PodMov Daily: Monday, November 8

Episode 534: Your Monday Mix

Listen Up: Debunking Five Podcast Myths

“Podcast attribution is far more than just promo codes and vanity URLs,” says Sounds Profitable editor Bryan Barletta. At the X Fronts (indie podcast upfronts) just before Halloween, Barletta busted five stubborn podcast myths — including the limitations of ad insights — for creators and industry members alike.

The idea of podcast streaming is a common misunderstanding. “Streaming is a word that gets co-opted to mean so many different things,” but podcasting relies on progressive downloading. “Around 85% of podcast downloads reported come from a listener pressing play on that specific episode they want to listen to.”

Another point creators should understand: As far as advertising is concerned, a show’s back catalog is just as valuable as new episodes. “It’s not important when the episode came out, but rather when the listener decided to listen to it,” Barletta reasons. Binge listening habits are the gift that keeps on giving.

Why Assign Your Show a Second Category?

Though many podcast apps (including Apple Podcasts) only display a show’s primary category, assigning a secondary one is a wise move. Dan Misener of Pacific Content broke down large Apple categories like True Crime by examining those secondary tags. With 100+ available, a little detail goes a long way.

Straight from Apple, the discovery value is clear: “The primary category is used to display your show in each category page, Top Charts, and personalized recommendations in Listen Now. The secondary category also helps your show appear in select category pages, in editorially curated collections, and in search.”

If a show is categorized as True Crime + Comedy or True Crime + History, listeners have clearer expectations right away, Misener says. About 25% in the genre have chosen to do so. “It’s not quite at the Netflix level of categorization, but these secondary categories can certainly help disambiguate podcasts.”

Keep Episodes Fresh with Dynamic Content

With Buzzsprout, it’s faster than ever to keep your podcast fresh — and your listeners up-to-date. The Dynamic Content tool lets you easily add and remove short pre-roll (intro) and post-roll (outro) content to your episodes. It's the perfect solution for timely messaging.

Whether you’re promoting a virtual event or giving a special shout-out, Dynamic Content makes it simple to swap, automatically add content to new episodes, or apply it to your existing catalog with a click. Old files are removed and replaced, so there’s no clean-up.

This innovative feature offers more than flexibility. It benefits your audience in more ways than one: Buzzsprout respects your listeners’ privacy. Unlike most Dynamic Ad Insertion, the Dynamic Content tool includes no tracking or targeting. Ready to make the switch?

Here's what else is going on:

• Seeing stars: The 8th of every month is Podcast Review Day. Celebrate November's #podrevday by reviewing a show and posting it on Twitter. Founder Stephanie Fuccio says it best: “This impact, this connection, this feedback, this is why many independent podcasters do what we do.”

• Demo derby: KCRW’s 9th annual 24-Hour Radio Race is this Saturday, November 13. Podcasters will compete with their best 4-minute nonfiction stories, made in just 24 hours. Expert judges will name 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, plus 10 finalists. Registration ($12) closes at 5:00 PT on Friday. 

• Pay attention: Podcast editors make about $56.00 per hour in 2021, according to a third annual survey by the Podcast Editor Academy. This rate is down $2 from last year, though increased editing time resulted in higher overall billing. Of 151 respondents, 57% are located in the US.

• Business casual: Podbean’s Corporate Podcast Summit is tomorrow, November 9. Held on LinkedIn Live and YouTube, the streaming event will feature focused talks on branded podcast strategy and internal podcasting for learning and development. Free registration, 11:00 am- 1:30 pm ET.