PodMov Daily: Wednesday, February 3

Episode 364: Your Midweek Update

Elon Musk’s Pivotal Visit to “Medium for Podcasts”

To Casey Newton of The Verge, Elon Musk’s debut on Clubhouse proved more than platform viability. To reach most listeners, “starting a regular podcast and building up its audience over time has really been your only option.” Clubhouse, essentially Medium for podcasts, changes that commitment dynamic.

When Musk appeared Monday to talk Mars, memes, and Robinhood, his room (and two overflow rooms) immediately hit the 5,000-listener cap. ‘Drop-in Audio’ is disruptive for the same reason as Medium, Newton says. In 2012, it “gave people a place where they could blog without any expectation that they would keep blogging.” 

For Musk in particular, Clubhouse is “there when he needs it, and never needs to be thought about otherwise,” Newton explains. “It’s what Anchor tried to become and never quite did.” There, the listener can hear the low barrier to entry. On Clubhouse, though? Unedited, mediocre audio sounds like “serendipity.”

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PM Update: Engage with Education and Events

This week’s update delivers the details on PM21, coming to Nashville in August. The official event site is up, including a full schedule outline and more information on session tracks, pass tiers, and accommodations. Register now to secure the best deal in Music City.

Interested in speaking at a Podcast Movement event? In two weeks, the PM21 speaker submission portal will officially open. This may be your chance to share your expertise onstage alongside the best and brightest in the industry. Stay tuned for application specifics. 

In other news, Podcast Movement University is hosting several live events in February. Check the calendar for talks with Podpage creator Brenden Mulligan, Buzzsprout marketing head Alban Brooke, and more. New to PMU? Take it for a spin with a free trial.

Dynamic Content: A Powerful New Tool from Buzzsprout

With Buzzsprout, it’s faster than ever to keep your podcast fresh — and your listeners up-to-date. The new 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.

For podcasters, this new tool 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?

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Here's what else is going on:

• Stage hand: Audio Up Media head Jared Gutstadt “believe[s] that musicals of the future will evolve from the world of podcasts.” Wendy Lee of the LA Times profiles the MGM-backed podcast production firm, which helps musicians create podcast musicals featuring their own work.

• Float on: Aria Bracci of Hot Pod profiles three ongoing pieces of audio art, including a live-streamed series of curated sounds titled Outside In. The immersive projects “speak right to you, with all the nuance and intimacy that podcasts typically bring, but reminding you that you’re not alone.”

• Party dip: When facing declining listener numbers, “it’s critical that you don’t panic.” James Griffin of Discover Pods has a five-step check for diagnosing the issue. An effective creator revisits their audience avatar regularly, he points out. “Nothing stays the same. Including audiences.”

• Plan ahead: On March 6, StreamYard and Blk Pod Collective will put on an all-day virtual event for independent creators. The Business of Podcasting Summit features workshops, panels, and expert speakers like Donald Albright (Tenderfoot TV) and Gary Coichy (Pod Digital Media).