PodMov Daily: Thursday, July 30

Episode 253: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Spotify Demos Shareable ‘Visual Quote Cards' for Podcasts

With yesterday’s premiere of The Michelle Obama Podcast, Spotify launched an on-brand demo feature: shareable quote cards. Ashley Carman of The Verge explains, “People in the test will be able to press play on the podcast, and colorful cards with quotes available to share will appear automatically.”

Unlike audiograms, these aesthetically slick squares focus “solely on words, not the audio,” Carman writes. “It also preselects quotes, so listeners can’t share specific segments that resonate with them.” Destinations include every heavy hitter of visual social media: Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter.

Gizmodo’s Catie Keck cleverly calls the feature “marketing-as-meme.” Each card links back to the episode, perpetuating that engagement cycle. As Carman points out, “Part of Spotify’s appeal for creators, or at least how it can differentiate itself, is how it assists podcasters in marketing themselves.”

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Overdub Launches: A Realistic Clone of Your Own Voice

Yesterday the audio word processor Descript released Overdub, “the first technology that enables anyone to create a realistic clone of your own voice.” James Cridland of Podnews took it for a spin. After four hours of practice input, he was able to record the day's Podnews intro via synthesized likeness. 

Descript claims 10,000 users on Overdub’s waiting list, and its “potential to change the workflows of podcasters, journalists, filmmakers and content creators of all types.” The company states that “You can only clone your own Voice.” While this new capability is exciting, privacy questions multiply as fast as technology leaps.

AI is truly narrowing the gap between typing and speaking. We know Cridland’s voice well around here, and the intro is undoubtedly close ― minimal robot funkiness. His reveal of the process sounds fun: “To train it with your voice, you read a short legal disclaimer, then as much of The Wizard of Oz as you can.”

Watch, Learn, Sound Great: Jason Levine’s Audio 101 Playlist

For podcasters, nothing beats quality audio and world-class tools. Jason Levine, Principal Worldwide Evangelist for Adobe, is passionate about teaching creators to sound incredible. Jason’s tutorials are famous for their enthusiastic, in-depth approach to technical skills at every level.

Formerly a full-time recording engineer, Jason has a ton of practical know-how. His 18-part learning series Audio 101 dives into multitrack recording, batch processing, Spectral Display editing, and more. Whether you pick a quick topic or enjoy the whole playlist, these videos will power up your podcast.

Adobe’s Creative Cloud is the ultimate choice for quality sound. Making sure podcasters get the most out of every feature? That’s what Jason does best. Audio 101 builds the foundations for your best work yet. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for live streams and expert advice.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Quick fix: When you monitor your sound, problems like background noise and interference can be dealt with in real time. Matthew Boudreau of The Podcast Host explains the ins and outs of studio monitors, applicable even if you're not recording in a formal studio.

• King me: In Discover Pods, Gavin Gaddis takes a helpful and entertaining look at 7 “overused” royalty-free songs. Licensing music is tough. Gaddis explains how these tracks, though familiar, can foster “the same vibe of wonder and excitement” in new context.

• Extremely cool: “Despite the fact that podcasting especially is extremely not cool,” says GQ’s Alex Siquig, pro basketball players have taken to the medium in droves. Behind this “unlocked door to brawny, garrulous NBA tenderness” are 11 recommendations.

• Third base: Jill Goldsmith of Deadline reports that Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek “made a three-pronged pitch” yesterday to Howard Stern. With Stern’s multiyear contract with SiriusXM expiring at the end of 2020, Ek is touting Spotify’s international appeal.