The Podcast News

Links:Consumers crave cheerful content during the coronavirus crisis5 Ways to Fix Your Podcast’s Discoverability ProblemNo commuting, no problem: Podcasting ad revenue continues to growA Survival Guide For Parents: Introducing Podcasts Into HomeschoolingThe Anatomy of a Podcast Open•••1Consumers crave cheerful content during the coronavirus crisisStarting off with this post this week from Sara Fisher on Axios.com:Consumers are looking for fun and lighthearted entertainment to relieve stress during the coronavirus crisis, instead of categories like true crime or suspense.Why it matters: Some mediums, like podcasting, that over-index on genres like true crime, may be partially impacted by the fact that consumers need a break from their regular content routines. Driving the news: According to new research from tv research firm Magid, consumers are seeking out funny (39%) and fun (31%) videos, movies and TV programs during the coronavirus crisis.Users are looking for comedic relief, according to new data from Captify, a firm that specializes in search retargeting. Users searching for search terms within Captify's network such as funny movies, standup comedy, comedy, funny and sitcom as they relate to movies and TV shows was up over 314% from March 1 to April 12.I’m not disconnecting from the news, but I need a distraction from it sometimes, and thankfully there are a lot of podcasters still putting out entertaining and educational content that provides some relief.If you’re one of the podcasters making content that isn’t news: Thank you.•••
25 Ways to Fix Your Podcast’s Discoverability ProblemFrom Jeremy Enns on his Medium blog, 5 ways to help you with audience acquisition and growth:A lot gets made over podcasting’s so-called “Discoverability Problem,” the perceived difficulty of allowing listeners to easily discover relevant podcasts.I call BS.Here are five quick thoughts on how to fix the discoverability problem for your show.A great list of advice about growing an audience that touches on some important things that are often overlooked. A few stand-out quotes:Instead of waiting for podcasting apps and platforms to deliver the breakthrough development that will take your show and drop it into the lap of every one of your ideal listeners, you need to take the lead in getting in front of your audience and introducing yourself.The bar rising on the quality of the average podcast is ultimately a good thing for podcast listeners. As podcasters, we should desperately want people to associate the word “podcasting” with high-quality, engaging media. The only people who will suffer by a rising bar are those podcasters who refuse to adapt.•••3No commuting, no problem: Podcasting ad revenue continues to growFor this post on digiday.com, Max Willens checks in with a few industry folks about how podcast listener behavior and advertising spending is changing:With commuting on hold and everybody Zooming all the time, podcast consumption has taken a bit of a hit as listeners look for new ways to fit shows into their daily routines. But podcasting’s simplicity — and its on-demand nature — has meant that for now, ad revenue continues to grow for the medium, with many brand advertisers content to rework their messaging and keep spending, even as direct response advertisers pause or drop theirs. Though podcasting has not been immune to the pauses, cancellations and delays that have battered digital media the past few weeks, brand advertising on the format remains healthy: Megaphone, a podcast hosting and monetization platform used by publishers ranging from CBS Interactive to Vox Media, booked around twice as much new business as it lost in March, chief revenue officer Matt Turck said.I keep returning to how much different our spending habits are going to be moving forward. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around just how different life is going to be, especially when thinking about all the jobs and commerce that revolved around people being in groups in close proximity to each other.•••4A Survival Guide For Parents: Introducing Podcasts Into HomeschoolingFrom Erik Jones, for the Bello Collective’s Medium blog, a look at how to get your kids to listen to podcasts as part of their education at home:“Teachers don’t get paid enough,” is a phrase I imagine millions of parents have uttered out loud at some point this month.Stepping into the role of teacher is hard on a good day, and all the more difficult with a pandemic going on. There are countless permutations on what the new normal of home life looks like, none of which make it easy to prioritize education.I love podcasts, my wife loves podcasts, and both of our kids love learning. On paper, podcasts are perfect for homeschooling, with bite-sized lessons, minimal screen time, and a robust selection of family-friendly content.Not so fast. It turns out podcasts don’t hold the attention of young kids, no matter how much you hype it up to them. As much as I love Wow in the World, Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz are no match for Anna and Elsa for a guaranteed peaceful house.We didn’t want to give up so easily though, so over the past few weeks we have experimented with what actually works in helping young minds engage with educational audio while stuck at home. Podcasts are perfect as the centerpiece of a learning experience for kids. It just takes a little planning and patience.What follows are some of the strategies we’ve stumbled upon in our persistence to make audio work as a component of an at-home education for younger students.A few of the takeaways:Experiment with best times of day and days of the weekPut podcasts on the TVTalk before, during, and after the podcastListen while doing something elseGood ol’ briberyAs a kid, I loved radio dramas, and I wish I could have had access to today’s free library of podcasts.•••5The Anatomy of a Podcast OpenFrom Tracy DeForge on the PodcastBusinessJournal.com:The old saying goes, “You get one chance to make a first impression.” What can a first impression tell us about anyone? Fifty-five percent of first impressions are made with visual impact. If you think about it, that’s only 55 percent. What makes up the other 45 percent? It’s all about the audio. It’s not what you say, but how you say it.An audio impression means the tone of your voice, the sound of your voice, and the words that you use. When you’re thinking about your podcast open, remember it’s your first chance to make a great impression. Also, it’s important to note that the first five to eight minutes of your podcast is the most critical when grabbing and holding your listener’s attention.Some people will tell you the main content is an essential part of your podcast. There’s no doubt your content is essential. But what if listeners never get to it? The open of your podcast can impact whether a person chooses to listen to the rest of your show. How do you evaluate the power of your podcast open? If you’re just launching your podcast or currently an active podcaster and want to assess your open and see how you can elevate it to the next level, ask yourself these questions.•••Closing ThoughtsI don’t have too much to share this week. I did have a wonderful conversation with Mathew Passy for his Podcast Me Anything show, so keep an eye out that, I’ll share a link when the episode drops. I also recorded a new episode of The Podcast Dude that I’ll edit and publish… soon… Thanks to everyone who showed up for the live stream of that, it was fun and let’s do it again soon.As always, thanks for listening. Stay safe out there, and I’ll talk to you again next week.Aaron DowdApril 19, 2020Los Angeles, CaliforniaThanks to the folks supporting this show: Kato, Alexander, and Norman, and Don.

This week in podcast news and tutorials: We have an article with a detailed look at the changes in podcast listening behavior, helpful resources for folks who’ve jobs have been disrupted by the Coronavirus, a couple articles with tips for improving your podcast content, and then a couple about improving your podcasts’s audio quality.It’s Sunday, April 12th, 2020.It’s the disappearance of the morning commute that seems to be hurting podcast listening mostCOVID-19 Resources for Freelancers and IndependentsTop Side Hustles for Podcasters That Need Extra IncomePro Storytelling Tip: The Plus/Minus System5 Ways Joe Biden Can Make His Bad Podcast BetterHow to Improve the Acoustics in Your Home Podcasting SpacePodcasters: You do not need a pop-filter or a shockmount. Here’s why.•••1It’s the disappearance of the morning commute that seems to be hurting podcast listening mostFrom Nicholas Quah in Hot Pod 253, a look at the changes in podcast listening over the past few weeks:Yesterday, Stitcher sent over some data points on how social distancing measures have affected listening across its shows, and here’s the big takeaway: Overall listening across the Stitcher portfolio — that is, both owned-and-operated shows and shows they rep for ad sales — decreased 8 percent over the past four weeks relative to the first week of March — a stand-in baseline for the pre-pandemic environment. But there are signs that the listening decline may be leveling out.It might take another week before we can feel good about saying a 9 to 11 percent decline is the “New Normal” here, but the team sees the past three weeks as largely stable in terms of listening. And so the big question, then, is whether we’re seeing a true leveling off with regards to the pandemic-related dip.Like many others, Stitcher sees the absence of the morning commute as the primary cause of decrease in overall listening: Average listening between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. dropped about 20 percent, while average listening in other hours was down just 4 percent. By the start of April, their data saw a slight uptick in listening during non-commute hours, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the commute loss.Smog is down in some big cities too.If you live somewhere where you can go for a walk or run or bike ride before and/or after work, take advantage of your good fortune and get a little podcast listening time in too.I miss having a 30 minute bike ride for a commute.•••2COVID-19 Resources for Freelancers and IndependentsAnother one from Mr. Quah:If you’re a US-based freelance producer or independent creative whose livelihood has been disrupted by the pandemic, there’s an array of resources out there that could be helpful to your situation.•••3Top Side Hustles for Podcasters That Need Extra IncomeFrom the Podcast Movement website:It is a challenging time for many members of our community, but we’re constantly doing our best to find solutions to help you as much as possible. Our team put together a shortlist of online “side hustle” jobs for podcasters that are looking to make some extra money.We’ll kick off the newsletter with the Top 10. Also, last week, we announced an important upcoming project that we’ve been working on. This is our last call for feedback via a short survey!Finally, we wrap up with some bonus financial resources and links for podcasters.Lots of great ideas for how to make money from home in this article.If you've got skills or something creative or helpful that you’re willing to do in exchange for money, make a website and write about what you do and specify that you’re available to hire.•••4Pro Storytelling Tip: The Plus/Minus SystemFrom Doug Fraser on podcastmovement.com:If things are always sunny in a story, listeners get numb to the happiness. If it’s always bad, they ache for a light at the end of the tunnel. So unless your aim is to be either the next Care Bears or an utterly depressing podcast, then come with me on a journey into the +/- system of storytelling.•••55 Ways Joe Biden Can Make His Bad Podcast BetterFrom Will Leitch on the New York Magazine’s Intelligencer site:As someone who envisions no scenario in which Joe Biden is not the Democratic nominee for president, and therefore someone who desperately wants to make sure Joe Biden is well and okay so that we do not all die, I am relieved to know that there is a podcast that proves the man is upright, or at least capable of speech.But as a longtime podcast aficionado — and an amateur podcast producer myself — I find the show nearly impossible to get through. In fact, it is so stilted and awkward that it makes me legitimately alarmed: If they can’t get something this simple right, what’s going to happen in November?Hey, everyone’s gotta start somewhere, I guess! I don’t think I’ll be listening to this show, but there's a few lessons to be learned in this article.Is making a great podcast simple, though?•••6
How to Improve the Acoustics in Your Home Podcasting SpaceFrom Kevin Finn on the Buzzsprout blog:As we were recording our first remote episode for Buzzcast, something didn't sound right on my end. I was using the same mic, headphones, and audio interface, but something was off. I was recording in a small room with hard surfaces, and it was a noticeable difference. Luckily we've written about Acoustic Treatments for Podcasters before. So I headed to the Buzzsprout blog and started working on a solution.Even a couple pillows or couch cushions around your desk can help reduce the room echo you so often hear in podcast recordings. Hard flat surfaces are not your friends.•••7Podcasters: You do not need a pop-filter or a shockmount. Here’s why.From Tanner Campbell on his Medium blog:Speak across the capsule, not into it. Keep the mic at 6-inches and a 45-degree offset and you’ll never need a pop-filter.I’m slightly embarrassed that I only learned about the 45-degree offset for recording a few years ago. But then again, there’s so much to learn if you want to make a good podcast. It’s a great thing we have people like Tanner who are willing to share tips and tricks.Closing ThoughtsAnother beautiful week at home.

It’s been 4 weeks since I arrived in Los Angeles and 4 weeks since I’ve been around more than 3 other people at a time (the new roommates), with the exception of the grocery store trips.Thursday I had the uncomfortable realization that I am growing comfortable with this new way of life even while there are constant reminders all around me (online and off-line) that things are very much NOT fine and NOT normal.I’m thankful for work, it keeps my mind occupied, but damn, sometimes everything gets heavy and April 2020 has been a gut-punch of a month so far.Phew. Deep breath.Those of us who are healthy and able-bodied, we need to step up and support the ones who need support. Let’s help the people that need help and solve the problems that we’re facing and find joy in the beautiful things around us when we can.Exercise and meditation, y’all. Exercise and meditation.
In the way of an announcement: I’m live-streaming/recording a new episode of The Podcast Dude (my other show) this Saturday, April 18.I hosted a live Q&A this weekend where I shared some Logic Pro X workflows and tips and answered questions for a few internet friends. It was a lot of fun, so this coming Saturday I’m going to record try doing a Podcast Dude episode live.I'm planning to talk about how podcast downloads are counted by podcast hosting platforms, and how IAB compliance or certification affects the numbers they report to the podcasters.Share any questions you'd like me to answer, and I'll either include them in the episode or answer them in the Q&A section. If you'd like to join, here's the Google Meet link.Stay safe and I'll talk to you next weekend, and happy podcasting.

Table of Contents:Podcasts In the Time of QuarantinePodcasting During A Global PandemicCOVID-19 Podcast Advertising Survey ResultsPodcast Discovery Stats in 2020 | How Do Listeners Discover New Shows?Podcast Hero: How to Become a Content PowerhouseCondenser Vs Dynamic | A Beginner’s Guide to Microphones for VoicePodcast Intro & Outro Tips: Introducing & Ending Your EpisodeBetter Webcam VideoHow to make your evergreen podcasts topical using DAIHey friend, are you doing alright? I hope so.I’m well. Healthy and only a little anxious (I’m keeping my cool).I tried to cut my own hair today. It didn’t go so well, so now it’s very short. I’ll try again in a few weeks. I’m hoping with some practice I can get my hair looking like Rami Malek’s in Mr. Robot. That was a good looking haircut.
It was another week of watching to see how SARS-CoV-2 affects the world, my country, state, city, and the podcasting industry. They say the coming week is going to be bad, but my mood over the past month has been alternating between dread and frustration.I’m doing what I can and following the advice to stay home as much as possible. I hope you’re able to do the same.Here’s some of the best podcast news for the first week of April, 2020. And don’t worry, it’s not all Coronavirus.•••1Podcasts in the Time of QuarantineFrom Martine Powers on Columbia Journalism Review:Now that so many people are stuck at home and isolated from friends and family and colleagues, it seems like the priority isn’t simply to use podcasts to give people information or sweeping stories or you’ll-never-believe-it serialized drama. Suddenly, there are new objectives: What will make people feel connected with the outside world? What will provide comfort and a sense of community? What will help people feel less alone?•••2Podcasting During A Global PandemicFrom jaraudio.com:Prior to television and the internet, people always turned to audio for comfort. For a long time, and specifically in the Between the Wars era, it was the only way to ever hear the voice of our leaders. Radio in particular had a soothing effect on the populace at times when the world seemed to be crumbling (of note, the King’s speech as WW2). It’s not so different today. In the last few weeks we’ve all turned to our leaders for guidance and reassurance - reassurance that they are taking this threat seriously, and hoping that their words can inspire confidence that victory is possible. As our colleague Paul so eloquently remarked, “As a citizen in Vancouver, BC, personally I need to need to hear Justin Trudeau’s voice right now and that of my Mayor Kennedy Stewart.  I need to hear the voice of Dr. Theresa Tam and Dr. Bonnie Henry. And as a consumer I need to hear Tim Cook’s voice from Apple today...”Later in the article:For brands, now is the time to say something. Not to wallow about cancelled social calendars, or turn around and develop a campaign to capitalize on the crisis - but to show some leadership. Because what we all do in these next few weeks will echo for decades to come.•••3COVID-19 Podcast Advertising Survey ResultsFrom Podsights.com:Last week we put out a call to publishers, brands, and agencies on the Podsights platform to respond to a survey about the current effects on podcast advertising of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to share knowledge from the three main groups to understand how individual experiences are compared to the whole.We are in uncharted territory, and even so, 96.55% of respondents said they were optimistic about the future of podcasting in light of current events. •••4Podcast Discovery Stats in 2020 | How Do Listeners Discover New Shows?The folks at thepodcasthost.com took a survey. Of the 780 people who took the survey, 59% were podcasters and 41% have never run a podcast.What do podcast listeners do first when they want to find a new show to listen to? This is arguably the most interesting section of all, because it's entirely based on listener habits. What's that first port of call for discovering new content?We asked the question “You want to find a new podcast to listen to. What do you do first?” Searching in their podcast listening app's directory was the clear winner here with 40% of the vote. There was a follow-up question to this answer too – “If you use your listening app's directory to find a show, how do you search?”58.1% of folks who search their listening app's directory type the topic into their app's search bar, and choose from the results41.9% prefer to browse the categories to find new showsAway from those who take to searching their listening app, the other results were;18.3% Directly ask someone I know who likes the same stuff15.2% Ask on social media or in an online community13.6% Search on Google13% Browse through a podcast chart or ‘featured' sectionNot much to split the above, but it does show the importance of word of mouth marketing.Lots of other great takeaways in this article, including the thing that most potential listeners use to judge your podcast: The show description.•••5Podcast Hero: How to Become a Content PowerhouseFrom Yvonne Heimann for podcastmovement.com:Yay, your podcast is on air!It sounds great and you’re gaining exposure, but now your whole life revolves around content production. That was not the plan.In this article, you will learn how to streamline your production workflow, be ready to successfully outsource tasks, turn one episode into a multitude of content pieces, and continuously drive traffic to past and future episodes.And all that in a manner that allows you to have a life — and even take a vacation — without skipping a beat.•••6Condenser Vs Dynamic | A Beginner’s Guide to Microphones for VoiceFrom Matthew Boudreau on thepodcasthost.com:Searching for a new microphone can be a daunting task. The style and quality of microphones differs greatly, and the old standby that you get what you pay for isn’t necessarily true anymore.With great quality microphones available across the price spectrum, cost is no longer a reliable characteristic in determining a microphone’s quality. So what qualities should podcasters and producers be looking for in a microphone?One of the best articles I’ve read about the different kinds of microphones commonly used by podcasters, and how they work.Ah man, now I wanna go mic shopping. One of these days I’m gonna get a really expensive Neumann condenser mic.Here’s the podcasting gear I recommend, including the affordable mics I like and recommend. Those are Amazon affiliate links, but I’d suggest shopping locally instead.••• 7

