PodMov Daily: Friday, August 6

Episode 478: Week Download Complete

Day Three: PM Sessions Finishing on a High Note

Welcome to PM Day Three, starting fresh at 8:30 am with “Podcast Veterans Share War Stories, Tips for Success,” a keynote featuring Gaby Dunn (Bad With Money with Gaby Dunn), Chris Colbert (DCP Entertainment, Say Their Name), Joe Saul-Sehy (Stacking Benjamins), and Paula Pant (Afford Anything).

Yesterday’s 52 sessions delivered expert perspectives on the future of audio, music licensing, promo swaps, podcast taxonomy, and much more. Today’s programming will wrap up an outstanding week in Nashville, with discussions on diverse topics like branded podcasting, gender inclusivity, and vocal skills.

One more time, with feeling: Mask up and start some conversations, y'all. Friday may be the last day of Podcast Movement, but as always, the event is finishing strong. Be sure to visit the Expo Hall, reach out to other podcasters and speakers, and make plans to connect with new friends as the week comes to a close.

Fireside: A “Storytelling Platform” Enters the Game

During yesterday’s keynote, Mark Cuban and Falon Fatemi spoke publicly for the first time about their new app Fireside. An integration with Libsyn will fold the “storytelling platform” into the podcast ecosystem, which Cuban called “old, tired and beat up.” In his view, the medium hasn’t changed much since 2005.

Cuban’s goal with Fireside is for creators to see how audiences react to content in real time. He highlighted that speakers will have hard performance data for advertisers, and that while competitor ‘stage’-based platforms “try to take over the show,” creators on Fireside will have “the ability to control the narrative.” 

Reactions have been mixed, due in part to conflict between the platform’s messaging on creator-owned IP and its actual policies. On a simpler note, Edison Research SVP Tom Webster had this to say: “Podcasters — you’re not 1.0 anymore. In fact, few media platforms have evolved so much in so little time.”

Dolby Atmos: Transform Your Podcast with Immersive Audio

Dolby Atmos® is an innovative audio technology that transforms your podcast into a truly immersive soundscape. Unlike stereo sound, audio mixed in Dolby Atmos is freed from channels. Mixers can move individual sounds all around the listener to make every voice and detail come alive.

Dolby Atmos brings unparalleled clarity and depth to podcasts and has been used by studios like QCODE Media, Gen-Z Media, and Earshot. Enabled devices create the impression that sound is coming from all around you, unlocking the full emotional impact of shows from true crime to documentary.

Using only your laptop and a pair of headphones, you can create your podcast in Dolby Atmos and transport listeners into your world. Ready to share your stories as they’re meant to be heard? Explore Dolby Atmos and capture your podcast’s true potential.

Here's what else is going on:

• Dark pattern: Bridgewater, a fiction show from Aaron Manhke (Lore) and Lauren Shippen (The Bright Sessions) debuts today. Mahnke tells Fangoria’s Angel Melanson, “This has got to be the thing that makes my heart happy. All of that creepy weirdness inside me, this is ticking the boxes.”

• Mind theater: A podcast is “an unscripted record of your life,” writes Jon Christensen of Timber.fm. If you’ve been at it for about a year, “you are creating a trove of memories” especially if you’ve talked about things of personal significance. “You should treat yourself to them sometime.”

• Career move: WBUR (NPR Boston) will accept Newsroom Fellowship applications until September 15. The position is temporarily remote, salaried with benefits, and open to recent graduates or early-career journalists who are committed to advancing underrepresented voices in public radio. 

• Robot voice: “Podcaster AI chatbots” from the app Shuffle attempt to simulate Q&As with famous hosts. Powered by quotes, transcripts, and GPT-3 technology, the AI McElroys (My Brother, My Brother and Me) and AI Kara Swisher (Sway) replied with fun, spooky, nonsensical answers.