The Jag Show: Podcast Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices

Usually my Tuesday episodes are 30 minute interviews. This week's was an hour.  I explain my thought process here. Black podcasting awards: https://blackpodawards.com/?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=podnews.net%3A2020-06-15 Don Lemon's new podcast about the racial divide in America is called "Silence is not an option." Spotify's venture into podcasting, as featured on CNN: http...

For decades, Mistress Carrie entertained - and bonded with - the masses on legendary Boston rock station WAAF.  Earlier this year, the station was sold, ending its 50 year run on the air.  Carrie takes us behind the scenes of WAAF - the planned relaunch that never happened - and her journey leveraging her iconic brand as the "Baddest Bitch in Boston" to pivot to podcasting. We talk about the adven...

James Cridland of Podnews had a great write-up yesterday on the debate around podcast transcripts: https://podnews.net/article/podcast-transcripts-why-and-when?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2020-06-11 A new subscription service called Podhero lets you pay then divvy up the money among podcasts you listen to: https://medium.com/podhero/meet-podhero-the-easiest-way...

Registered Dietitian Melissa Joy Dobbins is The Guilt Free RD and her podcast Sound Bites just went over 400,000 total downloads.  Today, she explains how she started, how she got there, and the conventional podcast wisdom she took -and ignored. Much of her background is in traditional media, including television experience in her home market of Chicago.  As she delved deeper into podcasting, she...

This week has me thinking about two important aspects of creating a podcast. Be comfortable - my setup and neck taught me this the hard way. Know your audience, and the difference between a private and public conversation. IMDB is now listing audio podcasts: https://getsatisfaction.com/imdb/topics/policy-update-audio-only-podcasts-can-now-be-listed-on-imdb?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&u...

I first met Johnny Peterson from Straight Up Podcasts at Podcast Movement in Orlando last summer - you know, in the old days when we could travel.  Since then, we've both joined a podcast editors' discussion group, where we have a monthly conference call to share ideas.  I called down to Fort Worth, Texas, to learn more about Johnny's podcast and business journey. In this episode we cover: How a f...

In my upcoming (June 2) episode of The Jag Show Podcast, I tell Johnny Peterson about my worst audio mistake ever, blowing an entire interview with Ryan Seacrest.  Ryan was gracious enough to let me come back to the second day of American Idol auditions in New Orleans and take a second, abbreviated, crack at it.  Here is that two minute interview. Find jag on social media @JAGPodcastProductions or...

Joe Rogan feels "gross." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/opinion/joe-rogan-spotify-podcast.html?login=email&auth=login-email James Cridland - podcast was never an open ecosystem to begin with! https://medium.com/@JamesCridland/with-spotify-and-joe-rogan-what-now-for-podcastings-open-ecosystem-19c2032c17ee Call Her Daddy back with Alex Cooper, no Sofia Franklin. Google Podcasts Manager: https://...

Earlier this month, Tim O'Brien of O'Brien Communications in Pittsburgh wrote a great piece in Podcast Business Journal, "Social Media Alone Is Not The Way To Grow An Audience." Link: https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/social-media-alone-is-not-the-way-to-grow-an-audience/ I cited this article in a previous "Five Minute Friday" episode of The Jag Show, and Tim and I connected on Twitter. Within a...

Three big stories in podcasting this week... The folks at Podtrac say that for the 4th and 5th weeks, podcast download and audience growth is up for the 4th and 5th straight weeks, respectively.  This seems to be driven by both folks settling in to the (overused cliche alert) "New Normal" but also some states opening back up and commuting on the rise. https://analytics.podtrac.com/blog/2020/5/18/w...

Really enjoyed chatting with the guy who does what I do - but in the town I grew up in. David Yas runs Pod617, the Boston Podcast Network.  We begin with his eclectic background as a lawyer, in the newspaper business, and more - and how he got into podcasting. In forming the Boston Podcast Network, David really cultivated an eclectic group of talent, including radio veterans, comedians, and other...

Tomorrow (May 19th), I'll be releasing my interview with David Yas, of Pod617 and The Boston Podcast network.  We discussed the art of interviewing, and I referenced the one interview I did where I just shut up and let the other person do all the talking - when I interviewed Mick Foley before Wrestlemania XXX in New Orleans.   If you followed WWE in the 90's and 2000's, Mick will have you hanging...

