PodMov Daily: Tuesday, May 11

Episode 426: Testing, One Two-sday

Why Spotify’s Timestamped Podcast Sharing Matters

Spotify has announced timestamped podcast sharing, allowing users to send their social media followers directly to any part of a track. On Friday, Edison Research SVP Tom Webster called Facebook “the next great frontier” for first-time podcast listeners. The convenience of Spotify’s miniplayer makes it so.

A timestamped Spotify link is less convenient in at least two ways. The audio won’t follow you around, and it requires opening another app. On the other hand, it eliminates the time commitment (and potential disappointment) of an entire track. The same goes for Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and texts.

This one new feature may spread the frontier spirit. Say you’re interested in a scandalous hot take from X celebrity. 30 seconds after clicking the link, it won’t matter that you’ve never listened to a podcast before. After all, the heroes of YouTube are the commenters that post timestamps to the good parts.

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Mind the Gap: Audio Discovery and Consumption

According to Seth Resler, content discovery and consumption are much more distinct than we give them credit for. The digital strategist and 20-year radio veteran says the ability to ‘bookmark’ audio would go a long way. When we come across it, we’re often unable to drop everything and start listening.

In an indirect way, Spotify’s timestamp feature helps solve his issue with the Facebook miniplayer and social media sharing in general: “Nobody scrolls through their Twitter feed while standing in line at Starbucks, sees a link to a three-hour episode of Hardcore History, and starts listening right there.”

Of course, a timestamped link isn’t a bookmark. But say you’re interested in that same hot take halfway through the episode. If you have 30 seconds now, you don’t have to save the whole thing for later. Instant consumption encourages instant engagement, which may mean sharing with entirely new people.

The Ramsey Show: 1 Billion Downloads and Counting

Out of 2 million podcasts, only a handful have reached the 1 billion download mark. Now, The Ramsey Show is the fourth ever to earn the title. For 29 years on the air, financial expert Dave Ramsey has helped dedicated listeners navigate money and life. 

Each week, his impactful advice is trusted by millions and counting. “We’re teachers at the core,” said Brian Mayfield, Executive VP of Ramsey Network. “We’ve never seen anything grow the way the podcast world has grown, so we see tremendous opportunity there to continue to increase our audience.” 

Since The Ramsey Show began 15 years ago, callers have paid off a calculated $500 million. Ready for practical answers to the questions that matter most? Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

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Here’s what else is going on:

• You’re welcome: This Sunday, the inaugural Ambies Awards will be hosted by comedian and podcast host Cameron Esposito (Queery). The Podcast Academy has announced celebrity presenters including Kenan Thompson, Whitney Cummings, Asante Blackk, and Rainn Wilson. 

• Learning curve: Yvonne Ivanescu has written a great concept guide to pitching your podcast to the media. The Spreaker content strategist and podcast host (The Branding Lab) covers cross-promotion, sourcing journalists, crafting emails, and what makes a spammy pitch spammy.

• Secret shortcut: MusicRadar’s list of “non-obvious” audio editing tricks includes ripple editing, manual flex editing, and other DAW wizardry. Demonstrations are shown on Logic Pro X and PreSonus Studio One 4, though most functions and features exist on other popular DAWs.

• Sonic youth: The NPR Student Podcast Challenge has announced 27 finalists across middle and high school. Over 2,600 submissions from 47 states and DC took on sibling drama, identity crises, climate change, and more. Two grand prize winners will be announced in about a week.