*Record Scratch* – who are we kidding? This is digital y’all. This ain’t no static image. But… Just one more thing…

Enter the realm of video podcasting – a digital revolution in its own right and our favorite medium for engaging an audience. But are they inevitable? Are they even podcasts?

Starting as an audio-only format, podcasts offered a hands-free way to consume content, whether you were commuting, exercising, or simply relaxing. Audio only because the iPods they were initially meant for had monochromatic screens. A far cry from the myriad of options we have available to us today, right?

However, as with most media, evolution is inevitable. Naturally, a significant shift has occurred, leading to the rise of video podcasts. This format, as the name implies, brings a visual element to what had always been audio first (if not audio only).

While the core principle remains the same, video taps into a more interactive, visually stimulating realm of content delivery.

The growth of video podcasting is not merely a trend but a testament to the changing dynamics of content consumption. People are no longer just listeners; they’re viewers, participants, and critics, all at once.

This dual format of auditory and visual content appeals to a more diverse audience, catering to their listening preferences.

But does this pollute and poison audio podcasts? Is adding video to podcasting healthy for our industry?

As we dive deeper into this topic, we’ll uncover the history, advantages, disadvantages, and the profound impact video has in today’s digital era.

A Brief History of Podcasts

There’s a solid chance if you’re on our site, you know this already. But for you young whippersnappers who have never known anything but video, here’s a brief look at our antiquated past.

At first, podcasts were just audio, meaning you could only listen. Podcasts first showed up on the scene as early as 2004 when the internet didn’t have the bandwidth for mobile streaming video, and devices didn’t have the storage to really carry much more than audio.

I mean, could you imagine how much cellular data you would be using watching live streaming video? That bill would have been enormous. The technology just wasn’t there. So we had this budding audio format that Apple created.

We still use the term podcast today, no matter how you’re listening or on what device. But just look at the term. It’s a mash-up of “pod” from the iPod and “broadcast.”So at the time, the only podcasts available were purely audio.

But as the internet got faster and better, video started to appear around the mid-2000s, and many creators were working in both mediums. It’s kind of like watching a TV show but on your computer or phone. In 2005, Apple did something big: they added podcasts to iTunes. iTunes was a place where people got their music, movies, and more. So, when podcasts, including video ones, joined the party, they got even more popular.

It got easier to find a podcast platform, remote recording became possible, and it was now easier to create videos.

As bandwidth on the internet increased exponentially, and especially on mobile devices with 3G, 4G, and 5G evolved, so too did video podcasts.

The Marriage of Podcasts and Video: Why it Works

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why are video podcasts becoming so popular?” The answer lies in the way we’ve evolved in how we consume media. If you are an audio-only podcaster, this question has become ever more existentially troubling.

It’s a bit like how we went from just reading books to watching movies; both have their own charm, but movies add a visual layer to the story. Audiences love video content.

People don’t read as much, and movie or television adaptations of underlying written material are more popular and profitable than ever.

Basically, the same thing here. As mentioned before, as bandwidth increased and recording video became more affordable, appealing to an audience’s love of visual stimulus was sort of the natural evolution. It allowed content creators to reach those who like audio as well as video. As of 2022, that’s most people.

An audio podcast alone doesn’t cast as wide a net.

The marriage of podcasts and video allows creators to reach a bigger potential podcast audience. Audience growth is the name of the game, right?

But making a great video or a successful video isn’t necessarily easy.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Podcasts

Podcasts have become a popular way for people to learn new things, hear stories, or simply be entertained. And while many podcasts are just audio, a growing number are also using video.

Video can be a double-edged sword when it comes to format choices. Your whole podcast setup has to change. So let’s look at the pros and cons of adding video to your podcasting plan.

Pros of Video Podcasts

Video certainly has some potential advantages that can’t be brushed off.

Visual Aids Support the Message:

This is one I’m “seeing” (yeah, I did it) a lot lately. I’ll be listening to a podcast in the car on a commute, and the host will reference something visual, or they’ll watch part of a video and tell the listener to “check out the video” to understand that part of the podcast episode.

Sometimes I think that turns the podcast audio audience into second-class citizens. But there’s no denying there are upsides to visual aids.

Let’s say you’re watching a podcast about how to make a cake. It’s much easier to understand when you see the steps in action, from mixing the batter to decorating the finished product. Visuals can clarify complicated topics or simply add more depth to a story.

We aren’t linking this, because, you know… think of the children. But…

Some shows lend themselves more to a visual aid. I want to see Elon smoke that joint on Joe Rogan, dammit. I don’t want just to hear him giggle and spout nonsense. I need to see that. Need.

Enhanced Engagement with Viewers: Have you ever heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? Video podcasting can be even more powerful… as illustrated by the Elon Musk example.

By seeing the host, viewers can feel more connected to the content. I think is one of the reasons why Joe Rogan has been as popular as he is. People know exactly what he and his guests look like. They can see the banter and interaction. It’s sometimes more intimate.

It’s like the difference between reading a book and watching a movie. Both are great, but movies can make you feel like you’re right there in the action.

Greater Social Media Potential: So much of social media is now video-based. Especially short videos. TikTok, YouTube (which we’ll address in detail shortly), Shorts, Facebook, and whatever Instagram is up to… the short video trend is exploding.

If you’ve already shot your podcast recording with video, it’s easy to edit out a snippet to share with the world and entice someone with a few seconds of video to come and consume the whole enchilada.

So, the video recording can be used for a whole host of additional marketing purposes above and beyond the primary show itself.

Cons of a Video Podcast

But it’s not always a bed of roses. Sometimes a video is no pleasure cruise. At all. There are several potential pitfalls when entering into a video adventure.

More Resources and Video Podcast Equipment: Audio requires some basic equipment: a good microphone, some recording software, and maybe some soundproofing. Really, you can get started for potentially a hundred bucks.

For video? You’ll need a whole lot more.

To record video, you’ll need cameras, lighting, maybe a backdrop, and more advanced video editing software. This can be pricier and trickier to learn. You may need some crew. And that’s just for an in-studio recording.

If you’re doing a remote interview on video, that’s a whole other ball of wax.

And bandwidth. When you’re using video, your hosting is likely going to get more expensive. Especially as your show grows. So even after you’ve invested more in your gear, you may have more ongoing costs associated with a video podcast.

Editing Takes Longer: Editing audio can be pretty straightforward. Audio podcast editing can be done on free software, you can cut out dead air and splice together takes seamlessly. It just goes a lot faster, and you can fix a lot of mistakes. “Fix it in the mix!“

But when you create a video, things get complex in a hurry. You need to sync the audio with the video, ensure good video quality, add visuals, and more.

You can learn a lot of the skills required for video editing these days on a platform like Udemy or Skillshare, but it simply isn’t as easy as audio. Video podcast software is akin to adding another dimension to your art.

Being on Camera Isn’t for Everyone: While being on camera has its advantages, not everyone feels comfortable in the spotlight.

As someone with anxiety, I can understand people might feel nervous in front of a lens. Plus, there’s the added pressure of looking presentable on camera, which can be stressful. And a stressed-out host is not going to create the best video podcasts.

Some of us just prefer to remain anonymous.

YouTube: The Second Largest Search Engine

YouTube is certainly a “pro” when it comes to video, but it’s the 800-pound gorilla of the topic, so I thought it needed a little extra breakdown.

Google is the largest search engine. We know this. If you want to know something, you google it, right? It’s a verb. Okay, so what’s the second-largest search engine? YouTube. Which is owned by Google. So there’s massive integration and synergy there.

So much so that the United States is, as of the time of this writing, suing Google for anti-trust practices. But, at least for the time being, Google, and its video service, YouTube, can’t be ignored. Really, YouTube is where to watch video podcasts.

Google Podcasts for audio creators is a lackluster product. But for a video podcast creator, there are some compelling reasons to embrace the Alphabet gorilla.

Discoverability:

On YouTube, discoverability is a game-changer. Thanks to the platform’s powerful recommendation algorithms, once someone watches a video podcast episode, they’re likely to be suggested similar content or other episodes from the same podcaster. This means that even a newcomer to the podcasting scene can gain traction relatively quickly if their content resonates with viewers.

Hosting Benefits:

Searchability: By being the second largest search engine, YouTube provides a platform where your content can be actively searched for. With the right keywords, descriptions, and tags, your video podcast can be easily found by users searching for related topics.

Monetization: YouTube offers various monetization methods, from ad revenues to channel memberships. For podcasters, this can be a significant additional income source, especially when paired with traditional podcast monetization methods.

That’s why the phrase “smash those like and subscribe buttons” has become so you-biquitous. (Oops… I did it again. I… nevermind)

Engagement: The comment section on YouTube offers direct feedback from viewers. Podcasters can engage with their audience, answer questions, and even use the feedback to shape future episodes.

But, like, don’t read the comment section if you value your sanity and want to retain some semblance of confidence.

In essence, while Google remains the king of search, YouTube’s role as the second-in-command offers a vast ocean of possibilities for video podcasters. It’s not just about uploading content but about reaching a bigger audience who might not be on the traditional podcast platforms.

By leveraging YouTube’s vast user base, searchability, and monetization features, podcasters can cast a significantly wider net, tapping into audiences they might not have reached otherwise.

So you’ve got to ask yourself… Video has a lot of upsides, sure, but is it always appropriate?

Is Video Suitable for All Podcast Genres?

The realm of podcasting is diverse, encompassing everything from news updates to intricate storytelling. As video gains traction, a crucial question arises: “Is video appropriate for every podcast genre?”

The short answer is obviously no. But it’s a bit complicated.

Genres Excelling with Video:

Let’s look at some video podcast examples that do it right.

Interviews: Watching the back and forth of any interview can have some upsides when you add video. Seeing the dynamic exchanges on “First We Feast: Hot Ones” adds a visual layer to the experience. It’s one of the better, pure video examples. In fact, we talked about Sean’s interview techniques heavily in our post on that subject.

That show wouldn’t be the same without seeing the pain and coping techniques of the guests. Observing facial expressions and non-verbal cues enhances the connection between the viewer and the participants.

After all, interviews are not purely auditory. Nor should they be. Some studies cite nonverbal communication as 90% of what comes across. It goes, then, without saying that interviews are a type of podcast where video adds a significant advantage.

Product Reviews: Channels like “Unbox Therapy” or the MKBHD show from Vox visually showcase products, allowing viewers to see features, designs, and real-time demonstrations. A visual review can be far more informative than a mere verbal description. Even if we can’t touch it, we like to see what we’re buying.

I don’t care how descriptive your language is, the written word leaves a lot of room for the imagination to take over and fill gaps.

Visual Stories: Podcasts that focus on travel or visual arts, like “The Art History Babes,” thrive when visuals complement the narrative. Experiencing vibrant art pieces or picturesque landscapes can transport viewers, offering a richer experience than audio alone.

It’s not much different than a product review. Like Robin Williams’ character in Good Will Hunting, you can’t describe the Sistine Chapel. You have to see it. You have to be as immersed as you can be.

Visual stories are travel stories. These are the video podcast formats that work best.

When Audio Might Be the Upper Hand:

Look, we’re podcasters and podcast fanatics at heart. While there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of upsides to video, shoehorning video into a genre where it’s not welcome isn’t a good idea.

Certain podcast genres resonate more intimately in an audio-only format. Consider deep introspective narratives or rant-like monologues (Scott Galloway, or Sam Harris, hell, even some of the JRE backfires, and that’s our bread and butter).

Ambient soundscapes and guided meditations are obvious examples. I mean, your eyes are supposed to be closed.

How about the True Crime genre or anything fictional? Narrative storytelling works in the audio format. Think radio drama in the 30s. Nostalgia. Let it soak in.

Those stories resonated for a reason, and it wasn’t simply that the television camera hadn’t become mainstream yet. It worked for a reason unto itself.

Our imaginations haven’t been completely hollowed out. At least, I want to believe that.

Here, the absence of visuals encourages listeners to engage their imagination, immersing themselves deeper into the auditory experience.

Addressing the Core Question: Can a Podcast Be Done as a Video?

Definitely! But it’s pivotal to evaluate whether video enhances or detracts from the core message.

How many Moby Dick movie adaptions have we seen? How about Hamlet? I mean, the Lion King is an adaptation of Hamlet, right?

Uncle kills King, Son rises to meet the mantle. We’ve seen that. Podcasts are meant to break the mold.

Or at least wrest the audio narrative from the ground where and when appropriate.

While visuals can amplify engagement, there are instances where the essence of the content might be better conveyed through the intimacy of voice alone. Decisions about format should prioritize the integrity of the content and its intended impact on the audience. Poor Mufasa.

Ask yourself… would the book be better than the movie? If yes, video podcast. If the book would be better left to its own devices, then, no, stay audio. And yes, that cadence, while lame, was on purpose.

Getting Started with Video Podcasts

We’re not going to make the call for all you podcasters out there. Video is a big deal, but it isn’t for everyone. But, for those willing to push through the slog and ignore (and I stress, ignore) the comments, it can be done.

The allure of video podcasts is evident, bridging visual aesthetics with riveting audio content. For those poised on the edge, wondering, “How do I venture into video podcasting?” this section endeavors to shed light.

If we’re willing, as podcasters, to let that light shine, then let’s let it shine.

Basic Equipment and Setup:

To get going with video, you’re going to need a lot more than a microphone (though you will need that) and the right podcast software (though you’ll need the right podcast software as well).

Camera: A quality DSLR or mirrorless camera can work wonders. However, for beginners, even smartphones with good cameras can suffice. Remember, content is king, so while quality matters, it’s your message that takes center stage.

Microphone: Clear audio remains paramount in video podcasts. Invest in a quality condenser microphone that can capture crisp sound. Many podcasters vouch for the Yeti by Blue or the Audio-Technica AT2020 as reliable starters.

Lighting: Lighting can make or break your video quality. Softbox lights or ring lights can provide even lighting, ensuring you’re visible without harsh shadows.

Background: Consider your surroundings. Whether it’s a tidy room, a backdrop, or a green screen for digital backgrounds, ensure it’s not distracting. If you’re delivering a monologue-type show, a green screen or chromakey background is a solid consideration.

See above for the right lighting. If you get a shadow in your shot, you’re going to have a bad time.

Editing Software: Tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro offer advanced editing capabilities. For those on a budget or just getting started, apps like iMovie or Shotcut can still do the trick. If you are an open-source nerd like me, OpenShot is making good things happen for *swings arms wide* all of us.

For compositing or adding graphics, you’re going to need something like After Effects, Natron (free and open source), or Motion (for mac).

Transitioning from Audio-only:

Content Adaptation: Your audio content might need tweaks to suit the visual format. Think about incorporating visual elements, whether it’s related imagery, infographics, or animations.

Engage the Viewer: Remember, now they can see you. Maintain eye contact with the camera, use expressive body language, and consider the frame’s composition. Think about a Zoom meeting. If you aren’t looking into the lens, the audience doesn’t think you are making eye contact. Because you aren’t. You’re looking at something else. Not them.

Look at them. Address the audience.

There are some innovative solutions, such as CenterCam. CenterCam started a Kickstarter project and is now in full production. It allows the user to have the webcam directly in the center of the screen.

This makes it easier to look at the person you are speaking with on the screen. It’s a cool piece of technology I’ve been using for a while since I did back the Kickstarter campaign during the pandemic.

Remember the pandemic? Where everything we did was over Zoom?

Consistency: Just as with audio, maintain a consistent release schedule. Regular episodes help build and retain an audience.

