Links:

1. cheerful-content-movies-television-podcasts-8b7f644d-5924-457a-8d33-b7f6854354a8.html">Consumers crave cheerful content during the coronavirus crisis
2. 5 Ways to Fix Your Podcast’s Discoverability Problem
3. No commuting, no problem: Podcasting ad revenue continues to grow
4. A Survival Guide For Parents: Introducing Podcasts Into Homeschooling
5. The Anatomy of a Podcast Open

•••

1

cheerful-content-movies-television-podcasts-8b7f644d-5924-457a-8d33-b7f6854354a8.html">Consumers crave cheerful content during the coronavirus crisis

Starting 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.

•••


2

5 Ways to Fix Your Podcast’s Discoverability Problem

From 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.

•••

3

No commuting, no problem: Podcasting ad revenue continues to grow

For 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.

•••

4

A Survival Guide For Parents: Introducing Podcasts Into Homeschooling

From 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 week
• Put podcasts on the TV
• Talk before, during, and after the podcast
• Listen while doing something else
• Good ol’ bribery

As a kid, I loved radio dramas, and I wish I could have had access to today’s free library of podcasts.

•••

5

The Anatomy of a Podcast Open

From 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 Thoughts

I 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, California

Thanks 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.

1. It’s the disappearance of the morning commute that seems to be hurting podcast listening most
2. COVID-19 Resources for Freelancers and Independents
3. Top Side Hustles for Podcasters That Need Extra Income
4. Pro Storytelling Tip: The Plus/Minus System
5. bidens-podcast-is-bad-heres-how-to-make-it-better.html">5 Ways Joe Biden Can Make His Bad Podcast Better
6. How to Improve the Acoustics in Your Home Podcasting Space
7. Podcasters: You do not need a pop-filter or a shockmount. Here’s why.

•••

1

It’s the disappearance of the morning commute that seems to be hurting podcast listening most

From 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.

•••

2

COVID-19 Resources for Freelancers and Independents

Another 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.

•••

3

Top Side Hustles for Podcasters That Need Extra Income

From 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.

•••

4

Pro Storytelling Tip: The Plus/Minus System

From 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.

•••

5

bidens-podcast-is-bad-heres-how-to-make-it-better.html">5 Ways Joe Biden Can Make His Bad Podcast Better

From 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 Space

From 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.

•••

7

Podcasters: 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 Thoughts

Another 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:

1. in-the-time-of-quarantine.php">Podcasts In the Time of Quarantine
2. Podcasting During A Global Pandemic
3. COVID-19 Podcast Advertising Survey Results
4. Podcast Discovery Stats in 2020 | How Do Listeners Discover New Shows?
5. Podcast Hero: How to Become a Content Powerhouse
6. Condenser Vs Dynamic | A Beginner’s Guide to Microphones for Voice
7. Podcast Intro & Outro Tips: Introducing & Ending Your Episode
8. Better Webcam Video
9. content.com/how-to-make-your-evergreen-podcasts-topical-using-dai-b62b806be519">How to make your evergreen podcasts topical using DAI

Hey 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.

•••

1

in-the-time-of-quarantine.php">Podcasts in the Time of Quarantine

From 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?

•••

2

Podcasting During A Global Pandemic

From 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.

•••

3

COVID-19 Podcast Advertising Survey Results

From 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.

•••

4

Podcast 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 results
• 41.9% prefer to browse the categories to find new shows

Away from those who take to searching their listening app, the other results were;

• 18.3% Directly ask someone I know who likes the same stuff
• 15.2% Ask on social media or in an online community
• 13.6% Search on Google
• 13% Browse through a podcast chart or ‘featured' section

Not 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.

•••

5

Podcast Hero: How to Become a Content Powerhouse

From 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.

