PodMov Daily: Monday, August 26

Episode 30: Your Monday Mix

WWE to Launch Podcast Network with Endeavor Audio

Wrestling podcasts like Art of Wrestling and The Steve Austin Show have long been popular with fans, and WWE is prepared to enter the revenue ring. Endeavor Audio‘s entertainment studio has partnered with WWE to launch a podcast network. The wrestling conglomerate’s first foray into the audio space will include “Superstar-focused” series.

“Storytelling is at WWE’s core and we are eager to add the audio genre to our portfolio,” says Jayar Donlan, Executive Vice President, WWE Advanced Media. The move aligns with a firmly established podcast fan base. As Forbes‘ Joshua Dudley wrote in April, Steve Austin’s “‘oh hell yeah’ beer drinking, straight talk persona fits rights in” with the podcasting landscape.

“It feels like every wrestler out there has a podcast and has something to say,” Dudley observed. “Many of them have a passionate fan base and are an extension of the in-ring product that fans love to debate and talk about endlessly.” The show-franchise content interchange looms large.

Upcoming App PodSquad to Streamline Listener Engagement

Danielle Grace at WOC Podcasters interviewed John Lee, software manager and creator of PodSquad. “A podcast player that will enable listeners to communicate directly with podcasters via social media within the app,” PodSquad is designed for multitasking attention spans. Increasing listener engagement can be challenging for both hosts and audience.

“As I’d be listening to certain episodes, […] sometimes I wanted to react to the content I had just heard and talk back to the hosts right away,” Lee says. Integrated with Twitter, the app’s goal is to reduce “friction, effort, and time involved” for users to mentally switch from listening mode to “posting/commenting mode.” PodSquad is expected to be available in beta this September.

Listen up! Traveling Workshops in Detroit, Seattle, and Nashville

Detroit, Seattle, and Nashville readers: There are 5 days left to apply for Transom’s Winter 2019-2020 Traveling Workshops. Learn how to make audio stories with Rob Rosenthal, producer, teacher and host of HowSound. Scholarship information here.

Love,

Team PM

Here's what else is going on:

• The essentials: The London-based Refugee Journalism Project (RJP) supports “migrant, refugee and exiled journalists kick start their careers” in the UK. Monthly workshops and seminars develop “core skills and competencies.” The last course of the session: a masterclass in podcasting.
• Guest appreciation: Steve Pratt encourages podcast creators to think from their guest’s point of view. Personalized and shareable ‘thank you’ merch can go a long way, as shown by the producers of Three and a Half Degrees, a Facebook-branded podcast. Mega-budget not required.
• To the library: Forbes Library in Northampton, MA is just one of many (hey, NC, NY, and OH) offering free podcasting resources, workshops, and equipment rentals. Staff teach visitors how to get started, record, edit and more. Not just major cities; check your local spot.
• Driving the Auxbus: Creator Dan Radin discusses Auxbus, the recently launched “end-to-end automated podcast platform for creators.” Now with seed investment, Auxbus has 800+ users. It’s a guided experience with included resources that “builds and polishes” finished files.