I find myself often falling into that trap of judging myself on my download numbers, as most podcasters do, and I have to remind myself that downloads aren't the priority of my podcast.  I had clear goals for Season 3 of The Jag Show, including Doing interviews to expand my network in the podcasting space Establishing myself as an authority and leader in podcasting Giving myself the reps of creati...

I was thrilled to talk with Carrie Caufield Arick, one of the first podcast editors and coaches I met in the space.  You name it, she does it - editing, coaching, consulting, workshops, helping run a Facebook group for female podcast editors, and more. Carrie told me how she got into the space, first as a podcast listener, and then a creator and coach.  We compared notes about getting started and...

Google is continuing to play catch-up with Apple and Spotify - now launching their own podcast manager to give you detailed analytics on your shows.  Super easy to set up - you just need a Google account and access to the email address associated with your show. https://podcastsmanager.google.com/ Apple and Spotify continue to be 1 and 2 in the space respectively though. And Spotify is making seri...

Today, I'm going into the vault to bring you my first podcast interview - with former coworker Don Banks, of iHeartMedia in New Orleans.  Don, through Ancestry DNA, found his birth family, at age 58.  It's an amazing, touching, heartwarming story, and one we could use these days. From a podcast perspective, I think it's important to look back at your first episode.  Most podcasters will hate what...

Matty Staudt says your intro matters.  And he's right. Which podcast advertisers are spending more in the age of Coronavirus? Magellan is out with a list of their Top 10, as published on Medium. 5 - furniture, 4 online entertainment, 3 -hobbies and lifestyle, 2- home goods. 1- alcohol This American Life is now on Spotify, and it's not alone. Spotify has joined Apple with having a million shows.  1...

And he lost weight doing it!  We'll get to that later. Evo Terra is an OG in the world of podcasting.  While Apple has just gone over a million shows, Evo is credited with having the 40th podcast...ever.   In a recent episode and blog of Podcast Pontifications , he wrote, "Stay out of our Podcasting Lanes, Broadcasters." Since this is a subject near and dear to my heart, I reached out. Evo explain...

There are now 1,000,000 podcasts in Apple. Rob Walch of Libsyn  says desktop listening is up a point to 12%  I've discovered in remote recording that Apple Airpods only sound good - when paired with an Apple device. Need to check your microphone quality? Try this website: Mic Check dot me Medium has a nice article on How to deal with a Lazy Podcast Host Podcast Movement has a good read on Staying...

ESPN has more podcasts than you can count, and the man in charge is Peter Gianesini.  I asked him how ESPN came into podcasting, and the evolution of it - from repackaged audio to original content. How does ESPN Digital evaluate who can become a podcast host?  And do personalities approach them, or vice versa?  Pete gave me a few examples. What about content?  What does a sports network do when th...

As a former radio guy, I've spent a lot of time covering the often converging lanes of broadcast and podcast.  For many in podcasting, the fear is that large radio corporations will "elbow" their way into our space.  For me, I worry that these large corporations - iHeartMedia, Entercom, and others - are going to do what they did to radio.   That is, put profits ahead of product and make the produc...

Catherine O'Brien owns Branch Out Programs , an end-to-end podcasting production company out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  We spoke about our shared experience of acclimating to the Pelican State, as well as her journey into podcast creation. Catherine has also started Red Stick Strong , a podcast showcasing local Baton Rouge businesses and how they are adjusting in an era of stay-at-home orders and...

Joe Biden's new podcast brings to light one of the biggest dilemmas a podcast editor faces - how much do I cut?  We start by delving into the uniqueness of this situation.   There was an article in Intelligencer just eviscerating the pod, but I'll focus on the editing piece. The other big news this week came from Squadcast (full disclosure: I'm a referral partner) - about enhancements to their alr...

After many years as a radio personality and programmer in Canadian radio, Matt Cundill began consulting audio creators. This eventually led to a career in podcasting and more as part of The Sound Off media company.  He also hosts the The Sound Off Podcast , "the podcast about broadcast" which is a must listen for any current or former broadcasters. And I don't just say that because I'm a former gu...

In today's 5 minute Friday, we look at how the Coronavirus and "Social Distancing" have affecting the podcasting industry. It's still early, and a number of studies have shown conflicting data, but here are some interesting takeways: Podcast downloading is shifting later in the day Listening on embedded web players is up Overall podcast advertising revenue down 20%, compared to 90% OOH 18% of Adul...