•••

6

Condenser Vs Dynamic | A Beginner’s Guide to Microphones for Voice

From 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 Episode

From thepodcasthost.com:

Podcast Intro & Outro tips: At-a-Glance

• Each episode you release will be someone's first impression of your show
• You only have 5 minutes to “hook” a 3rd of all new listeners
• Let them know what's in store right away. Tell them what they're going to get from listening
• Leave them in no doubt that this is the podcast for them
• Use your outro to ensure you turn new listeners into subscribers. You want them to come back for more

Also check out The Podcast Dude episode 45:How to Create a Great Podcast Intro.

•••

8

Better Webcam Video

From 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.

•••

9

content.com/how-to-make-your-evergreen-podcasts-topical-using-dai-b62b806be519">How to Make Your Evergreen Podcasts Topical Using DAI (Dynamic Audio Insertion

From 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 Thoughts

Thanks 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, 2020

1

Text or Call a Friend

I’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.

•••

2

Stronger Connections and File Sharing

I 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/ - @TheElsieEscobar

Read 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.

•••

3

Daily Planning, Disruption, and How We Handle It

For 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 Events

It’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:

1. Write down the hours of the day in the left side of a notebook
2. Write down what you want to or have to do, and when
3. Update and makes notes about your progress every hour or two

•••

4

content.com/how-to-get-great-sounding-audio-from-your-podcast-guests-from-a-distance-2f7219255150">How to get great-sounding audio from your podcast guests… from a distance

From 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 noises
• Please 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).

•••

5

Podcasting for Remote Teams: Using Audio to Connect, Engage & Inform

From 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.

•••

6

How to Turn Your Podcast Hobby Into a Business

From 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.

•••

7

New York Times acquires Audm, whose narrators turn long-form journalism into audio

From 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.

•••

8

How the coronavirus is affecting podcast downloads

From 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 Misener
• content.com/blanket-forts-and-pantyhose-fae8951389c1">Blanket Forts and Pantyhose: How to set up a decent-sounding podcast studio at home

Closing Thoughts

I 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!

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.

•••

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.

•••

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.

••

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)

•••

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.

•••

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.

1

smith-journalism-news-publishers-local.html">Why the Success of The New York Times May Be Bad News for Journalism

The 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.

•••

2

Meet Simplecast’s Moveable Audio Engine

From 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.

•••

3

The Role Of Podcasting In The Upskilling Era

From 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.

•••

4

What we learned from the Substack writers gathering in New York

Last 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?

•••

5

Podcast Editing: The Ultimate Guide

From 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.

•••

6

Every Podcast Editing and Recording Software, Ranked

Want 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 podcasting and learning audio production and post-production, and you have a Mac, my vote goes to Logic Pro X.

•••


7

What do you think makes an amazing podcast ad?

I saw this post on Twitter from Josh Kaplan. He asked:

what do you think makes an amazing podcast ad? our @bizcasualpod team is figuring out how to make the audio ad experience enjoyable/informative and we could use all the feedback we can get.

Check out the responses and let Josh know what you think makes an amazing podcast ad.

•••

8

Transition from radio to podcasting

The main two things keeping radio talent from committing to a career change are a lack of confidence in certain aspects of launching a podcast or stream and a lack of a regular salary. Even with the understanding that radio companies have been slashing salaries and budgets for well over a decade now, the lack of a guaranteed salary seems a bridge too far. Talent has accepted that radio companies see more value in cost savings than in their own ability to monetize talent and content.

I’d like to share what we’ve learned from these recent conversations in the hopes that you can consider moving forward with some of these ideas today, whether you are employed or unemployed.

•••

9

Podcast Recommendation: How Twitter uses a podcast to court advertisers

From Simon Owens’s Business of Content podcast:

In its most recent earnings report, Twitter revealed that it has over 139 million daily users, but the company’s first podcast, which it launched in 2019, was designed to only appeal to a tiny fraction of those users. The show is called Character Count and is hosted by Joe Wadlington, a creative lead in the department that helps educate small businesses on how to leverage Twitter in their marketing.

