PodMov Daily: Thursday, May 5

Episode 639: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Podcasters on Patreon Aren't Keen on Crypto

Most podcasters on Patreon would rather the service stay away from cryptocurrency payments. Its first-ever Creator Census gauged interest overall and by creative category. “Please don’t,” said 43% of all respondents, while 8% said the capability would be “crucial.” Among podcasters, those numbers are near identical.

When Patreon confirmed last October that it was ‘exploring’ crypto, some podcast creators heard concern from their patrons. Shortly after, Multitude Productions CEO Amanda McLoughlin put it this way to TechCrunch: “Any creator becomes like customer service and a representative for any of the services that you use.”

In the new census report, Patreon leadership says they’ve listened and learned. In a nutshell, “We’re not in the business of doing something new just because it sounds cool.” Tales from the Crypt-o (sorry) are just one small part of an interesting read – good for those who “don’t care,” like 34% of Patreon’s podcasters.

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Junk Marketing vs. Podcast Listeners’ Trust

Financial journalist Chuck Jaffe specializes in trustworthy advice. In 1,000+ episodes of his podcast Money Life, he’s helped listeners recognize bad-faith schemes. Now, he warns, podcasts are full of misleading messages — not just directly from hosts, but through sketchy affiliate and cross-promotional deals.

“I’ve found that marketers who offer the biggest affiliate payouts are trying to persuade bloggers and podcasters to hawk junk that’s bad for consumers,” Jaffe writes in The Seattle Times. While affiliate marketing itself is perfectly fine, many get-rich-quick hosts use it to endorse products or services they know little about.

Jaffe tells listeners to wise up about business motivations. Trust, but verify: “It’s one thing if your favorite podcast host makes a buck steering you to a site they believe in — where they think you can get real help — but another if their motivation is entirely the financial reward they get from your click-through.”

Swell: Where Short Audio Meets Great Conversations

Swell is a new platform offering the best of social audio with none of the noise. Posts up to five minutes long bring short conversations and interviews directly to a growing community. Podcasters use Swell like bloggers use Twitter – it’s the perfect way to share, engage, and grow your audience.

Unlike live-only platforms, Swell is asynchronous. Anyone can listen to your posts and reply with audio, anytime. With no need to schedule, spontaneous thoughts can reach a wider audience. You can even moderate speakers and replies to keep your conversations on-track. 

Swell is full of interesting people discovering new content. It’s free, fun, and flexible: Your dedicated page and embed widget let you share off-app, without limits. Ready to make great audio in small packages? The world is listening.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Group chat: NPR and LAist Studios have launched Oye: The Lab for Latinx Creators, a new podcast accelerator. Set to start in mid-July, the 6-week “blueprint to launch” program will provide a small cohort with guidance, equipment, and stipends of up to $2,500. Applications are due on May 25.

• On display: “How to Create a Pitch Deck and Budget” from Radio Boot Camp is next Wednesday, May 11. Journalist, creator, and producer Allison Behringer (Bodies) will lead podcasters through a three-hour interactive workshop on packaging an idea for funding and distribution. $125 registration.

• Dream date: Listen up, Bay Area. “Snappin’ on the Stoop: A Conversation with Glynn Washington” is next Thursday, May 12 at the KQED Podcast Garage in San Francisco. For a live taping of The Stoop, Hana Baba and Leila Day will host the king of Snap Judgment. The free event is in-person only.

• Bonus round: A third of podcasters on Patreon have custom names for their communities, which is more than any other type of creator. Also from the Creator Census report, one-time tipping is the most wanted potential feature. YouTube expanded that exact capability to more users last week.