Podcast Intro & Outro Tips: Introducing & Ending Your EpisodeFrom thepodcasthost.com:Podcast Intro & Outro tips: At-a-GlanceEach episode you release will be someone's first impression of your showYou only have 5 minutes to “hook” a 3rd of all new listenersLet them know what's in store right away. Tell them what they're going to get from listeningLeave them in no doubt that this is the podcast for themUse your outro to ensure you turn new listeners into subscribers. You want them to come back for moreAlso check out The Podcast Dude episode 45:How to Create a Great Podcast Intro.•••8Better Webcam VideoFrom Dan Mall on his personal site:In running a completely distributed agency, I spend a significant portion of my day on video calls. Like, most days, the majority of my day. So, if my colleagues and I have to spend a lot of time looking at my mug, I might as well try to make that a more pleasant experience for everyone involved.A great walkthrough of how Dan upgraded his video setup. Thanks to Chris Coyier for posting a blog post about his journey to upgrading his video / webcam setup, that’s how I found this post from Dan. I’m not ready to drop over $1000 right this second, but I did rearrange my bedroom to create a nicer view for my webcam. I’m happy with how it’s turning out, and I know I’m going to look more professional with the new setup.•••9How to Make Your Evergreen Podcasts Topical Using DAI (Dynamic Audio InsertionFrom Dan Misener on Pacific Content’s Medium blog:Many of the podcasts we make at Pacific Content are evergreen by design. We aim to tell stories that will be relevant and valuable today, next month… and next year.Why? Because it pays off. An investment in high-quality audio means evergreen episodes can continue to pay download dividends well into the future.But during a global pandemic, it can feel weird to release regularly scheduled episodes that aren’t related to COVID-19. On one hand, we see a large and understandable appetite for coronavirus-related audio. On the other hand, some listeners want a distraction, an escape, a respite.There’s an inherent tension at play here: evergreen vs. topical. Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard that tension reflected in client questions:“Should we do a special COVID-19 episode?”“Should we delay the release of our next season?”“Will we sound tone-deaf if we release our regularly scheduled episodes?”Here’s the good news: it’s not an either/or decision.Your show can be both topical and evergreen. Timely and timeless.How? Here’s one way.In this article, Dan suggests using dynamic audio tools like Simplecast’s MAE tool to insert a topical message into evergreen episodes. The idea being that you could remove or update that message easily sometime in the future.•••Closing ThoughtsThanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you find the show useful, please share it with a friend or someone you know who wants to get into podcasting.Stay safe out there and I’ll talk to you again next week.Aaron DowdApril 5, 2020Los Angeles, California

Hey friends, hope you’re doing well. I tried to do a little more writing for you for this week’s episode. I spent too much time reading Twitter and following the news this week, and by the time Friday rolled around, my brain was hurting and I decided to take a break. Putting away the phone and laptop for most of Friday evening and Saturday helped reset and recenter me, and I decided to share a few things that have helped me keep moving throughout the wild changes of March 2020.I hope this episode helps you, and as always, I’m here to talk if you need someone to talk to.March 29, 20201Text or Call a FriendI’m learning to up my friend game right now. Make a list of every person that matters to you and just text them. - @Rogie Exactly what we should all be doing every day. Friends bring comfort and support, and both are necessary for this moment in history.•••2Stronger Connections and File SharingI know that for 99% of my world right now, I’m in a privileged position and deeply thankful for it. The 1% I’m missing is internet connectivity. I cannot get it (access + infrastructure) - and as we are a remote working household this is absolutely not ok. 1/ - @TheElsieEscobarRead this thread. Everyone needs reliable internet, and throttling shouldn’t be a thing in 2020. To all of you creating content and resources, please, PLEASE think of the end user. Note how large files sizes are and if there is anything at all that you can do to have an option of making them smaller or providing a smaller size option 11/If you do have to share large audio files with other people (a podcast editor, for example), consider creating and sharing 320 or 256kbps MP3 files for your raw audio. They’re smaller and take less time and bandwidth, and still sound good enough (even after editing) to be the final episode file. Speaking of final episode files, the final episode audio file you upload to your podcast hosting platform should be between 64kbps and 128kbps MP3 files. In light of recent events, I’d recommend trying 64kbps if you haven’t yet. The reduction in size will be greatly appreciated by folks who have slower or limited internet connections.•••3Daily Planning, Disruption, and How We Handle ItFor those of you who are now working remotely, or who aren’t currently working because of SARS-CoV2, I’d like to highlight this podcast episode I recorded back in early 2016:Planning Your Day for Maximum Efficiency in Under 5 Minutes and Still Accounting for Unplanned EventsIt’s about the very simple method I adopted for daily planning. It helped me stay productive once I started working from home. The key was deciding and writing down what I wanted to spend my time on every day.I found writing out a plan for each day made it easier for me to focus on the important things and also reduced my stress and anxiety.One of the main things that causes us stress is feeling like we have more things to do than we have time for. There’s always more to do. Before I was planning out every hour of my day, I was overestimating how much I could actually accomplish in a day.There’s a lot of great advice about working from home going around right now, this episode is about what worked for me. The important steps:Write down the hours of the day in the left side of a notebookWrite down what you want to or have to do, and whenUpdate and makes notes about your progress every hour or two•••4How to get great-sounding audio from your podcast guests… from a distanceFrom T. Brockwell on Pacific Content’s Medium blog:So things are a little hairy right now for podcasters and media folks alike booking and recording interviews from the comfort of our respective homes, which most of us if we’re privileged enough, are hunkering down at.Understandably, interview subjects are reluctant to head to a studio or have an Audio Recordist (or what we folks in the industry like to call a Tape Syncer) come directly to them to mic and record them to get that oh-so-desired broadcast sound quality. I recently scheduled an interview with an 80-something year old woman who forbade a tape syncer to come to her house as the number of reported coronavirus cases in her city was rising and her age puts her at high risk. I also had a guest host cancel his studio time because his wife was displaying symptoms and he decided to self-quarantine while they awaited test results. And I don’t blame either of them!As a result, over here at Pacific Content, we’re revisiting some old and discovering some new recording options that allow everyone to stay put, and sound their best. What’s that saying? When life gives you lemons, make lemonade? Here’s our recipe, it’s pretty decent.Questions to ask your podcast guest:How strong and fast is your Internet connection?Is your computer’s operating system up-to-date?Do you have the latest version of your browser?What kind of phone do you use, iPhone or Android? What version?Do you have an external computer microphone?Do you have a pair of wired headphones?Your guest’s recording environment:The ideal recording space is a small, windowless environment with carpeted floors, drapes, and few, if any, hard bare surfaces.Record away from glass windows/walls, and concrete walls and floors.Lots of soft surfaces like curtains, rugs, and blankets help dampen sound waves.Avoid banging the table with your hands. You might not notice you do this when you are expressing a point, but the microphone will notice.Avoid chair swiveling noisesPlease do not wear dangling earrings during the interview. They can bump into your headphones or earbuds and cause noise in the recording.The advice here about telling guests to setup their cell phone in front of them to record an audio file with it is perfect. Recording on a computer is easy to mess up. I know, I’ve done it multiple times myself!Switching a phone to airplane mode, opening an app, hitting record, setting it somewhere close by, and then sharing the resulting audio file after is simple and nearly fail proof.

The audio won’t sound as good as audio recorded through a nice microphone, but it will almost certainly sound better than the audio from a Skype or Zoom call (which you should also record so you can have a backup).•••5Podcasting for Remote Teams: Using Audio to Connect, Engage & InformFrom Colin Gray on thepodcasthost.com:It might not be exactly by choice, but remote working is fast becoming the new normal. One of our greatest worries, though, is a real drop in engagement and connection amongst staff. Can your people feel part of a team and stay motivated when they're not spending time together every day? Here, I want to show you one way in which they can: through audio. Let's dig into podcasting for remote teams, and how it can help you in these crazy times!Impressive in-depth article here.•••6How to Turn Your Podcast Hobby Into a BusinessFrom Gerri Detweiler on podcastbusinessjournal.com:When LuAnn Nigara started her podcast, A Well Designed Business, she fully expected it to be the business that would take her through retirement. She, her husband Vince, and their cousin Bill Campesi, own Window Works, a successful window treatment and awning retailer, and while she didn’t want to retire, she also knew she wanted a business that wouldn’t require her to “knock on doors and design draperies” forever. After guesting on a business podcast, she knew this was the vehicle for her. It was designed as a business from the start. “If I wanted a hobby to fulfill me, I’d become a yoga instructor,” she laughs.  I won’t give away all the takeaways, but do check out the article if you’d like to make money with a podcast. 

What worked for me was identifying my audience, identifying revenue opportunities, and then putting in the time and work. •••7New York Times acquires Audm, whose narrators turn long-form journalism into audioFrom Paul Sawers on venturebeat.com:The New York Times has acquired Audm, a subscription audio platform that uses professional narrators to transform long-form written articles into the spoken word. Audm, which had only raised a small seed round of funding after graduating from Y Combinator in 2017, already worked with major publications including Rolling Stone, the New Yorker, and Vanity Fair. It will continue to serve those outlets, in addition to the New York Times, which is now integrating the service with its own various properties.Rather than using text-to-speech, however, Audm pays actual humans to read articles from myriad publishers and then bundles them under a single subscription. Audm subscribers pay $8 per month, or $57 per year, to access the entire library of spoken word content.I’m keeping my eyes on this situation. Curious to see how it goes.•••8How the coronavirus is affecting podcast downloadsFrom James Cridland on podnews.net:In conclusion: — we think that most podcasters can expect a small decrease, with 20% the rough guideline for now. It remains to be seen how tighter restrictions affect this further, though.The comments are open, below.Other Links:First look: how is coronavirus changing podcast advertising?Has Podcasting Just Made A Big Shift?The Casted Podcast: Earning Your Audience with Dan MisenerBlanket Forts and Pantyhose: How to set up a decent-sounding podcast studio at homeClosing ThoughtsI know this is a difficult time for a lot of people. If you can help other people, help them. If you need help, ask for it. Take care of each other, and I’ll talk to you next week.

Hey friends, just wanted to say hi real quick and get a short message out to you. I just arrived in Los Angeles this past Sunday night, right in time for the Governor's stay at home order. I've got a couple new roommates here, we’re staying inside except to get groceries but everything is fine overall. I’ve got plenty of work to do, so I’m doing my best to keep my normal routine and work making this podcast back into my schedule. Take care of each other, ask for help if you need it, offer to help if you have the resources. I'll talk to you next week!1What Podcasters Can Do During A PandemicFrom Steve Goldstein on amplifimedia.com:How will podcasts do during these strange times with schools shut, gyms closed, March Madness cancelled, commutes eliminated and employees on furlough?The longer we are forced to practice “social distancing,” the more likely connection is what people will crave. Three of the often talked about hallmarks of great podcasts are companionship, connection and authenticity. In a time when the breaking news is coming at us at a head spinning rate from antiseptic websites and cable news channels, one coping mechanism is likely to be podcasts from trusted hosts.Don’t feel pressured to make episodes if you absolutely can’t, but I bet your listeners will be glad to hear from you if you do. Don’t feel like you need to hide your feelings either, podcast listeners appreciate transparency. •••2Recording Podcasts During Self-IsolationFrom Steph Colbourn on the editaudio Medium blog:It is a weird time in the world right now and a lot of us are self-isolating so that we do not risk the health and wellness of ourselves and others. It has impacted our jobs and the ways that we communicate and distribute information.The tiny-thread of good news is that we can still find ways to create and listen to podcasts. I originally fell in love with podcasting because it allowed me to connect to online communities in a deeper way than any subreddit or forum. I fell in love more when I realized how easily they can be made from your home.During this time, I also expect that podcast listenership will increase, as people will have more time in isolation where they are looking to the media for distraction and to keep them informed.This is a beginner’s tutorial on how you can create high-quality content from your self-isolation location.The first sections are on setting up your space for an ideal recording environment and understanding your microphone’s levels. The second section is on how to actually record whether that be a monologue style recording on your own or a conversation with multiple guests (joining together online).During these times distributing information, providing levity and engaging with our online communities can be extremely powerful.•••3Why Now is The Perfect Time For GuestsFrom Andrew Allman on the Podcast Business Journal:As people hunker down worldwide, spoken-word media will play a bigger part in our daily lives. More people want to consume it and more people want to be part of it.And for podcasters, inviting relevant guests on your show delivers benefits:Your audience can learn directly from the expertsYou’ll grow your show’s audience. The experts you have as guests will help you promote your show by sharing the episode on social media and to their own audience. These new listeners, if they like your show, will subscribe to future episodes.In addition to inviting individual experts on a podcast, podcasters should consider holding group discussions. People are social creatures and they’re yearning to replace group meetings. Group chats recorded as podcasts can be informative to listeners and valuable to the guests as well.There are a lot of podcasters and experts who are suddenly sitting and home trying to figure out how to adapt. The opportunity is ripe for podcasts to share knowledge and comfort in these anxious times.••4Monetizing Your Podcast Doesn’t Have to Be HardFrom Fab Giovanetti on The Startup’s Medium blog:Before I illustrate three ways to make money through a podcast, let me give you a word of warning.When you’ve put so much effort into your podcast and you’re giving your audience consistent value, they’ll keep coming back again and again. That means it’s easy to make money out of your show, right?If you are starting a podcast with the sole idea of monetising it, you won’t go far at all. Why? Because you need to first remember that what you are trading, before anything else, is time.What your audience is giving you first and foremost is their time, and without that time, those listeners, you do not have a show in the first place.I am reiterating this because until you have a clear USP, a great show idea, an amazing structure you can follow you will struggle to create a show that stands out from the crowd.If you are looking to monetise your show, start asking the right questions.In this article, Fab shares great tips about three ways to make money with a podcast: Sponsorships and adsExclusive content and subscriptionsBrand cross-promotion (selling other things through the show)•••5Inside Podcasting (Mar 9th, 2020): What It Can Cost an Independent Producer to Create Narrative AudioFrom Skye Pillsbury in the Inside Podcasting newsletter:Welcome to a bonus edition of Inside Podcasting, which takes a deep dive into what it can cost an independent podcaster to create narrative audio. I spoke with Najib Aminy, indie creator of Some Noise, about his experience. Aminy works hard to put together his deeply researched and beautifully edited show, but it's time-consuming, and there can be months between episodes. As always, please feel free to write back with your thoughts and reactions.Great interview with a lot of good insights about what it takes to actually make a good narrative show.Before you start, be honest with what it is you’re trying to set out to do. If you’re trying to launch a show to make money, chase that cheddar, yo.But if you want to start a show because you just feel helpless with the state of media, gatekeepers, representation, diversity and sharing stories about our collective injustice or the sparse moments of comedy, triumphs and failures in between, hit me up. I’d like to subscribe.I think the most important thing—and here is some cheese—is to … t r y.If it works out, hey, you did a thing. And if it doesn’t, hey, you tried a thing. •••Thanks for listening! I’ll talk to you again next week.https://thepodcastnews.simplecast.comhttps://thepodcastdude.com

Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.1Why the Success of The New York Times May Be Bad News for JournalismThe New York Times is in talks to purchase Serial Productions (the producers of the breakout hit podcast Serial).From Ben Smith on nytimes.com:The gulf between The Times and the rest of the industry is vast and keeps growing: The company now has more digital subscribers than The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the 250 local Gannett papers combined, according to the most recent data. And The Times employs 1,700 journalists — a huge number in an industry where total employment nationally has fallen to somewhere between 20,000 and 38,000.The rise of The Times from wounded giant to reigning colossus has been as breathtaking as that of any start-up. As recently as 2014, print advertising was collapsing and the idea that subscribers would pay enough to support the company’s expensive global news gathering seemed like a pipe dream.The paper is now quietly shopping for dominance in an adjacent industry: audio. The Times is in exclusive talks to acquire Serial Productions, the breakthrough podcast studio that has attracted more than 300 million downloads.The purchase requires deep pockets: Serial was for sale at a valuation of about $75 million, according to two people who were briefed on the deal, though The Times is expected to pay significantly less. (The Wall Street Journal first reported last month that Serial was for sale.)The deal, along with The Daily, the popular weekday podcast at The Times, could form the basis for an ambitious new paid product — like the company’s Cooking and Crossword apps — that executives believe could become the HBO of podcasts.There’s a big challenge here: Podcast listeners are used to podcasts being free.However, if anyone can get people to pay for podcasts, it would be the New York Times. High quality podcasts in combination with their print or digital news would make a NYT subscription a no-brainer for a lot of people.•••2Meet Simplecast’s Moveable Audio EngineFrom Simplecast CEO Brad Smith on Simplecast’s Medium blog:A big part of our past six months has been tightly focused on developing a product to help creators and businesses more efficiently monetize audio content. At our core, we believe data brings value to more than just advertising dollars. Data drives insights which creates better content! So, when it came to DAI (dynamic ad insertion),we applied those exact same principals and beliefs.Simplecast’s Moveable Audio Engine (MAE, pronounced just like May) allows publishers to dynamically deliver advertisements and host-read content, a personalized show opening for a geographic region, or back catalog promotions to first-time listeners. We don’t call it DAI because, well, it is becoming so much more.In the coming months, MAE will integrate with our previously mentioned patent-pending listener measurement, allowing publishers to deliver dynamic content based on cross-podcast listening behavior and content preferences, while also providing the foundation for our attribution measurement tools. Yet where standard ad delivery requires standard ad practices, MAE arrives fully-featured — ready to deliver advertisements to pre, mid or post-rolls. Set multiple markers, stack ads to compete based on priority, run in order or randomized, even deliver your impressions evenly paced or as fast as possible. If there’s a buzzword you desire, MAE will have you covered.Yet it’s beyond these standard use cases where MAE’s brilliance will shine. Imagine delivering a unique monologue to your NYC-based listeners, while the rest of the world hears another. For podcasters who tour and offer live tapings, geo-targeted promos will change your game. Run multiple host-reads for the same advertiser, ensuring that your audience won’t hear the same version twice. Deliver a different set of ads to a specific app or deliver with no ads at all. MAE has a bright roadmap for the year. And coming later this month, we’ll further flex MAE’s muscles–unveiling a huge industry first for dynamic podcast content. It’s absolutely fantastic, and I cannot wait to share.The best podcast hosting and tech platform keeps getting better. I was fortunate enough to get to watch the Simplecast team build this tool, and I’m looking forward to seeing how podcasters use it.•••3The Role Of Podcasting In The Upskilling EraFrom Jen Grogono on forbes.com:A whopping 94% of employees said they would stay at their current companies longer if their employers took an active role in their learning and development, contradicting the idea that employees leave once they have new skills.So, how can we upskill effectively? Enterprise podcasting on private corporate audio channels, can breathe life back into your training curriculums. With the popularity of consumer podcasts and media platforms such as YouTube and Spotify, it’s no surprise that today’s generation is more accustomed to flexing auditory muscles in their everyday lives in terms of how they learn and communicate with each other.With private podcasting, you can engage employees on their own schedules, which is great for global workforces or for those who are always commuting. Training content can be consumed even when Wi-Fi access is limited, as employees are able to download podcast episodes for later listening. Not to mention, the ability to replay episodes as often as needed ensures that employees can revisit content for learning refreshers or additional guidance.The podcasting medium has the ability to present microlearnings in bite-sized chunks, something that should be essential for skilling and upskilling. One large concept can be broken up into smaller features, making it easier for your employees to get consistent training in an era where we are busier than ever and time seems to disappear.Not only do you need to create relevant training content for skilling and upskilling, but more importantly, you need to know if that content is actually working. Private podcasts are measurable, and named-user analytics can confirm that any required training is actually consumed by certain individuals. By always monitoring private podcast analytics, employers can continually make changes to produce the best performing training material for their workforce.The above benefits can help increase your employees’ learning outcomes and make a real contribution to your business’s bottom line. In an era when adaptation is key to a corporation's survival, many do not realize that it is key on the individual front as well. In order for employees to adapt and stay useful to the organization, they must constantly learn and grow. And private podcasting might just be the answer.Training and education in podcast from is not just a good strategy for employees retention and upskilling, I think it works well for customer acquisition as well.•••4What we learned from the Substack writers gathering in New YorkLast month, we hosted our first Substack writer gathering in New York City. We were thrilled by the turnout, as well as the broad range of topics that attendees covered, tackling everything from wrestling to Excel.We also invited a few writers to speak about their experiences on Substack: Delia Cai, Emily Atkin, Terrell Johnson, and Walt Hickey. Afterwards, we invited all four up to take questions from the audience. The session was filled with insights and we wanted to share the lessons with people outside the room, too. So we’ve summarized the highlights here.Loads of great insights in this article that are applicable to podcasting too. Questions answered include:
How often should writers publish?If you’ve hit a plateau with your audience growth, how do you break through to the next phase?How do you grow your email list to sufficient size before you turn on paid? And as someone who wants to do this full-time, did you have a plan if it fell flat?What’s the best way to incorporate interviews? Should you publish them behind a paywall, since the interviewee won’t be able to share it as widely?To what extent have you changed your writing based on audience feedback? Was there anything where the audience really helped you shape it?What’s one thing that’s surprised you during this experience?Have you had any success with paid user acquisition?How do you measure success, beyond number of subscribers and emails?•••5Podcast Editing: The Ultimate GuideFrom Matthew McLean on thepodcasthost.com:Podcast editing. For complete beginners, it can be an intimidating barrier to launching a show. Many aspiring podcasters procrastinate worrying on how they’ll actually edit their podcast episodes, prior to publishing them.But it’s actually never been easier to either edit audio yourself, or to find someone (or something) else to do it for you.What’s more, there’s nothing to say that you absolutely need to edit your podcast, or exactly how you should do it. It all depends on your own approach, content, and audience.Here, I’d like to run through the various podcast editing options available to you.These will depend on your budget, time constraints, and whether or not you prefer to learn new skills, or to outsource the stuff you’ve no interest in doing yourself.•••6Every Podcast Editing and Recording Software, RankedWant to record and edit a podcast? You’ll need a Digital Audio Workstation, but with so many options, you’ll have to shop around first.Most DAWs can record and edit, but the advanced features may vary from one to the next. Some programs only record audio, while others can automatically edit your audio through an algorithm. You can record, edit, and master your podcast manually, or you can pay someone to do it.I’ve compiled a list of popular recording and editing software below. Some are only for professionals; others are affordable and easy to use. It’s up to you, of course, but take a look and pick one that best fits your needs.Very thorough list. If you’re serious about podcastin

Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.1No, the podcast ‘gold rush’ isn’t over. Podcasting’s golden age is just beginningFrom Esther Kezia Thorpe on the whatsnewinpublishing.com site:It’s always easy to find examples of publishers who have overstretched in their investment and had to cut back. But there are so many more examples of organisations taking a more cautious approach; getting the right resources in place and scaling as demand grows, that just don’t make headlines.Tech and media analyst Simon Owens set out the problem succinctly in his tech and media newsletter last Friday. He argues that although there are benefits to publishers going into podcasting, that doesn’t mean bubbles can’t form when investment far outpaces industry growth.“Think of the dot com bubble as a good example,” he writes. “The revenue potential for the internet was there – in fact, some of the most profitable and valuable companies in the world today are internet-based – but internet adoption in the late 90s was still low and there was no justification for the tens of billions of dollars of capital being dumped on businesses that had no near term path to profitability.”Owens has previously written about why every publisher should have a podcast strategy, and is an advocate of publishers exploring the format, but carefully.“I’ve been surprised by how many publishers dive head first into creating super expensive narrative podcasts – the kind that require six months to produce a single season of 10 or so episodes,” he explains. “The production cost for these run into the six figures…and guess what? Most won’t pull in a million downloads.”“Some of the most popular podcasts in existence are conversational shows with relatively low production costs,” he concludes. “As much as you may want to create the next RadioLab or Reply All, I’d advise most publishers to walk before they run.”This quote later in the article is worth highlightingHouston points out that some publishers may also be stumbling by seeing podcasting as a singular answer to revenue woes. “The gold rush analogy is so flawed,” he argues. “Podcasts should be another plank in publisher’s portfolios, not another ‘get rich quick’ pivot.”•••2Why You Need a Creative Brief for Podcast ArtworkFrom James Parkinson on the Lawson Media blog:Podcast artwork is essential for any show, especially if you hope to connect with and grow an audience. Audio is incredibly powerful, but before people hear your show they’re probably going to see your show.Whether that’s through social media, your podcast website (also essential, by the way) or via a podcast app, the visual identity of your podcast contributes to how people feel about your show, and maybe whether they even press play at all.How’s your podcast artwork? Take a look at the artwork for the top shows in Apple Podcasts. If your podcast artwork isn’t on that level, consider hiring a designer to give your show an artwork upgrade. This blog post will help you with communicating with that designer.•••3How to Podcast With A Co-HostFrom Caitlin Van Horn on the Simplecast blog:Communication between co-hosts is key, and not just when the mics are on. If you're treating your podcast like a business, then that means you're business partners–so you need to outline protections, expectations, and boundaries to set the tone for how your podcast proceeds in the future. Consider starting off with a co-host agreement.You should also check in about how you like to communicate. If one partner loves Asana boards, face-to-face communication, and is very protective of their work-life balance, that needs to be detailed in order to avoid clashing and miscommunication with their partner who loves texting business plans at all hours.The dynamic between co-hosts manifests audibly and visually in the podcasting process. Talk about your strengths and passions and find a way to best showcase them within your podcast. Find friends that are willing to work with you and expose each other’s creativity. The greatest benefit of having a co-host is that you don’t have to do everything on your own.If you’re thinking about starting a podcast with a co-host, I’d recommend reading this article and also this episode I published back in February of 2016.•••4Podcasting on YouTube: 8 Things to Know Before You StartFrom the Buzzsprout blog:While YouTube is currently the most popular way to listen to podcasts, YouTube podcasts should meet the expectation of a video platform (i.e. your podcast should actually feature video)! Video podcasts should deliver high-quality content with engaging visuals and break up long-form content into shorter clips and segments.Before deciding to put your podcast on YouTube, make sure you have the time and resources to do it well and invest in the equipment you need to produce quality videos. Make your YouTube channel a place where you engage with your audience and supplement your show with valuable video content.Nice article from Buzzsprout about YouTube and podcasting. A good YouTube channel can be an effective way to grow an audience for your show.Closing ThoughtsBit of a slow week in podcasting, but that’s alright. I’m just a couple weeks out from my move to Los Angeles, so I’m getting ready for that. Hope you have a good week, and stay safe out there. Wash your hands, and happy podcasting!•••If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, or share the episode with a friend. Thank you! 💙Subscribe to the email newsletter here.This show was produced by me, Aaron Dowd.Music and SM7B illustration by Sean McCabe.Hosting and technology by Simplecast.

Spotify is trying to become podcasting's gatekeeper. We musn't let them.Podcast Recommendation: Exponent #181 — Competing with Spotify and Regulating AcquisitionsPodcast Analytics: How to Measure and Use Podcast Metrics to Make Your Show SuccessfulThe Mentality Change Marketers Must Make to Measure Their Shows (and the Metrics to Do It)The Podcast Academy launches: the speech, the Q and A, the reactionPodcasting’s Biggest MistakeWant podcasts to remain independent? Support independent podcasts3 Ways To Find Sponsors Within One Degree Of SeparationNew Study Finds That Podcast Advertising Campaigns Resulted In An Average 10 Times Lift Relative To Print, Digital and TVWhy Metrics MatterThe Art and Science of Podcast Show Descriptions1Spotify is trying to become podcasting's gatekeeper. We musn't let them.From Adam Tinworth on his onemanandhisblog.com blog:While Spotify's acqusition of The Ringer is good news for the journalists involved, it's part of a worrying trend in podcastingThe point here is that there is no gatekeeper in podcasting. At a time when we’re beset by the gatekeeper duopoly of Google and Facebook, that’s something we should fight to preserve.Apple has been the closest we’ve had, with its iTunes Podcast directory (now spun off separately) long the default place you needed to be. Apple, though, has been a good steward of this power, not attempting to lock up podcasting to its own specifications. There are — at the moment, at least — no Apple exclusives, only available in their own app. And, despite rumours to the contrary, none have emerged. (It seems likely now that the rumours were about podcasts supporting Apple TV+ shows.)Podcasting has no gatekeepers, in the way that search and social have had. Many people in the tech world are looking at that and seeing an opportunity in becoming that gatekeeper. And we should be very careful before we let that happen.Actually, no, that’s wrong. We should do everything in our combined power as journalists and publishers to stop that happening, lest we find ourselves saddled with another Facebook.•••2Podcast Recommendation: Exponent #181 — Competing with Spotify and Regulating AcquisitionsBen and James discuss Ben’s new Daily Update Podcast, and why Exponent is not on Spotify. Then, should regulators roll back acquisitions or prioritize the avoidance of unintended consequences?A great compliment to the previous article about Spotify. Take a listen to the first half at least.•••3Podcast Analytics: How to Measure and Use Podcast Metrics to Make Your Show SuccessfulFrom Jeff Large on comealivecreative.com:Why do you care about podcast analytics and data? You care because you want your podcast to be successful. You want evidence that your show is reaching and being enjoyed by an audience. You want confirmation that it is worth your time and investment. But how do you know those things are true? Identifying and using the right podcast analytics will help you determine the success of your podcast. So what does a good podcast look like? How many downloads do successful podcasts have? How do you track podcast analytics and use them to your advantage? In order to measure success, we need to have a clear definition of success. This is one of the best and most helpful articles about podcasting I’ve seen in awhile. I mean, look at this list of sections:Why You Should Care About Podcast AnalyticsHow to Measure Podcast SuccessWhich Podcast Analytics and Tracking Metrics MatterHow to Track Podcast AnalyticsChoosing a Podcast Media Host: Which Media Host Is Right for You?How to Track Podcast Analytics on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Spotify, and StitcherAdditional Tools to Support Your PodcastHow to Use the Podcast Stats and FindingsAnd this recap:Podcast analytics are important and can and should be used to improve your future and existing shows. However, they require an understanding of your goals, the KPIs that can help determine if you’re reaching those goals, and then knowing how to apply those findings to improve your show. Finally, many platforms, services, and tools exist to help you achieve these goals, but none of it matters if you aren’t focused on your listeners.Analytics matter, but your listeners matter more.•••4The Mentality Change Marketers Must Make to Measure Their Shows (and the Metrics to Do It)From Jay Acunzo on marketingshowrunners.com:Rather than obsess over totals, we should focus on value.It’s not about how big the audience becomes, it’s about how productive, how much value they bring to the brand (which, of course, is directly related to how much value we bring to our audience). Then, once we know that an audience is productive (i.e. valuable to our brands), we can focus on making that valuable asset bigger. But we focus on the bigger without a defensible explanation as to how it’s a valuable thing to grow.When you think about it, why do we value bigger audiences at all? Because of what we assume will happen as a result of all that reach. We just assume that, if we reach a lot of people, more people will also be productive and subscribe, buy, and/or refer business our way. We assume the productive part will just kinda … happen. It’s why we hear more marketers say the word “awareness” instead of “affinity.” We chase the former, but we need the latter. So it’s wasteful and kinda strange to obsess over a proxy (a broad audience) unless we first understand that we’re meeting our actual needs (a productive audience). Put the cart behind the horse: ensure something is valuable first, then invest in growing it.
So, this is our new mandate to measure a show — and really all of our marketing. Let’s measure value, not totals. Find what’s valuable, then make it bigger, ensuring the value doesn’t decline while you do so.•••5The Podcast Academy launches: the speech, the Q and A, the reactionFrom podnews.net:The launch of The Podcast Academy was announced at Podcast Movement on Friday morning. Like similar organisations for TV, music and film, this is a membership-driven, not-for-profit organisation designed to be inclusive to the entire podcast industry, it will run annual peer-based awards - The Golden Mics - as well as “advancing knowledge and relationships in and around the business”. A website is live at thepodcastacademy·com.You can watch Wondery CEO Hernan Lopez’s speech in full, and the Q&A afterwards with our Editor James Cridland, thanks to Podcast Movement. There is also a full transcript of Hernan’s speech on that page.I’m interested to see how this turns out. Also worth reading: Podcasting Is Getting Its Own Oscars. Will It Work?.My favorite take on this was the one from Tom Webster in the next article.•••6Podcasting’s Biggest MistakeFrom Tom Webster on his Medium blog:I spent some time chatting with podcasters at Podcast Movement Evolutions this week. I came back not energized, but a little disturbed.Podcasting is increasingly being segmented broadly into two camps: “Big Podcasting” — centered around monetization and advertising attribution — and the independents, who are centered around something else. I’ll get to that.Some of this came to a head on Friday, when a consortium of podcasting interests led by Wondery, Stitcher, NPR, and several others announced the foundation of The Podcast Academy, an entity designed to promote “awareness and excitement” for the medium. It’s called The Podcast Academy not because it is an educational institution, but rather to signal an intent to be for podcasting what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is to the movies.I’ve been involved with podcasting since 2005, both as a participant and as one of the chroniclers of the space. The original podcasters were a scrappy band of pirates, frustrated by their inability to hear independent voices and niche content on AM/FM radio, and so they rebelled. It was a very common sentiment amongst early podcasters to stick it to The Man. And now The Man is back, and he bought your building and raised your rent. Or at least, that’s how it feels.Independents, I feel you. You are frustrated because you feel powerless. And you feel powerless because you are powerless. And you are powerless because you are not united. There, I said it.Podcasters: Unite.•••7Want podcasts to remain independent? Support independent podcastsFrom Brian Heater on techcrunch.com:As corporations take an increasing interest in the medium, it's listeners' duty to support independent voicesThere’s not much more to it. If you love a show and want it to continue, support the creator.•••83 Ways To Find Sponsors Within One Degree Of SeparationFrom Scott Carson on podcastbusinessjournal.com:So, the truth is that very few podcasters are monetizing or making money with their podcast. “If you record it, they will come” doesn’t hold true for most unless you are servicing a specific niche or audience, or you’ve done the work to regularly record some serious content and have grown a loyal tribe of listeners.You must serve your audience and make your platform a valuable sounding board or opportunity for sponsors to take note.And while podcasting is starting to catch on as a valuable marketing tool and way to reach new clients, not every company out there understands the opportunity.The most important thing to keep in mind when looking for sponsors is that you need to bring value and serve your sponsors. It’s always easier to keep a sponsor happy by going above and beyond and looking for multiple ways to work them into your podcast, social media, marketing, and other ways that not only brings value to the relationship but truly becomes a win-win-win for you, your audience, and ultimately your sponsors.
There are two problems I’ve decided to dig into and work on this year:How to help podcasters better understand and describe the value of their show and audienceHow to help brands and companies better understand the value that podcasters create and why they are worth investing in•••9New Study Finds That Podcast Adverti

Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the second week of February, 2020.Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.1Will Spotify Ruin Podcasting?From Matt Stoller for his Big Substack newsletter, a long and excellent read about Spotify's recent moves in the podcast world. This section about the commodification of independent podcasts caught my eye:Spotify seems to be trying to build out control of advertising and distribution of podcasting. With gatekeeping power over listeners through its streaming service, and gatekeeping power over ad revenue through its advertising network, Spotify will eventually be able to force podcasters to live in its ecosystem. It won’t be impossible to get listeners without Spotify, just as newspapers can technically get direct traffic instead of traffic from Google and Facebook, but it’ll be very hard.It’s not 100% clear how well this will work. Podcast ads are, like radio ads, often based on the trust of the host of the show. Hosts tend to read out ads, so they are more like paid sponsorships relying on the trust and voice of the host than traditional advertisements. But if the Spotify ad insertion tech is sophisticated and effective enough, they may be able to alter this dynamic, making any particular ad slot on any podcast less valuable.None of this is inevitable. And in fact, there’s one significant difference between today and the mid-2000s, and it’s not a small one. Today, we understand that monopolies are dangerous. This means we can activate a whole series of laws designed to protect us from them.Today’s flourishing podcasting market is evidence that we can have a diverse and financially viable media market. We just have to stop gatekeeping in our markets for speech, prevent vertical integration, end the inappropriate use of other people’s data to let a middleman like Spotify inappropriately monetize art it didn’t create, and retain open standards like RSS for podcast distribution instead of privatizing public utility functions.An important read if you care about the openness of podcasting and preventing any single platform from controlling it.•••2Advertising A Podcast, Part 2From Sean Howard on podnews.net, part two of his three-part Advertising a Podcast series. This one's about buying ads on social media and search platforms:I spent the last couple of months running a series of campaigns on Facebook, Twitter and Google Adwords. I wanted to understand the potential costs to acquire a listener using paid online ads.If we are spending money and time to generate listeners, it’s important to actually measure how many listeners we generated.When I send my partner to the store to buy cookies, I want to know how many cookies he purchased and even what kind of cookie. But online platforms that sell advertising want to tell us everything but these two facts. We have to keep them honest.In this article, I’m going to share two tools I truly adore and am using to track the number of listeners I am creating through paid (and unpaid) advertising efforts.When it was all said and done:I wrote this series with the intent of getting more podcasters to embrace advertising, and my first experiments with purchasing social and search ads clearly suggest that these are not a good use of anyone’s dollars or time. The irony is not lost on me.Data is important and sometimes it tells us things we don’t want to hear. So while paid digital advertising may be a bad choice, I remain convinced that other forms of advertising are an important part of building a brand and growing our audience.•••3Why the Podcast Gold Rush is Slowing Down for Some PublishersFrom Max Willens on Digiday:A ton of money is pouring into podcasting as platform companies and advertisers express more interest in the medium. But for the smaller publishers that have been experimenting with the medium, the increased competition for listeners — and, by extension, advertising dollars — is prompting them to change their approaches.Ok, tell me more.In 2019 Politico decreased the frequency of two of its seven U.S. podcasts and ended a third: It discontinued “Off Message,” a podcast launched in 2015, after the host left Politico.Ok, but did they end the show because of increased competition, or because the host left?Last spring Bustle abandoned its second foray into podcasting, “The Bustle Huddle,” after producing about 16 months’ worth of episodes. Bustle Digital Group’s chief revenue officer, Jason Wagenheim, told Digiday this week that the publisher considered the show a test. He added that Bustle plans to launch several new audio products this year, mostly related to its newly expanded culture and innovation desk.Ok, so a company was experimenting and plans to do more. So?And last fall Business Insider paused its podcast “This Is Success.” The show, which had landed guests ranging from Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg to athlete LeBron James over its nearly three-year run, had secured sponsorship or just three episodes in 2019. A spokesperson said this week that Business Insider plans to bring the show back but did not provide a timeline.I'm assuming there's a typo here and that second sentence is supposed to read "had secured sponsorships for just three episodes in 2019".So you found a generic business interview show that couldn't secure sponsorships and was shut down. Sound the alarm, the whole podcasting bubble is bursting right in front of us.Podcasting was meant to be a low cost way to diversify revenues and digital audiences.Is that was it was meant to be?Now more than ever, podcasting requires sustained editorial, marketing and promotional support — all for an increasingly uncertain payoff.Let me fill you in on a little secret: Podcasting has always required sustained efforts, and the payoff has always been uncertain.Indeed, it is hard to predict how many people will like a show, especially one that was made by people hoping to grab some of that easy podcast ad money.A source at McClatchy said the publisher had to dissuade one of the newspapers in its portfolio from making a show in the style of The New York Times’s “The Daily” because it would have required extensive resources.What's the size of the team that works full-time on the Daily? 12 people now?Hang on, let's look at the episode notes for the latest episode:“The Daily” is made by Theo Balcomb, Andy Mills, Lisa Tobin, Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Annie Brown, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Larissa Anderson, Wendy Dorr, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Alexandra Leigh Young, Jonathan Wolfe, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, Adizah Eghan, Kelly Prime, Julia Longoria, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Jazmín Aguilera, M.J. Davis Lin, Austin Mitchell, Sayre Quevedo, Neena Pathak, Dan Powell, Dave Shaw, Sydney Harper, Daniel Guillemette, Hans Buetow and Robert Jimison. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Mikayla Bouchard, Stella Tan, Lauren Jackson, Julia Simon, Mahima Chablani and Nora Keller.Extensive resources, indeed.It's almost as if you have to be super passionate and work insanely hard for a long time to be successful with a podcast, and even then, you might not make a ton of money.Who wants to take that chance? Stick with something proven and safe.•••4The Math Behind MembershipFrom Amira Valliani on the Glow.fm blog:We’ve spoken to over 1000 content creators about building memberships. The three questions we hear the most are:How much can I make?How much should I charge?How do I grow my membership?So, we crunched the numbers to give you data-driven answers.Some good takeaways in this article, and you can get a longer report if you give them your email address.I'd love to hear from more podcasters who have had success with the membership model.•••5Podcast Subscriber Tracking Is PointlessA good point from Evo Terra on his Medium blog:Most podcasters want one thing: for people to listen to their content. So it makes sense that understanding a podcast’s total subscriber count would be a good thing. Only… it isn’t.Subscriber count doesn’t matter. I’m personally subscribed to something like 178 shows in Apple Podcasts. Do I listen to every episode published by those shows? Of course not.I understand why podcasters want to see the number of people who are subscribed to their show, but the number of subscribers does not equal the number of listeners. Like Evo, I'm subscribed to 100 or so shows. I listen to maybe 10% of those shows on a regular basis.What you really should be paying attention to is:How many people are listening to each episode (unique listeners)How far through the episode most people are getting (episode retention / play-through)•••6What Agencies And Advertisers Say Is Needed To Achieve $2 Billion In Podcast Ad RevenueFrom Pierre Bouvard on westwoodone.com:95 executives from all parts of the podcast ecosystem completed an online survey in early February on measurement, attribution, ad tech, and what’s needed for podcasting to become a $2 billion advertising medium. Here are the key findings:Agencies and brands give poor marks on the current state of podcast measurement, though there is a sense that things are looking upOnly 5% rate podcast measurement and attribution as “excellent.” A whopping 64% say it’s “fair” and 19% deem it “poor.” Yet there are signs that the buy side sees improvements ahead. Compared to prior years, 43% indicate the current state of attribution and measurement is getting better. 57% say things are about the same. No one feels it is getting worse, somewhat akin to saying you cannot fall off the floor.When asked what it will take for podcasting to become a $2 billion ad medium, most of the responses centered on improved measurement and attribution. Some indicate content will need to step up: “Larger scale content…a big breakthrough in the content space.” Others note podcast discovery

Advertising a podcast, podcast ads, audience growth, SEO tips, Voice Boost 2 for Overcast, the recipe for earning $1000 per fan, and more.Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the first week of February, 2020.Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.1Advertising a Podcast, Part 1From producer Sean Howard on podnews.net:Our industry struggles with discoverability. The days of just hit publish and wait for fame are over, if they ever existed at all. The field is too crowded. And listeners have no idea how to find the next podcast that they will enjoy.The answer is right in front of us; advertise our podcasts.In part one of this series, I am going to be exploring a number of ways to do just that. I begin with a long list of free, near-free and paid methods which can help each of us reach our audience and grow our podcasts.In part two, I’m going to share what happened when we used paid online advertising to promote one of our podcasts.And in part three, I’m going to look at cross-promotion activities such as episode drops and promo swaps.Most podcasters want to grow their audience and get more listeners, but many don't know where to start. In this article, Sean makes a compelling case for advertising a show and shares a huge list of things to do to reach a broader audience.I love this section:Marketing Your Podcast in Three StepsGet super clear on who listens and what else they are listening to and watching. Who has their attention? Where are they active online?What matters to them? What issues, memes or topics excite them?Brainstorm ways to become visible where they are and in ways that will resonate.The three steps above help put us into the frame of mind needed to target our advertising efforts where it is going to do the most good.•••2“Jobs to be done” for podcastsFrom Dan Misener on Pacific Content's blog:Professor Clayton Christensen died last month. Many knew him for his theory of disruptive innovation, his classes at Harvard Business School, or his influential book The Innovator’s Dilemma.I never got the chance to meet Professor Christensen, but his ideas have informed much of the work we do at Pacific Content.Among the most influential of Christensen’s theories is what he calls “jobs to be done.” The gist: we hire products to do things for us.We all have many jobs to be done in our lives. Some are little (pass the time while waiting in line); some are big (find a more fulfilling career). Some surface unpredictably (dress for an out-of-town business meeting after the airline lost my suitcase); some regularly (pack a healthful lunch for my daughter to take to school).When we buy a product, we essentially “hire” it to help us do a job. If it does the job well, the next time we’re confronted with the same job, we tend to hire that product again. And if it does a crummy job, we “fire” it and look for an alternative.What does this have to do with podcasts? Podcasts are a product. If your goal is to build an amazing show for a specific audience, it’s crucial to understand your listeners’ motivations.Have you ever thought about your podcast in terms of the job it does for your listeners?Ask yourself, “What job does my show do for my audiences? Why would they "hire" and listen to my show instead of a different show?”•••3Introducing Voice Boost 2: Remaster your podcastsFrom Marco Arment on marco.org:Voice Boost 2 is an all-new audio engine that includes professional-grade, mastering-quality loudness normalization.When I first introduced Overcast in 2014, Voice Boost was one of its headlining features:Voice Boost is a combination of dynamic compression and equalization that can make many shows more listenable and normalize volume across all shows. This makes amateur-produced podcasts (including many of my favorites) more listenable in loud environments, like cars, where you’d otherwise need to crank the volume so loudly to hear the quiet parts that you’d blow your ears out when the loudest person spoke.Voice Boost 2 achieves the same goal as the original Voice Boost, but with dramatically more sophisticated methods, leading to more consistent results and much better sound quality.Audio mastering is something that everyone needs but few people know how to do well. Bravo to Marco for solving a real problem for podcasters and podcast listeners. This is yet another reason to use Overcast for podcast listening.I hope podcast hosting platforms and other podcast apps are paying attention. Automatic mastering and loudness normalization is a truly useful feature that is worth implementing.I would love it if Marco added the VoiceBoost 2 functionality to Forecast. Take my money!•••4Do you skip ads?Interested discussion on Reddit about podcast ads:Hi everyone, I was thinking about doing my dissertation around podcast advertising and went into it thinking that most people skipped the ads. However, after searching the topic I found that only a very low percentage of people (around 30%) do, in fact, skip the ads, which I find pretty hard to believe.Do you skip them?Advertising is a popular method for monetizing a podcast, but it's also very easy to skip ads in podcast players currently using the "skip ahead 15 or 30 seconds" buttons.After reading through the responses, it seems like a lot of people will skip ads if they can easily reach their phone, or if the ad is programmatically inserted or for something that isn't relevant or interesting to them.As a podcast listener, I prefer host read ads that are for products or services that are relevant to me, and are shorter than 60 seconds. Respect my time and attention and I'll keep listening.Check out this thread if you're interested in learning about how podcast listeners think and feel about ads in their podcasts.•••51,000 True Fans? Try 100 (The recipe for earning $1,000 per fan)From Li Jin on the A16Z blog:More than a decade ago, Wired editor Kevin Kelly wrote an essay called “1,000 True Fans,” predicting that the internet would allow large swaths of people to make a living off their creations, whether an artist, musician, author, or entrepreneur. Rather than pursuing widespread celebrity, he argued, creators only needed to engage a modest base of “true fans”—those who will “buy anything you produce”—to the tune of $100 per fan, per yea (for a total annual income of $100,000). By embracing online networks, he believed creators could bypass traditional gatekeepers and middlemen, get paid directly by a smaller base of fans, and live comfortably off the spoils.Today, that idea is as salient as ever—but I propose taking it a step further. As the Passion Economy grows, more people are monetizing what they love. The global adoption of social platforms like Facebook and YouTube, the mainstreaming of the influencer model, and the rise of new creator tools has shifted the threshold for success. I believe that creators need to amass only 100 True Fans—not 1,000—paying them $1,000 a year, not $100. Today, creators can effectively make more money off fewer fans.Podcasters want to make money too. But if you're like me, you're wondering "What can we sell for $1000?" This article addresses that question (and more).•••5SEO Case Study - 0 to 200,000 Monthly Organic TrafficWant to get better rankings on Google?Can’t blame you.When done right, SEO can be a game-changer...You rank for top keywordsLeads come knocking on YOUR door (instead of the other way around)Sales go through the roofUnless you have a lot of experience with SEO, though, the road to getting there can seem very uncertain…...which is why we created this guide - a complete step-by-step SEO case study on how we took Tallyfy, a SaaS process management software, from ~8,000 monthly traffic to about 200,000 in less than 2 years.This is a blog post about increasing traffic to a blog, but the advice can be applied to podcasts too.•••6Radio Public: Podcast Web Strategy for Audience Growth (12 part YouTube series)The new wave of podcast audience development is through digital strategy. This twelve-part video series teaches podcasters how to create an audience growth strategy to gain and retain listeners. Together, the videos help any podcaster grasp the basics of web strategy and begin implementing immediately.The series can be watched in any order, though to start off right: we explain why a web strategy for podcasts is essential to long-term audience growth, then dive into any of the video about creating a strong website, email newsletters, and social media campaigns for your podcast.Nice little series about audience growth strategies. I appreciate that they made two videos about email newsletters, since I believe email newsletters are under-utilized by podcasters.•••Podcast Episode Recommendation:How to Create Podcast Ads that Motivate Listeners to BuyFrom Sarah Mikutel on the Podcasting Step by Step podcast:Today, you’ll learn how to create ads that people actually want to listen to, and that will motivate your listeners to buy. Because if you want to keep that sponsor you landed, you have to be able to demonstrate that you’re converting for them.In this episode, my friend Lisa Orkin of Lisa Orkin Creative breaks down her storytelling formula for audio ads. You’ll learn how to:craft ads that keep people hookedtalk about benefitssound engaging and not scriptedSome great tips about creating effective ads, starting about 10 minutes into the episode.•••Closing ThoughtsI've got some big personal and professional news to announce, will be sharing that very soon (most likely next week).Have a great week, and happy podcasting!Aaron DowdIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, or share the episode with a friend. Thank you! 💙This show was produced by me, Aaron Dowd.Music and SM7B illustration by Sean McCabe.Hosting and technology by Simplecast.

Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the fifth (!) week of January, 2020. (Longest month ever.)Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.1How Do I Build an Audience for My Podcast?From Dan Misener on Pacific Content's blog:Perhaps the single most frequently asked question I get is: “How do I build an audience for my podcast?”It’s a perfectly natural question.But for many podcasters (especially brands) it’s the wrong question. Or rather, it’s the wrong question to start with.Don’t start by asking how to build an audience for your podcast.Instead, ask how to build a podcast for your audience.Why this matters: Everyone who works on a podcast will ask, "How do I build an audience for my podcast?" or "How do I get more listeners?" at some point."Build a podcast for your audience" is the best answer I've seen yet.•••2My Show Isn’t Showing Up In Apple Podcasts. Why?From Elsie Escobar on the podcastbusinessjournal.com blog:One of the top questions that podcast hosting and distribution companies get on a daily basis, multiple times a day, is this (or a variation thereof):I published my latest episode and it’s not showing up on iTunes, what’s wrong? Help!Before I get into how to troubleshoot this and save you some hair-pulling, stress inducing time, Apple does not want you to refer to Apple Podcasts as iTunes.They are very much wanting the podcasting industry to say Apple Podcasts when referring to their behemoth podcast directory.Got it? Ok, moving on.Write this down: Anytime that you take action with your podcast RSS feed, change an episode name, change the name of your podcast, change your artwork, update your podcast description, release a new episode, etc. EXPECT CHANGES TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN A BUSINESS DAY OR SO.Why this matters: There was an issue with Apple Podcasts this week that caused a delay in new episodes showing up in the iTunes app (and maybe Apple Podcasts?).Whenever something like that happens, many podcasters start sending emails to their hosting company's support team, assuming that there's some sort of issue with their hosting platform. (That's not usually the case.)As you might imagine, having to explain how RSS feeds and podcast hosting and publishing to podcast directories like Apple Podcast works over and over again gets a little tiring. So it's nice to have a pre-made troubleshooting guide like this one to point to.•••3Vox Media aims for $20m-plus podcast business in 2020From Kayleigh Barber on digiday.com:While president of Vox Media Studios Marty Moe wouldn’t disclose revenue figures, he said the goal is to double the eight-figure revenue business. This would mean a minimum of $20 million in 2020. In all, Vox Media worked with over 100 different podcast advertisers last year and he said he expects this number to grow this year, although the focus is on expanding hit podcasts.The perks of having this many shows, Moe said, is that network already has an ingrained audience exposed to its programming, which enables the division to not only drive those listeners to new shows, but allows Vox Media to sell advertising on the shows faster and more easily than it could previously.Jeff Ulster, chief content and technology officer of the Podcast Exchange, said that because there are more than 800,000 podcasts available, discoverability for new podcasts is very challenging, with word of mouth, social media and websites being some of the existing marketing tactics for new shows. However, currently the top way to drive the audience to a new show is by plugging the program on another podcast, he said.Why this matters: Vox makes some of my favorite podcasts, and this is a nice quick look at their operation and the advantages of having an existing audience to promote to when launching new shows.•••4When It’s Time to Hire a Producer for Your Indie PodcastFrom Madeline Wright on wocpodcast.com:If you’ve ever launched a podcast then you have a pretty good idea of what it takes to be a great podcasting producer. Keisha “TK” Dutes, an executive producing consultant who currently leads the team for the *Hear to Slay* podcast with Roxane Gay and Tressie McMillan Cottom, shares what to look for and when to know it’s time to hire a producer for your indie podcast.Why this matters: This is great quick explanation of what a podcast producer does, why you might want to hire one, and when the right time to do so is. Hint: If you've never made a podcast before, you should (at the very least) pay for a consultation with an experienced producer to talk through your ideas and get feedback and advice.And podcast producers: If you're not charging for consulting sessions with people who want your advice or feedback, I'd strongly recommend it. I know you might be hungry for clients, but your time and expertise are valuable.•••5Behind the Music: Breakmaster CylinderFrom the artist/creator known as Breakmaster Cylinder on Pocket Cast's blog:Hi there! i’m Breakmaster Cylinder. i write music, i live in space, at least one of those is true for you as well so let’s be allies.The fine folk at Catpockets asked me to talk to you about some of the themes i wrote. How i wrote them! What i think of them! Such!Why this matters: Entertaining writing, great music, delightful article. Grab your headphones and check out the tracks.•••6Podsights, a podcast analytics startup, raises $1.5 millionFrom Nick Quah on hotpodnews.com:Here’s my sense of the big picture: Podsights strikes me as the type of thing that sits directly in the middle of two competing industry impulses. On the one hand, you have a chunk of the community that’s advocating for more robust podcast analytics so they’re able to attract, retain, and deepen relationships with more advertisers, most of which are generally accustomed to a certain granularity (and user privacy invasion) when it comes to assessing their ad spends.On the other hand, you have a chunk of the community that’s vehemently skeptical of, and antagonistic to, any movement to bring podcasting closer to digital modernity for fear of seeing what happened to the rest of the internet happen to podcasting.Why this matters: Lots of people still working on podcast analytics, but it doesn't feel like we've reached consensus yet as an industry.•••7First time buying ad spot on another podcast and need helpI came across a thread on Reddit this week from a frustrated podcaster who paid another podcaster to put an ad in their show:So I gave them a pre-recorded clip to drop into their episode as a mid-roll ad. They said ok and price seemed fair. However when I previewed the live episode the clip is RANDOMLY dropped into the middle of their episode. No Segway, no break in topic, he even cut himself off mid sentence.Not only is this not what I expected, but this I worry that this piss off potential listeners from my show since they’ll think of me as cutting off their podcast!Obviously it’s my fault for not vetting this podcast better and clarifying that my ad spot shouldn’t cut off anyone in the podcast, I just didn’t think this needed to be said?But what do I do now? Just let it be and eat the cost as a pricey learning experience?I still can’t believe someone would ruin their own podcast like that...Why this matters: If you're going to put ads in your show, do everything you can to avoid making them a bad experience for your listeners. And shame on any podcaster who takes money and then basically says "screw you" to the buyer and his audience.•••86 Ways Independent Podcasters Can Compete With Big Media in 2020A blog post on Medium from Paul Michaelenko:When Spotify, Apple, and other apps play the content game, they will always give preference to their own shows. The channels where people listen to and discover podcasts will now prefer content that aren’t yours. Their business model hinges on monetizing content that they own. Spotify is actively acquiring networks and publishers and it is rumored that Apple will follow suit.The situation is somewhat similar to the US economy: A widening gap between the top 1% and the other 99%.Are independent creators now doomed?The playground is certainly now in favor of the big boys. But the good news is that independent creators can exploit the weaknesses of the new landscape.Why this matters: I have mixed feelings about "big media/money" getting into podcasting, and about how some people react.Is it a good thing that "big media" is getting into podcasting?I say yes, it is a good thing that companies and brands are investing in shows if it means more jobs and financial support for podcast producers who love making shows.Will "big media" podcasts take away attention and resources from the independent podcaster?If a new show comes along that better serves an audience and has a bigger marketing budget, it probably will take some of the listeners away from a similar show that isn't as good, regardless of who makes it.We are all in a competition for attention, but one of the best things about podcasts is that anyone can start a show to serve a specific niche audience. Take this show, for example. Could "big media" make a podcast about podcast news and tutorials? Sure. Would it make sense for them to do so? Probably not.As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I'm scratching the surface of the topic and I'm not trying to write 2000 words on it this weekend, so instead I'll just recommend that you read the article I linked to above. Paul makes some good points about what independent podcasters can do to stand out and compete effectively for attention in the new podcasting landscape when everyone and the company they work for are starting podcasts.9Hernan Lopez of Wondery answers your podcasting questionsFrom Victoria Taylor on LinkedIn:*"There’s definitely room for up and coming creators."* That was the key takeaway shared by Hernan Lopez, CEO and founder of Wondery and the guest for this week's episode of You've Got This.When we announced that Hernan would be

Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the forth week of January, 2020.Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.1Apple is Working on Original PodcastsFrom Sarah Perez on TechCrunch.com:In an interview with Forbes, an executive producer of the Apple TV+ anthology series “Little America,” Lee Eisenberg, talks about the benefits of working with Apple — noting, by the way, that the show will have a podcast as well as a playlist featuring music from the series.Neither of these has yet to launch, but are in line with what Bloomberg claimed Apple has been planning.The audio programs — basically Apple’s own original podcasts — would help to market some of Apple TV+’s more high-profile shows. “Little America” was mentioned in Bloomberg’s report as one possibility, given the rave reviews it received from critics. Golden Globe nominee “The Morning Show,” which also won Jennifer Aniston a best actress award at the Screen Actor Guild Awards, was another.Why this matters: It seems that Apple is getting into podcast production. I expect this will convince more than a few companies and brands to start their own shows.•••25 Things I Learned Last Year to Survive as a Podcaster in 2020From Amanda McLoughlin on the Multitude blog:Here’s where podcasting was on Jan 1, 2019: Gimlet was still an independent company, Spotify just gave us access to listener data, and Podcon2 was right around the corner. It is truly a different world out there, as if the Podcast Hunger Games started sometime in April 2019. Now, legacy media and tech companies are making more acquisitions and VC funds are knocking on podcasters’ doors more than ever.Three years ago I published a blog post with some of the lessons I learned in my first year-and-a-half of podcasting. My co-hosts and I had learned a thing or two about how to make and grow podcasts and wanted to share with others starting out.Now, as I enter my second year of podcasting full-time, learning new ways to grow and thrive in this industry is no longer a nice-to-have benefit but a matter of survival. That doesn’t mean you should treat other podcasts or podcast companies as competition. The more demand there is for strong podcasts, skilled professionals, and profitable companies, the better all of us will fare.So I’m opening Multitude’s playbook to share what we’re doing to keep our business afloat in 2020. I hope these 5 tips help you keep your podcast alive and thriving this year and beyond.Why this matters: Podcasting is leveling up, and podcast producers will need to level up too. Amanda shares her experience and great advice in this article.•••3Building Your Podcasting Dream Team: Podcast EditorLast week I shared an article from the Simplecast blog about how to find a social media manager for your show. This week, Simplecast followed it up with an interview with yours truly about how to find a podcast editor.When we asked the Simplecast community what their 2020 resolutions were, we heard one response over and over again: Outsource the work they don’t like! We decided to write a few guides to show you exactly how to do that.We’ve already talked about hiring a social media manager – today we talked with Aaron Dowd about finding a podcast editor. Aaron is the Customer Success Lead at Simplecast, runs the Podcast News, and has done more than his fair share of freelance podcast editing.Oh hey, that's me!Why this matters: A great podcast editor will make you sound good in more ways than one, and they can also save you quite a bit of time. If you find yourself enjoying podcasting except for the editing and mixing stage, you'll love having an editor for your show. In this article, I shared what I've learned about being a podcast editor, and what you need to know if you're interested in hiring an editor for your show.•••4Mic Technique for Podcasters | How to Sound Your BestFrom Matthew Boudreau on thepodcasthost.com blog:Mic technique is a much overlooked part of podcasting. It's easy to assume that if you just buy a good microphone or decent equipment, then your show will automatically sound great.But it's like anything else. Buying a fancy car won't necessarily make you a great driver. And if you spend half a years wages on a top-of-the-range guitar, that doesn't mean you'll be playing it like Hendrix.Fortunately for us, learning good mic technique isn't half as complicated as learning to drive, or playing a musical instrument. A lot of it comes down to simple best practices.And that's precisely the aim of this guide to mic technique for podcasters. Here, we'll run through some tips and tactics for getting the best possible sound for your content.Why this matters: If you want to really sound good on a podcast, mic technique is an important skill that you'll want to master. The good news is that it doesn't really take that long to get good at once you understand the basic concepts.One of my top rules for podcasting is that you should always try to get the raw audio recording to sound as good as possible, and good mic technique is a crucial step in getting a recording that sounds good.•••5How Long Should My Podcast Episode Titles Be?From Dan Misener on Pacific Content's blog:When you write an episode title, it’s important to keep two different audiences in mind: humans and robots.Humans will see your episode titles in podcast listening apps, and it’s important to understand the role length plays in how those titles appear. The longer your episode title, the greater the chance it’ll be cut short visually.This means it’s important to front-load the most important human-readable words and phrases at the beginning of your episode titles.But don’t forget about the robots. Good podcast SEO involves writing for machines, too. Include relevant keywords and guest names so your audience can find them through in-app search and on the web. But of course, don’t stuff keywords.At Pacific Content, we recommend episode titles that look, feel, and act like headlines.Why this matters: With more and more shows launching each week, one of the ways to stand out and be discovered is by writing excellent episode titles. This article has a bunch of great tips and do's and don'ts related to episode titles.•••6SEO for Podcasts: How To Get Your Podcast Discovered!There’s a lot of talk in various online podcasting groups about the best ways to get people to listen to your podcast. Other than making sure you have quality content and marketing, it needs to be discoverable. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in.Here are a few things you can do to help get your podcast discovered.Why this matters: You'd like more listeners for your show, right? Then read this article and implement the instructions in it.•••Closing ThoughtsJust got back from Los Angeles: That city really is something else.Next week's episode will be text only as I'm flying to New York this weekend to spend time with friends. I'll prerecord a short message for the podcast though. No office hours either, since I'll be in the air at 9am on Saturday morning.Have a great week, and happy podcasting!Aaron DowdIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, or share the episode with a friend. Thank you! 💙This show was produced by me, Aaron Dowd.Music and SM7B illustration by Sean McCabe.Hosting and technology by Simplecast.

Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the third week of January, 2020.Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.1Making a Business-to-Business Podcast? Count Your Meetings, Not Your DownloadsFrom Yi Jing Fly on podnews.net (emphasis mine):Podcasting is a powerful tool. But most leaders have not recognized the potential of this format for their businesses. Building brand original podcasts can help to build authority and community to sell, recruit, and influence. Wide audience reach only matters to advertisers. We need a different metrics for measuring the impact of business development.Unless you want to sell ads, it is much more worthwhile to build your podcast around growing your ecosystem and thought leadership. Talk about topics within your industry that you encounter everyday. Gather your partners and leaders to have a conversation. Show what your company cares about and why you are different. This is how you start a B2B podcast for leaders. Count the meetings and aligned conversations, not the downloads.In summary:Use podcast as a biz dev tool to create thought leadership, build ecosystem, and recruitGive voice to your people and humanize your brandPodcasts create conversations at scale to amplify your messageDon’t treat it as media, use it to get meetingsWhy this matters: Because so many people making business-to-business podcasts are wondering, “How do we know if our show is successful or worth the investment?”•••2Building Your Podcasting Dream Team: Social Media ManagerFrom Caitlin Van Horn on the Simplecast blog:When we asked podcast creators what their 2020 resolutions were, we heard one specific response over and over again: building a team! Whether it's outsourcing your production or finally bringing in a graphic designer, we wanted to give you a how-to on how to build your podcasting dream team. First up? Social media managers.Why this matters: Social media matters for the success of a show, but it takes time and effort. If you're already over-worked or if you're not interested in mastering social media promotion for a podcast, you should consider hiring a social media manager. In this article, Caitlin breaks down what to look for in a social media manager, where to find a good one, how to vet them and set expectations, and how much you can expect to pay.•••3My Interview and Podcast Production Process on the Hanselminutes PodcastFrom Scott Hanselman of the long-running Hanselminutes tech podcast:I recently got a tweet from Xi Xaio asking how I host my show. The planning, the content, the restricted timing, the energy, avoiding wasted time and words, etc. Getting a good question is a gift as it leads to a blog post! So thank you Xi for this gift.Scott answers a bunch of frequently asked questions in this blog post, including:How do you keep up the number of guests for a weekly podcast? What drives you to keep publishing even when you are on holiday, for the promise of a new episode each week - for better audience engagement, or for the demands of the advertisers?You introduce the guest on their behalf. Why not let guests do it themselves? You keep the episode length within 30 mins. Guests are different, some keep talking and some are succinct. How do you achieve this goal?Would you mind sharing your content producing procedures after recording? I'd love to learn what steps you take from editing to publishing, and tips to be more efficient.In addition to your perseverance, what other recommendations do you have to new tech podcast hosts, like me?How much should you talk (during an interview)?Some of my favorite takeaways:Lots of folks have a PR or press person (I get a dozen pitches a week) but the most interesting people aren't doing podcasts because they are making amazing art/tech. So I like to talk to them.Consistency is key and king. If you publish regularly people start to (consciously or unconsciously) come to expect it. You can fit into their life when they know your show is every week, for example. Others “publish when they can” and that means their show has no heartbeat and can’t be counted on. Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and step one is showing up.Most people aren’t good at introducing themselves, advocating for themselves, or talking about themselves. I like to take a moment, be consistent and talk them up. It starts the show well because it reminds them they are awesome! Perseverance is key. No one listened to my first hundred shows. Do this for yourself first, and the audience later.Also, audio quality is everything. If it’s low or bad or hard to hear you’ll lose audiences.You can't just randomly chat with folks, you need to have a plan and a direction. Where are you taking the listener? How will you get them there? Are you being empathic and putting yourself in the shoes of the listener? What do they know, what do they not know?Why this matters: Interview shows are an extremely popular show format for podcasts, but if you want to host a successful interview show, you'll need to put in work to make it great and show up consistently to grow your audience. This article has a bunch of great tips that will help.•••45 Ways Starting a Podcast Can Help You Reach Your Career GoalsFrom Hilary Sutton on the Washington Posts's Job blog:Podcasting is hot and it’s likely to continue to grow in popularity. But there are so many reasons to start a podcast beyond riding the wave and looking for compensation from advertisers. Podcasting can present you with surprising new opportunities. Perhaps for you, like me, launching a podcast is the best next step in your career journey. Here are five ways that launching a podcast was a game-changer for my career and could move the needle in yours too.The 5 ways podcasting can help you reach your career goals:Podcasting gives you the opportunity to network with people who you wouldn’t otherwise knowPodcasting can help you find new clients and opportunities. Podcasting helps grow your platform and widen your audience.Podcasting gives you an opportunity to establish thought leadership and expertise.Podcasting will likely surprise you with transferable skills.Why this matters: If you're thinking about starting a podcast related to your work or career, or if you're a podcast producer who will be helping other people with making podcasts related to their work, this article has a great list of the top benefits and reasons to do it.•••5Luminary Lowers Subscription Price to $4.99/month or $34.99/yearFrom the Podnews newsletter: Premium podcast service Luminary has announced new pricing: a significantly cheaper monthly plan: down from US$7.99 to ​$4.99, and a new annual plan at US$34.99 (about $2.99 a month). The company tells Podnews that the new prices are “based on the success of Luminary’s holiday promotion, our latest consumer research, and data insights about the evolving streaming content ecosystem”. International pricing has also been reduced: the pricing is available in the app now.Why this matters: Luminary has made a bet that people will pay a monthly or yearly subscription to listen to exclusive podcasts in their app, and a lot of people from the podcast industry are watching to see how it works out.My opinion: $5/month is the sweet spot for podcast subscriptions, but the challenge Luminary faces is that hardcore podcast fans usually already have an app that they prefer to use to listen to their favorite shows.This quote from a Reddit thread sums it up nicely:I wouldn’t buy a TV just to watch a channel, I sure won’t switch apps just to listen to subscription content.Stay tuned.•••6How to Start a Podcast on Top of Your Full-Time Job, According to People Who've Done ItFrom Alyse Kalish on themuse.com:Side hustles come in all shapes and sizes. You can start a blog, a consulting company, a YouTube channel, a dog-walking service, a wedding-speech-writing business—all gigs that people I know have pursued.The idea of having one, as you know, is to do something that gets you excited. It can also (but doesn’t have to) make you some extra money, boost your resume, and elevate your personal brand. So it’s no surprise many people have turned to creating podcasts on the side for various purposes. If starting one—while still maintaining a full-time job—piques your interest, I spoke to four people who did it (and are still doing it today). You may read this article and think, This seems hard, I don’t think I’m cut out for this. But, to be successful in launching a podcast (or any side hustle for that matter), “The biggest thing is to just start,” says Brunick. “I talked about it for two years and everyone was like OK, just do it. When you start Googling how to start a podcast everything seems daunting, everything seems like it has to be picture perfect, but the reality is…there are millions of podcasts, and it’s actually to our favor because it gives us time to start putting content out, start refining our technique, and also early on get that feedback so when you’re at 10 thousand, 100 thousand, a million listeners, you have a product that you’re super proud of—but the only way to do that is just by starting.”Why this matters: Podcasting is fun and rewarding in so many ways, but it can also take a lot of your time. If you're thinking about starting your first show, this article will help you understand how much time and effort you should expect to invest in your show, and also give you the important bits of knowledge that will help you be successful with your show.Just start is great advice. If you're looking for a tutorial that walks you through what you'll need to know, I recommend the 4-part blog post series on the Simplecast blog called Absolutely Everything You Need to Start Your Podcast.•••7Critical Mass in Podcasting: How big does your audience need to be, before it starts to grow all by itself?From Jack Rhysider on his lime.link blog:When I started out in podcasting I was obsessed with answering this one

Welcome to The Podcast News, a weekly recap of the latest & greatest podcast news and tutorials for podcast producers.This week:Spotify announces new targeted ad insertion tech is coming for their original and exclusive showsThere were a record number of podcast launches in 2019 (but there's still room for more)Quick tips about how to keep your podcast goingDan Misener from Pacific Content shares their process for developing new podcastsMore predictions for 2020 from podcast industry folksTips for how to confidently read from a scriptand moreHere are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the second week of January, 2020.1Spotify Introduces Streaming Ad Insertion for Spotify Exclusive ShowsSpotify is rolling out dynamically inserted targeted ads for their Spotify original and exclusive shows.Few relevant links to read if you want to learn more:https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/spotify-launches-ad-insertion-technology/https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/8/21056336/spotify-streaming-ad-insertion-technology-ces-launchHere are my thoughts and takeaways so far:Right now this is only for Spotify Original and Exclusive shows (think Gimlet or other shows that only exist on the platform).It appears at this time that premium Spotify customers will still hear these ads.Some people are concerned about Spotify using the data they have to target ads, so I'll take this opportunity to suggest Overcast as a great iOS app for listening to podcasts.According to the Verge article, users will be able to opt out of data targeting. Which means they would get random ads instead of targeted ones? 😕What are your thoughts about this? Let me know in a comment, email, or tweet.Update: Tanner Campbell of The Portland Pod published a couple of interesting articles about this that are worth a read-through:Moving Forward, How Will Spotify Handle Ads?Reviewing Spotify’s Podcast Ads Announcement•••2There Were A Record Number Of Podcast Launches In 2019 (but there's plenty of room for more)From InsideRadio.com:It’s official: 2019 brought the largest number of show launches in podcast history. That’s according to the podcast search engine Listen Notes, which reports there were 246,782 podcast debuts last year, a 40% increase compared to 2018. The tally shows the 2019 crop of new podcasts represents 29% of all shows that have been created to date, with the past two years seeing the launch of about half of all podcasts.Listen Notes also reports 416,608 podcasts were “active” last year, or just under half of all shows that have been created.So when people say there are 800k podcasts in the Apple Podcasts directory, that's technically true, but the real number to pay attention to is the number of active podcasts, which seems to be around 400k currently. When you think about it, that's not many podcasts.It's not hard to start a podcast. It is hard to keep publishing new episodes regularly. That's what a lot of people discover after the initial fun of launching a podcast wears off.So how do you keep a podcast going?Glad you asked.Two things I found were critical:A long list of episode topics and a content calendarHaving enough time blocked off in your calendar to finish the episode on schedule (whatever your release schedule might be)When I was producing episodes of The Podcast Dude weekly, I kept a list of episode topic ideas in the Reminders app. A notebook or some other app would work just as well, you really just need a place to be able to easily log ideas as they come to you.Once you have enough ideas for topics, then the next challenge to tackle is actually producing the show. This is the part that trips a lot of independent podcasters up, because making a podcast can take quite a bit of time, even if you're experienced.I've found it takes me between 8 and 20 hours to write, record, edit, publish, and promote an episode (your milage may vary). It may be helpful to determine how much time you can budget to each episode, and then deciding how much time you can spend on each step before you get started. This can help prevent you from spending 20+ hours on each episode.One last tip: Plan breaks. Producing weekly or even bi-weekly episodes can quickly lead to burnout if your podcast is a side-project or something you do on nights and weekends. Take a week or two off every couple of months to recharge and review.•••3How We Develop New Podcasts at Pacific ContentFrom Dan Misener on Pacific Content's blog:People often ask me where our podcast ideas come from.It all starts with a two-day strategy session.Excellent article that outlines their process for brainstorming shows. Lots of great insights, so read through the whole thing, but here's the summary at the end:Remember:Show development is a process, with an emphasis on “process”You can’t make a great show as a brand without truly understanding your target audience, your business, and the affordances of the medium. Rely on outside audio expertise and experience if you don’t already have it in-house.Collaboration and candor are key. Be wary of anyone who isn’t pushing for more of both.Getting a bunch of busy people in the same room for a podcast strategy session can be tricky to schedule, and mentally exhausting… but it’s worth it•••4RAIN (Radio and Internet News) Podcast Predictions for 2020Another big list of predictions from podcast industry folks. Here are a few that stood out to me:“Advertising spend in podcasts in the US reaches $1-billion, or comes within a hair of it — a year earlier than anticipated in most current forecasts.” - Hernan Lopez – Founder & CEO, Wondery“As content and technology become more interwoven, 2020 will be critical for the places where privacy and consumption intersect. At its core, podcasting is an intimate medium built on listener trust. To break that trust would be highly consequential. Now is the time to set digital standards rooted in strong values and purpose, which will allow on-demand audio to keep its trajectory of growth.” - Kerri Hoffman – CEO, PRX“Monetization opportunities for podcasters will continue to broaden in 2020, particularly for smaller podcasters in the ecosystem who don’t necessarily monetize today. It’s possible that the $863.4M projection for podcast advertising revenue in the US from IAB and PwC will appear conservative in hindsight.” - Zack Reneau-Wedeen – Founder and Head of Product, Google Podcasts“Monetization and discovery will be the top issues. Money will be there for top podcasts. Discovery will be the harder part for just about all podcasts. It won’t just be a matter of the podcast being found, but also perceived as different and better.” - Steve Goldstein – Founder/CEO, Amplifi Media•••5How to Read Confidently From a ScriptFrom Reddit, u/devuluh asks:How to read confidently from a script? I'm having a lot of trouble with this. I think my voice is okay, but I'm not a very confident speaker and I'm trying to get better at it. When I search for things like "how to speak confidently" all I find is advice on public speaking using your own words, which doesn't really apply to my use case.In my podcast I will basically be playing a fictional character, who's dialogue I will read from a script. When I record my voice and play it back, I feel good about some parts, but in other places it sounds like I'm trying too hard to alter my voice and it comes out really awkward.Any advice is appreciated.Some of the best takeaways from the responses in the thread:bluntlybipolar: I'd have someone else listen to what you recorded and get their thoughts on it. It might also be that it sounds fine, but you're overanalyzing because of your own anxiety about how it sounds.All you can really do is just keep practicing until you sound how you want to sound. There's no great secret to it. Like any skill, it's one that needs worked on and developed.doktorstilton: Here’s an exercise you can try: Pick just a few lines from your script and record yourself saying them in as many different ways as possible: angry, surprised, drunk, sleepy, desperate, curious, defensive, giddy, seductively. Try different accents. Emphasize different words. Emphasize different words. Try speeding up and slowing down. You start to get a feel for how you can make the text come alive.scaredshirtlesstees: Practice, practice, practice!If it helps, reading from a script while standing produces MUCH better results than while sitting - not sure what your setup is, but that something we recommend to our actors. Brushing your teeth beforehand helps, too - perhaps it's a confidence booster, but it also aids in not having so many clicky mouth sounds.All great tips. I shared my advice about this back in episode 50 of The Podcast Dude: How to Sound Natural When Reading a Podcast Script.•••Podcast Episode Recommendation for the Week:Latina to Latina Podcast: Our EP, Juleyka, Demystifies How to Start a PodcastListeners often ask us about starting a podcast. In this episode, executive producer Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, gives a masterclass in the art and science of podcasting. From refining a concept, identifying your target audience, and understanding the mechanics of producing an episode, Juleyka offers useful insights about entering and standing out in the industry.Takeaways:1st question: Who is the podcast for?You are not your ideal listener. You should be your audience's biggest advocate.You can make a podcast as a hobby, for fun, but if you want to make money, you have to have an audience. The better you define your audience, the better chance you'll have of making money.What audience is being under-served?How are you going to get your show in front of your audience?Create a psychographic profile of your ideal listenerYour ideal listener is like a PR person for your podcast, your entry into a bunch of other peoplePublishing weekly is idealThe writing is in the editingPreparation is key. Prepare the most importing things you want to communicate in the episode.•••That's going to do it for th

Welcome to The Podcast News, a weekly recap of the latest & greatest podcast news and helpful tutorials curated specifically for podcast producers. My name is Aaron Dowd.Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the first week of January, 2020.•••1A changing industry amps up podcasters’ ambitionsFrom Juleyka Lantigua-Williams on NiemanLab.org:The soundbites about podcasting are captivating. “$1 billion in ad revenue in 2020.” “800,000 podcasts in existence.” “90 million Americans listening.” “You can win a Pulitzer!”It’s all dizzying and exciting for people trying to cash in on the buzz. But some of us on the inside know that the hype and drive towards profit will force a lot of podcasters to decide if they’re a pro or a hobbyist.I believe that’s a good thing.Podcast hobbyists will experience 2020 as the year of reckoning. While some will be happy to produce an episode whenever they can find the time, others will leave full-time jobs and risk it all in podcasting. They’ll borrow money, drain their savings, and take a creative leap for a chance to be as financially fulfilled as they are artistically satisfied by making shows they love.Current freelance podcast producers will find co-founders and go boldly together where each dared not go alone. They will incorporate, demand reasonable contracts, charge late fees, and reference knowledge banks like Werk It’s What Podcasting Pays Now and AIR’s Code of Fair Practices. They will take on technical and narrative challenges that will shed further light on what our genre and format can do. They will push their creativity to remain competitive but also raise their level of difficulty to stand out. And podcasting will be better for it.Great observations from Juleyka here.I was thinking last week about the very first podcast I ever made. It was very much a hobby, but my friends and I had a great time doing it. There's nothing wrong with podcasting as a hobby, in fact I think it provides a ton of benefits. Just maybe don't expect to make a bunch of money from it if you treat it like a hobby.•••2Darknet Diaries Stats from 2019From the Darknet Diaries website, a detailed look at the stats and analytics for the show in 2019. Really interesting to see what was effective and what wasn't for growing the audience.These are some of my more significant marketing moves for the year. But above all, none of this would have made a bit of difference if our audience didn’t love the content and help spread the word. If they listened and left, we’d see no growth. If they listened but didn’t tell others, we’d see no growth. What you don’t notice on the chart are all the thousands and thousands of listeners who stopped listening. And it was only because we had more than that start listening and stick around that we saw this growth for the year. We believe word of mouth is by far the best strategy for building a large audience.Marketing plan for 2020: make amazing episodes and continue building social media. Have also started working with new producers to create more episodes. The goal is to give Patreon supporters more bonus content.Also worth noting: Blog posts like this are another way to get attention for a show and possibly get new listeners too, since people like me will share the link and talk about it. Smart marketing for sure.•••3Podcasting 101: Publishing New Episodes To Podcast DirectoriesFrom Mike Murphy on Medium:How long does it take for new episodes to show up in the directories?I scheduled my podcast episode to publish at 7am EST. It's been 5-10 minutes and it's still not in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, etc. What's going on? Is something wrong? Did I mess up?No. Directories do not update in real-time. When you schedule a new episode to publish at a certain time, you are scheduling the episode to publish to your RSS Feed and not the time it will be in the directories.A great tutorial about podcast distribution and how RSS feeds work. I really like the tip about creating a document for your show that contains the description for your show and links to your show's RSS feed and the links for the various podcast apps/directories.•••That's going to do it for the free version of this week's episode. You can head over to thepodcastnews.substack.com to subscribe to support the show and get a longer, full version of these episodes, along with other member perks including:Your name and a link to your website or podcast in the episode notesWeekly video hangouts to talk podcasting with me and other membersA special discounted rate for podcast consulting sessionsI'll talk to you next week. In the meantime, happy podcasting!Aaron DowdJanuary 5, 2020Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.This show was produced by me, Aaron Dowd.Music and SM7B illustration by Sean McCabe.Hosting and technology by Simplecast.