And that’s the focus of Character Count: highlighting some of the most effective ways in which businesses utilize Twitter. Recent guests have worked for Dungeons and Dragons, Grindr, and Dropbox.

I recently interviewed Wadlington about his podcast strategy and the role the show plays in helping improve Twitter’s bottom line.

Subscribe to The Business of Content if you haven’t yet. This episode with Joe Wadlington was full of great insights about podcasting and how a podcast can help achieve business goals.

•••

Closing Thoughts

As COVID-19 spreads across North America and the rest of the world, I’m packing up to move to Los Angeles next weekend. Wish me luck! Wash your hands and stay safe out there.

If you're enjoyed this show and would like to support it, please take a moment to leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, or share a link 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.

Thanks to Kato, Alexander, and Norman for supporting the show.

1

No, the podcast ‘gold rush’ isn’t over. Podcasting’s golden age is just beginning

From 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 highlighting

Houston 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.”

•••

2

Why You Need a Creative Brief for Podcast Artwork

From 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.

•••

3

How to Podcast With A Co-Host

From 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.

•••

4

Podcasting on YouTube: 8 Things to Know Before You Start

From 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 Thoughts

Bit 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.

1. Spotify is trying to become podcasting's gatekeeper. We musn't let them.
2. Podcast Recommendation: Exponent #181 — Competing with Spotify and Regulating Acquisitions
3. Podcast Analytics: How to Measure and Use Podcast Metrics to Make Your Show Successful
4. The Mentality Change Marketers Must Make to Measure Their Shows (and the Metrics to Do It)
5. The Podcast Academy launches: the speech, the Q and A, the reaction
6. Podcasting’s Biggest Mistake
7. Want podcasts to remain independent? Support independent podcasts
8. 3 Ways To Find Sponsors Within One Degree Of Separation
9. finds-podcast-advertising-campaigns-153040799.html">New Study Finds That Podcast Advertising Campaigns Resulted In An Average 10 Times Lift Relative To Print, Digital and TV
10. Why Metrics Matter
11. content.com/the-art-and-science-of-podcast-show-descriptions-44d5ed81df24">The Art and Science of Podcast Show Descriptions

1

Spotify 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 podcasting

The 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.

•••

2

Podcast Recommendation: Exponent #181 — Competing with Spotify and Regulating Acquisitions

Ben 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.

•••

3

Podcast Analytics: How to Measure and Use Podcast Metrics to Make Your Show Successful

From 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 Analytics
• How to Measure Podcast Success
• Which Podcast Analytics and Tracking Metrics Matter
• How to Track Podcast Analytics
• Choosing a Podcast Media Host: Which Media Host Is Right for You?
• How to Track Podcast Analytics on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Spotify, and Stitcher
• Additional Tools to Support Your Podcast
• How to Use the Podcast Stats and Findings

And 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.

•••

4

The 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.

•••

5

The Podcast Academy launches: the speech, the Q and A, the reaction

From 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: academy-golden-mics-oscars.html">Podcasting Is Getting Its Own Oscars. Will It Work?.

My favorite take on this was the one from Tom Webster in the next article.

•••

6

Podcasting’s Biggest Mistake

From 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.

•••

7

Want podcasts to remain independent? Support independent podcasts

From Brian Heater on techcrunch.com:

As corporations take an increasing interest in the medium, it's listeners' duty to support independent voices

There’s not much more to it. If you love a show and want it to continue, support the creator.

•••

8

3 Ways To Find Sponsors Within One Degree Of Separation

From 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:

1. How to help podcasters better understand and describe the value of their show and audience
2. How to help brands and companies better understand the value that podcasters create and why they are worth investing in

•••

9

finds-podcast-advertising-campaigns-153040799.html">New Study Finds That Podcast Advertising Campaigns Resulted In An Average 10 Times Lift Relative To Print, Digital and TV

From yahoofinance.com:

With the growing popularity of podcasting, many savvy marketers are looking to expand the role of podcast advertising in their media mix. But until a few years ago, marketers found it difficult to determine the effectiveness of the podcast channel – in large part due to limited podcast attribution methodologies. Until recently, vanity URLs, promo codes, and surveys after a purchase were the only tools available to measure podcast advertising effectiveness.

