PodMov Daily: Thursday, October 21

Episode 525: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Takeaways from Facebook's Podcast Team

On yesterday’s New Media Show Live, Libsyn’s Rob Greenlee and Blubrry’s Todd Cochrane spoke with two members of Facebook’s podcast team. The guests were Chelsea White, a Product Manager for ‘podcast core experiences,’ and Irena Lam, a Product Manager for the ‘creator ecosystem.’

Monetization details and podcaster participation numbers are under wraps, though Lam was able to answer a livestream viewer: Is Facebook considering hosting podcasts on its own servers? “No plans on this right now, we're just focused on supporting RSS feeds.” The hosts agreed, “That's good news for us!”

Other confirmations: The term ‘subscribe' will be used, pages do support multiple podcasts, and Messenger will support episode sharing at some point. Interestingly, podcast episode posts cannot be ‘boosted,' and podcasters cannot currently use Facebook ads to promote their shows on the platform.

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For a Stronger Podcast Edit, Cut the BS

How does a podcaster identify what’s truly worth keeping in a final episode? Documentary creator Doug Fraser (What We Do, The Pod Lab) digs into the hardest steps of editing — honestly, impartially ‘cutting the BS.’ He offers a set of questions to help neutralize personal feelings during the trimming phase.

“While editing, you’re bound to be uncertain whether you should make a change or not…It could be an incredible moment with the guest, but was it relevant?” If it’s tough to decide, Fraser suggests focusing on being concise. “The more disciplined we become in this stage, the more quickly we’ll get to a polished draft.”

Keep a few specific ideas to keep in mind when on the fence. Ask yourself, does this part/line/bite/sequence move things forward? Are you using 20 words when three will do? Above all, “create for expression, edit for impression”: For podcasters, outside feedback is often the key to learning what lands.

Short Audio, Big Impact: Jam's Creator Fund for Podcasters

Jam (Just A Minute) is a new platform for sharing and listening to short form audio. Jams are like shareable voice memos for your best content, from news to entertainment. Listen up, PM Daily subscribers: Jam is launching a second creator fund specifically for podcasters.

The creator fund is a perfect opportunity to stretch your creativity in a new format. As you build a new audience on the platform, shares grow awareness of your show. The benefits don’t stop there — successful applicants will earn up to $500. On Jam, great ideas come in small packages.

Podcast discovery is all about fresh ways to show your content to the world. Ready to make short audio with big impact? Find full details and introduce yourself at creators.jam.ai.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Quiz bowl: Why doesn’t Google have a larger market share among podcast listeners? For Podnews, Matthew Stevens of Q’d Up Audio observes two signs that Google is “testing the waters of combining the power of Google Podcasts and YouTube to make a run at top dogs Spotify and Apple.”

• Group chat: Naming your show’s fanbase can be an effective way to show appreciation, writes Natasha Lavender for SquadCast.fm. “Marc Maron’s WTF has What the F***ers, Failing Upwards has the Fail Gang,” and your editor may be a member of the Scam Goddess Con-gregation.

• Print preview: The New York Times knows it wants to expand its audio presence, writes Sarah Scire of Nieman Lab. “It just isn’t sure the best way to do it quite yet.” A new, dedicated audio app asks beta testers if they’d continue listening to one of their favorite podcasts behind a paywall.

• Label maker: Spotify has partnered with Shopify to add merch to artists’ profiles, reports Sarah Perez of TechCrunch. In beta, the feature will allow listeners to browse and buy items within the app. It’s unclear if podcasters count, but including them in a monetization loop can’t be far behind.