PodMov Daily: Thursday, March 25

Episode 398: Your Thursday Podthoughts

How to Stand Out: Industry Experts on Better Podcasting

To stand out in a field of 2 million podcasts, a creator has to nail the recording, make a great narrative, and be heard. If you’re like most, step four is turning your side gig into a job. Engadget editor James Trew consulted the experts in each area, extensive insight from specific tools to scenic construction.

As the Head of Editorial for Podcasts at Spotify, Carmen Dukes is the one to impress. “We look out for stuff that transports us to other places,” she says. “Whether that's hearing from an astronaut who went to space or hearing from, like, homeless people in Toronto. Take me someplace that I can't go.”

Trew asked Jesse Thorn, Founder of the Maximum Fun network, about “any ‘no nos’ — ideas that he wouldn’t consider.” A podcaster since 2004, Thorn had a quick answer. What does work? Concepts that are “repeatable ad infinitum,” a standard set by Maximum Fun anchor My Brother, My Brother and Me.

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Facebook Experiments with Live Audio, Clubhouse-Style

Facebook’s Clubhouse rival looks a lot like Clubhouse right now, reports Sarah Perez of TechCrunch. The product is still under development, but new screenshots from reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi show a live audio setup that’s “more of an extension of Facebook’s existing Messenger Rooms.”

The company confirms that the screenshots show “exploratory audio efforts,” and Perez notes that everything could change. Still, “the images at least help demonstrate how Facebook is thinking about live audio and where such a social experience could fit within Facebook’s existing app. And that’s worth considering.

Amid the early evidence, Perez concludes that Facebook’s habit of ‘reproducing’ features tells us plenty. (Instagram features have Snapchat and TikTok to thank.) “It doesn’t have to launch a new app to counteract the Clubhouse threat, it just has to launch a place for people to use audio on Facebook.”

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:

• Double scoop: We just hit 2 million shows in Apple Podcasts, observes Podnews. As of last evening, the total number of ‘valid’ shows was 2,004,462, and 5,240 were added the previous day. The 1 million mark was reached last April. Podcast Industry Insights courtesy of Daniel J. Lewis.

• Charge it: In other Clubhouse-related speculation, what happens when it runs out of money? Shoshana Wodinsky of Gizmodo considers what a consumer cash-out could look like. “As its exclusivity steadily drains, another finite resource may soon become limited, post-pandemic — our time.” 

• Dial tone: As former BBC producers, the hosts of Thank You Next created the equivalent of ‘station sound’ for their podcast. Custom IDs and an opener go a long way, says Raj Pander. “I think it really helps give the podcast a bit of brand identity — and also helps me majorly with the edit.” 

• Audio rodeo: Women’s Audio Mission’s WAMcon 2021, an interactive recording arts conference for women and gender diverse people, will take place virtually on April 24. Speakers include award-winning producers, engineers, and artists from Nashville, TN. Event registration is $15 – $25.