Today, new marketing tools are allowing advertisers and marketers to gain deeper insights into the effectiveness of podcast channels. In November 2018, Claritas acquired the omni-channel attribution platform Barometric and has since collected and reported on campaign results across more than 100 advertisers, which drove a deeper analysis in the channels effectiveness as compared to non-podcast channels.

This analysis, across industries such as consumer packaged goods, automotive, direct brands, finance and insurance, shows that while non-podcast channels historically result in a 2.6% lift in conversions – with common channels such as such as digital display at 1.1% lift, print at 2.4% and linear TV at 3.1% – podcast channels are driving 34% lift on average.

“In the current media landscape where more agencies and marketers are in need of data to provide insights on their buying decisions, it’s important to understand what is available and how to best use the information to inform decisions on both the buy and sell side,” says Harry Clark, EVP, Chief Revenue Officer of Market Enginuity. “Our work with Claritas has revealed exciting data that supports what we’ve always known intuitively, that podcast advertising has profound impact for our sponsors.”

That last bit is worth repeating and emphasizing: “what we’ve always known intuitively, that podcast advertising has profound impact for our sponsors.”

The podcast report they link to in the article is worth checking out too.

•••

10

Why Metrics Matter

From Joe Stone on podcastbusinessjournal.com:

If you’re interested in having someone invest in your podcast, metrics matter. That’s according to Erica Mandy, host of “The Newsworthy” podcast. Mandy was a presenter at Podcast Movement’s Evolutions last week.

Mandy says there are 4 things she uses to track what does and doesn’t work:
Clear goals – Have clearly defined goals, a plan, and spend time where it matters.
Charting Progress – Track downloads, listens per episodes within 24 hours, listens per episode within 30 days, and unique listeners month over month. Also, track sponsorships and ads.
Consistency – Keep up with charting progress and activity so you can make projections.
Change – Make adjustments as needed.

Mandy said to track other metrics as well to include giveaways, promo swaps, and paid marketing campaigns (which you should use trackable links for).

Also on the panel was Podfund’s Nicola Krozenko who said tracking metrics gives her organization clear idea of what sort of return on investment they can expect.

•••

11

content.com/the-art-and-science-of-podcast-show-descriptions-44d5ed81df24">The Art and Science of Podcast Show Descriptions

From Dan Misener on Pacific Content’s blog:

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about podcast show descriptions — the bits of text that often appear in podcast apps to help listeners understand why they might want to hit play.

Show descriptions have been on my mind because we’re currently developing a new podcast series with a new client, and we’re close to launch.

We’re finalizing some of the show’s product packaging, and recently a colleague asked me, “How long should our show description be?”

I wrote a podcast episode about show descriptions back in October 2016, here’s what I had to say about it:

Your podcast description is one of the first things people see when they come across your podcast online or in a podcast app. This is your chance to catch their attention and sell them on your show. It’s your opportunity to convince them to listen.

The ideal podcast description answers two questions for your potential listener: 1. Is this show for me? 2. What am I going to get out of listening to this?

When a potential audience member comes across your podcast and starts reading your description, they’re wondering, “What’s in it for me?” This is your chance to tell them why they should care about your show. Otherwise, they won’t.

•••

Closing Thoughts

Well I just got back from Los Angeles, and I’ll be in Texas for 3 more weeks before I relocate to California for the foreseeable future. For years, I always dreamed about moving to California, and it’s funny how quickly it can happen. A couple months ago, it wasn’t even on my radar, and now I’ve got roughly 20 days left in Texas.

