PodMov Daily: Wednesday, December 2

Episode 328: Your Midweek Update

Podcast Translations Competing for International Listeners

Last week, iHeartMedia and the Danish startup Podimo announced plans to translate and adapt popular podcasts into different languages. In Hot Pod, Nicholas Quah points out that the partnership “serves to restart” iHeart’s international interests. (Those Stuff You Should Know translations haven’t yet materialized.)

In the announcement, Podimo’s Chief of Strategic Relations emphasized the company’s “ultra-local on-the-ground presence in Latin America and Spain.” Forgotten: Women of Juárez will be the first to be adapted. Initial release will be in Spanish, distributed across 20 countries in Latin America as well as Spain and the US.

“Anyway, it’s worth interpreting iHeartMedia’s continued interest in podcast translations within a broader competitive context,” Quah says, citing Spotify’s adaptation initiatives in Indonesia, Mexico, Germany, and France. For iHeart, “introducing these podcasts to hundreds of millions of new listeners” is a time-sensitive goal.

Weekly Update: Free Resources and PM21 Specials

This week’s update lends a helping hand to podcasters of all levels. We’ve put together a list of Buzzsprout articles on topics ranging from places to get free music for your podcast to recording long-distance interviews. Check out the full resource list and get inspired.  

’Tis the season of giving, so we’re offering special Cyber Week rates for Podcast Movement 2021 this summer in Nashville, Tennessee. Attend in-person or virtually for keynotes, breakout sessions, and (as always) so much more. Register before Friday at midnight for the best possible deal. 

Want to get in the holiday spirit? Join the PM team and community members next Wednesday at 2:00 pm EST for the Home for the Holidays virtual meetup. Take part in open forums for general discussion or small groups for more niche topics. RSVP to let us know you’re coming. 

Buzzsprout: The Next Generation of Podcast Transcription

At Buzzsprout, innovation means progress. High-quality transcription and distribution should be simple. The new Transcription Toolset does just that. Not only do transcripts make your show accessible for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, there’s no better way to amplify your reach.

Transcripts make your content easier to find and repurpose, from social media to video. Buzzsprout’s intuitive tools offer four ways to add them: Temi integration, Descript integration, uploading an .srt file, or writing your own. With Buzzsprout, your definitive transcript is also included in your RSS feed. 

Transcripts within the RSS feed makes it easy for podcast apps, directories, and aggregators to access them. Currently distributing over 46,000 transcripts through RSS, Buzzsprout has been collaborating with the Podcast Index to benefit the whole space — building smarter tools for a better future.

Here's what else is going on:

• Embrace it: Tomorrow at 7:00 pm CT is the annual Happyish Holidays show from the award-winning podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking. Via livestream, creator Nora McInerny hosts a free evening of comedy, music, and voting on The Best of the Worst Holiday Stories. Registration required.

• Launch codes: Apple Podcasts has selected NPR’s Code Switch as its first recognized ‘show of the year’ in the US. It’s now been a leader in dissecting race, identity and culture for seven years. Episodes like this summer’s “A Decade of Watching Black People Die” have made global impact.

• Trophy case: Submissions for the first annual Golden Crane Podcast Awards are due this Friday before midnight PT. Presented by The Asian American Podcasters Association, the awards include recognition for youth creators. Winners will be announced in a live ceremony on December 29.

• Bee inclusive: The independent podcasting company BumbleCast has launched with “a goal of encouraging originality, diversity, and compassion in the podcasting space.” For five years, founder Eric Johnson produced the critically acclaimed Vox Media podcast Recode Decode with Kara Swisher.