My tip this week doesn't explicitly related to podcasting - We are all stressed. Find your escape, and lean into it - especially over the next week or so.
I'm recording this on Thursday, the final day of Podcast Movement virtual. While it's impossible to duplicate the in-person excitement of an event like this, the organizers did a great job under the circumstances. A couple additional takeaways:
Shante Holley did a nice session, The Gift of Transparency: Fostering Connections with Your Listeners. She talked about being real with your audience when life throws difficulties at you. This will create a bond with your listeners. I can attest to this - when my best friend was killed by a drunk driver in 2006, I went on the radio and talked about it. People called in all night. Be real. It's what made radio great, and why podcasting can be so powerful.
Late last week, Rob Walch from Libsyn echoed my sentiments that your podcast doesn't need video. According to Rob, ONLY 14 of the top 50 Aggregator Apps fully support Video, and ZERO of the Top 200 Episodes in Apple Podcasts are Video. (10/18/20)
Again, the power of an audio podcast is that it goes where video can't. Still don't believe me? NETFLIX is testing out an audio-only version that will let you listen to something on the go without actually watching it. https://www.protocol.com/netflix-testing-audio-only-mode
Speaking of conferences, PRX and Google Podcasts are partnering for a free one-day seminar called Podcast Recess, set for the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 21. https://hopin.to/events/audio-recess
iHeartRadio bought Voxnest, which owns the Spreaker platform. https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/iheart-purchases-spreakers-parent-company-voxnest/
Stitcher is redesigning its platform: https://routenote.com/blog/podcasting-app-stitcher-gets-a-redesign-with-useful-new-features/?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2020-10-27
The Athletic is now partnering with Megaphone for hosting and dynamic ads. https://podnews.net/press-release/athletic-megaphone?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2020-10-27
Shure has released a mid-price point microphone, the MV7, for $249.
I haven't tried it, but Forbes has a great review on it. It's got USB and XLR, it's a dynamic mic, software control, and you can even record into an iPhone or iPad with it. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2020/10/26/shure-has-created-a-classic-podcasting-microphone-and-its-a-real-thriller/#75468ce16e1b
As always, if you need help starting/launching your podcast, or if you have a podcast but don't have the time for a detailed edit, I'm happy to help. Find me on social @JAGinDetroit or on my website, https://jagindetroit.com/
You can also email me: jag@jagindetroit.com
I'm always happy to chat.
Welcome in. So my tip this week has nothing to do with podcasting. Really, it's all about an escape. It is an extremely stressful time. We're recording this on Thursday. You're probably hearing us on Friday. The election is Tuesday. Many of us on both sides, think that if the opposite candidate wins, it could be the end of days. Social media and cable news make it so much worse.
It's so easy to get sucked in. And of course you should pay attention because this is important stuff. But between that, and the fact that a COVID lockdown could be happening with COVID cases being the worst they've ever been, and most of the country about to go into cold weather where we can't do things outside and also just the fatigue from COVID, we're all tired of it and dealing with it. There is so much to be stressed out about. Find something to escape to. For me, it's been a couple of things. My wife and I love Hawaii. So we've been, binge-watching the reboot of Hawaii. Five-O .We have just gotten into season eight of 10. Yes. We are almost 200 episodes in since the beginning of the pandemic- at 42 minutes each.
And also, we got a dog in April and she is a little bit spoiled. She demands two, 2-mile walks every single day. That at least gets us out of the house, gets us moving and gets a little bit of fresh air. I don't know what that escape is for you. Ideally, it's something not in front of a screen. It could be yoga. It could be catching up with an old friend, but find an escape. This is going to be a really stressful week for all of us and you really need it.
As I said, I'm recording this on Thursday. It's the final day of Podcast Movement virtual. While again, it is impossible to duplicate how exciting and fun this event is in person,they really have done a great job with the event. A couple additional takeaways I'll hit you with today. I watched Shante Holley's session on The Gift of Transparency, Fostering Connections with Your Listeners. She talks about being real with your audience when life throws difficulties at you. Doing so and being a real person creates a bond with your listeners.
I've certainly experienced back in 2006, when my best friend was killed by a drunk driver. I went on the air and talked about it. People called in all night. It was one of the most spiritually fulfilling radio shows I ever did. Be real. It's what made radio great. And why podcasting can be so powerful.
Late last week, Rob Walch from Libsyn, one of the smartest people in podcasting, echoed my sentiments that your podcast doesn't have to have video. Now you can have it. If you have the bandwidth and the staff to do it. But according to Rob, only 14 of the top 50 podcast,aggregator apps fully support video, and ZERO of the top 200 episodes in Apple Podcasts are also simulcast as video. Again, the power of an audio podcast is that it goes where a video can't. Still don't believe me? Netflix is testing out an audio only version that's going to let you listen to something on the go without actually watching it. It's being tested with Android. The link in the show notes.
All right. I mentioned Podcast Movement. Speaking of conferences, PRX and Google podcasts are partnering for a free one day seminar called Podcast Recess set for the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 21st. Link to that in the show notes, as well as these three quick podcasting hits.
IHeartRadio has bought Vox nest, which owns the Spreaker platform. Stitcher is redesigning its platform. And The Athletic is now partnering with Megaphone for hosting and dynamic ads.
One final note. Shure, the microphone company, S H U R E. They make great products. I've used their SM 48 and SM 58 handheld microphones. They've been around forever. And right now I'm actually using their high-end microphone. The Shure SM7B. That'll run you about 400 bucks, but Shure has actually created a mid price point microphone. The cheap ones go for about a hundred, the expensive ones go for four or 500. This new mic called the MV7 goes for about $249. It's got both USB and XLR connections. You can control it in some cases with these Shure Motiv app, and you can even use it on iPhone and iPad to record.
It's getting great reviews. I've included a link to the microphone as well as a link to a review in Forbes. Again, I haven't tried it, but I'm hearing good things about it. Shure. if you're listening and would like me to review it on a future episode of this podcast and would like to send me one, you can certainly feel free.
Finally, thank you so much for listening to this podcast. Feel free to share it with a friend through social media or any other means. And if you need help with your podcast by information follows. Stay healthy and stay safe. And vote! Lata!