I made the announcement on Twitter a couple days ago, but I’ll share it again here: I’ve joined the Podcorn team (my title is Head of Community and User Experience) to help them build the best open marketplace for brands and companies looking to sponsor and support podcasters.

I’m working on a blog post and podcast episode to tell you more about it, but in the meantime, head over to Podcorn.com and sign up to take a look for yourself (it’s free to use), and let me know what you think.

Till next week, 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.

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.

1

Will 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.

•••

2

Advertising A Podcast, Part 2

From 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.

•••

3

Why the Podcast Gold Rush is Slowing Down for Some Publishers

From 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.

•••

4

The Math Behind Membership

From 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:

1. How much can I make?
2. How much should I charge?
3. 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.

•••

5

Podcast Subscriber Tracking Is Pointless

A 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:

1. How many people are listening to each episode (unique listeners)
2. How far through the episode most people are getting (episode retention / play-through)

•••

6

What Agencies And Advertisers Say Is Needed To Achieve $2 Billion In Podcast Ad Revenue

From 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 up

Only 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 and search needs improvement. A number feel big marketers coming into the podcast space will be a major accelerator. Several point to the major opportunity to monetize “the longer tail shows which are being relatively ignored.”

Will think about this more and revisit it later.

•••

7

Creating Great Podcast Shownotes: What Format Should I Follow?

From Colin Gray on thepodcasthost.com:

Shownotes serve three main purposes. The first two serve existing listeners:

1. To offer a summary of the show content – either to persuade someone to listen, or to remind a previous listener what was covered.

2. To offer links to resources, people or products that were mentioned. You can't link within the show itself, so you offer the links on the shownotes.

The last serves you, and those who have yet to listen:

1. To attract new listeners through search traffic.

That last one is the one most podcasters neglect. You'll find a lot of podcasters throwing up show notes that are nothing more than a very quick introduction paragraph, and then a list of the resources that were mentioned. That's fine, as a minimum. It serves your listener, covering #1 and #2. But, if that's all you do, you're missing a trick in growing your audience.

I've championed great show notes for a long time. If you've new to podcasting, read this tutorial.

•••

8

Radiotopia’s Philosophy of Fundraising

From Gina James on the PRX Medium blog:

At Radiotopia, we believe there is no magic formula for a successful fundraiser. Each year, we approach the annual campaign with excitement, trepidation, and pragmatism. Sure, we know the basic principle: ask the listeners who devour the shows (to the tune of more than 19 million downloads per month) to support what they love. And yes, we know we should ask them to donate any chance we get— in their ears while they’re out and about, in their inboxes while they’re checking emails, and on social media when they’re scrolling at the bus stop.

But what everyone always really wants to know is: what truly moves people from considering the act of giving to actually making a donation? And how does Radiotopia keep getting tens of thousands of people to keep it up, even five years in?

The answer, in short:

Radiotopia is known for our curated, high-quality, sound-rich podcasts. It’s with that same aesthetic, care, and dedication that we approach our fundraiser each year.

Our philosophy is to craft campaigns that are as well designed as the programs themselves, with Radiotopia producers who see campaigns as an important element of how they engage their audience as well as generate revenue.

We believe in doing everything in our power to break through the invisible wall between the shows and their fans. From the language we use to call listeners to action, to the rewards we offer them when they do, everything is centered on the producers who create the content and the listeners who consume it. Our ultimate goal: to create a stronger, more authentic connection between them.

•••

9

will-spotify-be-in-5-years.aspx">Where Will Spotify Be in 5 Years?

From Will Healy on The Motley Fool blog:

Spotify faces both a bright and uncertain future. Founded by Daniel Ek in 2006, the Sweden-based music streaming service has grown to 271 million users in 79 markets across the world. The user base, proprietary content, and partnerships have helped to bring Spotify growth. However, Spotify also faces the world's most powerful tech names as peers. These conditions make it likely that Spotify stock will trade at higher levels five years from now if it can manage to fend off its large competitors.

