — about how much content to give away
• Chris Garrett’s time-tested and proven framework for deciding what’s free and what’s paid
• How we have been applying these lessons to The Showrunner and Hack the Entrepreneur

Our listener question this week is delivered by Podcast Movement’s virtual ticket. Both Jonny and I will be presenting at Podcast Movement (July 31-August 2 in Fort Worth, Texas), and for those of you who can’t attend the conference in person, this is a way to still benefit from all of the great content that will be presented.

Go to podcastmovement.com/register for details on the virtual ticket.

And this week’s listener question comes to use from Adam Fraser (@AdamF2014). He asks about the differences between Auphonic and Levelator and which one we recommend. Jonny and I provide our answers.

After recording, Toby Lyles of TwentyFour Sound (who manages the audio production and editing for Rainmaker.FM, and who also will be presenting at Podcast Movement) emailed me this addition insight on the question:

They’re two different things for two different uses. Levelator levels speech volume, Auphonic can clean up audio and get it to standard levels. You would never use Levelator on something with music in it, it would rapidly change the music volumes. Auphonic won’t get you into trouble, but it charges for standard processes one could train themselves to do (if interested).

And finally, this week’s podcast recommendation leads into a more-intense-than-expected discussion about podcast advertising and sponsorships.

It’s the most recent episode of StartUp: BONUS: But Wait, There’s More!

We highly recommend that you listen to that episode and decide where you stand when it comes to the question of giving endorsements or just presenting ad copy. Drawing your line in the sand will make your life as a showrunner simpler moving forward.

Listen, learn, enjoy …

Listen to The Showrunner below ...