Tools and Platforms for Video Podcasts:

To answer the question, “What do people use for video podcasts?“, the tools range from the basic to the professional, often dictated by budget and expertise. Common platforms to host and share video podcasts include:

YouTube: The most popular choice, given its vast user base and monetization options.

Vimeo: Preferred by some for its professional appearance and lack of ads.

Facebook & Instagram: For snippets or shorter content, these platforms offer vast audience reach. These are huge for marketing your shorts and whatever it is that I refuse to acknowledge from Instagram.

Podcast Hosting Platforms with Video Support: Sites like Libsyn or Podbean now support video, letting you distribute video content just like audio3.

To wrap up, making the decision to do both video and audio might seem daunting initially. But with the right tools and a touch of determination, the transition can be seamless. Or at least not painful.

The visual dimension can elevate your content, offering listeners-turned-viewers a richer, more engaging experience.

Beyond The Technical Hurdles

When getting started with video, the biggest hurdle isn’t having the right podcast software or the perfect microphone. It’s being comfortable on camera.

Putting yourself out there as a creator and having your face associated with it can be daunting. And when you are nervous, you make more mistakes, need more takes, and have to spend longer in the back-end editing process.

The whole process is just harder. Which makes it less likely that you will create consistently. Basically, it’s a painful snowball effect.

So how do you overcome shyness on camera and become more comfortable? Let’s take a look.

Be More Authentic: Embracing vulnerability on camera can be a game-changer. Sharing personal stories, discussing failures, and acknowledging mistakes makes hosts appear more human and accessible. Audiences tend to resonate with content creators who are honest about their journey, as it reflects their own experiences and challenges.

Remember, you don’t have to be everything to everyone. You just have to be yourself and connect with people who really get you. It’s not a popularity contest. Repeat that to yourself.

Dress for the Job You Want: Studies have shown that the old adage “dress for the job you want” does have some real world proof. The clothes you wear really can change the way you feel about yourself and improve your self-confidence.

And self-confidence is the name of the fake it till you make it game.

So, dress up a little. Subconsciously it will help even if it seems a cheesy tactic.

Wrapping Up Our Overview of Podcasting and Video

As we conclude our comprehensive journey through the world of video podcasts, it’s evident that this medium has transformed content creation and audience engagement in significant ways.

But most of all, audiences seem to enjoy listening to podcasts with video.

A study by Morning Consult in 2022 found that aside from Gen X, listeners are on board with the video movement within the podcast industry. By a sizable margin.

The blend of auditory and visual elements invites a richer, more immersive experience, fostering a unique connection between hosts and viewers. Let’s recap the main points we’ve explored:

A Brief History: Starting with audio-only formats, primarily through Apple’s iPod, podcasts have evolved to incorporate video. They are growing alongside the technology that has provided enough bandwidth and compression to make video a reality.

The Growth of Video in the Podcast Space: The trend toward video podcasts has seen substantial growth, with platforms like YouTube becoming pivotal in discovery and audience building.

As the second-largest search engine, YouTube offers vast opportunities for content creators to reach wider audiences and monetize their content.

Advantages and Disadvantages: Video podcasts provide enhanced engagement and the ability to use visual aids, potentially attracting a broader audience.

However, they also demand more resources and time in editing. No doubt this process can be daunting for those not comfortable on camera.

Genre Suitability: While some genres, like interviews, product reviews, and visually driven stories, thrive in a video format, others may still prefer the simplicity and intimacy of audio.

Getting Started: For newcomers or those transitioning from audio, start with basic equipment. Then gradually step up your skillset to ease the journey into video podcasting.

Confronting Camera Shyness: Embracing authenticity and understanding that vulnerability can strengthen audience connections are crucial. Practice and a comfortable environment can significantly mitigate on-camera nerves.

Authenticity’s Role: Authenticity isn’t just beneficial – it’s vital. Audiences crave genuine connections, and showing vulnerability only strengthens the bonds between content creators and their viewers.

Remember, you’re never going to please everyone, so be yourself, and you’ll find your tribe. Simple as that.

Think of it like this: video podcasts are like the Swiss Army Knife of content creation. They’ve got everything you need to make your content pop and help you vibe with your audience on a whole new level. It’s the best of two worlds if you can make it work.

So, if you’re sitting there wondering if you should hit that record button and add video to your podcast, the answer is a big, resounding yes.

The post The Evolution, Appeal, and Inevitability of Video Podcasts appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

If you have been constantly asking yourself “what topics should I discuss today?”, then this article is for you. You can’t kid a kidder, topic ideas are tough to come up with. But don’t worry, just about every podcaster has trouble at some point with podcast topic ideas.

It’s like writers block, but you have to talk about it.

We’re going to dive into 23 proven methods of generating new podcasting ideas that will keep your content fresh and engaging.

So let’s get going.

Know Your Podcast Audience

Podcasting is a great way to connect with your people and build deeper relationships. This becomes more important than ever as podcasting moves away from strictly advertising monetization to alternative ways of being paid, like micropayments.

There are even apps trying that out now with bitcoin like Fountain.fm that are experimenting with this model. So, in the future, you have to make a commitment to making the connection with each potential listener.

Podcasting Ideas Come from the Strangest Places

Like Jason Lee’s character in Almost Famous, you have to find that one person who isn’t getting off, and you get them off. That’s how you get those micro payments.

But it can be hard to get started. And even harder to come up with episode ideas.

The best way to start a podcast is by knowing your target audience like the back of your hand.

To do this, you need to think about what they want so that you can deliver it in the most appealing way possible.

Think about, or even ask, what your target audience’s frustrations and pain points are. A good podcast informs, and entertains. So if you can do that you are well on your way.

So, for podcast topics, ask yourself, where does my audience hurt and where can I add value in solving that hurt?

Read… Always be reading. Voraciously

Reading keeps the mind active and nimble.

Reading makes you smarter. It helps you think more deeply, gives you a broader vocabulary, and expands your worldview. Reading also helps you come up with new ideas, which is why it’s so important for podcasting!

In fact, I recently read a book that helped me break my writers block. I had been stuck on an idea for weeks and couldn’t seem to get past the first few steps of getting started. Then I picked up a book by Sam Harris and fell into a spiral of creativity that lasted for days. He talked about how books can help us get our creative juices flowing and how they can get us out of ruts like writers block.

That gave me just enough inspiration to finally start writing again.

Now, while reading helped me break out of my writers block, it can help with creating new podcasting ideas as well. It’s the same style of ideation.

If you need a podcast idea, open a book. As an aside, book reviews are a great part of the process. The difference between what you took away versus what someone else took away can be the genesis of a great podcast topic.

Write 10 Random Ideas a Day

This one comes from prolific podcaster James Altucher.

He famously writes ten ideas a day. Most of which are terrible, but occasionally, there’s a gem in there that’s worth fleshing out or developing further. He did a whole podcast episode on the practice and has since started a social media site dedicated to the practice.

So the ten idea thing was an idea worth fleshing out. Now, he does it on a waiter’s pad, but you can do it anywhere using whatever you have at your disposal.

These don’t even have to be related to your podcast niche. It’s just an exercise to get the mind limber.

Scan Social Media for Podcasting Ideas

Productivity gurus will tell you social media is garbage.

Well, that’s usually true. You get sucked into pop culture nonsense or celebrity news, or celebrity interviews, and suddenly, your day is gone. So, scan, don’t immerse.

But its not all bad. You can pick up podcast episode ideas based on what’s trending and compare that to what your audience might enjoy.

Podcast ideas can come from anywhere, even somewhere you wouldn’t normally think of. For instance, reading reddit posts. Some of the best podcast topic ideas 2022 had to offer came from funny podcast topics reddit had to give.

Dive Into Global News and Local News

One place you should dive into is the news. It’s full of controversy and “if it bleeds, it leads” type of content.

A hot take on what’s going on in the world, and current events, can be an excellent source of podcast ideas.

Now, if you don’t know anything about the stock market or if personal finance isn’t what your audience is going after, a direct hot take may not be the right answer. But, trust me, this type of bombardment will get the creative juices flowing.

Everyone has an opinion. See if you can line yours up with your audience and niche to come up with a great podcast idea.

Use Guided Meditations to Clear the Mind

Studies have shown a consistent mediation practice to effectively reduce stress and anxiety.

If you reduce stress and anxiety you allow your mind to focus on other priorities. like coming up with podcast topics.

Meditation can sound a bit “eastern philosophy,” or “Buddhist,” but science shows this practice works for just about anyone willing to give it a go. And if you need a boost starting your practice, we have a whole list of meditation podcasts that can help you start.

Plus, there’s the added benefit of boosting your mental health.

Listen to Other Podcasts

Listening to other podcasts is the best way to get fresh ideas for your own.

When you want to keep a podcast going, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. You keep thinking of the same things—the same topics, the same ideas and approaches. But if you listen to some other podcasts outside your genre, you’ll start getting new ideas for how to tell stories and engage listeners.

For example, I’ve been listening to a true crime podcast (serial) lately and I never thought about how much their storytelling style could help me with my own creative process.

It’s not that they’re doing something that’s particularly new or innovative (which is what we often think of when we think of creativity), but rather than talking about things from an objective perspective, they’re telling stories from inside the characters’ heads—making us feel like we know them personally. And that makes all the difference.

Think about the storytelling in This American Life and How I Built This. Listening to those podcasts will help you connect with your audience, no matter what your genre is.

So yeah, just stroll around Apple Podcasts and see what you can find. But stroll, as if you have nothing better to do. You never know what you’ll find that will spark interest.

Revisit Old Content

Revising old content is one of the best ways to come up with a good podcast topic. Why? Because it already was a good idea. Easily one of the best podcasting tips I’ve come across.

We talked a while back about revising your old content when you start see a fall off. Find what people liked and talk about it again. That’s a no brainer marketing strategy.

Have a Conversation

After so much isolation, we haven’t had enough conversations to keep that part of our brain active. Talk to people and see what is bugging them. Ask questions.

Coming up with new ideas is all about getting out of your head. Maybe you’ll get some good book recommendations to apply that strategy. Maybe you’ll see something from every day life from a new perspective.

If you can’t have a real conversation for whatever reason, have one with the new AI tools that are popping up everywhere.

I used Copy.Ai as a writing assistant during the pandemic lockdown and couldn’t be happier with the experience. Who needs real friends? Who needs live events with people, and airborne droplets, and…

Alright, I’m off topic.

Still, if you want podcast topics to talk about with friends, the pandemic lockdown is certainly among the best. Everyone has an opinion, and just about every opinion is different.

Steal Like An Artist

This book blew my mind. It’s akin to the “there’s nothing new under the sun,” and, when you think about it, it’s hard to argue.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that all art is a product of its creator’s influences.

The creator didn’t have to create something completely new, because that’s impossible. They simply had to take what they were inspired by and apply it in their own way—to create something new.

And that’s what this book is all about: helping you find your inspiration, then use it as a springboard for your own creativity.

Work on Your Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a term used to describe the feeling of being an impostor, or like you don’t belong in the position that you’re in. For example: if you’re a writer and you know that your work isn’t very good, or if your work is good but you don’t think it’s as good as other people say it is, then that can be a sign of imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome also tends to hold creators back from sharing their ideas because they’re afraid that other people will think their ideas aren’t worthy. That’s why it’s so important for us to talk about this issue and create more open spaces where creators can share their ideas without fear of being judged or criticized.

I’ve personally overcome imposter syndrome by taking small steps: writing down my ideas on paper instead of just keeping them in my head; sharing those ideas with friends who I trust will give me honest feedback; and finding ways to make small improvements each time I write something new until eventually I feel confident enough to share it with others.

Podcasters can do just the same with their own ideas. Show me an original travel podcast, and I’ll show you angels dancing on a pinhead.

Take a Walk

Put one foot in front of the other.

Taking a walk can be just the thing your brain needs to get creative juices flowing.

That’s right—it’s not just a myth! In fact, scientists have been studying this phenomenon for years.

In one study, researchers found that people who took a break from their work and walked around the block reported feeling more creative afterwards. They also had increased blood flow to their brains, which is known to boost creativity. The same study saw an increase in creativity in up to 81% of study participants.

The researchers also noted that participants were more likely to come up with new ideas if they walked outside than if they stayed inside during their break.

So if we’re looking at product reviews of walking, I’m all in.

Alter, or Change Formats

I mentioned the Prof G podcast in earlier articles. But recently, he’s changed formats.

What were once segments of individual episodes have been broken apart into standalone editions of the overall podcast. And overall, I’d say it works.

Rather than having to spread research thin over several different subjects, by breaking them up into stand alone set pieces, that research can be much more focused. It takes the spirit of the segments and makes them more robust, more fleshed out.

The market shows go into more depth and nuance with fewer headlines and more expertise. The Office Hours shows on Wednesday can dispense more advice and the No Mercy No Malice segments can offload some of the work to outside contributors.

If you’re seeing a drop in listenership, tweaking your format, or giving it a facelift can be just what you need to reinvigorate your creative juices.

Brainstorm Elsewhere

If you do all of your work in the office, it’s easy to stagnate.

If we learn anything from the pandemic (and we likely won’t), it’s that many people are more creative when they have a new view on their rote work. A literally different view.

A change of venue can be just enough to jumpstart a stalled creativity engine. So if you’re working all day in your home office, try the local coffee shop, do some people watching, and let the freewriting flow.

Now, this isn’t a panacea. Nor is anything on this list, but changing venues, or just changing your gaze and getting away from the screen can be a game changer.

Do you always do your brainstorming in a Word or Google Doc? Try changing up the medium you record your ideas on. A good old fashioned legal pad served my brain storming for years before I eventually upgraded to a Remarkable.

Just that simple change saw a huge uptick in productivity. An uptick implies the eventual fall off, but changing up routines is a great place to start when you’re feeling stuck.

Start a New Podcast

Nobody said you have to keep all of your podcasting ideas under one umbrella podcast. You can always start a new podcast if there’s something you want to talk about that doesn’t fit your other show’s niche.

In essence, you aren’t married to one idea. But you should let your audience know what’s going on. That you’ve got some podcast content that they may want to hear, but doesn’t fit the brand.

Scott Galloway recently discussed on the Prof G Show how he was fighting his producer on his other podcast, Pivot. That his salty nature was getting cut from Pivot.

Which is the perfect reason to have his stand alone show. He can do whatever he wants in his own voice without any trepidation.

For your new idea, you can get podcast hosting for free, or a podcast host for less than you think. If you want to stick with a free podcast, go for it. Let your new idea flourish and grow.

Generating New Podcasting Ideas

Coming up with new podcasting ideas isn’t easy. And, unfortunately, it just gets harder the longer you’re at it. Listeners turn elsewhere when the well runs dry and the algorithm starts to think less of you.

If you think AI is the solution, well, it can help with brainstorming. No doubt about that, but as a creator, you’re still ultimately in charge of coming up with your own podcasting ideas and promoting them to success.

Writing this article got me thinking about implementing the “How I Pod” series again. I’m fascinated with people’s workflows, how they stay fresh, and relevant. It’s too easy to get entrenched and the world moves too fast to dig out a too much of the time.

In the tradition of tweaking and trying out new ideas, be on the lookout for the first installment of How I Pod shortly. I’m excited about the idea, and I think new creators will be as well.

The post 15 Alternative Effective Methods of Coming Up With Podcasting Ideas appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

As of April of last year DiscoverPods has a new management and new ownership. Mainly I’ve come on board as the majority stakeholder in this here venture.

You may have noticed some changes while we are still working through the transition. Let me explain what’s going on and why Kevin and I are so pleased you’re with us on this journey.