Interesting breakdown of the challenges Spotify faces. This section made me do a double-take though:

Spotify has engaged in legal disputes with Apple in both the U.S. and the EU. It began when Apple offered to pay major music labels to not renew contracts with Spotify that allow Spotify to play their music on its free tier.

Apple did what now?

•••

10

From Loyalty to Membership

From Ana Andjelic on The Sociology of Business Substack newsletter:

In the modern aspiration economy, brand affinity is created not economically, but socially. In the old school model, membership offered modest, slow, and infrequent monetary gains. In the modern aspiration economy model, consumers use their membership to advance their social, cultural, and environmental capital.

Essential reading if you're thinking about or trying to use the membership business model for your podcast.

•••

11

Brands, Here’s How to Measure Podcast ROI

Maybe those brands hoping to get into podcasting should read this article from JAR Audio:

So you want to make a podcast.

If you’re reading this, it’s because you’ve decided that your brand - which you work incredibly hard to develop and protect - is due for a foray into the audio sphere. You’ve decided your brand needs an actual, real-life authentic voice.

And with this desire comes the ultimate question burning in your heart and that of your team:

What’s the True ROI from a Branded Podcast?

And to that, we have a very simple answer (followed by a complex article): What will be the ROI of not doing a podcast?

Good article, but holy hell they need to use a different typeface for their site. Switch to reader view in your browser or prepare for visual pain.

Here's a takeaway for you though:

In fact, in a recent study conducted by the BBC, organizations with branded podcasts have also seen:

• 89% higher awareness
• 57% higher branded consideration
• 24% higher brand favorability
• 14% higher purchase intent
• 16% higher engagement and 12% higher memory encoding than other forms of content

•••

12

Why Your Podcast Definitely Needs a Website

The articles keep coming. From Frank Racioppi on the discoverpods.com blog:

You are t-minus 60 minutes to go to podcast launch. You’ve checked the first episode for errors numerous times. You’ve checked the file formatting and uploaded. Months, even years were spent in preparation and your first podcast goes live.

So why do I want to discuss a website? You have the podcast. A website is a money-drain and time-suck you don’t need, right?

Wrong. In fact, well-designed and content-rich websites can drive considerable traffic to your podcast. Here are 10 reasons why new and established podcasters should have a website and ensure that it is robust enough to support the podcast, garner more listeners, attract and retain sponsors and monetize the podcast either through donations, product extensions or ad-supported revenue.

I'm 100% on the "websites are important for podcasts" team, and I've always appreciated the websites that Simplecast provides for shows hosted on their platform.

However. Simplecast sites don't have specific functionality for 4 out of the first 5 things on this list:

1. Place to donate
2. Email list signups
3. Newsletter (which is kinda the same thing as the email list signup?) and
4. Bios about the host (or an About page)

Friends from Simplecast, if you're reading this, please consider adding these features to the show sites.

•••

13

If people will pay for MP3s of people whispering them to sleep, why won’t they pay for podcasts?

From Caroline Crampton for the Hot Pod newsletter on niemanlab.org:

Will people pay for podcasts? This is something we’ve been discussing in Hot Pod for years now, whether via what CastBox was doing in 2018, the “Netflix of podcasting” wars of 2019, or the ongoing growth of tools like Supporting Cast and Glow that enable podcasters to offer their own premium feeds.

Despite these high profile experiments and the bonus-episode culture created by crowdfunding tools like Patreon, I think it’s safe to say that the majority answer to that question across the industry is: “No, not really.”

It’s why advertising has dominated podcast monetization up to this point and why the (contested) definition of the word “podcast” has such a strong association with being free to air. Even the podcast-like series made by Audible and kept behind their paywall have always been framed as either a way of hooking users in for the subscription or as a nice bonus for existing subscribers. You pay for the audiobooks, and the podcasts come with them — it’s not a podcast subscription platform.

