PodMov Daily: Tuesday, October 1

Episode 55: Your Newsday Tuesday

UK Podcasting: Full of Barrier-Breaking Talent

This year’s London Podcast Festival revealed to local Emily Whalley that her podcast diet was “overwhelmingly American.” The event broadened the author’s horizons, and the rest of us should consider the same.

Whalley thoughtfully dives into the state and context of British podcasting, detailing its bureaucratic barriers and creative triumphs. BBC Sounds, launched in 2018, has grown to display the network’s significant increase in financial support.

Other factors include “ever-improving monetisation opportunities for independent shows,” more platform options, and more transatlantic collaboration. We highly recommend this celebratory meditation on “truly inventive and uniquely British podcasts.”

Spotify Users Can Finally Add Podcasts to Playlists

Spotify has announced a long-anticipated (some would say overdue) new feature: Users can now add podcasts to playlists. TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez reports that playlists can include both music tracks and podcast episodes.

Rather than using the feature for keeping up with new episodes, its manual process “makes more sense for curating a set of podcasts around a theme, or preparing yourself to binge your way through a few programs on a long commute or road trip.”

Just like music playlists, podcast lists can be shared. Creators will surely compile and share lists meant to introduce new listeners or highlight standout episodes. While the building feature is “mobile-only for now,” custom playlists can still be streamed on desktop.

Podcast Onramps: Show New Listeners Where to Start

When a potential listener discovers your show, where and how will they choose to begin? The newest episode? The very first? To get some insight on where newcomers tend to jump in, Dan Misener and the team at Simplecast used the platform’s Unique Listeners metric.

They examined data from the back catalog of Hackable?, an original podcast from McAfee, to find where first-listens have spiked. The lesson? Take control of that introduction. It’s critical to establish an entry point, or ‘onramp,’ that guides new listeners into the experience.

One easy solution is to create a “best of” or “start here” playlist, as This American Life and Reply All have done. Another is to reevaluate your trailer, considering how well it entices newcomers. Hold their interest with a memorable, red-carpet experience.

The Best Medicine: International Podcast Day at Reply All

Happy Tuesday, readers, and thanks to PJ and Alex of Reply All. Because no one had more fun on #InternationalPodcastDay than these guys, enjoy this moment of zen.

Cheers,

Team PM

Here's what else is going on:

• Metric system: The tech team at PRX highlights 5 features of Metrics, its “in-house data platform that allows producers to see the impact of and audience for their stories.” The privacy-first program empowers creators with instant data updates, aggregated downloads, and more.
• Temple of boom: The trusty boom arm is the most popular way of mounting microphones in podcasting. The Podcast Host gives the rundown on this “convenient, flexible” tool, suggesting budget and premium arms. Also, Blue Yeti users will learn how to mount their USB mics.
• The chosen: The winners of the 2019 People’s Choice Podcast Awards were announced on the International Podcast Day livestream, available on video here. Congratulations to Today, Explained on its win in the Politics & News Category, and to all nominees.
• Streaming strong: The French music streaming service Deezer has seen “a 250% growth in podcast usage on its platform” in 2 years. Preparing to expand further, the company has partnered with Libsyn, Ausha, Podomatic, Blubrry and Simplecast, with ‘tech updates’ from Audioboom and Voxnest.