PodMov Daily: Wednesday, June 2

Episode 442: Your Midweek Update

Taking On the Live Audio Monetization Problem

A new collective is betting that a shared podcast feed can solve live audio monetization. The feed will “round up the many social audio chats they’ve started, with plans to run ads across the collected feed,” explains Ashley Carman of The Verge. The group is led by Brian McCullough, a tech news podcast host.

The group of nine initial contributors will share SpaceCasts, “where they can publish audio they’ve recorded live across various social audio platforms, like Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces.” Anyone who publishes on it can profit from ad proceeds. Those interested in applying can get in touch here.

One member says that the feed will appeal to listeners who want ”a buffet of different topics.” Carman points out that social audio currently offers “no major, native way to make money off a show that’ll disappear the moment it ends.” With this model, monthly ad revenue will be distributed based on downloads.

PM21: First Keynote Speaker Announcements

This week’s update announces the first round of PM 2021 keynote presenters and fourth round of speakers. First off, we’ll welcome two returning favorites — and brilliant minds — to the Nashville stage: Edison Research SVP Tom Webster and Kate Erickson of Entrepreneurs on Fire and Kate's Take.

The third keynote of this round is an expert panel. “Podcast Veterans Share War Stories and Tips for Success” will be moderated by John Wordock (Cumulus Podcast Network) and feature Chris Colbert (DCP Entertainment), Paula Pant (Afford Anything), Joe Saul-Sehy (Stacking Benjamins), and Gaby Dunn (Bad with Money).

This next round of speakers will cover some fascinating topics, including podcast taxonomy, the science of interviewing, podcast creativity in Spanish, and companion shows in TV and film. In other news, we’re partnering with A Helping Hand to provide affordable onsite childcare. Read on for details.

Club TWiT: Ad-Free Podcasts for Serious Tech Fans

When Leo Laporte started This Week in Tech 16 years ago, he launched much more than a podcast. He created a community. Club TWiT, a new membership service from the TWiT Podcast Network, offers ad-free listening and watching for the tech enthusiast community.

For $7 a month, members get every podcast, the TWiT+ bonus feed with behind-the-scenes extras, and access to an exclusive Discord channel to talk tech (and anything on their minds) with other members, hosts, and staff. Club TWiT is about listening to outstanding shows like Security Now — and each other.

“We are from all over the world, living in different time zones with different backgrounds,” says a member on Discord. “Still, we all have so much in common and are connected via TWiT. I love it.” Ready to geek out? Join the Club.

Here's what else is going on:

• Thought leaders: Matriarch Digital Media is collecting data about BIPOC women in podcasting through an online survey, primarily focused on representation. This Friday, completed responses will be entered into one remaining drawing for a $50 cash prize. The survey closes on Sunday.

• Time’s up: Unpaid audio internships have long excluded applicants who can’t afford to work for free. In Hot Pod, Skye Pillsbury explores how standards are changing and what’s at stake. Journalism educator Carla Murphy sums up the status quo: “Exploitation is baked into the system.”

• Aim high: Dustlight Productions is accepting applications for a podcasting apprenticeship. The part-time position is a “paid pathway for POC, trans, and queer people with a passion for audio, but with little to no experience.” Applications close on June 30; the program begins August 1.

• Recommended reading: During the pandemic, Multitude founder Amanda McLoughlin feared for the future of the podcast collective and production studio. “Listener support made all the difference and helped us make the kind of art we want to see in the world,” she writes in the WSJ.