Even in the age of Netflix, there’s a sense that self-improvement and education are worth paying for, while entertainment should be free.

Nailed it. I was listening to Rainn Wilson's recent episode on the Armchair Expert podcast, he was talking about people not being willing to pay $4 a month to listen to his show on Luminary.

•••

14

How to Make a Sh*t Podcast

From James Mulvany on LinkedIn:

Podcasts. Every man/woman and his/her dog/cat/fish/hamster is giving it a go.

The problem is, like with anything, the more podcasts that crop up, the more there are that’re a bit...well...sh*t.

But, who needs a good podcast? Who needs good sound when you can record it on your iPhone 4? Who needs good guests when you can just invite your mates over to laugh about that time Starbucks got Steph’s name wrong and wrote Steve on her cup? Everyone’ll find that funny, right? Who needs the right distribution channels when you can simply upload it to Anchor and chuck it out to your 36 followers on LinkedIn? If all else fails, your mum’ll defo listen.

Yeah, sh*t podcasts are in, baby, and it’s time to get on board.

Cheeky. Made me laugh. This line especially:

Make sure you're getting paid for this thing you started for fun and which offers no value to anyone choosing to listen.

•••

15

content.com/the-most-crowded-categories-in-apple-podcasts-february-2020-edition-e087d6455e6a">The most crowded categories in Apple Podcasts, Visualized (February 2020 edition)

From Dan Misener on the Pacific Content blog (who publishes a great article every single week, it seems):

Back in October 2018, I analyzed 390,000 podcasts in an attempt to find content.com/the-most-crowded-categories-in-apple-podcasts-7123447660cf">the most crowded categories in Apple Podcasts.

Since then, much has changed:

• In 2019, Apple significantly revamped their list of podcast categories. They removed some categories, renamed others, and added several new options (including True Crime, History, and Fiction).
• The sheer volume of podcasts has increased dramatically. Depending on who you ask, the number currently sits around 900k shows.

So I decided to run the numbers again in February 2020, using a sample of 764,379 shows.

Interesting to see the breakdown of shows by category.

•••

Closing Thoughts

As some of you may have seen by now, this past Friday was my last day working at Simplecast. I've had an incredible time with that team over the past two years, and I'm proud to have been a part of building Simplecast up to what it is today.

With that said: I've accepted a job offer from a startup in Los Angeles that is working on solving some problems for podcasters that I feel are very important problems to solve right now.

All parties involved agree that I've got the right mix of skills to help with the mission, so in a few weeks I'll be packing a few personal items into my 4Runner and driving west across Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona to the land of the sun and the state I was born in: California.

Looking forward to telling you more about it soon.

Have a great week, and happy podcasting!

Aaron Dowd

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! 💙

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

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.

1

Advertising a Podcast, Part 1

From 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 Steps

1. Get super clear on who listens and what else they are listening to and watching. Who has their attention? Where are they active online?
2. What matters to them? What issues, memes or topics excite them?
3. 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

content.com/jobs-to-be-done-for-podcasts-b9daadeec35c">“Jobs to be done” for podcasts

From Dan Misener on Pacific Content's blog:

Professor Clayton Christensen christensen-dead.html">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?”

•••

3

Introducing Voice Boost 2: Remaster your podcasts

From 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!

•••

4

Do 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.

•••

5

1,000 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).

•••

5

SEO Case Study - 0 to 200,000 Monthly Organic Traffic

Want to get better rankings on Google?

Can’t blame you.

When done right, SEO can be a game-changer...

• You rank for top keywords
• Leads come knocking on YOUR door (instead of the other way around)
• Sales go through the roof

Unless 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.

•••

6

Radio 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 Buy

From 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 hooked
• talk about benefits
• sound engaging and not scripted

Some great tips about creating effective ads, starting about 10 minutes into the episode.

•••

Closing Thoughts

I'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 Dowd

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! 💙

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