PodMov Daily: Tuesday, May 10

Episode 642: Testing, One Two-sday

How to Podcast a Hot Take (If You Must)

First thoughts on a controversial topic may hurt, not help, a podcast. This week, Evo Terra surfaced the perfect Podcast Pontifications for this moment. “Write these ideas down on a sticky note and put it on your microphone, hopefully serving a quick sanity check before you hit record on that hot take.”

Building an audience while staying true to yourself is no easy feat. “So you might as well use that platform to further the causes you believe in, right?” Yes, within reason. Podcasters owe their audiences self-awareness and restraint, even when they feel the need to right a wrong or set the record straight.

Three questions to keep in mind are: Is this the truth? Is it necessary? Am I the right messenger? We’re all free to express an opinion on something, Terra says, but don’t assume your perspective needs to be shared. On a podcast, Twitter, or blog post inspired by Twitter, pot-stirring rants are hard to erase.

The Podcast Partnership Database is Growing Fast

More than 250 podcasters have added their shows to Tink Media’s Podcast Partnership Database since it launched on April 8. Founder Lauren Passell (Podcast the Newsletter, Podcast Marketing Magic) designed it to help independent creators set up promo, feed, and guest swaps to grow their audiences together.

“I go in every morning and search tags for the show I'm focused on, then check the download numbers to make sure we can arrange a fair swap,” Passell says. “There's such diversity here — from small niche shows like As We Eat, a podcast about food memories, to larger shows like Endless Thread and Into America.”

Each entry includes information about size, what kind of partnerships the show is pursuing, and helpful tags. In order for the database to work, Passell encourages podcasters to check back often to see what’s been added. If she gets her way (we think she will) the database will be 500 shows strong by June 1.

Swell: Where Short Audio Meets Great Conversations

Swell is a new platform offering the best of social audio with none of the noise. Posts up to five minutes long bring short conversations and interviews directly to a growing community. Podcasters use Swell like bloggers use Twitter – it’s the perfect way to share, engage, and grow your audience.

Unlike live-only platforms, Swell is asynchronous. Anyone can listen to your posts and reply with audio, anytime. With no need to schedule, spontaneous thoughts can reach a wider audience. You can even moderate speakers and replies to keep your conversations on-track. 

Swell is full of interesting people discovering new content. It’s free, fun, and flexible: Your dedicated page and embed widget let you share off-app, without limits. Ready to make great audio in small packages? The world is listening.

Here's what else is going on:

• A toast: Futuro Media and PRX have won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting for Suave. Executive produced by Maria Hinojosa, the podcast series is “a brutally honest and immersive profile of a man reentering society after serving more than 30 years in prison.” Huge congratulations!

• On display: “How to Create a Pitch Deck and Budget” from Radio Boot Camp is tomorrow at 12:00 ET. Allison Behringer (Bodies) will lead podcasters through a three-hour interactive workshop on packaging an idea for funding and distribution. $125 registration, 15% off with code “pitchdeck.”

• Extended stay: Tomorrow at 4:00 pm ET is “Editing Long-Form Podcast Content” from Podcasting, Seriously. Monica Lopez, the senior editor at LWC Studios, will join the weekly Twitter Spaces meetup to discuss editing tips and techniques for the long haul. No account needed to join.

• Power move: This Friday at 4:00 ET is “Pro Tools Special Effects” from Dustlight Productions. In the hands-on workshop, producer Stephanie Cohn will teach the basics of plugins, how to better layer sounds and effects, and Pro Tools tricks to make sound designing easier. $50 registration.