First, a bit of background. I started working as a freelance writer here at DiscoverPods way back in December of 2019 when I wrote my first post for the site from a local pub in my wife’s hometown on a particularly sunny day in England.

England with sun. I know, it’s confusing, but it was something of an omen. A sign if you will, that this was a project I’d become deeply involved with.

What the New Ownership Has Been Up To

Fast forward through the pandemic and having a couple of babies at home, Kevin and I decided to move forward with this site as a joint venture. So, here’s what we’ve been up to.

• Updating the site’s back end. We were lagging a bit with Google’s new transition. We are, after all, cool tech nerds, and that part needed a face lift.
• Updating the editorial direction of the site. This is after all a site designed to find the best podcasts available. Something of a needle in a haystack.
• Ensuring that our advertising reflects the site’s direction. We have partnered with some of the best podcast service providers in the space to make sure that when you go to make your podcast this year (and you should), that you have the right tools at your disposal.

Where We’re Headed

Looking forward to 2023 we will be finishing up the podcast awards for 2022 and getting back to a standard editorial schedule now that Google is done beating us up.

Lastly, sincerely, thank you for hanging in there with us while we tidied up a bit and we want you, the reader, to be an integral part of the site moving forward.

Is there a podcast that you’re obsessed with that we haven’t covered? Let us know by suggesting it for a podcast spotlight.

As the industry matures and more people are adopting podcasts, we’re excited with where the industry could be heading. We intend to be a voice in that discussion moving forward with our editorial direction.

We want you to be a part of that voice as well. As we move forward with the new ownership structure, your voice is as vital as ours. We may listen to more podcasts than the average bloke, but that doesn’t mean that we hear everything. If we’re missing voices or communities that are underrepresented, we want to know about it.

We love indie podcasts as much (if not more lest I betray my punk rock youth) as slickly produced corporate based or NPR style podcasts.

We’re excited for what this burgeoning 2023 will bring and we appreciate your being along for the ride. If you haven’t been here in a while, check out some of the latest posts we’ve been working on.

• The 15 Most Interesting Podcasts: The Ultimate Guide
• The Dissect Podcast Is My New Unexpected Obsession
• NASCAR Podcasts We Love That are Both Popular and Underrated
• The 76 Best Mystery Podcasts to Pique Your Interest
• Murdaugh Murders Podcast The Fascinating Meltdown 100 Years In The Making

While not completely indicative of the editorial direction, we continue to put out content our visitors are actively looking for. If you have a question or concern, a suggestion or would like to contribute, you can reach out to me directly.

I’m excited to hear from our readership, and here’s to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2023.

Sincerely,
James
james@discoverpods.com

The post New Ownership & a New Era for DiscoverPods appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

When you’re in the studio and recording, the last thing you want to have happen is for your signal to get weak or distorted. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the quality of your cables — especially if you’re using them for professional purposes such as live performances or studio work. That’s not for rock stars, that goes for us podcasters as well.

What is an XLR Cable Used For?

An XLR cable is used because it is able to carry a balanced signal. Whereas your standard 1/4″ or 1/8″ cable that you would see in something like a headphone jack carries an unbalanced signal. An unbalanced signal can pick up unwanted background electrical signals from the environment that creates an audible humming noise. Since an XLR cable can carry a balanced signal, it eliminates the possibility of that hum.

Usually. The success of eliminating that hum comes down to the quality of the audio equipment and the quality of the cables used.

Many people don’t realize that there are different grades of XLR cables out there from cheap ones made with bare copper wires (which can cause interference) all the way up to high-end options that use silver-coated copper wiring instead.

And while those kinds of expensive cables sound great when they’re working perfectly, they can also be prone to failure if they aren’t properly maintained! So what do you need to know about these types of cables? Let’s dive right in!

How do you know if an XLR cable is good quality?

The first thing you should look at is the cable’s shield. If you’re looking at a 3-pin male XLR, then it will have a braided shield over both pins 1 and 2. However, if you’re looking at 4-pin male XLR, then pin 1 will have a braided shield and pins 2 and 3 will be bare wire.

Another thing to look for is the number of strands in the cable’s conductors. The more strands there are in each conductor, the higher quality your cable will be. A good rule of thumb is that two or three stranded conductors tends to be adequate for many applications but going up to five or six strands can provide extra protection against interference from other sources like power lines or lighting cables (especially important if working with high-power devices).

Finally, make sure that any connectors are made out of silver-plated copper rather than plain copper which is much less durable than its precious counterpart — especially when handling large amounts of current over long periods of time!

There are also other factors such as capacitance between wires that we won’t go into here but suffice it say: use good quality XLR cables whenever possible!

XLR cables are made up of four primary parts the conductor, inner insulation, braided shield and outer insulation.

XLR cables are made up of four primary parts: the conductor, inner insulation, braided shield and outer insulation.

The conductor is the center of your cable that carries the signal. Typically made from copper or copper-clad steel, it can also be silver or gold plated for better sound quality in some circumstances. The more strands in a wire, the better it’s going to be at delivering that signal over long distances and through multiple devices before experiencing any deterioration.

The inner insulation is what prevents shorting out your equipment when you’re plugging something into an XLR jack with bare wires on each end (which we do not recommend). It’s typically made from rubber or similar materials to protect against moisture exposure as well as abrasion damage caused by moving parts within other components like switches or buttons on machines where these connections are used frequently throughout their lifespan – such as musical instruments!

Ask any guitar player who gigs, and tries to go cheap. It doesn’t work out well. Ask any musician with a home recording set up, it’s worth the investment.

The braided shield protects against electromagnetic interference coming from outside sources like computers running nearby during recording sessions; even if they’re not on at this time but may have been recently turned off (or worse yet broken down completely), they could still cause problems due to residual energy still lingering inside their circuits even after powering down completely.”

The conductor is the center of your cable that carries the signal.

The conductor is the center of your cable that carries the signal. It’s made from either copper or silver and it’s this wire that creates an electrical current that ultimately powers your microphone.

The conductor has a huge impact on how good your cable sounds and how much energy it can carry across long distances without losing any quality. The problem with cheap XLR cables is that they use smaller conductors, making them less effective at carrying signals to and from equipment like microphones, mixers and other audio devices.

Copper is cheaper than silver because of its abundance but it also has more resistance when carrying a current than silver does; this means if you have a high-quality recording setup where everything needs to work perfectly together then copper will cause more problems than good ones! Silver is better suited for high-end applications because its unique properties allow it to transfer signals faster through thicker cables without causing any noise or distortion in sound quality

The more strands in a wire, the better it’s going to be at delivering that signal.

The more strands in a wire, the better it’s going to be at delivering that signal. In fact, if you want to deliver a really strong signal over long distances (like from a stage to the soundboard), then more is definitely better. So it makes sense that when you’re buying cable for your home recording studio or live sound setup, you’d want something with the most number of strands possible.

But how many strands are too few? What’s an acceptable minimum? And what’s too much? Let’s take a look at why these questions matter and how they’ll affect your music production workflow.

Cheap cables often use bare copper wires with not many strands.

The number of strands used in an XLR cable can range anywhere from 4 to 100, with the latter being the most expensive.

If you’re looking for something affordable and functional, then you’ll probably be satisfied with an 8-strand (8S) cable. These cables are made up of 2 copper conductors that run parallel to each other. The central conductor is usually thicker than its partner so as not to interfere with any signal coming through it.

The more strands in a cable, the better your sound quality will be because there’s less chance that interference will occur between them. This is particularly important when recording vocals or instruments such as guitar amps where signals need to remain pristine if they’re going into your DAW software later on for editing purposes

Expensive cables use silver coated or oxygen-free copper wires in multiple strands this helps to reduce interference and results in a better sound.

So why does a company like Belden, or Warm Audio, which is well known for making cables for the military and NASA, produce audio products that are so expensive? The answer lies in the materials used. Expensive cables use silver coated or oxygen-free copper wires in multiple strands this helps to reduce interference and results in a better sound. Every single wire is individually shielded against noise, ensuring that your signal is clear at all times. The outer jacket consists of steel braided armor which protects the cable from damage caused by crushing or abrasion.

This is not to say that cheap XLR cables do not have their place; we’ve used them ourselves during live shows when we’re not able to take our delicate equipment into the venue with us! Just make sure you pay attention to what type of material goes into making your cable before you buy one—you might be surprised by how much difference this makes!

You also have to look at the insulation around the conductor.

It’s important for the insulation to be of quality. Solid, foam and air are all common types of insulation. The main difference between them is their density; solid is the most dense and therefore offers the most protection against external elements. However, it may not be as flexible or lightweight as foam or air, which may make it more difficult to route through tight spaces.

The insulation should also be evenly wrapped around each conductor (what carries an electric signal). If one conductor has more insulation than another, they won’t balance out when you plug in your XLR cable into an input device (like a microphone). The result? A broken connection that could cause damage to either device or even start an electrical fire!

The next part of the cable is the braided shield, which is wrapped around the inner insulating layer to block out electromagnetic interference.

You know all that hum you hear in your headphones or speakers, and thus your podcast? That’s electrical magnetic interference messing with your cheap XLR cables.

Next, the braided shield is wrapped around the inner insulation. This layer of shielding provides a very effective barrier against electromagnetic interference and protects your audio from unwanted noise. Since it’s made with thinner wire than foil, it doesn’t add much weight or bulk to your cables either.

In addition to providing excellent protection against outside interference, woven copper braids are better at keeping moisture out compared to foil shields. However, they do cost more money because they take longer to produce and require more labor by hand. If you need XLR cables that won’t let you down when you are in situations where there might be humidity (such as during outdoor performances), then this extra step could save you money in the long run by preventing damage caused by water damage over time

Higher quality cables will have a braided shield because it does a better job than foil shielding at keeping out interference but it’s also more expensive to produce.

You can get inexpensive XLR cables with foil shielding, but if you’re going to be using them in a pro environment or an environment where RF interference is an issue, it’s best to go with braided shields.

Braided shielding resists electromagnetic interference (EMI) better than foil shields. This is because the strands of copper that make up the braided shield are much more tightly woven than the wire used in most foil shields that simply have a thin layer of metal applied over a single strand of wire. This makes it more durable and less susceptible to being damaged if you accidentally step on it or run into something with it hanging from your mic stand (which happens more often than one might think).

On the outside of your XLR cable is another layer of insulation.

On the outside of your XLR cable is another layer of insulation. This serves a dual purpose: it protects the cable from damage and keeps out moisture and other harmful elements.

If you’re getting cheap cables, chances are they have a thick layer of outer insulation, which can be difficult to bend; this means it will take more time to run your cables through tight spaces, creating an extra hassle for yourself or someone else who has to install them for you. You don’t want that!

On top of that, look for a smooth outer layer as well—bumps or uneven cables point to poor insulation and won’t stand up over time

Make sure you spend money on high quality XLR cables!

If you’re in the market for XLR cables, it’s important to understand what makes them different from each other. It’s important to remember that even if your content is brilliant, a hum or crackle will turn people off. Use a good mic, and a good cable to create your, amazing content.

There are two main types of cable: shielded and unshielded. Shielded cables have a metal mesh wrapped around them that prevents interference from electrical signals, while unshielded ones do not have this protection and are therefore more susceptible to noise.

In addition to shielding, both types of cable come with different plug connectors (XLR-3 or BLX) and terminations (male or female). The most common type of connector is the XLR-3 because it allows for balanced audio connections using three wires—the shield wire carries ground; the center wire carries signal current; and the ring terminal acts as a ground reference point between equipment units.

Conclusion

So, what does all this mean for you? If you’re looking to buy an XLR cable, we suggest buying a high quality one. There are plenty of options out there but they won’t cost you much more than the cheap ones so why not spend the extra money and get something that will last longer?

The post Buying Cheap XLR Cables? Here are 10 Ways to Make Sure You Aren’t Wasting Money appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

However, “how to start a podcast” seems to be the question most new entrants have. We hope to walk you through how to start a podcast with this comprehensive guide. We’ve talked about why everyone should start a podcast before. We’ve told you that you can set up a podcast recording studio for less than $100.

In several ways, podcasting is a relatively easy medium to dive into with ubiquitous pitches of low barriers of entry, affordable equipment, and the possibility to be up and running within just a few weeks. However, anyone who has ventured into podcasting knows that releasing your first episode is really just the start, and it is truly an uphill climb from there. 

Throughout this guide, we hope to provide you with a basic step-by-step on how to launch a show that can be syndicated and discovered on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more, as well as provide you with tips that will help make continuing your podcast an easier process. 

What is a podcast, actually?

What a podcast is, actually, an audio or visual serial much like a radio program, except you can listen on demand through your favorite podcast player.

Before you even begin podcasting, understanding what a podcast is, how it’s formatted, the history and background and how new listeners discover podcasts can be helpful. 

You are probably well aware that a podcast is a portmanteau of the words “pod,” taken from the word iPod, and “broadcast”, however, today podcasts are hardly limited to iPods. Both audio and video podcasts exist, however, we will largely be focusing on audio since it is the more popular format, and the growth of platforms like YouTube and Twitch have made video podcasts less common.

When a podcast episode is ready to be shared, the file is typically uploaded to a podcast host that stores the audio files and then creates an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed that can be distributed and synced with various online directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. 

While you can certainly download a podcast episode directly and listen as an MP3, it is the ability to share a feed with consumers through various online directories that makes podcasts so appealing. Rather than having to share files directly with listeners, the ability to subscribe and automatically be fed new episodes when they are released makes the process easier for both creators and audiences.

Unlike radio, you do not have to “tune in” at a certain time to find a podcast and because of the use of RSS feeds, distributors can share their episodes on as many platforms as they like and reach increasingly large new audiences. It’s scalable, on-demand audio.

Start Podcasting by Planning and Thinking Like a Podcast Listener

The biggest misconception of podcasting is that the average person can simply set up a microphone, share their thoughts on the news of the day or pop culture, and instantly find an audience. Really, starting a successful podcast starts right here. In the planning stage.

With the growth of podcasting, it has become increasingly hard to “break out” and much like YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter, lots of content is created and only ever seen or heard by a few followers. If you want to make a podcast for the fun of it, this may not be a concern, but for creators looking to build or grow a brand, share insight on a field of expertise or grow a large following, this step is by far the most important. 

If you decide to start a podcast, you’re going to be overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed at the start is perfectly natural.

To start a podcast takes hard work, and more work, and more work, and mo—

Why did you decide to start a podcast?

At the core, a podcast needs to have information that cannot be found elsewhere, in the form of research, opinions, stories, entertainment, or something else, presented by someone that the audience thinks is the best person to be presenting that information. You need to come across as a smart cookie.

If you want to start an interview show, you’ll need compelling guests, a unique angle in your questioning, and proven expertise on both sides. If you want to discuss pop culture or the news, the same applies.

For comedy, investigative, or any other form of podcasts you will want to determine if you are putting out content that has not already been done before, or at least not as well as you can do it. Essentially, ask yourself the question “Why me?” Why should a listener choose your show over the numerous other podcasts available? 

A podcast presented from scratch in a saturated market means you really need to drill down into your niche.

Thinking of these differentiators before you even begin is a foundational step to creating a successful podcast.

Why this topic to start a podcast?

This topic is perfect to start a podcast because it allows me to explore my opinion on the matter and share what I have learned. You may be thinking.

The perfect podcast exists somewhere between broad and niche, with enough content to return week after week with new information and enough specificity that it does not get lost in the mix of dozens of other similar shows. 

