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!

1

What Podcasters Can Do During A Pandemic

From 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.

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2

Recording Podcasts During Self-Isolation

From 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.

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3

Why Now is The Perfect Time For Guests

From 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 experts
• You’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.

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4

Monetizing Your Podcast Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

From 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:

1. Sponsorships and ads
2. Exclusive content and subscriptions
3. Brand cross-promotion (selling other things through the show)

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5

Inside Podcasting (Mar 9th, 2020): What It Can Cost an Independent Producer to Create Narrative Audio

From 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.

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Thanks for listening! I’ll talk to you again next week.

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