PodMov Daily: Tuesday, April 13

Episode 406: Testing, One Two-sday

Marc Maron’s WTF Earns The Podcast Academy’s Top Honor

Marc Maron’s long-running WTF will receive the top accolade of the inaugural Ambies awards. The Podcast Academy selected the show for the Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the “compelling impact they’ve had on the industry.” WTF will celebrate 12 years of iconic interviews this fall.

Producer and co-creator Brendan McDonald will accept the award alongside Maron. “It’s a genuine honor to be recognized by our peers as a major influence on the podcast medium,” they said in a joint statement. “The show has evolved into what it is now through our persistence, creativity, discipline and curiosity.”

164 nominees will be up for honors at The Ambies, streaming live from Los Angeles on Sunday, May 16 at 5:00 PT. Fun fact: Most WTF episodes are recorded nearby in Maron’s home garage, also known as “the Cat Ranch.” WTF has over 6 million monthly downloads and spans more than 1,200 episodes.

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True-Crime Podcasts, Ethics Questions, and Mental Health 

The problem with true-crime podcasts is where to draw the line, writes Hannah Verdier of The Guardian. “Is this investigative journalism or is it exploitation of real people?” Verdier looks at the genre’s most controversial territories, namely its treatment of victims and notorious focus on the shock factor.

On the listener side, Psychology After Dark co-host Jessica Micono recommends moderation. As a forensic psychology professor, she tells VICE that persistent hypervigilance has become a complex side effect of the true-crime diet. Verdier suggests we seek out crime shows that focus on motive rather than means.

Welcome to Your Fantasy, about Chippendales in the 1980s, earns special praise: “The difference here is that this podcast has such cracking characters it doesn’t need to rely on bloodthirsty scene-setting and over-the-top descriptions of murder.” (Curious? Check out our interview with its host, Natalia Petrzela.)

Ramsey Call of the Day: 10 Minutes with Money Experts

For nearly 30 years, money expert and national radio host Dave Ramsey has delivered life-changing advice to listeners. With the impactful podcast Ramsey Call of the Day, 10 minutes is all you need to get quality, common-sense guidance when you need it the most.  

Every weekday, you’ll hear from experts like Dave Ramsey, Ken Coleman, Rachel Cruze, Anthony ONeal and Dr. John Delony. Callers into the show have challenges just like yours — tune in for timely solutions you can trust.

Whether it’s knocking out debt or dealing with loss of income, Dave’s team inspires real people to overcome real concerns. Ready to build a more confident future in 10 minutes a day? Subscribe to Ramsey Call of the Day wherever you get your podcasts.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Video chat: Today at 4:30 pm PT, Acast will be hosting an Instagram Live session about podcast communities, growth, and listener engagement. Liv (Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!) and Katy, Acast’s Community Manager, will dig into strategies like books and Patreon memberships.

• Hide < seek: Podcast keyword research is all about search intent, explains Gavin Stevens for Captivate.fm. Exact search terms aren’t as pivotal as they used to be. Stevens outlines his strategies for picking a topic, identifying search intent, and applying it to content creation. 

• Support system: The Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund application deadline has been extended to May 1. Launched by Lantigua Williams & Co., the Fund will disburse at least $20,000 annually to help cover media awards submission fees for QTBIPOC independent audio producers. 

• Triple scoop: Glow.fm, a podcast monetization platform, is Libsyn’s third acquisition this year after AdvertiseCast and Auxbus. Podcasters on Libsyn will be able to charge for premium content, as well as accept payments. Glow founder Amira Valliani joined Libsyn’s The Feed to discuss.