Often, it can be helpful to lean a bit more on the niche side for the sake of building a small but loyal audience dedicated to the exact topic you are planning to discuss. The old adage applies here: if you try to build something for everyone it won’t work for anyone.

Shows focused on specific pop culture or exact moments in history are proof that this can work. There are countless massively successful podcasts based on a seeming niche subject, here are a couple of my favorite examples:

• 99% Invisible is essentially a podcast about how design impacts our life
• The Adventure Zone started as a Dungeons & Dragons podcast
• Revisionist History explores and analyzes individual events in history

If you spend any time on the iTunes/Apple Podcast charts or read any other list of popular podcasts, it can be overwhelming how many popular shows either are hosted by celebrities or other personas with established audiences, as well as how many are created or distributed by big-name studios, networks or platforms.

It is no surprise that these shows can get an initial head start because they have a pre-established audience, but don’t be scared off or intimidated. Plenty of newbie podcasters make it too, and lots of big shows that are now tied to major networks began in bedrooms or basements. 

Ultimately, you’re going to be technically inclined to create the show you want. Sometimes it’s an art and that goes beyond podcast listing information.

Pros and cons of different podcast formats and what they look like

Some people may disagree with me here, however, here are the different formats of podcasts. Admittedly, it’s difficult to bucket some of these because there are always exceptions. 

Talking head and interview-style podcasts:

• Solo — one-person monologues 
• Solo with a guest — interviewing a special guest or personality such as Joe Rogan interviewing Dr. Jordan Peterson.
• Co-host(s) — you and at least one other co-host discuss topics

Narrative and serialized podcasts:

• Episodic documentary podcasts — each episode dives into a new theme, case, or idea
• Serialized documentary podcasts — a full season dedicated to one concept
• Fiction (both episodic and serialized) — fiction podcasts or audio dramas use creative writing and often sound effects for an immersive podcast

While there are pros and cons with every format, typically co-hosted and interview podcasts are easier to produce, but take effort to book guests, deciding on a topic, and are hugely dependent on the host(s) personality, rapport, and interview technique.

Narrative and serialized podcasts usually require more production effort including research, writing, editing, and sometimes travel. 

Create a plan to start a podcast

A common mistake is recording a single episode, setting up podcast hosting and RSS, publishing the episode, and then not having a plan for the episodes that will follow. We strongly encourage new podcasters to develop a plan for at least two months of episodes, which could be as few as two or three episodes or as many as ten or fifteen depending on the length and release frequency. 

There are a few reasons to do this. First and foremost, you will test if your concept holds weight. If you cannot record or even plan out this much content, chances are your concept is not developed enough to warrant a podcast.

Second, because regular publishing is so important, this lead time will hopefully prevent you from ever having to rush to create a new episode just to keep listeners on a regular schedule. Finally, you’ll get a chance to see if you enjoy the work behind podcasting and if it is worth investing more time and money in. 

Ideally, in building this two-month plan you will have a plan for several episodes on deck that can be released in consistent succession. Alternatively, you can calendar out when you will plan, pre-produce, and record different episodes if your topic is based on current events and cannot be recorded in advance. 

Oh, and what’s your budget? Do you find yourself asking…

How to start a podcast for free?

To start a podcast for free, you’ll need to find a host. Once set up with the hosting service and your microphone or phone/computer, it’s time to start recording. You should get a good microphone asap that you’re comfortable using since the quality of your voice is important for podcasting.

Naming your podcast – eg Choosing a Podcast Title

Arguably, the most important part of your planning. You might think you have a great name picked out already, but there are several factors you should consider in ultimately deciding your name. 

• Make sure there’s not an existing podcast with the same (or very similar) name
• Don’t restrain yourself. If you name your podcast after Star Wars, but then ultimately want to pivot to movies in general, you’ll face a difficult decision down the road
• Consider SEO. Though maybe not as sexy, you want your podcast name to be clear and intuitive to what it’s about. Think about how people will discover your podcast by searching. If you have a podcast about football, you’ll likely want the words “football” or “NFL” to be included in your title.
• Own your domains. As a podcasting best practice, you should have a website, Twitter, and Facebook pages at a bare minimum. Consider the availability of these handles and domains when choosing a name. 
• Make it easy to spell and say aloud. This will help in the future with sharing. 
• That clever pun you like right now? It’ll get old after multiple years and hundreds of episodes.

Podcast Artwork

Podcasting is an audio format, why do we care so much about the artwork associated with your pod? Well, you know people still judge books by their cover and that’s a visual format or a movie by its poster. So, ask yourself

How to start a podcast and make money?

There are two ways to start a podcast and make money. First is creating a that needs to be discussed. That makes it more likely that you are going to have a large following. Second,if your product has such high demand it makes sense to start podcasting in order to gain exposure. It’s all marketing.

Importance of Podcast Cover Art

In conjunction with your podcast name, think about how your thumbnail icon will draw new listeners in and be iconic and easily recognizable. Leverage your designer friends to help you create an idea, and if you have the budget, consult a professional graphic designer or logo maker. This thumbnail image can also serve multiple purposes as a logo on your website and Twitter and Facebook avatars. In short, it’s a worthwhile investment. 

The important thing to think about here is to stay simple and always keep reminding yourself how small this will appear to most consumers. For most potential listeners, this thumbnail will about an inch long and wide. Don’t go overboard with the design, keep the font to a large size, and stay simple on the design and color scheme. 

For Apple Podcasts, cover art needs to be at least 1400 x 1400 pixels and can go up to 3000 x 3000 pixels. 

Here are a few examples of podcast cover art done right.

How to record your podcast

Ok, whew. You’ve planned your podcast, settled on a format, named it, and bought the necessary domains so you have a digital presence. Now the fun stuff! Recording your podcast will require a learning curve and you’ll get much, much better with every subsequent episode.

Don’t be surprised if the first one takes way longer than expected and you end up trashing it anyways, these things take patience.

Podcasting Equipment

This (hopefully) shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, but you do need some podcast equipment to record a successful show. You don’t want to simply lay your iPhone down and record a 30-minute voice memo and call it a podcast. 

At the basic level, here are the three things you need:

• A podcast microphone
• A podcast mixer
• Podcast software — editing and recording

Podcast microphones

A consequence of the massive amounts of podcasts available at everyone’s fingertips is increased competition, listener expectations, and lowered patience.

Listeners only have a finite amount of time to listen to podcasts, they don’t want to bother with some crummy sounding show where they have to always have a hand on the volume button because the levels are all over the place. As a result choosing microphone equipment becomes paramount for a professional sounding production.

That said, every podcaster has a unique budget when it comes to podcast equipment. Here are our picks for podcast microphones at different budget levels:

• Blue Yeti
• Audio-Technica Cardioid Condenser Microphone
• Rode Procaster

Related reading: detailed breakdown and reviews of podcast microphones, and podcast headphones.

USB mixers

Mixers are sometimes neglected by first-time podcasters …. and it shows in their work. A mixer is essential for podcasters to create a nice leveled show where the audience can hear a crisp voice that’s not muddied by other noises.

Similar to podcast mics, USB mixers typically run the price spectrum. Here are our picks:

• Behringer Q1202USB 12-Channel Mixer
• Yamaha Mg10Xu 10-Input Stereo Mixer
• Mackie ProFXv2, 8 A-B Box

Related reading: a comprehensive guide to the best USB mixers

Podcast Audio Editing Software And Podcast Recording Software for New Podcasters

Podcast recording software allows you to easily record your podcast, export the audio files, and cut and edit your episodes. As with most things in life, the higher-end tools give you more features. Let’s take a quick look.

For recording and editing: 

• Squadcast

Squadcast is a revolutionary follow-up to Skype, designed as podcasting software from the ground up. It offers a great interface for both listeners and podcast hosts. Squadcast supports high-definition audio and turns any desktop or laptop computer into a podcast studio. 

The editing suite included with Squadcast is simple but strong enough that you can create the whole show in the software without much issue. Each voice has its own audio track, so you can balance out your guests into one smooth experience.

Major companies like ESPN have jumped all over Squadcast as their preferred mobile software platform, so it is worth taking a look.

You can get started with Squadcast for $10 a month for 2 hours of audio, though you’ll probably want to step that up pretty early on.

• Alitu – The Podcast Maker

Alitu is a great tool to level up your podcast creation stack. As a complete podcast software, Alitu streamlines your creation process, and rather than bog you down with any stress-inducing tech, it gives users the tools to get the job done, quickly and smoothly. 

The ease of Alitu is obvious from Day 1 of your 7 Day Trial

The core features of Alitu are simply explained and similarly simple to use:

• Record your podcast episodes – the built-in call recording tool allows you to record solo into the platform or invite a contact via direct link.
• Intuitive podcast editing – easily select, cut, and rearrange clips while also incorporating set and forget intros and outros for consistency across your episodes.  
• Automated post-production – no need to worry about mastering your own podcast, Alitu will automatically standardize your volume and leveling and remove background noise. 
• Direct publishing to favorite hosts – you can connect Alitu directly to most main hosting platforms in order to get your podcast live as quickly and smoothly as possible. 
• In House Hosting – We’ve been tipped off that Alitu is on the verge of launching its own hosting tool, this means that it will be the first all-inclusive A-Z podcast software on the market. Ps, you heard it here first!  

Existing Alitu users have shared their experiences of having taken their production time from anywhere between 2-5 hours down to 10 minutes per episode. Other users are just happy to have a platform where they can produce professional content without the technical know-how.

*Editors Note* New users can get a 7 Day Free Trial with this link.

• Audacity
• Pro Tools First
• Adobe Audition
• Hindenberg Journalist
• Zencastr
• TapeACall Pro 

For planning and workflows:

• Asana 
• Airtable
• Trello 
• Basecamp 

Book a Podcast Studio Instead

If buying equipment and the steep learning curve isn’t for you, then we highly recommend finding a podcast studio in your area. Podcast recording studios have been popping up across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia for years, and can offer you easy access to professional recording equipment for minimal expense. 

Most studios can offer expertise from professional sound engineers, podcast producers, and audio editors, so all you have to do is show up and record. Plus, if you seek video recording on top of your audio recording needs, many podcast studios are beautifully designed to ensure your podcast brand is represented well on video platforms.

To find a podcast studio near you, start by searching on podcastrental.com, the web’s only podcast studio booking site. With hundreds of studios available at a wide range of hourly price points, you’ll find the right recording experience for your production needs.

Podcast recording tips

As with most things in life, getting the right tools can only take you so far. The real power is using these tools the right way to get the most out of your investment. Here are some easy tips to record your podcast.

1. Microphone Choice

In the modern recording industry, there are endless amounts of microphones on the market to choose from. Some specialize in vocal recording, while others specialize in specific instruments and applications. Similar to most industries, a higher-priced microphone typically means higher quality audio produced.

For a podcast, a microphone specifically tailored to vocal recordings will be preferred, such as the Shure SM7B. It’s a durable, and reliable mic that produces fantastic audio quality for the price, and can even be seen on the ever-popular Joe Rogan podcast. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, it was even used to record Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. How’s that for quality?

2. Microphone Placement

A simple adjustment can make all the difference. Having your microphone too far from the mouths of those speaking on the podcast will capture a much lower signal volume while having it too close will most likely produce a distorted signal.

The optimal distance between the person speaking, and the microphone is about three inches from their mouth. This will allow you to capture their audio at a healthy volume, without it distorting.

3. Use a Pop Filter

A pop filter is used to shield the microphone from fast-moving air generated by plosives during speech. Words such as “pop”, or “planet” that have a strong “p” sound at their beginnings, can cause spikes in the audio due to the strength of the plosives that those words create.

Another benefit of using a pop filter is to shield the microphone from any saliva that may be dispersed from the speaker’s mouth. This prevents the saliva from corroding the microphone, as well as keeping it cleaner for sanitary reasons. 

4. Proper Speaking

Having the correct microphone and placement won’t mean much if the person participating isn’t speaking properly. To ensure the first two points aren’t wasted, make sure that each participant is speaking slowly and clearly. Each person should be speaking at a comfortable room level, without any huge jumps or dips in their speaking volume.

Any kind of jumps or dips will only make things more difficult for you later on when processing your audio. Any random yelling or screaming of an overly active individual will likely incur distortion, while any sort of whispering or low-level talking will require additional volume adjustments. 

5. Setting Levels

After you have properly set up your microphone, it is time to test and set your audio levels. While proper mic placement will help with avoiding distortion, it is not enough. You need to set proper gain levels to ensure that the microphone’s signal is strong enough to be sent to your audio interface or mixer.

To keep things simple, gain is the amount of input signal. Too much gain will result in a distorted signal, while not enough will result in too quiet of a signal. Your gain level will be set within your audio interface or live mixer that you are recording into.

To set the optimal level, have those who are talking on the podcast speak into the microphones, and set the levels so that they are within the green, and just under yellow on the signal meters. Avoid any audio being in the red, as this means you are clipping and thus distorting.

While setting levels, people tend to test or speak at quieter volumes than when they perform. To account for this, set your levels slightly lower than what’s recommended, and see how much louder they are once the recording starts.

This is also when you want to use your mixer to configure the headphone playback, which using a quality noise canceling headphone will help this. They’re a bit pricey, but they let you hear everything the mics are picking up.

6. EQ Signal Processing

The next step in ensuring the cleanest audio possible is processing the signal as it comes in from the microphone to the audio interface. If you have any outboard signal processors such as an EQ, or a compressor, you’ll want to run your signal from the microphone to these processors first, and then into your audio interface.

EQ or Equalization is the process of boosting or reducing certain frequencies in an audio signal to make it more pleasing to the ear. For example, if someone has a very low voice, you can reduce some of the low-end frequencies to account for their heavier or boomier sounding voice.

7. Compression Signal Processing

After EQing your audio, you can compress it for added control and overall balance. Simply put, compression sets a threshold that when an audio signal passes through it, the strength of that audio signal is reduced by a set amount, in order to bring down any sharp peaks in the audio.

Similar to the pop filter, it’s another way to eliminate any sharp peaks in the audio, making things much more pleasing for the listener. Both eq and compression can be done after the recording process, however, it does help to clean up the original audio signal as it is being recorded.

8. Cable Management

Often overlooked, cable management ensures that your workspace is clean, and organized and prevents any unnecessary accidents. Keep your cables wound around your microphone stands, and neatly organized towards your audio interface. The last thing you want is to accidentally trip on a cable, and have it rip out of your microphone, thus damaging your microphone or worse. 

9. Mixing

When recording multiple audio sources at once, it helps to have a mixer. Using a mixer will allow you to better control the audio levels of each microphone being used to ensure a more balanced mix between each individual speaking.

Each microphone will be plugged into a separate channel, from which you can control their respective volumes. From there you can run your signal from the output of the mixer to your audio interface for proper recording.

10. Room Acoustic Treatment

Lastly, you want to treat your room acoustically. Every room has a sound to it, which is determined by the room’s size, the materials used to make it, and any other objects within it. Whenever a sound is generated, its sound waves bounce off every surface within the room, creating what we call reverb.

Reverb (or echo as some people mistakenly call it) is the sound you hear after you clap in an open room, or those flutter sounds you hear in a hallway. Too much reverb can become an issue, and muddy up your audio quality. To ensure your audio is as clean as possible, you need to treat your room by dampening it with acoustic panels in order to minimize the amount of reverb hitting your microphone.

Setting up large acoustic panels on your walls, and ceiling if possible will absorb much of the sound’s energy, and reduce sound reflections on these surfaces, thus creating a cleaner sounding room for your podcast.

