Who’s taking that stage at PM20? It might be you.

Greetings PM Family!

We have some important updates this week. We've got a final reminder for PM20 open speaker submissions, an update on the San Diego meetup this Saturday evening, an announcement of the upcoming 28 Day Launch Your Podcast Challenge class starting in early March, and a recap of last week's PodMov Daily.

Here we go!

---

PM20 Speaker Submissions Closing Soon

The Podcast Movement speaker submission form for PM20 in Dallas this August closes on March 1! Every year the submissions get more creative and compelling. Do you have a fresh or unique perspective on podcasting or the industry as a whole? If so, we urge you to throw your name in the hat. 

By submitting your idea, you have a chance to take the stage at the largest podcast community and industry event of the year. Why wait an entire year to submit when you could share your presentation idea today?

PM20 is going to be incredible. It will be even better with you sharing your expertise with podcasters from every state and over 35 countries around the world onstage. 

Apply to Speak Here

---

Podcast Movement Meetup in San Diego – Feb. 29

Our first official Podcast Movement meetup of 2020 is this Saturday evening, February 29 in San Diego, CA. We would love for you to be there if you're in the area. If not, please consider sharing this with a friend that is in or around San Diego.

The meetup will take place from 6 pm to 9 pm PT at Tivoli Bar & Grill. Please RSVP here if you can make it!

---

Free 28 Day Launch Your Podcast Challenge – Deadline is Tuesday, March 3

The free 28 Day Launch Your Podcast Challenge launches again on Wednesday, March 4. The class helps aspiring podcasters go from zero to launch in 28 days.

The challenge has helped hundreds get started through daily steps that are tailored to keep things as simple as possible. The class also features a private community that allows you to interact with your classmates, share ideas, and get valuable feedback throughout the launch process.

​​We would love for you to consider joining us. We have great prizes available to podcasters that complete the challenge. The top winners will receive free passes to Podcast Movement 2020 in Dallas, TX! What do you have to lose? Sign up now!

---

The PodMov Daily newsletter is growing rapidly each week. We continue to receive feedback that this is one of the best emerging newsletters in the podcast industry. Here are a few recent posts we welcome you to check out in case you might have missed them.

• The Big Light: Scotland’s First Podcast Network – The Big Light, recognized as Scotland’s first podcast network, has officially launched. The company’s founders, broadcaster Janice Forsyth and former TV producer Fiona White have announced that an extended, unfiltered version of Talk Media will be the first new show on deck. Paul Trainer of Glasgowist writes that The Big Light will “feature a high-quality mix of compelling podcast series across a wide range of genres.” Upcoming shows include The Tartan Noir Show (a “weekly preview/review and chat celebrating Scottish crime fiction”) and Double Scotch (“an entertaining weekly whisky podcast”). Janice Forsyth commented that “by creating a new platform for Scottish culture, stories, and voices,” the network’s mission “is to connect a global audience with the very best audio-on-demand content that Scotland has to offer.”

• Aliens Like Us: New Zealander Rhys Darby’s Paranormal Podcasts – On the upcoming podcast Aliens Like Us, New Zealander actor and comedian Rhys Darby gets serious about UFOs. His previous podcast, The Cryptid Factor, is dedicated to Cryptozoology (“the study of animals yet to be proven by science,” like the Chupacabra). “The lighthearted approach of Aliens Like Us aims to keep the subject matter accessible, even to die-hard skeptics,” writes Jen Glennon of Inverse. Glennon spoke to Darby about the paranormal pull behind his podcasts. In May, Darby plans to perform Aliens live at Contact in the Desert, which he describes as “probably the biggest UFO conference in the world.” “I just got more obsessed with the idea that there were creatures out there that we hadn’t discovered yet,” Darby said. “The more I dove into it, the more I enjoyed the stories that used to freak me out. I never lost my interest in that, and never will.”

• Brian Heater: How to Support Independent Podcasting – A thoughtful article from Brian Heater in TechCrunch argues that supporting independent podcasts is more important than ever “as corporations take an increasing interest in the medium.” Its high-dollar popularity is a mixed bag of benefits and compromises. “I do believe the spike in podcast popularity will be good for its myriad providers in many ways […] But I do worry that many of its most unique independent voices will get bulldozed as big companies rush to construct skyscrapers,” Heater writes. The positives of corporate investment, like opportunities for creatives to learn a living wage, come with complex limitations. Fortunately, it’s simpler than ever before to boost independent shows. Heater advocates for giving through “a public radio-style fund drive like Maximum Fun,” through Patreon, or “just rating and reviewing or telling a friend.” Changing landscape or not, “If you like a thing, support it.”

We welcome you to check out the PodMov Daily Newsletter if you haven't already. You can subscribe here. Also, feel free to check out our highly celebrated ambassador program.

---

Podcast Movement is not just going to be good, it will be the biggest event of the year for the podcast community, and the industry overall. We want you to be there!

Thank you for your constant support and for making this community so unique and special. We look forward to sharing more updates with you next week.

The best is yet to come, 
Team PM