PodMov Daily: Friday, October 22

Episode 526: Week Download Complete

Spotify Expands Video Podcasting to Anchor

Podcasters on Anchor can now apply to publish video content to Spotify. The new tool is being rolled out gradually beginning with “key creators,” reports Sarah Perez of TechCrunch. Interestingly they’re not all podcasters; some are video creators whose work will be categorized as ‘podcasts’ for the first time. 

Creators will be able to monetize video through podcast subscriptions (Spotify suggests paywalling video episodes), and soon through automated Ads by Anchor. Waitlist priority will be given to “easily backgroundable” content, meaning that someone could stop watching but continue listening and “still receive value.”

As Perez points out, this expansion follows YouTube’s plan to hire a podcast-focused executive. Anchor’s video page spells it out: Spotify is intent on crushing YouTube’s reputation as the discovery frontier. “By adding video, we are ensuring that regardless of what someone is looking for, they can find it on Spotify.”

Vox Engineers a “Gorgeous” Visual Podcast

Vox has built a visual way to experience podcasts, writes Sarah Scire of Nieman Lab. More Than This is “accessible to deaf audiences — and gorgeous.” Inspired by a musician who lost her hearing in college, the branded series was executed by a team of engineers, graphic artists, and UX designers.

The idea was to create an immersive transcript by “translating the emotions, pacing, and atmosphere of the podcast into a visual medium.” Scire includes samples that look like pages from a graphic novel. Illustrations are mixed with dialogue and sound descriptions, set in different fonts and sizes around the frame. 

Accessibility activist JamiLee Hoglind, a consultant on the project, expects More Than This to lead a trend in audio. “It’s sacred to discover an authentically accessible podcast that is engineered, designed, and created…for approximately over 400 million of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people globally.”

Crello: Make Outstanding Podcast Graphics in Minutes

Crello for Podcasters is a graphic design platform making beautiful, engaging visuals easy to create — design skills optional. With a powerful online editor and ever-growing library of millions of assets, it’s never been faster to make your show’s first impressions outstanding.

A fresh brand aesthetic is essential from social media posts to pitch decks. Crello offers hundreds of free, fully customizable templates for every touchpoint. There's no need for payments or installs, and getting started is instant. Simply pick a professional-quality template and customize it right in the browser.

With Crello, visual and marketing strategies go hand-in-hand. For inspiration inside and out, you’ll find creation, monetization, and branding tips from top podcasters. Ready to make your show look as great as it sounds? See what’s possible on the web, iOS and Android.

Here's what else is going on:

• House blend: What’s your show like? According to Karen Burgess, a show’s Values are “the most magical element in the alchemy of great podcasting.” The Pacific Content executive producer has a two-step formula to make your target audience fall in love. (PS: Thanks for the shoutout!)

• Ghost toast: On October 28, Pod People’s “Sound Design Summoning” will celebrate sonic spookiness with a foley artist and a digital sound designer. All are welcome to score a 30-second short story, listen to others’ creations, and vote for their favorites at 7:00 pm ET. Free registration.

• Center stage: The third annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival is coming up November 13-14. The virtual event will feature a variety of panels, workshops, live shows, and exhibitor booths focused on the Black podcast and audio space. Explore the speakers, schedule, tickets, and more.

• Stay fresh: Podchaser’s new community-based features include Super Reviewer Badges, an updated navigation panel, and a top-50 leaderboard ranked by reviews, ratings, and followers. Meanwhile, Headliner’s free tier now includes automatically created videos for any platform.