PodMov Daily: Monday, February 3

Episode 134: Your Monday Mix

BMI/RMLC Fine Print: Music in Podcasts a No-Go

Radio Ink addresses music licensing questions around a Thursday announcement from Broadcast Music Incorporated and the Radio Music License Committee. The main takeaway: “For now the safest bet is to avoid playing music in podcasts.”

“At the very end of the BMI/RMLC press release, ‘podcasts’ are included as a platform in which music in the BMI catalogue is ‘covered’ by the scope of this new agreement,” the post points out. “Does that mean one of your hosts can start a music podcast tomorrow without fear of breaking any copyright laws?”

It’s a complicated issue that was discussed at length during Podcast Movement 2019. Due to several factors, including the podcast industry’s murky definition of downloads versus streams, Radio Ink concludes that no major licensing barriers have been overcome.

---

Audio Fiction Inspiration from Morgan Givens of “Flyest Fables”

Storyteller and audio producer Morgan Givens is the creator of Flyest Fables, a fictional podcast of “brand new fables for the 21st century.” A graduate of the Transom Story Workshop, Givens was asked by the program’s team for some “encouraging words for anyone out there dabbling in audio fiction.”

“Before we start coloring outside the lines, we should know what lines exist — if for no other reason than that we can create something incredibly novel and fun,” Givens advises. He suggests tuning in to curations like Elena Fernández Collins’ Audio Dramatic newsletter, to “find innovation and draw inspiration.”

Givens’ approach involves careful observation. “If I’m standing on a busy city street, I’ll pause, out of the way, close my eyes and listen. What am I hearing?” he asks, describing a favorite creative exercise. “Once I learned to recreate sounds in the real world, it made it much easier for me to create sounds in a fantasy world, too.”

---

View from Venus: How Podcasting Supports Womens' Voices

A recent conversation on the View From Venus podcast, borne of the University of Venus blog at Inside Higher Ed, focused on podcasting as an innovative space for women’s voices. Mary Churchill, Associate Dean at Boston University, co-founder of the blog, and co-host and producer of the podcast, details takeaways from publishing professor Hannah McGregor.

“It was a fascinating conversation, but it was not at all what I had anticipated,” Churchill writes. “I learned that podcasting, although it has been historically dominated by men, has become a space for women. Part of the history of male dominance is around what Hannah referred to as the politics of the voice and expectations around what a listenable voice should sound like.”

The two discussed criticism around women’s voices, famously noted by Ira Glass of This American Life referring to complaint mail. Luckily podcasting is the opposite of low-hanging fruit for online trolls, they assert. “In many ways, podcasts are ideal spaces for listening in anticipation of joining a conversation.”

Patreon: Reward Your Fans with Power Tools for Podcasters

What if you could give back to your fans, grow your audience, and earn consistent income all at once? Patreon’s tools for podcasters empower your work every step of the way.

You bring the creativity — Patreon provides the features to delight your superfans. Its private RSS feed lets you create and securely share exclusive content with members, who get access through a monthly subscription. Hit the ground running with rewards your fans actually want, like sneak-peeks of new projects, live streams with your cast and crew, and more!

Over 20 features and integrations are at your fingertips, with expert coaching to optimize your experience. Creators can easily track membership benefits, making community and individual relationships stronger than ever. It’s the ultimate win-win.

Patreon supports podcasters so fans can support the podcasts they love. Ready to level up?

---

---

Here's what else is going on:

• Square one: Even those active in the space may stumble when asked to define ‘podcast.’ Colin Gray’s “explanation in plain English” demystifies the medium for beginners, while clarifying points that will smooth your elevator speech.
• Quarter pounds: The BBC’s streaming service BBC Sounds reports increasing popularity of podcasts and radio on demand, now making up 44% of total plays. Plays doubled to 100 million in the last quarter of 2019 from the previous quarter.
• First look: Nielsen has announced that IPG Mediabrands has become the first subscriber to the Nielsen Podcast Listener Buying Power service. Agencies under the license will have access to “insights spanning 18 genres and over 90 individual podcast titles.”
• Home base: The Brantford, Ontario campus of Wilfrid Laurier University has launched a podcast studio and podcaster-in-residence program. Avery Moore Kloss, journalist and host of Grown Up, will lead faculty and community workshops this spring.