PodMov Daily: Tuesday, March 24

Episode 169: Testing, One Two-sday

How I (Remotely) Podcast: Brian Heater's Studio Adaptations

TechCrunch Hardware Editor and prolific podcaster Brian Heater is all about the face-to-face interview. “However, it has become increasingly clear that the option won’t be available for a while, as we adjust to this new normal.” Making the best of it, Heater shares his individual “best way forward.”

On a bright note, the experienced creator is able to give advice on a new topic. He’s been “playing around with video podcasts in earnest for the first time ever.” Beyond workaround methods like DIY lighting and a clip-on windscreen, it’s attitude that makes the difference.

“One of the things I’ve realized in all of this is that people are pretty forgiving. Expectations shift a bit when you can flip on CNN and see conversations with pundits on bad webcams through spotty Skype connections,” Heater reasons. “Suddenly a low-fidelity video podcast doesn’t seem so bad.”

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Bringing the Biopic to Podcasts: Tips and Tricks from Spotify

In the Spotify for Podcasters blog, Katie Ferguson focuses on tips and tricks for making a compelling biography series that brings new life to its subject. “While it’s a relatively new genre in the audio space, it’s becoming increasingly clear that we are entering the era of the biopod.”

From Dolly Parton’s America to Slate’s Slow Burn, “the rise of biographical podcasts shows no sign of slowing down.” Ferguson spoke with several expert creators including Matt Nelson, the senior producer of the Gimlet hip-hop retrospective Mogul.

Nelson’s account of the biographical process digs into building a narrative arc, working with archival tape, and how to immerse oneself in a subject’s surroundings: “I need to understand the main character, but I also needed to understand the world.”

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Couples-in-Quarantine: An “Oddly Soothing” Genre of the Moment

The subniche is having a necessary moment. In Fast Company David Lidsky takes a look at the “oddly soothing emerging subculture of couples-in-quarantine podcasts.” Lidsky, who admits an “extreme devotion to podcasts,” tracks the multigenre trend of cathartic pop-ups.

Kumail Nanjiani and his wife and writing partner Emily V. Gordon put out Staying In with Emily and Kumail last Thursday. Meanwhile, comedian and prolific podcast presence Paul F. Tompkins and his wife, Janie Haddad Tompkins, launched the “hopefully” limited series Stay F. Homekins.

Embrace the chats “about workouts, diet, fashion, relationships, and internet culture,” Lidsky says, turning to best-friends bantercasts like How Long Gone. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s the point: The couples-in-quarantine podcast should be a respite, not a resource.”

I’ve made a really helpful change to my podcast workflow. For about 4 years, I write each episode over the course of a week, then filed it away until the week before it would be released, when I would then record it, publish it, and prep for launch in one long busy day. /1

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) March 20, 2020

Happy Tuesday, readers, and here's to consistent improvement. Do you find yourself struggling with marathon recording sessions? Lore creator and masterful freelancer Aaron Mahnke recently shared a workflow adjustment that keeps recording “fresh and fluid” by breaking up tasks.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Picking teams: The Podcast Host explains how audio can help organizations avoid an internal “drop in engagement and connection” during periods of remote work. Colin Gray details how remote team podcasting has worked for others, noting its flexibility across industries.

• Mind reader: The New York Times has acquired Audm, reports VentureBeat. Audm is a “subscription audio platform that uses professional narrators to transform long-form written articles into the spoken word.” Several recent pieces have offered the aural option.

• In focus: Source of the Week is a curated database from NPR designed to increase source diversity in public media. Need a niche or local expert? Search nearly 400 professional profiles from underrepresented groups to find the right guest or source for your podcast.

• Take five: The new iPad Pro has five studio-quality microphones for capturing the quietest details, writes Saba Haider of Gadget Bridge. Its “combination of pro cameras, pro audio and the large display” could make it a “versatile mobile studio” option for podcasters.