The thicker the panel, the better the sound absorption, and the more frequencies will be affected. Panels that are two to four inches thick will be your best bet here and provide you with the best quality sound absorption.

Producing your podcast

How to edit your podcast and podcast editing tips

Editing, like producing and recording, will take new podcasters some time to get the hang of. Unfortunately, it’s often one of the most time-consuming aspects of podcasting as well. Mastering your editing is crucial to a polished podcast that’s free of bloopers, long silences, and forcing your listeners to constantly adjust their volume knob. 

Here are our best podcast editing tips for beginners:

1. Adobe is your friend

Look, if you’re looking at little-to-no-budget for your podcast and you don’t want to get into other multimedia creative fields, ignore this tip and use Audacity. That being said, if you’re already doing a podcast, I’d be surprised if learning Adobe Audition wouldn’t benefit you.

The awesome thing about Adobe is that it’s not any harder to learn the basics than any of the free products, and your capabilities are endless. Once you learn how to use Audition for your podcast, it will be way easier to learn how to use programs like Premiere Pro, InDesign, and Photoshop for other projects that could grow your brand.

2. Learn keyboard shortcuts

While the time you take to learn shortcuts will slow you down a little at the very beginning, you’ll find that once you’ve used them for an episode or two they become natural and save a ton of time.

In Audition, while the quick select tool is turned on, you can right-click and hold to use the move tool, hold command+k to use the razor tool, and of course command+z to undo (if you’re anything like me, you’ll use this more than anything).

3. Eliminate “ums” and “uhs”

This is the simplest, easiest thing you can do to make your podcast, hosts, and guests all sound more professional. You can work with your host to be recorded and have the speech repeated if they stumble during editing so you don’t miss anything.

4. Record separately

If you want your show to be mistake-free, using video chat and headphones to talk while you record on different mics in different places can help. This gives you a different channel for each person, and you can just cut a cough or a sentence trailing off when someone else is talking. Having multiple tracks also gives you clear visual cues for transitions while you edit.

5. Make a template

In Audition, you can create a template of your own, and in Audacity, you can save a file that operates functionally as your template for future projects. Getting everything you use consistently (intro and outro music, transition sound effects, start and end markers) preset and in one place will save you 5-10 minutes on every single episode and won’t take any longer than that to set up.

A pod is something like a business and one insight we can draw from product development is starting planning your shows with a checklist early on. It’s a good habit to get into. That said…

6. Be creative!

Something as simple as intro music, transition sound effects, or how you end the show can connect your listeners to the specific show they’re listening to and subconsciously keep them coming to your show, and not just shows like it.

7. Use room noise often

One goal in editing is to make your show sound “unedited.” Jarring transitions or significant change in response time take distract listeners and take them out of the show for just a moment. To avoid these, record a 15-second track of “room noise” when you record the show and use that to fill in gaps when needed. 

8. Zoom in on your waveform

You’ll always want to make sure your audio sounds right first and foremost, but being able to see where people start and stop talking and the space between words is invaluable when it comes to saving you time. In Audition or Audacity, use “-” to zoom out and “=” to zoom in.

9. Keep consistent pacing

The first edit of the pilot of the 22-minute sitcom Arrested Development came out to around 45 minutes, but director Mitchell Hurwitz simply told them to eliminate all of the “white space” and it would come out the 22 minutes it was supposed to be.

This resulted in maybe the fastest-paced sitcom ever, and it made everyone from the writers to the actors seem extraordinarily clever—even brilliant—with jokes, you can’t even keep up with on your first watch. My advice in the way of pacing is mostly to stay consistent so the audience knows what they are getting into. Just know that a fast-paced edit can make hosts seem brilliant, but it can also sacrifice some of the thoughtfulness that comes with the podcasts we generally respect the most.

And don’t be afraid to rehearse. Walkthrough your podcast setting ahead of time so you’re prepared. It’s rare anyone gets it in one take or with their first draft.

10. Playback at a high speed

While you’re listening through your podcast for edits, the best way to save time is simply through quick playback speed. You’ll find that often five or ten minutes will go by with little to no issues, and sitting through that burns up the valuable time you have to edit.

By simply double- or triple-tapping “L” in Adobe’s signature “JKL” shortcut when you restart the playback is invaluable. Just make sure it’s at a slow enough speed where you can understand it and catch errors that need attention.

Can you use music in your podcast?

There are a lot of myths about using copyrighted songs within podcasts. Let’s dispel some of them here. You CAN NOT use copyrighted music if:

• It’s under 30 seconds
• You give credit
• You’re a non-profit

Another misconception is about fair use. Yes, you can use copyrighted music if it’s part of your discussion (i.e. you’re criticizing or commenting on it), but you can’t use music for no purposeful reason (i.e. as your podcast intro).

There are ways you can use music in your podcast, however. Here are a few free and paid resources we’ve compiled to keep your music for podcasts free of any royalty problems.

Publishing your podcast

So how exactly does the audio you record go from your computer all the way to Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, and the rest of the podcast directories? 

To put it as simply as I can, you need to create an RSS feed that points to respective audio files for the podcast and then submit this feed to the main directories.

Though it may sound complicated, it’s a pretty turnkey process if you find the right solution to partner up with.

Podcast hosting primer

Most podcast hosts do much of the heavy lifting for you, they store (or host) your audio files, generate the RSS feed, structure the metadata, and submit on your behalf to the directories of your choice. Still, you want to make sure the distribution hosting service they’re providing is up to modern standards for 2022. Every host we recommend has the widest distribution available and will distribute podcasts everywhere.

The key here in your decision making is finding a podcast host that’s right for you based on the features you need, your budget, the structure of your podcast, and the estimated popularity of the show. Podcast hosts typically price their services based on two things: storage and bandwidth. These terms may seem familiar to you, but here’s what they mean in the podcast world:

Storage — how many episodes are you recording and how long will they be?

Bandwidth — how many people will be downloading your podcast? Remember, when you’re just starting out you can sacrifice unlimited bandwidth and space for a partner that will help push your podcast out to the masses.

Ultimately, we’ve found Buzzsprout seems to be the podcast host that meets the needs of most new podcasters. Their starter plan comes with unlimited storage and a monthly bandwidth of 250GB — more than enough for new podcasters. Their analytics are also easy to use and provide comprehensive coverage. 

Best Podcast Hosting Services

Here’s a breakdown of other podcast hosts we’ve tried and tested, and if you’re looking for a more comprehensive breakdown of podcast hosts and their features, read this article about the best podcast hosting services.

Submitting your podcast to directories

You want people to listen to your podcast, right? Well, where do you listen to podcasts? List every possible place you listen — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Radiopublic, etc. — and that’s where you want to be. 

Fortunately, if you have a sound podcast host, most do this for you with a click or two with an API connection. Since we recommend Buzzsprout, here’s an example showing how easy it is from their dashboard. And really, Buzzsprout is just about the perfect place to start a podcast. A Buzzsprout presented podcast, even one presented by Buzzsprout from scratch is a lot different than going it alone.

For the directories without a one-click solution from your podcast host, you can typically go to the directory, create an account, and paste your RSS feed to submit. 

How to submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

For the third time, if you have a good marketing podcast host they should do this for you. If you’re going a more bespoke route, here’s what you need to do: 

1. Test your RSS feed

Apple recommends new podcasters use Podbase to validate their RSS feeds. Simply paste your RSS feed URL and it’ll automatically verify if your feed is compliant with Apple’s standards.

2. Validate your podcast feed has the right metadata fields

Apple requires you to have the following fields:

• Podcast Title
• Description
• Podcast Artwork

You should have already finalized these three fields before reaching this point, but if you haven’t you need to now. 

3. Submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts

Go to iTunes Connect when you’re ready to submit. If you have an existing Apple ID use it here, if not create a new one. You’ll be asked to validate your RSS feed once again — use the same URL you used in the first step. 

Finalize which podcasting categories you’d like to show up in (up to three), the language of your podcast (use the two-letter language code) and if there’s any explicit material. When you pick a main category, there are a dozen subcategories to choose from, so be consistent when you find something that clicks.

4. When you’re done, click Submit. 

Apple claims the review process can take up to two weeks, but we’ve seen most are approved within a couple of days. You can check the status of your podcast review from within iTunes Connect. Previewing a podcast on iTunes is pretty straightforward and it should automatically be sent to your device when ready.

How to submit your podcast to Spotify

In a similar submission process to Apple Podcasts, Spotify requires the following to submit a podcast to their directory:

• Podcast Title
• Podcast Description
• Podcast Cover Art
• Podcast Category
• Language Selection
• At least one live episode

The episode requirement is the sole difference from the Apple process. If you don’t have an episode recorded yet, we recommend creating a 30- to a 60-second trailer to generate buzz and get your podcast on Spotify prior to the show officially launching.

When you’re ready to submit, go to the Spotify For Podcasters portal and click Get Started. You’ll again validate your RSS feed, enter the requirements listed above, review the generated feed preview, and click through the final prompts. 

Spotify typically approves podcasts faster than Apple, so you should see your podcast in their app in less than a day.

Content Measurement Audience Insight Engagement

At a certain point, if you want a successful podcast, you need to ensure that people are actually downloading, listening, and engaging with your show. If you’re putting all this work into recording then you need to be living, loving, and lusting after your metrics. The better, and more granular the metrics about your show are, the better off you’ll be.

It’s one of the most important factors in choosing a podcast host. Even if they submit your podcast everywhere automatically, if you can’t see the end result of those episodes, then you can’t tailor your show and grow your audience.

Really good hosting with detailed analytics can tell you a lot about your audience beyond downloads. They can tell you information like what device had access and what content platform or app the podcasts were downloaded to.

Growing Your Podcast by Promoting

There is no get-rich-quick scheme for podcasts, nor is there a silver bullet to getting tons of listeners. Like any small business, growing your audience takes savvy marketing fundamentals but most importantly a good product. All marketing does is provide a magnifying glass to your podcast. If listeners don’t like what they hear, they won’t stick around. Focus on making great content first. 

After that, your marketing preferences are going to bear a similar relation to your exercise preference. Just don’t skip leg day.

Here are some basic digital marketing fundamentals you should be doing at a bare minimum:

Build a Website With Your Host or With WordPress

Build a website for your podcast if your podcast host doesn’t already provide one. You should have a streamable player for your podcast embedded within the site, an “about us” section, and ways to get in touch with you through email and/or social media. You can use your site to confirm the email subscription of listeners and build your distribution list. You can send out a newsletter telling interested podcast subscribers what you’re up to.

Basic search engine optimization will help new audiences find your show. What does an established podcaster want? Just that, passive traffic from SEO. Publishing a podcast on WordPress can help older audiences find your show.

The best podcast websites I’ve seen also provide complimentary material to the podcast acting as companion material. Here’s 99% Invisible’s social media website with blog posts providing more info on each episode. 

Have listeners submitting a subscription for paywall content? Yes, please. Even if there’s an error in the subscription confirmation, that’s just another opportunity for a touch point. Remember, a podcast that makes money is a business. You’re a brand unto yourself.

“When I’m out in public, I can tell which media channel is the catalyst for someone approaching me. The bro-approach (i.e., “Yo Dawg”) is made by fans of our videos. Someone who wants to engage in a sober, analytical discussion about the dynamics of streaming or the harms of social media reads the newsletter or my books. But someone who approaches me as if we’re good friends listens to the podcast. It’s similar to running into an old acquaintance you really liked, and who really liked you … but you never had the chance to become good friends. The goodwill is evident. This now happens several times a week.”

– Professor Scott Galloway, NYU | Host of the Prof G Show

Popular podcast hosts know that the interest in a show is intensely personalised. The audience is telling you they are intimately interested in your podcast when you build that rapport.

Stay active on social media and Comment Soon

Social media remains a key discoverability route for new listeners. It remains the most effective audience building strategy beyond having great content.

Post new episodes, engage with fans, solicit feedback, give behind-the-scenes info, give away swag, and more. Many a newbie podcaster established themselves by being guests on slightly more established podcasts because it helps build rapport and camaraderie. Almost like having a mentor.

That’s the power networking has in podcasting.

Foster a community You Love

There are several ways to build the foundation of a community — Reddit, Facebook Page, Slack, and Discord. A strong community will encourage word of mouth engagement and grow your audience in organic ways. 

Ask for feedback from Everyone

Your listeners are your customers, ask for feedback whenever you can. You want to continually improve your show and the best way to do that is to constructively listen to what your fans say about your podcast. 

More than that, ask, repeatedly and consistently for reviews. In a conversation with Mark Timberlake on the Udemy podcast, he explained how important reviews are to the algorithm of every podcast directory boosting your show organically. So make it happen.

Rinse, repeat, and keep at it by Creating Engaging Content

Remember at the top of this guide when I said: “Starting a podcast is hard and takes work, and more work, and more work, and mo—”? Don’t get frustrated by a slow start, tireless nights, or a lack of feedback, and definitely don’t get hung up on download numbers. 

Advertise

Thousands of people come to Discover Pods every day looking for podcasts just like yours. Take advantage of the existing community and grow your podcast today. Learn more here

The post How To Start A Podcast The Right Way (The Definitive Complete Guide for 2022) appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

I think I can do better. I’ve come up with a few suggestions for new names for podcasts. Some of them already exist, while others are new ones I thought of that I think could catch on. 

In order to give myself a point to get worn down, I had to decide on an arbitrary number of names to hit. Let’s go with 300.

Are they all going to be catchy? No, but I’m sure it’ll be fun to think of them!

Ok, Let’s get into it!

1. Podcasts.
2. Online Radio.
3. Godcast (Apparently a real one, according to WordHippo.com).
4. Podcat.
5. Eps.
6. Dad’s New Thing.
7. The One That Gets You Through It. 
8. A Couple Of Old Friends from High School Hanging Out And Shooting The Shit. 
9. Internet Radio.
10. The First Ever Audio Fiction Show.
11. The Show He Launched After Being Canceled.
12. Actors Recapping Shows They Were On.
13. The One That Was Set Up For Less Then $100.
14. Three And A Half Hours Of Video Game News.
15.  Fifteen Minutes of Normal News.
16. The Ones That Represent Radio Fiction At The End Of The World.
17. Mobcast (another WordHIppo.com original).
18. A Pilot For A TV Show (Never Produced).
19. The Ones That Help You Build Audiences. 
20. One With a British Guy.
21. Another Podcast With Only White Hosts.
22. Talking About Obvious Things Like Nobody Else Is Talking About.
23. Talking About Things Nobody Talks Like Everyone Is Talking About It.
24. The One That’s Finished.
25. Podcasts About Very Specific Things.
26. The Easiest Thing In The World To Make.
27. Conan’s Domain.
28. The Ones That Are Carried By Their Great Hosts.
29. The Parasocial Fast Track.
30. Direct Messages From Whatever God You Believe In.
31. Discovered Pods.
32. The First Ever Podcast Musical.
33. The Show That Got Her Canceled.
34. Plordcasts.
35. McElroy Family Dinner.
36. Two Gals Shooting The Shit.
37. The Money Making Podcast (Yes, They Exist). 
38. Evidence.
39. Laughing at Crime!
40. The Thing That Happens Around SquareSpace Ads.
41. Long Apology Episodes.
42. The Best Role-Playing You’ll Hear.