Hey friends! Since there wasn't much in the way or podcast news or tutorials this week, I'm going to do something I don't normally do: I'm going to record an episode without a script, and talk about my experience with podcasting over the past 10 years and why I'm optimistic about the future of podcasting. •••Thanks for listening to (or reading) this week's episode! Subscribe to the email newsletter to support the show and get full episodes delivered right to your email inbox: https://thepodcastnews.substack.comHave a great week, happy New Year, and happy podcasting!Aaron DowdIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, or share the episode with a friend. Thank you! 💙This show was produced by me, Aaron Dowd.Music and SM7B illustration by Sean McCabe.Hosting and technology by Simplecast.

Welcome to The Podcast News, a weekly recap of the latest & greatest podcast news and helpful tutorials curated specifically for podcast producers. My name is Aaron Dowd. Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the third week of December, 2019.1Beyond Download Numbers: 3 Ways Your Organization Can Measure Podcast GrowthFrom Jenna Spinelle on PodcastMovement.com:There’s More to Life than DownloadsIt can feel depressing to refresh your analytics dashboard and not see the gains you were hoping for. Instead of asking the question that every podcaster seems to these days — about how you can grow your audience — focus on how you can use the podcast as a stepping stone to grow in other ways.At the end of the day, your podcast is a unique way to communicate your mission, vision, and values to an audience who actively wants to hear it.As your influence and connections grow, your downloads might just follow suit. Even if they don’t, you can feel confident knowing that your organization is making an impact in its respective field.Too many people are still looking to download numbers as a way to determine if they're doing a good job with their podcast.Some of the excellent takeaways from this article:Simply put, a podcast gives you a reason for reaching out to people you would have no business connecting with otherwise.Establishing a relationship through a podcast can lead to future collaboration opportunities down the road.In the words of Jay Acunzo at Marketing Showrunners, good marketing isn’t about grabbing someone’s attention, it’s about holding it. And a podcast is the perfect way to hold that attention, as long as you pick a release schedule and stick to it.I’ve had listeners tell me that they look forward to starting their Monday morning commute with my cohosts and I (our show publishes around 5 a.m. ET on Mondays). That level of dedication and quality of engagement is something that no amount of advertising dollars can cultivate. It’s difficult — if not downright impossible — to achieve through a newsletter, webinar, or other medium.You don’t need to gain a lot of attention for this to be worthwhile. I would rather have 100 consistent listeners who love what we do than 10,000 who might see our organization in a traditional advertising channel and forget about us the next minute.The quality of engagement from a podcast is way higher than a newsletter, webinar, or other form of media. Your listeners are letting you into their ears during their commute, workout, household chores, or other parts of their lives. Even if it’s only a small number, the connections you make will be far deeper. A podcast gives you a platform to speak to your constituents, as well as anyone else in the world who is interested in what you do. Other types of media do this, too, but a podcast strikes the right balance of connecting with the listener (you’re coming directly into their ears) and relative ease of production.I put this article in the #1 spot for this week's episode because this is a shift in mindset that so many people making podcasts need right now.We need to stop using download numbers as the main indicator of success or failure.•••2Are Podcasts Threatening the Growth of the Music Industry?From Tim Ingham on RollingStone.com:It’s been a comfortable year for the major record companies – but alarm bells may be starting to ring in the distance. Rolling Stone first reported in October that streaming revenue growth is slowing down this year at the world’s biggest music rights company, Universal Music Group. Now, further number crunching on Music Business Worldwide shows that the same trend is true, collectively, across all three major record companies.Spotify founder Daniel Ek let slip on an earnings call in February that Spotify believes podcasts can help it “shift [our] cost base from variable to fixed.” In less investor-y speak, that simply means: When people play music on our service, we have to pay out royalties; when people play podcasts on our service, we do not. So the more that people play podcasts instead of music, the more money we’ll ultimately retain.A lot of podcasters are giving away their hard work for free. I don't see a clear solution for this yet, but it's something we should be paying attention to and thinking about. I hope that we'll see continued investments in tools that help listeners and fans pay the producers directly (Substack and Patreon are good examples that come to mind), and I think we're going to continue seeing larger aggregators like Spotify and Apple paying producers directly and then monetizing those shows through paid subscriptions and ads. To the question of podcasts threatening the growth of the music industry: All forms of media are locked in an epic struggle for attention and funding. Many of us have access to everything through our phones and larger screens: Music, movies, podcasts, books, audiobooks, tv shows, YouTube channels, etc. It's not just podcasts versus music, it's everything versus everything. The attention and money will go to the best of the best. While we (podcast producers) are competing with everyone and everything for attention, you also have to remember that many people are looking for niche shows too. Sure, lots of people love the Star Wars TV show from Disney, but there are also lots of people looking for shows from independent producers.It's both a challenging and a great time to be a podcast producer, is what I'm trying to say. Both music and podcasts will continue to exist and be hugely important for many people. •••3How public radio can build on its hidden strengths to solve podcasting’s biggest challengesFrom Eric Nuzum, Co-Founder of Magnificent Noise, on current.org:Everything is just booming and perfect in podcasting, right?Audience and downloads for many leading podcasts and networks have grown 25–50% this year — again. The infusion of capital into the industry hit record highs. With creators entering the space every week, new exciting content is emerging. These are all great signs for the medium, aren’t they?Well, kinda.Things are certainly exciting and evolving quickly. But podcasting, as an industry, is starting to recognize and address some new emerging systemic problems that will become growing concerns over the next few years — problems that public radio has been working on with a decades-long head start. And public radio has a unique opportunity to lead, innovate and win — if it wants to.Here are three key areas to focus on:Need for diverse revenueLack of innovation in storytellingCreating listener valueEric makes a lot of compelling points in this article, and digs into why podcasters can learn a lot from the people with experience in public radio. I like how he opens the section about the need to diversify revenue and stop relying so much on advertising dollars:Podcasting is predicted to generate more than $650 million in advertising revenue this year, which is a staggering nearly 20-fold increase from when people started to track ad sales about six years ago. Some view this as thrilling; others grumble and compare it to radio’s nearly $19 billion in revenue. Regardless of how you see it, with this rapid growth the podcasting industry has become too reliant on advertising revenue.Actually, I’m concerned that podcasting has become too reliant on one source of revenue. In addition to being foolishly imprudent, over-dependence on one source of revenue also creates a risk-averse culture of sameness and an artificial ceiling for ambition.I love this paragraph from the 3rd section about creating value for the listener:Many podcasters continue to believe the pathway to success is the act of doing the podcast, rather than making something of value. Ask every successful podcaster and they will tell you that their success doesn’t lie in the work itself, but in the community that grew around it. Successful podcasts become the hub of a community of people. They’re connected not only by the act of listening, but because they care about a certain issue, subject or perspective.•••Notable Mentions:Why the Internet Is Worth Fighting ForFrom Lee Schneider, Podcast Producer at FutureX Podcast Network, on ThriveGlobal.com:Jonah Peretti, CEO at BuzzFeed, said, “I know it’s popular to quit social media or say the internet is terrible, but we can’t give up. We have to keep fighting to make a great internet.”It’s hard to create good content. We need to create models to help the good content survive. This requires utopian thinking, the kind of thinking that got the internet invented. The original intent of the web was to enable government, scientific, and military communication. The creators and early users were an oddball mix of freewheeling hippie programmers, digital philosophers, and government folk who wanted to be sure their research money was being spent well. That money ended up funding civilization’s most powerful communications network, a network that had, and still has, the potential to include everyone. If only we would behave ourselves. I like the optimism in this article. The internet is an incredibly powerful thing, but I don't think we had any way to prepare for what it would enable and allow us to do. A lot of people are under-educated about it and overwhelmed by the internet, and don't know how to use it to the best of its potential or protect themselves while they do.It's a big problem to tackle for sure, but hey, we sent a man to the moon 50 years ago. I think we can figure this one out too.•••Podcasting’s Crystal Ball With Jack RhysiderPodcast Business Journal has this Crystal Ball series where they ask podcasters questions like “How would you summarize podcasting in 2019?”. I've been seeing love for Jack's podcast Darknet Diaries all over the internet for at least a year now, but I've been sleeping on it. I finally checked out an episode this week, and so far I'm pretty into it.Anyways, I've seen Jack answering questions about podc

Welcome to The Podcast News, a weekly recap of the latest & greatest podcast news and helpful tutorials, curated for podcast producers. My name is Aaron Dowd.Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the second week of December, 2019.120 Podcast Predictions for 2020 from Top Industry LeadersFrom Pacific Content:Every year, Pacific Content asks the best and brightest in the podcast industry for their predictions about the year ahead. According to the experts, 2020 will be explosive, combative, experimental, better measured than ever before… and anything but boring.It's always fun to see what all the different folks who are deeply involved in the podcasting industry think about the future of podcasting. Here are a few of my favorites predictions:“Podcasting will go through a consolidation in which the longtail will encounter trouble.Income inequality is a metaphor for what will happen in the world of podcasting. Over the last thirty years, there has been enormous prosperity, productivity, and economic gains in the United States, but it is all aggregated to the top 1%.Years of prosperity, productivity, and listenership are about to hit the podcasting space, but new listeners will be the mainstream, and the podcasts of the highest quality at the top of the charts will reap the lion’s share of the benefits.Niche podcasts that truly add value will also survive and do well, but reheated Joe Rogan imitators… that shit is going to fall off the face of a cliff.”Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern and co-host of Pivot with Kara SwisherIf you haven't listened to Pivot yet, I'd recommend adding it to your podcast app of choice. It's currently one of my top three favorite shows.“VC investment will continue pouring in, causing increased consolidation across the ecosystem. Publishers will acquire hosting platforms and podcatchers will acquire creators. Bullish publishers who invested heavily at first will pull away as podcast ROI isn’t realised with the speed or scale that was promised.”Corey Layton, Australian Radio NetworkIf you want to succeed in podcasting, you gotta be in it for the long-haul. It's a marathon, not a sprint.“Listeners are going to start noticing ads more — for better and for worse. We saw in our recent Super Listeners Report with PodcastOne that while podcasts remain incredibly attractive ad vehicles, podcasting’s heaviest users are noticing that the quantity of advertising is starting to increase.We are also seeing more and more repurposed broadcast ads served in podcasts, which, while still effective, do chip away somewhat at podcasting’s feeling of being ‘special’ for listeners. We shouldn’t assume that podcasts have an intrinsic halo effect — we can ruin anything with bad ads.”Tom Webster, Edison ResearchI understand the need to make money for a show to keep it going, but I'm really not a fan of starting each episode with 3 minutes of ads.Beyond the Download“We’ll see a shift in 2020 where the download metric begins to lose its prominence as the main measurement of what makes a successful podcast, successful. Podcasters will have to be diligent in collecting and interpreting any ancillary data to help craft a more compelling story about what makes their connection with their audience more impactful — and more importantly, they will need to educate their partners [about] why having the full context of their listeners carries so much more value than how many times an episode was downloaded.”Dane Cardiel, Simplecast•••2Email Marketing Basics for PodcastersFrom Mia Breunissen on the We Edit Podcasts blog:So, you have a great podcast and quite a few listeners but what happens now? How do you get your content out to the right people?Well, that’s where promoting your podcast comes in and using the most effective strategies to communicate with your listeners and build a relationship with them.When it comes to sharing your podcast out with the world there are several tactics and strategies to consider. Of course, there is always social media, blog posts, and even word of mouth. But we can’t forget about using email!If you’ve already built up an email list, then this strategy is key. It is the perfect way to let your listeners know when new podcast episodes come out so that they don’t miss a beat.I had great success with email early on with my other show, but stopped sending emails after I left the podcast network I was a part of after pausing that show in late 2016.I've started back up recently using Substack. If you've never looked into setting up an email list for your show, this article from We Edit Podcasts is a great place to start.•••3Should You Join A Podcast Network?From Dave Jackson on the Podcast Business Journal website:“Man, if I could just get on [insert network name], my show would take off.”I don’t think that’s how this works. In some cases, I’ve heard of people being asked to join networks based on a previous relationship they had with people at a network.If you think some network is searching the globe for a “diamond in the rough,” you are being misled. The shows I see being added to larger networks are already successful — which is why they are being brought on the network.It’s like musicians or actors who are in search of a manager. The easiest way to get a manager is to have enough success that there’s something to manage.I've been meaning to write a podcast episode about this exact subject, but looks like Dave beat me to it.Couple takeaways about important things to do and/or consider before joining a network:Find someone on the network and ask them what their before-and-after downloads were before joining the network.Would someone who listens to the other shows on the network also listen to yours? Does it appear you could share an audience? If there is going to be cross-promotion, there is no sense cross-promoting if the other shows have a completely different audience.Do you have to pay anything to join? If you do, RUN AWAY.What steps do you need to take to leave (and how hard is it)? Are you under a contract for a certain period? Are there any rules you need to know about that, if not followed, would have you removed from the network.I don't have much to add here, but just to reiterate, make sure you maintain control of your show regardless of who you work with, and talk about and get a clear understanding of what leaving the network would look like and require before you join.•••Notable Mentions:Digital Minimalism & Podcasting | Could You Achieve More by Doing Less?From Matthew McClean on ThePodcastHost.com:Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism is essential reading for folks who feel like they never have enough time for things they need to do, and things they want to do. It's all about living better with less technology, and was the perfect compliment to another of his titles, Deep Work.This isn't intended to be a review of Digital Minimalism. It's more about how the book got me thinking of the podcasting medium. This is about what we could learn from this school of thought, both as podcasters, and podcast listeners.Matthew asks some important questions in this post. Are you spending too much time listening to podcasts? Too much time promoting your own podcast online? And what are the activities related to podcasting that actually bring value to your life and the lives of others, and how do you find the right balance for you?Personally, I feel we're all struggling with the pure volume of information and entertainment available for our consumption. It's like living in a football stadium filled with endless rows of tables loaded with the most tasty food you can imagine. At some point, you have to stop eating. And as producers, we don't like to think about the fact that at some point we might need to stop bringing new food to the party or encouraging others to consume more.Anyways, great thought-provoking article, and as some of you may know, I'm a big fan of Cal Newport's books. Deep Work is still my top recommendation for anyone struggling with focus or feeling overwhelmed, and So Good They Can't Ignore You is the perfect book if you're looking for a new job or career path but aren't sure where to start. (Disclosure: affiliate links there.)•••The Best Ways to Grow Your Podcast AudienceFrom Abu Zafar on Lifehacker:Launching your podcast is half the battle. Now you have to get people to listen. In the video above, I chat with expert podcasters about the three things you should do to gain listeners and grow your audience.I really like what Jeffrey Cranor (co-creator of "Welcome to Night Vale") says towards the end of the video:Success may come within the first three episodes, or it may take 300.Do the thing you enjoy doing. If it's not enjoyable for you, it doesn't matter if it's successful or not: You're going to hate doing it. So find the thing you like doing and keep plowing ahead. Be consistent and just find a way to better your craft all the time.•••Overcoming "Imposter Syndrome" in PodcastingMissed this one last week, but from Wil Williams on Buzzsprout's blog:What makes podcasting so susceptible to its creators feeling like they’re just faking their way through creation or success? Unfortunately, the medium is the perfect storm for impostor syndrome.Wil goes through some of the most common reasons podcasters feel like imposters, and ends with this encouragement:I have spoken with podcasters who get tens of thousands of downloads an episode and think of themselves as impostors. I have spoken to indie podcasters who hustle, read podcasting news, and edit meticulously, and think they are impostors. I have spoken to people who have made a podcast but still insist that they aren’t a “real” podcaster, even if they can’t give me a criteria on what a “real” podcaster is or does.Here’s the secret about what a real podcaster is: a real podcaster is someone who has made a podcast.If you have made a podcast, if you have made a single podcast episode, you are

