PodMov Daily: Monday, November 25

Episode 94: Your Monday Mix

100 Episodes Later: Lane DeGregory on the Lessons of WriteLane

A weekly podcast about writing was far from what Lane DeGregory had in mind. The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at the Tampa Bay Times was drawn to developing a show around a “murder story,” but the media team at Poynter had fortuitous plans.

Just under 2 years later, WriteLane has reached its 100th episode, and “listeners in over 40 countries have downloaded the podcast more than 50,000 times.” DeGregory and co-host Maria Carrillo’s conversations span “finding story ideas, interviewing, taking notes, writing leads and endings and everything in between.”

Reflecting on the show’s learning curve and rewards, DeGregory shares wisdom for beginners and professionals alike. Among our favorites: “Don’t sweat it like you do a story you’re about to publish […] If it’s too perfect, it just wouldn’t feel right.”

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Companion Podcasts: TV's ‘Sweet Spot' for Effective Brand Extension

“Never mind cranking TV shows out of podcast IP,” writes Manori Ravindran for Television Business International. “The real sweet spot in the audio world today is the companion podcast, with broadcasters increasingly commissioning audio production ventures for these popular brand extensions.”

Tim Hammond, executive director of audio production giant Listen, explains the recent boom in companion audio as a “cheaper, more effective way of expanding a brand’s footprint.” No longer “a last-minute add on,” podcast funding is being earmarked in production budgets from the beginning.

Hammond’s take: “Right now, podcasts are becoming a thing to talk about because broadcasters are beginning to understand the creativity behind it and the potential to commercialise the sector.”

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Inside Podcasting: Apple's Nat Geo Podcasting Hire

Apple’s plan to start funding original podcasts has become clearer with word of a heavy-hitting hire. Inside Podcasting reports “unofficial news” that the company has hired Emily Ochsenschlager.

After over 15 years as a producer and editor at NPR, Ochsenschlager has been serving as National Geographic’s director of podcasts. Apple Podcasts has been a dispassionate platform for hosting and distribution, but a more hands-on strategy looks certain at this point.

“According to a source, the move is ‘the first of many [content hires] for them in the coming weeks,'” writes Skye Pillsbury. “This development appears to support a story Bloomberg published last summer, which claimed that Apple ‘plans to bankroll original podcasts to fend off rivals.'”

Happy Monday, readers, and thank you to Elena Fernández Collins for their most recent Bello Collective audio fiction roundup.

Whether you’re listening on a holiday road trip or chilling at home, may these recommendations entertain and inspire your week.

Cheers,
Team PM

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Here's what else is going on:

• Bullet points: Computers are essential in audio production, but “an analog solution should be in your podcaster tool kit.” The Podcast Host makes a strong case for pen-and-paper bullet journals, which help creatives of all kinds “plan projects, get inspired, and stay focused.”

• Human rhythm: Dr. Trevor Harvey at the University of Iowa has been podcasting for 5 years. Ethnomusicology Today, recorded and edited by students, explores “the musical forms of specific cultures to better understand songs by by examining them “‘as a social process.'”

• Cash cache: Sizing up Spotify’s ambitious audio strategy, The Hollywood Reporter’s Natalie Jarvey speaks with content chief Dawn Ostroff and co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek about “recruiting Jordan Peele, Mark Wahlberg and the Obamas in a race for scale with Apple and Amazon.”

• New territory: Behind schedule and under investor pressure, “Chinese podcasting and audio book startup Ximalaya FM is seeking an initial public offering (IPO) in the U.S. next year, initially planning to raise $500 million to $1 billion,” reports Caixin Global.