43. The One Everyone Keeps Telling You To Listen To.
44. The One You Keep Telling Everyone To Listen To.
45. The One About Friends.
46. The Ones Making An Effort To Not Be Racist.
47. A Rewatch Podcast For A Show You’ve Never Seen.
48. Uncle Doug’s Thing He Doesn’t Want The Family Listening To.
49. Four Hosts, One Mic.
50. Ad Reads, The Experience.
51. Family Friendly Fun-casts!
52. Subscribed But Never Listened To.
53. Therapy Sessions.
54. Content To Sleep To.
55. Plobcasts.
56. The Ones That Learn From TV.
57. Audio Improv Scenes.
58. Audio Improv Scenes With Long Form Narratives.
59. The Pulled Audio Track From A Youtube Video.
60. The Pulled Audio Track From A Whole Ass TV Show.
61. Archivel Radio.
62. Turning On The Mic And Seeing What Happens.
63. The Writer’s Distraction.
64. The Ones With d/Deaf Representation.
65. The Ones that Feel like Homework.
66. Important Deep Dives.
67. Unimportant Deep Dives.
68. The Ones To Prep Your Kids For The Future. 
69. Nice.
70. Direct Nerd Dispatches.
71. It’s Not Illegal To Podcast About This But It Is Ill-advised.
72. The Hip New Thing.
73. Books about Podcasts. 
74. Your Quarantine Project.
75. An Excuse To Hang Out With Friends.
76. A Loosely Tied Together Collection Of Inside Jokes.
77. The Abandoned Ones.
78. The Ones On Twitter.
79. Podcasts…2!!!!!
80. Radio but Sexy.
81. Radicalization In Any Direction.
82.  A Mistake, Probably.
83.  “Noun: a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.”
84. The Ones Losing Listeners. 
85. Mouth Sounds.
86. Popular TV Show: The Podcast.
87. Something To Play On A Road Trip Where Nobody Likes Music.
88. The Empathy Boosters.
89. No, Mom, It’s Not a Phase.
90. A Premise That Shouldn’t Make It Past 10 Episodes. 
91. Voices To Shut Your Brain Up.
92. The One That Hits You Hard. 
93. Aggressively Describing Everything Around You, Like Normal People Do In Normal Conversations. 
94. This One’s Gonna Save The Marriage.
95. Podcasts about Podcasts.
96. This whole article was inspired by this one Hard Drive article about Waluigi, so this one’s for you, king. Waaaaaaahad-casts. 
97. The Things They Release For Us To Write About Here. 
98. Sick Convos With Rad Peeps.
99. Bad Podcasts.
100. “Good” Podcasts.
101. Meh Podcasts.
102. Writing Podcasts.
103. Earbud In Unlovable Earbud.
104. Just The Bits. 
105. The thing your doctor recommends to you to cheer you up, and you unfortunately must inform them, “But Doctor, that’s my podcast!”
106. Philodcasts. 
107. Funny Ones.
108. Scary Ones. 
109. Sad Ones. 
110. Intense Ones. 
111. Relaxing Ones.
112. Science Ones.
113. Fantasy Ones. 
114. Science Fiction Ones. 
115. The Ones That Claim To Be Diverse.
116. Good Ones Made With A Little Money. 
117. Bad Ones Made With a Lot of Money.
118. The Thing They’re Apparently Up To Now. 
119. The Joe Rogan Rogan Joe Ho Bo Row Row Row Your Boat Experience: The Show.
120. The Ones With A Different Perspective Besides The Small Army Of Podcasts Hosted By White Dudes. 
121. The One For SEO.
122. The Corporate One
123. The One That Has A Joke Premise That Couldn’t Last Past A Handful Of Episodes.
124. The Lovey-Dovey Ones. 
125. The One That Seems Like A Good Idea But Doesn’t Stick The Landing. 
126. Yes, You Can Swear
127. No, You Cannot Swear.
128. The Finance Smarty Pants Ones. 
129. Shows That Sound Bad Out Of Context.
130. The Piggy’s Favorite Slop.
131. One Take, No Edits, Thousands Of Weekly Listeners.
132. The Ones That Cover Hard Topics That Need To Be Talked About.
133. Fully-Funded, Never Released.
134. The Lost Episode.
135. The First Ever Audio Movie. 
136. The Repetitive Ones.
137. Phillip O. D’casts.
138. The NPR Ones, Or I Guess In This Case The NPP Ones Because The R Means Radio And The P Means Podcasts.
139. This One’s For Daddy (I’m Sorry). 
140. Inarguably Human Experiences.
141. The Archived Ones that Need A Real Dusting Off. 
142. The Ones About Food. 
143. The One That Isn’t Reply All (Which By the Way All Of That Reply All Stuff Happened In March Christ What A Year).
144. Audio Drama (How Have I Not Said Audio Drama Yet?)
145. Oh Dang, These Things Can Be Game Shows?
146. The Ones That Spread Authorship.
147. Anime Sickos Podcast.
148. The Sexy Ones. 
149. The Ones That Have Been There Since The Beginning. 
150. The Kawaii Ones. 
151. The Podcasts For Cool Guys. 
152. An Onslaught Of Celebrity Shows!
153. Shows For All Kinds Of Minds.
154. The Retracted Fact Show.
155. The Ones You Stopped Listening To.
156. The Self-Improvement Ones. 
157. The Correcting Misinformation Shows. 
158. The Horror Ones That Hit Just Right. 
159. The Sorta Just Kinda OK Ones.
160. The Explotitive Ones.
161. The Ones that Help You Feel Like You Belong. 
162. There’s a pretty solid chance nobody has read this far. 
163. If you have, why?
164. Am I fluffing the numbers by talking directly to you? Yes.
165. But I’ve written 161 of these already, so it’s probably fine. 
166. I probably lost a lot of people at “Phillip O. D’Casts,” who by the way is my new original character that I love very much. 
167. Phillip is an approachable and relatable 20-something trying to make it big in the big city. 
168. That being Audio City, the city of podcasts!
169. He goes on a bunch of magical, relatable adventures, such as:
170. Trying to get a job, but he only has the skills of a podcastor! 
171. Trying to date, but he must record every date! 
172. Reckon with how the previous generation has left nothing for the next generation to build off of except societal rubble, and how it is likely we will leave even less to the next generation, regardless of our efforts.
173. Hunt for his great grandfather, Archduke Polly A. D’cast’s long lost treasure and make friends along the way!
174. If you want to hear more, be on the lookout for my upcoming Seed and Spark!
175. Oh wow, we hit halfway there a while ago.
176. OK, that was a bit to fluff up the numbers, let’s get back to some genuine silly names. 
177. Fuck. 
178. The Ones Built On The Backs Of Powerful Editors. 
179. The Ones About Justice. 
180. The Wrong Download File.
181. Kissing Noises.
182. The All American Podcasts (Not Like That).
183. The Refreshing Ones. 
184. Hosts Talking Over Each Other.
185. Hosts Shouting Over Each Other. 
186. The Quarantine Struggle Shows. 
187. The Ones That Queer You. 
188. Important History Deep Dives Of History That Needs More Attention.
189. A Big Property Taking A Dip Into Podcasting.
190. Rick’s Side Hustle. 
191. Shows Where You See Yourself Represented. 
192. Shows That Want You!
193. Yet Another True Crime Show. 
194. The Thing You Listen To During Work. 
195. A Not So Lonely Car Drive. 
196. The Straight Ones.
197. The Not So Straight Ones. 
198. The Very Not Straight Ones. 
199. The Ones Specifically Designed To Tell Someone To Go Fuck Themselves. 
200. Cops Favorite Podcasts. 
201. The Conspiracy Shows. 
202. The One Who Thinks A Twitter Account Is A Good Replacement For A Website
203. A Bad Movie Watching Podcast.
204. A Bad Bad Movie Watching Podcast. 
205. Audio Medium That Looks Good. 
206. Theoretical Empathy Interviews. 
207. The Netflix Of Podcasting.
208. A Podcast With A Backlog That You Just Shouldn’t Bother With. 
209. A Podcast With A Backlog That Is Necessary To Listen To All Of Before The Recent Episodes Even Make Sense. 
210. Scott Aukerman Talking To Wacky Entrepreneurs. 
211. Gaming Podcast That Spends The Majority Of Episodes Not Talking About Video Games.
212. Too Much.
213. The Ones You Listen To With Friends.
214.  The Award Winners.
215. A Deep Dive History Podcast Longer And More In Depth Than Any Class You’ve Taken That Talks About The Things Your History Teachers Wish They Could HAve Told You About. 
216. Memes.
217. Homestucks.
218. First Name Basis Shows. 
219. From The Minds Of Discover Pods.
220. Reading Various Posts From Online, Such As Reviews Or Tweets. 
221. The One You Host With Your Parents. 
222. At this point, I was beginning to think this article was a bad idea, but then the New York Times released an article about how it is normal and expected to hate your spouse, so my imposter syndrome has been obliterated. 
223. Lies. 
224. Seasonal Ones. 
225. The Ones That Have Gone Stale.
226. The Only Good One. 
227. Your Podcast. 
228. My Podcast.
229. Our Podcast. 
230. Their Podcast. 
231. Shows To Eat With.
232. Narrated Shows. 
233. Tech Ones. 
234. Business Ones. 
235. A Podcast With The Premise Of Self-Imposed Suffering (Much Like This Article). 
236. The One That’s Just Listener Mail.
237. Somewhere along here I lost the thread and started just listing out kinds of podcasts and also random little comments, but hey, what’s more podcasting then that?
238. The Mundane Ones. 
239. The Ones That Help You Rediscover Old Loves. 
240. Niche Ones. 
241. Bobcast.
242. PodChrist. 
243. PodCrap.
244. PodCod. 
245. Longer Worse TikTok. 
246. The One Your Partner Doesn’t Like, Mainly Because You Keep Talking About It.
247. Baby’s Newest Hyperfixation. 
248. The One With The Annoying Fandom You Don’t Engage With. 
249. The One With The Annoying Fandom You Are A Card Carrying Member Of. 
250. The One You Don’t Like Listening To But You Still Stay Subscribed To For Your Own Personal Reasons. 
251. The One You Swear You Will Get To. 
252. Podcast-offs.
253. Podcast-aways.
254. The Show That Should Have Stopped A While Ago. 
255. I’ve been running on fumes with this one since like 150. 
256. I’m the one that set the goal of 300, so I can cut this off whenever. 
257. I still appear to be going. 
258. Why can’t I bring this level of needless determination to achieve personal goals to other aspects of my life?
259. Shit, OK, Um, Wod-Casts. 
260. The One You Might Not Be In The Right Headspace to Listen to. 
261. The One With Headspace Ads.
262. The One That Goes Through One Ear And Out The Other. 
263. The Hopepunk One.
264. The Steampunk One. 
265. Friends At The Table (the concept of friends being at a table, not the actual play podcast focused on critical worldbuilding, smart characterization, and fun interactions between good friends.)
266. My Funny Friend, My Friend Who Can Actually Stay On Topic, and Me (The Weakest Link).
267. Are You Sure You Want To Publish That, Bud?
268. The One In Your Mentions. 
269. Notable Not Edited In Post. 
270. The Salvaged Show Premises By Spiritual Successors. 
271. The Non-Religious Religious Ones.
272. The Actually Religious Ones.
273. Podcasts about Books. 
274. Podcasts…..3!!!!!!!!!!!
275. The Ace Podcasts (As In Asexual Ones)
276. The Ace Podcasts (As In The Good Ones. There Is Overlap)
277. The Podcasts We Made Friends With Along The Way. 
278. Gamer Shows. 
279. The Kazuma Of Podcasts.
280. The Sora Kingdomhearts Of Podcasts
281. Halloween Podcasts. 
282. Thanksgiving Podcasts (These Feel Like They Might Be Real).
283. Christmas Podcasts.
284. The Game. 
285. Alien Ones.
286. Gamer Ones (But Like For People Who Made Games. 
287. Almost At The End of This List, Which Admittedly Hasn’t Been Funny For 100 Lines. 
288. Takes On The Classics. 
289. Projects Birthed From Isolation. 
290. The Beaten Dead Horse Show. 
291. The Ones That Don’t Really Matter In The Long Run. 
292. The New One. 
293. The Old One. 
294. The First One. 
295. The Last One.
296. The Bottle I Screamed Into And Threw Out To Sea (Counts As A Podcast.)
297. The One That Is Tied To A Time In Your Life. 
298. The Podcast From Home.
299. Phillip O. D’Cast The Second. 
300. The Podcast You Could HAve Listened To Instead Of Reading This Entire List. 

If any of these wind up sticking, Venmo me! Feel free to let me know about any others you might think of online, or maybe just to complain! 

Happy New Year!

The post A List Of 300 Unasked For Terms For Podcasts appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Podcasting is not new, but what is new (and surprising to most) is how powerful of a marketing tool a branded podcast can be. Unfortunately, most companies don’t really understand what a podcast can do for them or why they should have their own podcast.

A company’s bottom line is what keeps them in business. The difference between growing and dying can come down to how you get your message out.

According to Huify, acquiring a new customer is up to five times more expensive than retaining a customer. When you consider that, customer retention jumps out as a marketing must.

Not only are existing customers cheaper to maintain/acquire, they’re much more likely to buy again, and forgive brand mistakes. Most importantly, they’re more likely to try something new. In short… they’re loyal. They’ll grow alongside your brand, and will advocate for it when times are tough.

All of a sudden, the added cost and expense of starting a company branded podcast doesn’t seem so off putting.

But why? Let’s take a look.

Podcasts are Effective at Building Relationships

The customers I described above, the loyal ones, are in a relationship with your brand. With more than 50% of the population listening to podcasts, making relatable, long form content is more important than ever. If you want to connect, you need to provide informational value.

When a listener downloads and presses play, they’re inviting your message into their world.

Professor Scott Galloway, Professor of marketing at NYU Stern, explains the connection thusly. When someone comes up and says hello, it’s because they heard his podcast. It’s not his books, not his articles, or television punditry. It’s the podcast that strikes a stronger chord with the content creator or brand.

Storytelling Builds Rapport

The reason? Storytelling is more effective than statistics when it comes to building rapport. And rapport is at the heart of any good audience.

Nobody goes to a cocktail party and remembers the guest rattling off statistics, do they? Well, it so happens, podcasts are the perfect opportunity for long form storytelling.

Most marketing channels provide just enough time to fire off some of your greatest accomplishments. Those often come in statistical form. Podcasts allow a brand to expand upon those statistics and put them into context.

Think of a spokesman doing a segment on cable news with only 15 – 30 seconds of time to present their talking points. Almost all will end up trying to relate statistics to a story. Most of the time those segments go in one ear and out the other.

Content Expansion

Podcasts, on the other hand, are different. Pods are a medium that let’s content creators and brands discuss their product or mission at length. Even if someone doesn’t listen to a particular episode, it still adds value. A larger topic discussion, the episode can still serve as the hub where other content spokes will connect.

The marketing department can expand on each episode and link back for greater context. A hosting solution like Podbean’s unlimited bandwidth, download, and storage is a marketer’s dream. Every discussion adds to the repository of marketing material.

Marketers are great at expanding upon larger content pieces, but isn’t starting a podcast too involved to be truly effective?

It’s Never Been Easier (or Cheaper) to Start a Podcast

Starting a podcast has never been easier. It doesn’t matter if you are an amateur in your basement or a major, publicly traded, brand. In 2021, it’s a level playing field.

In fact, you can set up a podcast recording studio for under $100 which removes any barrier of entry for a company branded podcast.

Podcast hosting companies like Podbean spent a great deal of time and energy making a user experience that is unparalleled. Beyond that, it’s an experience that is cost-effective. From recording, to publishing and episode statistics, Podbean makes the process from beginning to end simple. There’s no code or technical knowledge needed to put your brand into the podcast zeitgeist.

