PodMov Daily: Tuesday, April 5

Episode 618: Testing, One Two-sday

Why a Spotify Podcast Union Is Ready to Strike

At least 96% of Parcast Union members have signed a pledge to strike. This podcast staff walkout would be a first for Spotify, report Bloomberg’s Ashley Carman and Josh Eidelson. Final contract negotiations happen tomorrow, ending a year-and-a-half-long struggle over crucial items like minimum pay.

“We need a contract now because we do the work, and we do it without fair compensation, protections, or a say in the diversity of our workplace,” explains content writer Alex Garland, one of several members making a case on the union’s Twitter. “We love this industry but that means pushing it to evolve.”

Spotify’s new 2021 Equity & Impact Report touts “employee resource groups and mental health offerings.” Meanwhile, the team that makes hit shows like Brené Brown’s Unlocking Us is at a breaking point: “All we're asking is for proper compensation for the time and effort we put into each and every script.”

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A “Ridiculously Important” Editing Step, Often Overlooked

“Students think I’m out of mind but breaths are ridiculously important,” writes Rob Rosenthal. “Mess up the breaths when you edit and the person speaking sounds weird and off-kilter. Don’t believe me?” A narrative storytelling instructor for over 20 years, Rosenthal explains exactly how to prevent the problem. 

Listen to the clips (or better, the episode of HowSound that accompanies the article). When too many breaths are missing, the rapid-fire cadence is stressful to hear. Rosenthal provides clear visual examples with marked waveforms and step-by-step instructions. The “dreaded double breath” is saved for last.

For more tips on breath, we recommend this great dialogue editing guide by Robyn Edgar of Pacific Content: “It’s important to always make sure to listen back and ask yourself ‘does this sound natural?’ because you want your audience to hear what you’re saying with your podcast, not how it’s made.”

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Here's what else is going on:

• Center stage: This Thursday at 8:00 pm ET, PM President Dan Franks will join BIPOC Podcast Creators with an inside look at speaker proposals. He’ll walk through the selection process, share strategies, and answer questions. $35 regular admission and free for BIPOC Creators members.

• Weird wins: This Thursday at 7:30 pm ET is “Cracking Creativity,” a workshop from Pod People. Audio pros will cover tangible techniques to find your flow after a creative roadblock. “Bring a project of your choice – audio related or not – and be ready to try something different!” Free registration. 

• Knowledge=power: “A Primer on Podcast Legal Issues” from Radio Boot Camp is next Tuesday, April 12. Media lawyer Jonathan Lyons will discuss and demystify key concepts for podcasters: copyright law, IP protection, contract negotiation, fair use, publicity rights, and more. $100 registration.

• Outside in: A remarkable 19% of Wilderness category podcasts have a YouTube channel, according to Rephonic’s database. Other curious points from their new post: YouTube searches in Japanese for ‘podcast’ have recently surged, and searches in Ireland beat the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.