PodMov Daily: Wednesday, June 1

Episode 656: Your Midweek Update

Megaphone’s 10+ Hour Outage Was an Expensive Oops

Megaphone’s 10+ hour podcast outage was an expensive oops: Spotify failed to renew the hosting platform’s security certificate. A valid SSL certificate is required for a secure connection between a server and device. While no tech company is immune to mistakes, the length of the outage was a surprise.

At the seven-hour mark, Podnews editor James Cridland estimated that over $600,000 of revenue had been lost. Megaphone-hosted shows were entirely unavailable, costing creators countless downloads. On the platform since 2018, Locked On Vikings host Luke Braun told The Verge: “It seems like a brain fart.”

Round Two from the Pro-Democracy Podcast Coalition

The nonpartisan Pro-Democracy Podcast Coalition has launched its second campaign. For the next several weeks, participating podcasts will run powerful, (again, nonpartisan) messages on their shows “to give listeners actionable tools to protect free and fair elections ahead of the 2022 midterms.”

Coordinated by Jody Avirgan (30 for 30, FiveThirtyEight), the initiative was first launched early this year by RepresentUs. Messaging has reached more than 1.6 million people so far. The partnership currently consists of 13 podcast networks, including Radiotopia from PRX, Pushkin Industries, and Sonoro Media.

The aim is to support American election workers facing threats and harassment. “The messages that our hosts recorded were passionate, convincing, and I think will cut through the noise to let listeners know that yes, this is a perilous moment,” Avirgan says. “But there are things we can all do to fix it.”

Nomono: Professional Field Recording, Simplified

Field recording can get complicated – no one knows better than podcasters. Nomono simplifies recording, production, and collaboration for creators on the move. Completely wireless from microphone to cloud, Nomono’s self-contained recording kit takes the hassle out of making great content.

The Wi-Fi enabled Nomono Sound Capsule combines four ultra-compact lavalier mics with a 360-degree spatial audio microphone array. With automatic backup, full mobile app controls, and advanced processing capabilities, it’s a broadcast journalist’s dream. Best of all, it weighs less than four pounds.

Nomono’s companion cloud service and web app make team organization effortless. (Explore for free in public beta to see the magic in action.) Ready for projects that move faster and sound better? Designed and manufactured in Norway, hardware will be available soon in the Nordics, US, UK, and EU.

Here's what else is going on:

• Brief affair: Podcasts will be officially removed from Facebook tomorrow. The timeline was reported by Ashley Carman of Bloomberg a month ago, along with the news that Facebook doesn’t plan to notify listeners. Now’s the time to poke your feed-scrolling audience like it’s 2010.

• The trimmings: “The Art of Dialogue Editing” from Radio Boot Camp is this Sunday, June 5. Peabody Award-winning engineer and producer Michael Raphael will help podcasters sharpen their ears and learn to decide with confidence what to cut and what to keep. $100 registration.

• Press pass: “Audio Storytelling from a Broadcast Veteran” is this Tuesday, June 7. Podbean will host journalist Ben Merens, a Wisconsin Public Radio host for 21 years. He’ll dig into storytelling skills like active listening and answer audience questions live on YouTube. Free registration. 

• Talent show: “Narrative Interviewing” from Dustlight Productions is coming up on June 12. In a hands-on workshop, Arwen Nicks (California Love; Tell Them, I Am) and Ariana Gharib Lee (Invisibilia) will dissect the art of making a podcast guest shine. $75 registration; assistance available.