Podcasts Aren’t Commercials

Commercials were the bread and butter of advertising. 30 second television campaigns with clever slogans. With bait designed to hook as many potential customers as possible.

The sales hook beats the potential consumer over the head. It’s off putting and that sales method has sailed.

Podcasts are subtle. They’re nuanced expressions that humanize a brand by letting listeners attach real human beings to a brand through audio. Human beings are conditioned to bristle at being sold to, a branded podcast turns that feeling on it’s head.

A branded podcast gives companies the opportunity to display expertise, over a long period of time, using real people. It’s a game changer in the world of content marketing. They keep your brand top of mind without being pushy.

The Biggest Question to Ponder About Branded Podcasts

The hardest question for a marketing department to answer about starting a branded podcast isn’t “why,” but “why not?” If everyone should start a podcast in 2021, why shouldn’t your brand?

The barriers of entry are low enough on the hardware to be nearly non-existent. Podcast hosting companies like Podbean make the user experience seamless and cost-effective at the same time. Your episodes are stored into perpetuity and can serve as the basis for the entirety of your content marketing plan.

The format is more effective at building rapport between potential customers or a brand. More so than any marketing channel available. When you get your brand’s up and running, let us know.

The post Why Every Company Needs a Branded Podcast appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Let’s get started. 

Podcast #1: Honeypot Chats

Podcast description: “Breaking down cybersecurity concepts and information in ways that people can understand.” Yeah, you and I will both discover that this very professional description does not even remotely encompass the exuberant personalities of the podcast co-hosts. It does adequately summarize the content but not the feel of the podcast.

How did I find this podcast?

For this podcast, I searched for technology podcasts in the African Podcast Database, created by the Africa Podfest folks. Africa Podfest is a groundbreaking podcast conference that highlights podcasts and podcasters on the African continent. The database is one of the valuable resources that they’ve created out of this community of podcasters. You can search for podcasts by topic, location and other factors.

Why did I pick this podcast? 

I scanned the 17 podcasts that came up in a “technology” search in the database. I was curious how the name “Honeypots” connected to technology, so I followed their link in the database over to Instagram. There I saw a more catchy description of the podcast that pulled me in:

“Two Zambian chicks simplifying Cybersecurity one listener at a time ” 

This image in their Instagram grid also caught my eye. 

It felt like these were two no nonsense and friendly women who wanted to help me understand cybersecurity. For me, a host’s personality and voice are really important. All the information and episode scripting won’t help if I don’t emotionally click with a host. Trust me, I’ve tried to force it. In this case, I felt like there was a personality match. So I started by listening.

What did I listen to? What did I hear? 

I usually start listening to the most recent episode with a new podcast. Exceptions, for obvious reasons, are audio dramas and other series that make more sense listening to in order. With Honeypots, I could have started with the most recent episode but I was on a search for the podcast name information. So instead, I dug back into the earlier episodes and started with their first episode. 

This introductory episode started with a bit of music and then they dove into the podcast why immediately. This was great. No time was wasted wondering why this podcast exists. Brenda and Tambi, the Co-Hosts, both work in cybersecurity and explained how often they needed to explain these concepts to people. They also said that they want to highlight women in cybersecurity because these are lesser heard voices in the field. The conversation flowed really naturally between them and I felt like I was listening to two friends geek out over a tech topic that they were passionate about. And, of course, they shared why the podcast had this name. No, I’m not going to spoil that for you!

Read more: Upgrade Your Writing Business in 2021 with These Podcasts

Podcast name satisfied, I dug into a more recent season of the podcast. I listened to season 3, episode 9 from August 2021. This episode, as you can see from the title above, was about working from home. Almost immediately I learned the term “cyber pandemic”, which was the increase in cyber attacks at the beginning of the work from home trend at the beginning of the pandemic. Hackers apparently took advantage of these work from home folks who weren’t diligent in protecting company data on their company devices.

It’s been almost two years since the pandemic started but this is the first time I’ve heard this phrase. That feels weird. Did I miss it? Or are these two women that far ahead of the curve? Don’t get me wrong, this was not a fear inducing episode. Instead, they spent the time giving practical tips on what we should be doing to protect that company data as well as our own when working from home. This is not just interesting content, it’s really valuable for individuals and companies globally. 

These two episodes are a small part of what Brenda and Tambi are doing on Honeypot Chats. They also have episodes with news, more tips and interviews with a specific focus mostly but not entirely on Zambia and Zambians. But as you can see from this episode 9 example, a lot of the information is relevant to those of us outside of Zambia as well. 

What did I think? 

In English language Western media, I don’t often read or hear about technology on the African continent in general, let alone in Zambia, so this podcast really excited me. The fact that the information is also really practical to those of us outside of Zambia is a plus as well. But honestly, I would keep listening either way.  Finally, as a woman that studied technology in college, I love that they’ve interviewed so many women in the space. Overall, I clicked hard with their content. I followed/subscribed to the podcast and their social media channels. I want to know both what episodes come out and what they have to say about them and other technology issues. I’m invested in this duo!

Podcast #2: Aswatona Podcast

Description: “Our voices is a project that aims to connect and support podcasters within the WANA (North Africa and West Asia) region and Germany. Together we will produce 12 podcasts in Arabic, English and German around the topics environment, gender and power dynamics.”

How did I find this podcast?

Aswatona Podcast hosted a live event recently where they chatted with some of their creators. 

Why did I pick this podcast? 

I lived in Germany for most of 2020 and learned a lot about the Arabic speaking population living in Berlin while I was there. Podcasts are a very real way that I like to build on prior knowledge so this podcast appealed to me on this level. Additionally, multilingual podcasts are something I’m very intrigued with. The time, energy and sensitivity that goes into doing this is nothing less than heroic. 

What did I listen to? What did I hear? 

First I listened to this climate related episode:

There were two main male narrators for this episode and many guest voices as well. The guests talked about environmental issues in their region or country. The mix of people and places was really interesting but the music, if I’m completely honest, was very distracting. It was hard to hear the people talking sometimes. Also, I’m not sure what the call-to-action was. It could have gotten drowned out in the music but I don’t remember them proposing a solution to these issues. I’m drawn to shows that not only show a problem but suggest at least the beginning of a solution, no matter how small that step may be. 

To get a sample of the different categories of shows on this podcast, I then listened to this gender episode: 

This episode started out with a male narrative, Sadeq, asking, 

“Do women own their bodies? Being a man, I completely own my body, my freedom. As a guy, do I have the right to talk about their bodies, their stories?

The women in this episode were honest and bold. They shared their body shame in very tender yet, for obvious reasons, painful details. “It’s not only about bodies,” one of the women went on to describe, it’s also about their emotional and mental health. There were many stories of the emotional and intellectual struggles that women in the Arab world face because of the tradition of their father and then their husband “owning” their bodies: “9 out of 10 women said that ‘marital rape’ does not exist.” This statement, this statistic will stick with me for a while.

What did I think? 

With regards to the body narrative episode, I’m having a strong reaction to a male voice introducing and wrapping up the episode. These women have very strong, sad stories of patriarchal attitudes in their culture. So why is a man the one to shepherd the stories in? This was a reaction I could not shake. 

But another part of me knows that many men won’t listen to these stories unless they’re introduced by a man. This is almost as sad as the stories themselves but also a powerful storytelling choice. I got very invested in this episode. Many of these stories are unfortunately not unique to Arab culture but I tried my best to listen. Saying that these attitudes are globally dominant distracts from these women’s admissions. Their trust in our ears. Their faith that things can change if they are talked about. I’m skeptical, jaded and now that I’ve experienced their voices, their stories, I’m also protective of these women that shared a piece of themselves. 

I would listen to more of this podcast for sure. I might lean more towards listening to the gender episodes since I connected with these more but I might venture to the other topics of environment and power dynamics if the title or episode description was appealing to me at that point. Overall, I’m very glad that podcasts like this exist. Hearing about a culture from within that culture, instead of as reported by someone from the outside, feels more powerful, more authentic, more nuanced. It’s naturally hard to get this level of nuance unless you’re swimming in the culture.  

It was a lot of fun to track my own listening journey while meeting these two podcasts. I’m sure that your listening journey may differ from mine but one thing is certain: podcasts are personal, powerful and intimate. They affect us more than other mediums for these very reasons and that’s a wonderful thing indeed. 

The post How Do Podcast Listeners Meet A New Podcast appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Most of it is completely pointless.

Obviously, yes, some callouts in the podcasting community are important and necessary. Calling out a show’s racism or discussing transphobic trends in casting calls are both important because they affect people’s real, actual lives. But the vast majority of podcast discourse I’ve seen is just people taking something very minor and treating it like it is the literal end of the goddamn world. In the sphere of Twitter podcasting discourse, somebody tweeting that they dislike a fiction trope spurs more arguments and attacks than someone tweeting that they think all trans people should die.

There is no room for minor arguments; no space given for small differences in opinion. Two people cannot have a personal disagreement without one or both of them posting about it publicly and forcing the entire community to pick a side. Everything is a battle and everybody is determined to Win, because Losing means ostracization from the community—this community which drains you so much, which leaves you so stressed out and anxious all the time, but which you’re dependent on because you need to stay in people’s good graces for them to support your art.

If your mutual tweets something about disability rights that you disagree with, you can’t politely say “I disagree with you and here’s why.” You absolutely can’t just leave it be and chalk it up to a difference of opinion. In the black-and-white world of Twitter discourse, there is no middle ground: there is only Right and Wrong, and you cannot allow yourself to be Wrong because being Wrong means you are a terrible person. Good People are only ever Right; they never make mistakes, never have bad days, never say anything Wrong.

Your mind (and your body, for that matter; our bodies have terribly wonderful memories) remembers every time that you have watched the people on your timeline viciously destroy anybody who did something Wrong. Maybe you even participated. It was justified, of course—they were Wrong and you were Right, and you were simply expelling Bad People from the community so that Good People could remain safe. But now, all of those incidents have hardwired your brain to be terrified of being Wrong: if you’re Wrong, the timeline will turn on you in an instant. You cannot allow yourself to be Wrong. To be Wrong is to be Bad and to be Bad is to be Worthless. 

So when someone says something you disagree with, you cannot leave it be, nor can you approach them as if they are a kind person who simply made a mistake. No, that’s not enough. They were Wrong, remember? And Wrong people are dangerous. They can’t be a Good Person if they were Wrong. There is no such thing as a mistake. There is no such thing as two people having equally valid opinions. Only one person—the Good Person—can be Right. And this person said something Wrong, so they are Bad. And since they are Bad, you can’t approach them in good faith and have a polite discussion with them to see their side of things. They must be intentionally malicious, they must be Bad, so you are under a moral obligation to attack them as hard as you can.

Read more: 20 of the Weirdest and Worst Things I’ve Seen on Casting Calls

Halo and Horns run rampant in the community.

Two people have a disagreement. This is how it starts. This is how it could end. But it won’t end like that—it can’t. Disagreements in podcast Twitter cannot be resolved privately; they must be resolved in public, so that everybody can join in. What is a more efficient way to separate the Good from the Bad? How better to exile the Worthless than to force them to state their opinion on every single possible issue until you finally find one they’re Wrong about?

If you think that you can avoid this by just never stating your opinion, you are so very, very wrong. Not stating an opinion is, in and of itself, Bad. See, it’s not just enough to not have a Bad Opinion—to be a Good Person, you have to have a Good Opinion that you state publicly, as often as possible, at every single opportunity. If you do not publicly state the Good Opinion, it will be assumed that your opinion is Bad. You are guilty until proven innocent. What, you want to stay out of discourse? You don’t think you know enough about the situation to have an opinion? That just means that you’re a selfish coward who’s refusing to use their platform for good. You monster.

Complicating this even further is how many people will subtweet about drama rather than just stating their opinion plainly. “Subtweeting” is the act of making a tweet where you do not explicitly say what (or who) the subject of the tweet is, but the context makes it clear for anybody who’s tuned into current discourse. 

So, instead of tweeting:

“I disagree with Amy’s stance on podcast conventions—I think that cons should pay their speakers whenever possible.”

You tweet:

“Wow, I cannot believe that there are still popular podcasters who genuinely think it’s okay for conventions to not pay their speakers. I guess you all just hate poor people and think that only rich people deserve to speak at conventions lol”

It’s not enough to share your Good Opinion—you have to make sure it’s worded to cast the other side in the worst light possible, so that nobody can say so much as “I think they actually make some good points” without seeming evil. Now this isn’t just an issue of whether or not conventions are obligated to pay their speakers, it’s an issue of morality and social justice: if someone doesn’t agree with you, that doesn’t just mean they have a different opinion, it means that they hate poor people.  

And Twitter isn’t helping.

This serves the purpose of drawing people deeper into podcast discourse. If you log onto Twitter and see half of your timeline subtweeting about what appears to be the same topic, natural human curiosity will compel you to dig deeper. But it’s not just that, is it? It’s not just curiosity—it’s fear. If you don’t know who they’re talking about, they could be talking about someone you like; and if they’re talking about someone you like, you have to stop liking that person ASAP so that nobody will think you’re associated with them. They’re Wrong now. They’re Bad. And only Bad People can tolerate the presence of other Bad People. If you don’t figure out who everyone is tweeting about and you later make an innocuous tweet mentioning that you like that person, the subtweets will turn to you instead:

“lmao I cannot believe there are people who actually still support Amy after everything she said. unfollowed.”

People who subtweet insist that they do it for their own safety—that if they outright said who their tweets were about, they would be attacked by that person’s supporters; so, you see, subtweeting is the only way to voice their stance on the issue without getting attacked. 

But it doesn’t actually work like that. 

Here’s the thing: your Twitter account is not a diary. It is not private. Even locked Twitters, often referred to as “private accounts”, are not actually completely private if they have any followers. Twitter is, inherently, a public medium. When you tweet something, it’s because you want other people to read it. You cannot argue with that; that is the very nature of social media. If you wanted it to stay private, you would have written it down in a journal. But you posted it on Twitter, which means that you wanted people to see it; and if you wanted it to be seen, then you wanted it to be understood; and if you wanted it to be understood, then you had to include enough information that people familiar with the drama can tell what it’s about. And if they can figure it out… so can the people you fear would attack you. 

Subtweeting does not keep you safe. It just doesn’t. That’s an argument that falls apart the second you examine it further. But it does a great job of further dividing the community into an “in” group and an “out” group: if you know, you know. And if you don’t know, that’s your fault for not being online 24/7. How dare you not have in-depth knowledge of every single argument and wrongdoing in the podcast community? How dare you have a personal life (or a job or a family or health issues or a breakup or—) that prevented you from sharing your opinion on Twitter discourse within 15 minutes of the first tweet going up?

And the podcast community pulls you back in.

And this is how the podcast community becomes a self-sustaining mess, an endlessly renewable resource of drama and tears: it is not enough for us to be trapped in the suffocating grip of podcast discourse. We have to make sure everybody else is stuck here with us. 

The full scope of how bad this is didn’t hit me until a few weeks ago. I was taking a shower and thinking about something I was contemplating posting on Twitter. As is my habit now, that quickly turned into me thinking about every possible bad faith interpretation someone could have of it, every angle that someone could use to attack me. I started playing with the wording of the tweet to make it more clear. Finally, I got it as clear as it could possibly be, but I knew that people could still find a way to attack me for it. I started planning out my potential responses to those, what I would say to defend myself. This is a habit I developed ages ago that I haven’t really thought much about. But as I was standing under the hot water and thinking this all over, it began to feel familiar somehow. I thought about that, tried to figure out why. And then the pieces clicked into place.

