PodMov Daily: Monday, August 17

Episode 265: Your Monday Mix

Misha Euceph: A Renowned Podcaster's Rise to the Top

“Misha Euceph went from pursuing a career in law to being the producer of The Michelle Obama Podcast,” writes Amanda Cupido of Timber Media. “It seems like quite the leap, but it’s the result of years of a certain mindset: taking risks, prioritizing creativity and not following the beaten path.”

Euceph’s critically acclaimed audio work started in 2017 with Beginner, a show about her experience as a Pakistani-American immigrant. Since then, the host, writer and producer has shot to the top (and delivered an outstanding keynote at PM Evolutions). Euceph tells Cupido about the strong creative approach that led to partnership with the former First Lady.

Podcasters have much to learn from Euceph’s rich and empathetic audio style. “Every podcast should have a distinct sonic identity – it should reflect the mood and tone and feel,” she says. “Not enough people are thinking about sonic identity and how to distinguish one show from another.”

Buzzsprout: A 2020 Guide to ‘Podsafe' Music Sources

Music licensing is notoriously tricky for podcasts, partially due to unclear (and changing) rules. Among free and affordable options, which sources are truly legitimate? Buzzsprout offers a helpful guide to their favorite ‘podsafe’ services and debunks common myths around using copyrighted content. 

What if a podcast plays fewer than 10 seconds of a song? What if a song is copyrighted but the podcaster intends to claim ‘fair use’? Both scenarios can land you in legal hot water, regardless of length, intent, or monetization. “It's illegal to use copyrighted music on your podcast — full stop.”

Royalty-free, Creative Commons, and public domain music are your safest bets by far. This article defines each category and its use, followed by seven free sources and three paid. There are free and expansive libraries on the list, including creative treasure boxes like Incompetech and CCMixter.

Happy Monday, readers, and thanks to WOC Podcasters for sharing the podcasting wisdom of Keisha “TK” Dutes, executive producing consultant for Hear to Slay. Enjoy!

Here's what else is going on:

• Nuova coloratura: The first opera released as a serialized podcast, The Electronic Lover is set at the dawn of the internet. Librettist Beth Lisick and composer Lisa Mezzacappa tell KQED about the three-year development of the project, which centers around early chatrooms.

• Balance beam: We've a ways to go toward normality, says Tom Webster of Edison Research. “When podcasting is truly ‘normal,' there are multiple Rogans at the top of our chart, with multiple, mainstream hits fighting over tenths of a share, as they do in television.”

• Paper trail: Spotify is seeking a head of audiobooks, reports Geoff Weiss of Tubefilter. Unsurprisingly, the role will oversee direct competition with one of Amazon's Audible initiatives: “licensing third-party audiobooks as well as developing original content for Spotify.”

• Open door: The CEO of Worklodge, Podcast Movement’s home base, has launched a podcast. On The Mike Thakur Show, Thakur discusses business, humanitarian work, and his “mission to change lives through entrepreneurship and sustainable social enterprise.”