PodMov Daily: Thursday, February 4

Episode 365: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Why It Matters: Joe Budden’s Move to Patreon Podcasting

Joe Budden’s podcast and network are now on Patreon, where he’s taken an advisory role as Head of Creator Equity. When he ended his exclusive contract with Spotify in September, he was one of the platform’s biggest names. Now, Budden tells Ashley Carman of The Verge that exclusivity is a “prehistoric” concept.

Creators are “uploading gold,” energy, and enthusiasm with little in return, says Patreon CEO Jack Conte. “This is about tech companies paying creators the minimum amount that they can get away with instead of paying creators what they’re actually worth.” A listener-supported model guarantees a fairer exchange rate.

Budden’s (very public) decisions highlight a wider rejection of how major platforms treat creators, Carman writes. “Patreon is setting itself up as the antithesis to exclusives — a place where podcasters can reward their most loyal fans while also benefiting from the freedom to do whatever they want with their show.”

Who’s Listening and Why? How to Understand Personas

Launched in April, Sina Sadrzadeh’s podcast The Millennial Entrepreneur reached over 40 countries by December. “Here’s the thing though — I have no clue who is listening and why they listen,” he wrote at the time. Sadrzadeh breaks down exactly how he solved that problem in four steps, inspired by his MBA studies.

“In reality, the customer persona understanding should sit at the core of everything — marketing strategy, product iteration, website/app creation, the list goes on,” the host explains. Unlike demographic segments, personas are about motivations and behavior. His next step was to reach out and ask the right questions.

Sadrzadeh is still “wildly surprised” that he’s made the entrepreneurship charts in multiple countries. However, he says that future growth (and future strategy) will be far less mysterious: “The importance of this exercise is that it introduced me to my listeners on a personal level — I understood them as people.”

Wise words from Paul Bae (The Big Loop, The Black Tapes) for anyone pitching, marketing, or just practicing their elevator speech.

Here's what else is going on:

• Welcome in: On Saturday at 2:00pm CT, Black Women Speak will present the first Black Women Speak Forum. The free, virtual event features a panel with Black Women professionals across the audio industry. The group will continue to host quarterly meetups and workshops.

• Twist, shout: Marketers have already ruined ‘social audio,’ says Edison Research SVP Tom Webster. “The overwhelming majority” on Clubhouse won’t be able to contribute. Why? “They aren’t good at the one skill that Clubhouse actually rewards: Pushing your way to the front of the room.”

• Math test: Spotify has tripled its podcast count to 2.2 million in the past year, reports Sara Fischer of Axios. Three years ago, fewer than 30 employees were focused on podcast production, said CEO Daniel Ek on yesterday’s Q4 earnings call. “That number is now closer to 1,000 people.”

• Quick fix: We’re often asked for tips on recording with Zoom. John Kiernan of Podbean explains how to capture chats from 2020’s luckiest platform. He covers MP3 conversion using iTunes and GarageBand, plus how (and why) to get a separate audio file for each participant.