This is what I’ve done in every toxic and abusive relationships I’ve had. This is it exactly. In those relationships, I knew that anything I could say could be used as ammunition to gun me down. To protect myself, I would plan out the exact wording for every single thing I wanted to say—no matter how innocuous—and prepare myself for the ways it could be turned against me. That is a survival skill I picked up to survive toxicity and abuse. And now it’s a survival skill that I learned again to survive Twitter.

Twitter is not a healthy environment. Most people know that, but many podcasters seem to hold the opinion that the podcast community is different. But I assure you, it’s not. It is just as bad as everywhere else. Good Liberal Podcasters who have the Right Opinions and say the Right Things will tear you down as viciously as any incel Redditor, but while they do it, they’ll smile at you ever so sweetly and tell you it’s all your fault for being Bad, for not being as Liberal as them, for not having the Right Opinions. If you think that homophobic fundamentalists can be vicious, just wait until you tell a queer podcaster on Twitter that you think bisexuals can call themselves femme. Podcasters will tear you apart, make you feel Worthless, convince everyone around you to abandon you, and then they’ll go and cry about how traumatic it was for them, how you triggered them, how they just don’t feel safe around you anymore.

This is not healthy. This is not good. No matter what podcasters think, this is not Right.

So how will the community respond to this?

What’s really infuriating to me about writing this piece is that I already know all of the possible ways the response to it could shake out.

Option 1:

People ignore it. This isn’t terribly unlikely—something I’ve noticed as a Discover Pods writer is that our pieces rarely get large amounts of attention unless people want to yell at us for doing something Wrong. (Editor’s note: This is writer Cassie Josephs’s feelings and not an official Discover Pods standpoint, and we have not done research into this phenomenon. This is a vibe only. As someone who was dragged back onto Twitter to defend a writer, though, it certainly feels accurate.)

Option 2:

People are angry. This also seems fairly likely. In this option, the exact people this article is about will see this article and, on some level, recognize their own behavior. But instead of thinking “Hey, yeah, that isn’t great for me to do”, instead of reflecting and growing and maybe even changing, they’ll say that this article is problematic. That I hate marginalized podcasters, that I’m villainizing safety tools (“Subtweeting keeps us safe!”), that I’m saying nobody should speak up about mistreatment and that nobody should believe abuse victims. They’ll rip every single line apart to find things I said that they think are Wrong. It won’t matter that none of that is true. It won’t matter that reading the entire article would prove that’s not what I’m saying at all. People will be angry because the only other option is acknowledging they’re Wrong, and they’re still convinced that being Wrong makes you Worthless. They cannot accept a world in which they are not Right.

Option 3:

People are lacking all self-awareness. The exact type of person this article is about will read the article and think “Wow, that’s awful! I’m so glad I don’t do that!”, ignoring all of the subtweets they’ve made, all the drama they’ve retweeted, all of the people they’ve viciously attacked for being Wrong. They’ll retweet the article and say “This is so true!” and then right after it they’ll retweet a callout that amounts to nothing more than “this person should be completely and totally ostracized from the community because they said something that made me feel a little sad”. 

When I first became aware of these issues, I might have viewed this article differently. I might have thought “Well, maybe if people read this article, they’ll change!”. I don’t believe that anymore. I believe the issues in the podcast community ultimately run deeper than podcasting itself. The issue stems from years of social media wearing away at our ability to feel compassion for other people, our ability to see nuance, our ability to accept being Wrong. As surely as rocks being ground into sand, the echo chamber that is social media has created an environment that grinds away kindness and compassion until all that’s left is anger and cruelty. This issue did not originate in the podcast community. But, despite what some podcasters say, it is sure as hell present in it.

Read more: Black History Month: Integrated Diversity in Podcasting

So why did I write this article about the podcasting community? Why bother at all?

Honestly, part of it is probably catharsis. Not just for me, but for my friends. When I first started sharing fragments of this article with my podcasting friends, they told me how much they saw their own experiences in this article. I am writing about what we all go through. Maybe that will help us feel better. I don’t know. 

But I think there’s something else, too. I don’t hope that this article will change anything, but I do hope that some of the people who need to hear this message will see it. That maybe—just maybe—this article will make them realize how toxic their environment is, that they don’t need to put up with it, and that they can escape if they want to.

To those people, I want to say this:  

In July 2021, my stepdad had a stroke. It came out of nowhere—he didn’t drink, didn’t do hard drugs, ate well, exercised regularly. He did everything “right” and he still had a stroke. And then, in September, complications from that stroke took his life. He was only 44 years old. I thought that he was going to be in my life for 40+ years. Instead, he was in it for seven.

And now, with a new appreciation for how horrifically short life can be, I cannot find any way to convince myself that the discourse in the podcast community is worth it. I cannot see how there is any purpose to the way that people will be publicly torn apart over nothing—over discourse that does not actually matter. 

Actual queer people are not physically hurt by a straight actor playing a gay character. A cishet creator writing queer characters will not set the queer rights movement back three decades. Someone criticizing your event or awards show or network will not kill you. A creator running their show on volunteer labor is not going to topple the economy. Creators putting ads in their show does not ruin your experience of listening to podcasts forever. A critic writing a negative review of your show does not mean that you can never make podcasts again. None of this matters. All of this is just people tearing each other apart for stupid, petty, pointless reasons. It’s just a bunch of hurt people dedicating hours of their week—even hours of their day—to hurting each other more.

And what do you actually gain from it? Does it help you grow as a person? Does it make you happy? Does it make the world a better place? 

Or does it just make you upset? Does getting into Twitter arguments actually make your life—or anyone’s life—better in any way, or does it just make your mental health worse by triggering anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and anger over things that you can’t actually ever change?

One night, my stepdad was alive and well, with no idea of what was about to come. He went to work, said hi to his friends, kissed my mom and told her he loved her. He thought he’d get to tell her a million more times. By the next morning, he was comatose in a hospital. A few weeks later, he was dead. I could die tomorrow. You could, too. You could die tonight. In an hour. In a minute.

I want you to ask yourself this: if you knew that today was your last day alive, how much of it would you spend arguing about podcasts online? Keeping that answer in mind, please realize that today could very well be your last. And if it is, you could spend that day drawing, singing, hanging out with your friends, reading a good book, walking through your favorite park, spending time with your family… or you could spend it arguing with people online about things that don’t even matter.

I’ve made my choice. What’s yours?

The post Why the Podcasting Community Sucks appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

But there is one question about NASB that has haunted the minds of gamers for about a month or two. A question that Nickelodeon refuses to answer and one that I, a humble semi-part time podcasting journalist, must address. 

That question, of course: What kind of podcasts align with each fighter in the Nickelodeon All Star Brawl roster?

. . . Okay, I know what this looks like. This is Eddie just doing that big long Smash Brothers list again because it made some numbers and now he thinks going after the 90’s kid nostalgia for Nickelodeon cartoons will make that happen again and not seem like he’s beating a dead horse. 

Read more: Every Super Smash Brothers Fighter as a Podcast (UPDATED 10/5/21)

Well, you know what, bucko? You are absolutely 100% correct. I’m glad we’re on the same page.

I was originally writing this with the intention of assigning every represented Nickelodeon character a specific podcast, but then I realized these characters cannot be contained to single shows. Instead I generalize about what kind of podcast each character has the vibe of, sometimes naming a few specific podcasts . Maybe it’s the kind of show they would host or the kind of show they would listen to or just like their kind of show. 

This also allowed me to also be a little mean without calling about specific shows. If you feel like I am talking about you and your show, that’s between you and God.

(Editor’s note: All images sourced from the official, but hilariously unverified, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Twitter account.)

Danny Phantom is one of those podcasts where they talk about ghost stories and strange happenings. I would also specify podcasts that are spooky and also queer, since Danny Phantom carries the same unintended queer undertones as a lot of Butch Hartman’s early 2000’s work. 

April O’Neil is obviously a news podcast. I’d go a step further and say she’s one of those This American Life-like podcasters who goes all in on people’s individual stories to highlight a different walk of life in an almost exploitative way.

Ren and Stimpy are a two guys just chatting podcast, except it’s one of those one’s that’s actually really good for a while but then one of the guys winds up being a piece of shit and the show ends. It’ll be paraded around as a victim of canceled culture by people who will reference it so much that you’ll grow to resent the original content. 

Read more: Why Your Podcast Sucks : S-Town

(I know what you’re all asking, and I do think that Stimpy would be the one that’s canceled. His soft boy vibes cannot justify some of his firmly held beliefs.)

Aang is a mix of meditation and upbeat podcasts. The kind of things to help your inner mind find peace while also not paying attention to the outer workings of the world. I’m fully aware that Aang doesn’t necessarily get this choice in Avatar: The Last Airbender, but you know it’s his vibe.

I should mention now that I’ve actually played the game since, as a dedicated reporter, I need to know my primary sources. I mention this because, for those gamers like me out there only interested in the mad statz of these characters, Aang sucks to play as. It’s very funny to me how a lot of the characters who seem like they would fit perfectly in a fighting game (Danny Phantom, Aang, Zim) are a bit lackluster, while some of the more cartoony characters (Nigel Thornberry, Catdog, Reptar) are borderline broken. This game is a 100/10.

I’m honestly a little torn on Sandy. On one hand, I could see her as those deep dive science podcasts explaining big science things to us dummies in an approachable yet informative way. On the other hand, Sandy is a deep sea explorer on a scientific journey to study an aquatic landscape. While she hasn’t run into too many horrifying things, I could see her as a collection of the various audio dramas about how scary yet wonderful the sea is (AKA “The Jordan Cobb Mix”).

Zim isn’t a specific type of podcast per say. Rather, he is one of those podcasts that clearly doesn’t want to be just a podcast. He’s ambitious, trying to get a movie deal or a talk show or take over the world, all things we know certain podcasters get into the game for. 

At the end of the day, it’s unsuccessful, and he spends his time searching the word “podcast” on twitter and responding to every tweet he sees. 

Nigel Thornberry is podcasts about animals. Pet animals, wild animals, extinct animals, he’s your guy. I’ve been talking about these characters as varying genres and kinds of podcasts, but Nigel Thornberry, like April O’Neil, is one of the few people on this list I could see with a real podcast. He’d have his own show that isn’t updated often since he spends most of his time guesting on other peoples shows as an expert on whatever animal thing they’re talking about. 

Spongebob has big celebrity podcast vibes. Maybe I’m conflating the character with his cultural influence, but he does have the vibe of a celebrity being put in front of a microphone to talk about stuff, maybe interview people. I guess what I’m saying is Spongebob is the Conan O’Brian of podcasting. 

As a side tangent, they gave every character about three unvoiced, pre written lines of dialogue before every fight to randomly generate through, and for some reason this was one of the ones they pulled for Spongebob:

It’s weird in context, but it is a fucking raw thing to shout out someone before you start beating the shit out of them. 

Michelangelo wins the award for “Nickelodeon character with the stoner podcast.” It was a tight race for a bit. Patrick put up a good fight, but at the end of the day, if I had to guess which character was all about that reefer madness, it would be Michelangelo all the way.

Read more: Highly Recommended Stonercasts

Powdered Toast Man is a brand podcast. He’s all high and mighty about the benefits of powdered toast . You will never see him address any of the critiques of his brand, such as how powdered toast “tastes like sawdust” or “doesn’t really exist”. He’s not here to start a conversation. He’s here to tell you about powdered toast. 

Reptar is . . . just a dinosaur. He doesn’t know what he for. He likes to stomp and roar. Hey! He’s just a dinosaur!

…I’m going to level with you guys, I knew I was going to hit a wall with assigning these Nickelodeon characters podcast types but I didn’t think I would hit it at Reptar. I loved Rugrats as a kid, so this is embarrassing. I’ve never even seen The Loud House and I’ve got two of those brats to figure out. 

OK, fine, let’s be easy on this one. Reptar is a nostalgia podcast, which you could argue all of these characters could be. You know, those shows that are all like “hey, remember this thing you used to like? Well, we’re gonna talk about it every week!” It ranges from just discussing things from a random era or very specific things. I’d say Reptar is a 90’s one since that is just kind of what he is to me. 

Patrick Star would not know what a podcast is, but would be talked into being the cohost of one by one of his friends who is clearly more interested in the topic they’re discussing. It would be one of those “oh I’m the expert and he knows nothing about it” kind of shows. Patrick is actually the more likable part of the show since the main host would be kind of snooty about it and mainly try to get laughs out of how little Patrick knows about the subject but Patrick is always the funniest. It’s probably Squidward. 

As a side note, man, Squidward would be absolutely insufferable about podcasts. Luckily he’s not in this game so I’m not obligated to get into it. 

Leonardo is any kind of eastern culture podcast, be it anime or history or whatnot, but hosted by a white guy.

Toph is a gamer who only listens to gamer podcasts.

Lucy Loud is, according to her TV Tropes page, “a gloomy goth girl with an interest in Gothic poetry” who acts cynical and insincere. So that’s something to work with. 

I think she’s the same as Danny Phantom but her podcasts really get into the nitty gritty of the lore of the spooky stories, even at the expense of fun. It’s fun for some very specific people. 

Oblina, who I am pleasantly surprised to find on this list, is straight up horror podcasts. I’m talking about the real scare the shit out of you stuff. 

Korra is a sports podcasts. I’ve run the numbers and she is in fact the most jock character in this game. 

Helga is an ill advised advice podcast. Not in the My Brother My Brother and Me “lol what bad advice we are giving” kind of way. No, this is a podcast that full chested gives people terrible advice and is incredibly defensive and hostile to critiques online. 

….Is Helga The Joe Rogan Experience? 

Catdog, who, given my personal tastes, I’m surprised at myself to find so low on this list, is, I dunno, let’s say Anime Sickos. Yes, I know I’ve been doing vague podcast categories up until now, but I am so close to being done. Just let Catdog be Anime Sickos. Come on. It’s almost Christmas and I’ve been ever so good this year. We all have places to be. Maybe click on a few ads on the way out. You don’t even need to buy anything. It’ll just look nice for our numbers.

Lincoln Loud is Serial. I have no jokes about Lincoln Loud. He seems like a nice kid. 

And that’s all of them. Well, aside from the at-time-of-writing leaked DLC characters. But they’re not confirmed yet so I don’t need to do them. You can’t make me. 

If your show overlaps with some of these character categories, congratulations! Enjoy your government assigned Nickelodeon character. 

Just like with the Smash Brothers one, I really underestimated how much work would go into arbitrarily assigning every character in this character platform fighting game a podcast. It’s thankless and frankly unasked for work.

But my work is done. This entire article seemed to be a “yes, and” to a bit of me doing this with crossover character fighting games. As long as nothing else comes out to force me to do this again, I think this is a wrap on these arbitrary unasked for lists. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna kick up my feet, take a nice long sip of coffee, and look into this “MultiVersus” thing Twitter is talking about. 

Update 12/8/21

Editor’s note: Some shit went down before I could actually publish this, so unfortunately, I had to hit Eddie up on our Slack. Sorry Eddie. Sorry world.

Except I actually do. A quick update, a few hours before this article got finalized: they officially announced Garfield as a DLC character. On one hand, good for Garfield, he’s really been working for it. On the other hand, fuck me I guess. At least Garfield is a soft ball.

Garfield is a comic character. Therefore, he is podcasts about comics. This could range from shows about podcasts comics currently coming out like The Two Headed Nerd to shows doing deep dives into comics history such as Aack Cast.

The post Every Nickelodeon All Star Brawl Fighters As Podcasts appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.