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 process
• Amanda Hickman from AIR shares what she's learned about media salaries and pay rates in radio and podcasting
• 6 tips about how to improve your interviews
• How to make your podcast SEO-friendly
• and more

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Alright. Now on to the show.

1

From OllieJudge.com: Podcasting Needs A New Standard

On 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?

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2

From Sonal Chokshi and Connie Chan on the A16Z podcast: How We Podcast

In 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 audio

There are lots of great takeaways and tips in the episode, so I'd actually recommend listening to it twice and taking notes.

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3

From Amanda Hickman from AIR: Here’s What I’ve Learned About Media Salaries and Pay Rates

I’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 interviews

The tips:

1. Preparation is key
2. Location matters
3. If in doubt, move (change your location)
4. Silence is golden
5. Work on your interviewing skills
6. Edit 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-Friendly

As 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 the past few years. Back in May, Google announced at I/O 2019 that podcasts will soon be indexed. Since the announcement, we’ve started to see podcasts trickle into the organic search results.

YouTube clips have been a part of the organic SERPs (which stands for Search Engines Result Pages) for a while now. And it seems podcasts are gearing up to take on a bigger role in 2020 and beyond!

So how can you prepare?

If you'd like to learn more about how to get your podcast to show up higher in search results, you'll love this article. Some of the main takeaways:

1. Know the trends (which keywords and topics you want to build your show around)
2. Develop a podcast voice (you have to sound good and clear for the computers looking for keywords in your audio files)
3. Get transcripts made for your episodes (they will help, especially if they have keywords in them)
4. Create chapters for your episodes, put keywords in the chapter titles (here's how I add and edit chapters with a free Mac app called Forecast)
5. Write great notes for your episodes (here's a tutorial I wrote about that)

•••

Add to Your Watch List:

From Chris Peterson on Medium: Monetizing Podcasts at Digital Hollywood

Last week, Digital Hollywood held a conference at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles. For the first time, they included a podcast track as part of the conference. I had the opportunity to moderate a panel on monetization in the podcast space, covering not only ad-supported models but also branded content and premium subscription models. Joining me on stage were:

Steve Pratt, Co-founder, Pacific Content

Jeanine Wright, COO & CLO, Simplecast

Zachary Davis, VP, Premium Content, Himalaya Media.

Matt Turck, Chief Revenue Officer, Megaphone

Jason Baron, Senior Vice President, Direct Response, Warner Media, Ad Sales

Quite the group of experts, to say the least.

The 45-minute discussion brought up a lot of positives in the podcast space and highlighted just how much of a blue ocean there is for brands to connect with a highly engaged audience, and for creators to engage more by offering premium content.

I haven't had the chance to watch this yet, but I'm adding the link to my watch list now.

•••

From Abu Zafar on Lifehacker: How to Make Your Podcast Sound Like NPR

One of the first things listeners will notice about your podcast is the quality of the audio. Bad audio is a surefire way to sound unprofessional and lose listeners, so make it a priority to produce the highest quality audio you can.

In the video above, I go in-depth on how to make your podcast sound good. I cover topics like microphone placement, vocal performance, and mixing audio.

Yes, thank you. Good audio for everyone everywhere, please!

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Thanks for listening to (or reading) this week's episode! Please share the show with a friend and send feedback, thoughts, and cool stories or articles to aaron@thepodcastdude.com.

Have a great week, and happy podcasting.

Aaron Dowd

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This show was produced by me, Aaron Dowd.Music and SM7B illustration by Sean McCabe.Hosting and technology by Simplecast.