PodMov Daily: Thursday, July 16

Episode 243: Your Thursday Podthoughts

The Sandman: From Comic Series to Immersive Audio Drama

Neil Gaiman’s comic book series The Sandman is an undisputed giant of visual literature. One of the first graphic novels ever to be on the New York Times Best Seller list, the 1989-1996 dark fantasy epic has just been released as an Audible series. Jesse Schedeen of Imagine Games Network spoke with Gaiman to find out how.

The remarkable undertaking has been a long time coming. “Gaiman told us he and [British radio director Dirk] Maggs have been trying to adapt the comic into audio drama form for nearly 30 years,” writes Schedeen. This final product stars massive stage and screen talent, including Michael Sheen, James McAvoy, and Kat Dennings.

“This is the thing that you get now to experience in a way that you've never experienced it before, with live actors, with sound effects, with music,” Gaiman said. For the first time, he points out, The Sandman will be accessible as well. Tens of millions of copies later, a new audience can enjoy the magic as it was meant to be heard.

PM's Community Recap: SHIFT Sessions Now Streaming

This week’s community update covers Tuesday’s SHIFT virtual kickoff event for PM University. Beginning with a can't-miss conversation between Renay Richardson of Broccoli Content and Noleca Radway of Domino Sound, it was an outstanding day of sessions punctuated by yoga and games.

PM Evolutions emcee Matt Marr, co-host of 90 Day Gays, returned to present SHIFT with humor, insight, and style. The entire stream recording is available on on PM University — join 1,000+ members to access sessions on equality in the audio industry, remote recording, changing listening habits, and more.

Adobe Audition: Superior Software, World-Class Resources

For podcasters, Adobe Audition is the gold standard software for recording, editing, and mixing audio. Whether you’re just getting started or celebrating your 100th episode, Adobe has top-tier resources to help navigate the world of audio content production. Enter the Podcaster Survival Guide.

From Mark Edward Lewis of Cinema Sound, the comprehensive 50-video YouTube series covers four workflow chapters: Record, Fix, Edit, and Mix. With short, topical episodes, current and aspiring podcasters will learn every macro and micro detail for a polished mix with pristine sound.

Adobe Audition isn’t just a powerful audio workstation. It also has world-class educational resources that set podcasters up for success with world-class education. Ready to learn from the best? Check out the Podcaster Survival Guide and stay tuned for more resources in the next few weeks! #AdobeAudition

Here's what else is going on:

• Fruit fight: Apple is launching its own daily news podcast to compete with The New York Times' The Daily, reports Ashley Carman of The Verge. Apple News Today, hosted by two of the publication's editors, will be exclusive to the service and Apple Podcasts.

• Near home: NPR and Zeno Media have partnered to distribute 50+ NPR podcasts to diaspora listeners. Focused on serving immigrants around the globe, the Zeno.FM platform will provide popular NPR shows like Consider This across its multilingual user base.

• High score: The ESPN network now has 11 of the top 30 podcasts in the Sports category, according to Podtrac. Despite ongoing interruptions in professional sports seasons, ESPN shows were downloaded 42.7 million times in June — a 31% increase year over year.

• Bright lights: Radio Days Europe is accepting nominations for a timely new event. The Coronavirus Radio Ideas Awards will honor worldwide radio and podcasting pros who developed “creative and innovative ways to better serve their listeners” since this spring.