PodMov Daily: Thursday, September 24

Episode 292: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Podcast Maker Weekend: Worldwide Workshops from London

This Saturday and Sunday is the Podcast Maker Weekend, a diverse series of workshops that runs alongside the London Podcast Festival. Sessions will cover the art, craft, technology, and business of podcasting. Each will stay online for 72 hours after streaming to accommodate podcasters anywhere in the world.

This weekend brings together major voices as well as independent makers and production houses. On Sunday, Kathy Tu (The New York Times’ Opinion Audio, Nancy) and Avery Trufelman (The Cut, 99% Invisible) will present “How I Made This,” a masterclass in which each will talk through the creation of a favorite piece.

Designed for beginners and experienced creators alike, the Maker Weekend was started in 2017 by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Workshop tickets are à la carte and affordable. They’re ‘pay what you can’ starting at £2, whether you choose “Sound Design, Simplified,” “Audio Drama on a Budget,” or sign up for the whole roster.

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Spotify is Trying an Interactive ‘Polls' Feature for Podcasts

Spotify is beginning to test “Polls,” a new feature designed to make podcasts interactive. Listeners will answer questions posed by the podcast hosts during the show, writes Sarah Perez of TechCrunch. “The user can then answer the question and view how their answer stacks up with the rest of the listener base in real time.”

“Podcasts that support polls will only be able to feature one per episode, and each poll can only pose one question,” Perez explains. “A host could ask the audience to vote on who the next guest should be, or they could ask them to settle a debate that cropped up on the show.” The feature is in small-group beta testing.

A user has to participate in order to see a poll’s results. According to Spotify, the votes will remain anonymous. For that reason, Perez figures “the goal is not to accumulate individualized data on listeners” but to inform the host. Anonymous how, though? Finding new ways to accumulate that data is kind of Spotify’s thing.

Essential Insights: The 2020 State of Podcast Interview Study

Interview podcasts are growing faster than ever. Which platforms and styles are on the rise? Stay on top of key trends with The 2020 State of Podcast Interview Study, compiled from Interview Valet’s exclusive data. See the stats for 500+ guests on 20k+ interviews, reaching 50M+ downloads.

The category king of Podcast Interview Marketing, Interview Valet has the largest database of its kind. 2020 has brought massive change and new direction — find out just how much video has grown, the future of livestreams, and which major stat has risen 275%.

It’s smart to be prepared. This study was just released at the Podfest Global Summit, sharing expert insights with top industry voices. Platform competition is heating up (Preview: SquadCast has shot to the top) and talk trends are changing. Download for the inside view on interviews.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Lone ranger: The Norwegian news group Schibsted has spent the last year integrating podcast publishing into its editorial tech platform. Lucinda Southern of Digiday speaks with executives about the control afforded by an independent model, from analytics to advertising.

• Danger zone: “Good backup practices are essential to your sanity as a podcaster,” says Matthew Boudreau of The Podcast Host. He recommends securing audio files with the 3-2-1 method. That’s three copies, two local and one offsite. Automation simplifies the process.

• Not optional: Public media needs explicitly antiracist, antiprejudiced work protocols, writes radio producer Stephanie Foo. The stakes rise every day: “Audio is making more money than ever, and previously-tiny organizations are now ballooning to larger, richer corporations.” 

• Best coast: The L.A.-based hosts of Locatora Radio have built a community far beyond their podcast. Mala Muñoz and Diosa Rodriguez tell the LA Times about “creating a brand-new space, platform and project” for Latinx audiences. This article contains adult content.