Welcome to The Podcast News, a weekly show for podcast producers. My name is Aaron Dowd. Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the first week of December, 2019.This week:Podcorn, a native ad platform for podcasters, just launched this weekPodtrac says unique monthly listeners for the top ten podcasts decreased in November compared to October (but that's consistent with a seasonal dip they saw last year)Independent.co.uk predicts that audiobook sales will overtake ebook sales in the UK in 2020 (probably because no one reads anymore, and also because audio is the best medium)We Edit Podcasts published a blog post about the 10 key elements of a strong podcast intro (you won't believe what number 3 is)and more1Podcorn, a native ad platform for podcasters, launched this weekPodcorn's goal (according to their website) is to simplify every aspect of podcast sponsorships and provide an easy way for brands and podcasts to connect.I've been hearing the name for a few months, but really started to pay attention after I heard one of the co-founders, Agnes Kozera, interviewed on the Business of Content podcast.Quoting from the Medium post for that interview:Agnes Kozera knows a thing or two about helping content creators monetize their content. In 2013, she and a co-founder launched Famebit, a platform that helped YouTubers match with brands that were willing to sponsor their videos. The company was so successful that it was eventually acquired by YouTube in 2016.This year, Kozera and that same co-founder are launching Podcorn, a platform designed to help podcasters monetize their shows. Like Famebit, it will serve as an online marketplace where brands can post RFPs for projects and be matched with participating podcasters.I signed up for the early access beta just so I could keep an eye on it, since my job at Simplecast involves a lot of answering questions about monetizing podcasts, and because a lot of the things Agnes said in the interview resonated with me. Rather than share all of my thoughts about the challenges of podcast advertising, I'll just say check out that interview to learn more.Podcorn officially launched this week, and I spent a couple minutes poking around the interface earlier in the week. It looks really nice, it's easy to get setup, and I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out for them.I've got an interview with Agnes scheduled for my show this Tuesday, so if you have any questions you'd like me to ask, send em over.•••2Downloads decreased in November for the top 10 podcast publishers compared to OctoberFrom Podtrac's Blog:All Top 10 Publishers saw decreases in US Unique Monthly Audience in November compared to October, consistent with a seasonal dip we saw last November.Just a reminder: It's normal for downloads to decrease a little around the holidays. Don't stress about it. Stay focused on making good episodes and improving your podcasting and marketing skills.•••3Audiobooks predicted to overtake UK ebook sales in 2020From Independant.co.uk:Sales of audiobooks are set to overtake ebooks in 2020, new research suggests.Figures from consultant firm Deloitte predict that UK sales of spoken story-telling are set to generate revenue of £115 million in 2020.It would be a 30 per cent increase on audiobook sales in 2018.In comparison, ebooks - predicted as the “future of reading” by The Telegraph in 2009, are rounding out the decade with a continuing downward trend of ownership.Sales of ebooks fell in 2017 by 4 per cent and have continued to falter.Couple things here: I see an opportunity here for podcasters to stop giving away all their knowledge and good content for free and instead create audiobooks to sell. If you know how to make a good podcast, I think you're most of the way towards knowing how to create an audiobook.Second, I've been listening to the audiobook version of Edward Snowden's new autobiography Permanent Record, and it is fantastic. (Amazon affiliate link there.)•••Notable Mentions:10 Key Elements of a Strong Podcast IntroFrom WeEditPodcasts.com:Statistics show us that an opinion based on a first impression forms within the first seven seconds of any interaction. That’s not long at all! If we put that in the context of your podcast, essentially that means you have less than 10 seconds to grab the listener’s attention and turn them into a loyal fan.But just how do you create this great first impression? What does a catchy intro actually consist of? We’ve thought about this long and hard and have come up with 10 elements we think are key to creating that all-important, amazing podcast intro. Make sure your intro has these elements, and you’ll turn that curious listener into a fully-fledged fan!The ten key elements:The Name of Your PodcastThe Name of the Host(s)The Episode NumberThe Title of the EpisodeMusic and Sound EffectsThe “Who” of Your PodcastThe “Why” of Your PodcastThe “How” of Your PodcastThe “What” of Your PodcastYour Personal SpinIf you want to be grow your audience, you must get good at writing episode titles and intros.•••Planning the Jump to a Full-Time Podcast CareerFrom Wil Williams on PodcastMovement.com:About a year into my work in the podcast space, I started Googling things like, “how to freelance full-time,” “how to leave your day job for your side hustle,” and “turning your hobby into your job.”I felt stifled in my 9-to-5, and I could tell that the amount of time and emotional energy it took out of me was coming at the risk of what I considered my real work: podcasting and podcast criticism.Just about every site said the same thing: You’ll know you’re ready when you have the ability to leave your day job. That didn’t mean anything at all to me until I found myself in that situation.Valuable insights for those of you looking to transition to a full-time career in podcasting. I'll add two tips here:When you're working in podcasting, everything takes much longer than you'd initially expect. Estimate how long you think something will take you, then triple it. Yes, really.Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer so you should talk to one to get real legal advice related to taxes, but if you live in the US, put 30% of your income into a savings account so you can pay your taxes on time. You'll probably have to pay taxes every quarter, and don't expect to get money back at the end of the year. Don't play around with this, or you could end up owing the IRS thousands of dollars, which is not something you want when you're trying to make a living working as a freelancer or contractor.•••From Fear to Faith to Fun: My Journey from Podcaster to Professional Voice TalentFrom Daree Allen on the WOCPodcasters.co website:When I started Kickin’ it with Daree Podcast in 2015, I wanted to showcase my authority as a thought leader in the personal development space. First, I listened to podcasts about podcasting. Then I slowly taught myself how to use audio equipment and recording software, which set me up nicely for my eventual voiceover (“VO”) business, where I narrate commercials, web videos, e-learning and audiobooks. But you know the REAL reason I started podcasting? Because I was afraid to start a career in voiceovers.Podcasting was a low-pressure way for me to dip my feet in, and get used to hearing my own voice and doing the back-end technical work. I had to learn to edit my own podcast, market my own podcast, and gain the confidence needed as a “VOpreneur.”A great write-up if you've ever considered getting into voiceover work. Daree talks about what kept her from getting started, how she got started, how much she had to invest, resources she found helpful, rates, and more.•••Melissa Monte on Raising Your Podcast’s ProfileFrom ProSoundNetwork.com:The Video Show: With so many name-brand podcasts, celebrities, networks and other heavyweights getting so much attention in podcasting these days, is it still possible for a smaller or independent podcast to break through and build an audience?*Melissa Monte: Yes, definitely! This just means it’s more important than ever to launch with a strategy, and that strategy is defined by your business goals. I know plenty of podcasters who have never ranked in the podcast charts, but their podcast still contributed to multiplying their business efforts.Short article, but some good takeaways in there.•••Kerning Cultures’s Hebah Fisher on going from podcast to networkFrom Podfund on Medium:Hebah Fisher is the co-founder of Kerning Cultures, the first venture-backed podcast company in the Middle East. A serial entrepreneur and journalist, Hebah previously built microfinance and business education programs in the Gulf and the States. We chatted with Hebah about how and why she started both Kerning Cultures the podcast and Kerning Cultures the company, and what it’s like working across seven time zones.Thinking about starting a podcast network? Read this.•••Music Production vs. Podcast Production: How Music Production Differs from Podcast ProductionFrom Mandy Pennington on ResonateRecordings.com:While recorded music has been around for over a century, it is only in the last decade that podcasting has become a phenoma, quickly making its mark on the media industry.Many audio engineers today are trained in music production, recording, and mixing, but are scrambling to translate those talents into the world of podcasting, where work is abundant and the demand is growing exponentially.So what are the similarities between producing music and producing podcasts?You may not know this, but I was studying music production for about 2 years before I started helping people make podcasts. My love for incredible sounding music is why I talk so much about the importance of audio quality.Here's what I've learned: Making a podcast sound good is WAY easier than making a recording of a full band sound good. There's just far fewer elements and variables.If you really want to contribute to the success of a podcast and get paid real money, I'd recommend

Welcome to The Podcast News, a weekly show for podcast producers and anyone who loves podcasting. My name is Aaron Dowd. Here are the most interesting news articles and tutorials for the fourth week of November, 2019.This week:Ollie Judge (podcast producer from the UK) argues that we need a new standard for how podcasts are delivered and consumed (RSS feeds just aren't cutting it anymore)Sonal Chokshi and Connie Chan from the A16Z podcast share a detailed behind-the-scenes looks at their production processAmanda Hickman from AIR shares what she's learned about media salaries and pay rates in radio and podcasting6 tips about how to improve your interviewsHow to make your podcast SEO-friendlyand moreQuick note before we get started: I've decided to make some big changes and try something new.Beginning in 2020, I will continue to publish a “light” version of the show each week for free via Simplecast, but I’ll be publishing a longer and more detailed “full” version (and other exclusive content) for paying subscribers.Full episodes will be available for free until the end of this year, but if you’d like to lock in the best price and begin receiving the email newsletter version of the show right now, I’ve created a 50% off for life discount for early supporters that will be available until December 31st.Feel free to let me know if you have any questions, and thanks to everyone who has supported me so far, I greatly appreciate it.Alright. Now on to the show.1From OllieJudge.com: Podcasting Needs A New StandardOn a daily basis, whether it's internally, to clients or even friends, I find myself saying "Remember.. podcasts are just MP3s and RSS feeds." It helps contextualize why podcast analytics are a mess, why different directories index things at different times or even just why sometimes podcasts feel difficult for new-to-podcasting listeners to find.While RSS feeds are brilliant and have been a bastion of openness for the industry for years, podcasting has gone beyond what it started out as, which, if we simplify the whole thing was just an audio blog.Podcasting is an intimate medium, it works in moments where other media cannot. Cramped in a train? Listen to a podcast. Doing the laundry? Listen to a podcast. Trapped on the endless nothingness of being on a treadmill? Listen to a podcast. Podcasting gets more focus from a consumer due to the nature of when we listen to them and for longer. It's because of that, that we want to know more. The current setup can't give us more.We need an open platform that can give producers the ability to offer more around their shows and easy way listeners to navigate that information.We're in a splintered word of traditional podcasting apps, streaming services and connected devices. While RSS used to be the ideal rock of owning your own podcasting profile, it's getting difficult. We need a new open system for listeners to use and a way for producers to still own the value they create for themselves and the listeners.Ollie makes a good point in the beginning, but I'm not optimistic that we'll be moving away from the RSS feed standard anytime soon. While it is inconvenient for producers, or people new to podcasting who don't know how a podcast app works, or companies who would like to keep shows behind a paywall and listeners exclusively in their app, it makes it possible for anyone in the world to subscribe and listen to a show in any number of apps.The section of the article about paid feeds is spot on though:Paid feeds are becoming ever more popular. With Patreon offering support to help creators manage ad-free Patron feeds, we've seen multiple shows pick up this model. We've also seen platform owning brands like Stitcher and Luminary gate certain premium content from within their apps.The rub here is the experience for a listener. Even if the donate button is in your favourite app, you're still probably going to end up having to hunt down a custom RSS feed that you need to paste into an obscure menu of your favourite app.Paid feeds are a feature that many producers and listeners want. Aside from running your own app eco-system, things are tricky to navigate.In a perfect world, I would be able to deliver certain episodes to paying subscribers via my show's RSS feed, episodes that the non-paying subscribers wouldn't be able to see or access unless they signed up for a paid subscription.I'd love to see Apple offer a feature that would allow podcasters to sell individual episodes or access to a show. I know this would go against the whole "open ecosystem" idea and is probably more of a limitation with the way RSS feeds work currently, but nothing wrong with making a wish list, right?•••2From Sonal Chokshi and Connie Chan on the A16Z podcast: How We PodcastIn this special 500th (!) episode of the a16z Podcast, editor-in-chief and showrunner Sonal Chokshi (in conversation with a16z general partner Connie Chan) shares answers to FAQs about the how, what, and why of the a16z Podcast, and broader editorial operation. They also take us behind the scenes to reveal some unexpected moments and lessons learned along the way, positions on tics and swear-words, failed experiments, and new directions. And where is podcasting going?I always enjoy hearing about how other folks make their shows, and this is a great episode from some really smart podcasters.Couple big takeaways for me:They spend a lot of time on the preparation stage for each episode (which makes a huge difference in the quality of a show, in my experience)They do not send guests questions in advance (“it's much better raw and real the first time”)Sonal does the initial edit of an episode using a transcript, which is helpful because you can see the whole narrative of the episode, but tricky because you can't hear the audioThere are lots of great takeaways and tips in the episode, so I'd actually recommend listening to it twice and taking notes.•••3From Amanda Hickman from AIR: Here’s What I’ve Learned About Media Salaries and Pay RatesI’ve spent a large part of the summer and fall interviewing indies in radio and podcasting about their rates and talking to employers about what they pay, both to freelancers and to staff. Those interviews have been confidential, but they form the foundation for the rate guides that we’ve been rolling out at AIR.In addition to those interviews, however, I’ve been compiling and reviewing a ton of research, some ad hoc, some methodical, to understand the range of compensation both of independent contractors and staff in (and adjacent to) radio and podcasting.If you're interested in learning about what people working in podcasting and radio are getting paid, this is the article for you. A huge list of links and resources.•••Notable Mentions:From Megan McCoy at Pandora: What Makes an Effective Audio Ad?Couple takeaways:The first few seconds of an audio ad really matter. Use this time wisely to introduce your brand, offer, or capture a listener’s attention in a creative way.Consider short-form audio. We’ve seen through many experiments that if you can get your message across in less time, then do so! If a listener’s attention is greatest in the first few seconds, short-form audio may be all that your brand needs.•••From Damian Radcliffe and Journalism.co.uk: Six tips to improve your radio and podcast interviewsThe tips:Preparation is keyLocation mattersIf in doubt, move (change your location)Silence is goldenWork on your interviewing skillsEdit sparingly•••From Lane DeGregory on Poynter.org: Pulitzer Prize winner Lane DeGregory and her editor just recorded their 100th podcast. Here’s what they’ve learned.I wanted to make a podcast like Sarah Koenig’s “Serial,” or Chris Goffard’s “Dirty John.” I was working on this murder story and had killer audio. So my editor, Maria Carrillo, and I went to talk to our friends at Poynter to see if they could help.But they had another idea. “You should do a podcast about writing, about craft,” someone suggested. “Talk about your stories and how you got them, dissect the process.”Who would listen to that? I asked. And how many topics would there be? You mean a different episode every month?No, said the Poynter people. If you’re going to do this, you have to do it every week. To build an audience, they said, you have to develop the habit in listeners. Make them want it. But don’t make them wait too long for the next episode.So with no idea how to make a podcast, much less produce and disseminate it, we dove in.Another great write-up about the experience of getting started with podcasting, along with some handy tips.•••From Kara McGuirk-Allison on Medium: What I learned as a “Solo Podcaster”How do you make a podcast without editors, engineers, studio space, producers and reporters?I decided that I needed to find out, so I created The Ghost In My Room...a look at folklore, legends and ghost stories and the people who try to prove they are real. A solo-podcasting project. Me, doing all the things. I traveled for a year with a paranormal team to historic locations in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and created an 11-part series that launched Sept. 1 2019. This is what I learned.Here are a couple of the takeaways:There is an under-appreciated luxury producing for a radio station or media group.NO one will support or love your podcast as much as you do.YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK REALLY REALLY HARD TO GET DOWNLOADS.The best thing about podcasts, is anyone can have a podcast.The worst thing about podcasts, is anyone can have a podcast.•••From Manish Dudharejia on SearchEngineJournal.com: Podcasts & SEO: How to Make Your Podcast SEO-FriendlyAs of June, there were more than 30 million podcast episodes in iTunes.Until recently, podcasts – and other forms of audio content – were not seen as direct SEO assets. Podcasting was more of a way to get your name out there, promote expertise, and network with others in the industry.Google has talked about making audio searchable several times over