🎙️The Good, The “Coulda Been Better”, and The AI: Podcast Movement 2023 Recap💫

31 Aug 🎙️The Good, The “Coulda Been Better”, and The AI: Podcast Movement 2023 Recap💫

👋Hey there Podcaster!

I’m finally back home after a whirlwind of trips! As some of you know, I’ve been traveling a lot lately – first to visit family and friends in Maryland and was pleasantly surprised by my 50th birthday bash that my amazing wife Amy pulled off seamlessly! It was amazing to see so many people from different parts of my life come together to celebrate with me, I am truly honored to have each of them in my life!

After the party, I barely had time to repack my bags before heading to Podcast Movement in Denver, Colorado this past week. Despite my exhaustion, the conference re-energized me. Connecting with other amazing podcasters and industry leaders, learning from other industry leaders, and soaking in the enthusiasm reminded me why I’m so passionate about this community.

Now I’m looking forward to settling back into my routine and sharing all the insights I’ve gathered over the past week. It’s been so rewarding to see loved ones and meet inspiring creators like yourselves. I’m ready to get back to our podcasting journey together!

🎙️The Good, The “Coulda Been Better”, and The AI: Podcast Movement 2023 Recap💫

Photo credit: Jay Yow

This week in Clubhouse I recapped what I considered as the good and the “coulda been better” from the Podcast Movement 2023 (PM23) conference last week in Denver, Colorado. Let’s get into it!

The Good

I was thrilled to meetup in person with fellow Empowered Podcasting Clubhouse members Simona and Matt. When you attend a podcast conference with the goal of networking, it’s always a win. There are always a lot of people at these events to connect with and who knows where that will lead! I love the variety of people at the conferences, being able to connect, listen, and learn from one another.

The highlight for me was taking advantage of the “Braindate” service- these allowed for small groups (up to 7 people) or 1-on-1 networking by signing up for talks on the app. I led one on AI and podcasting and got to meet great new people this way. It also removed all the awkwardness of meeting new people to discuss a topic that was already selected and agreed upon. If you aren’t thrilled about the presentations (check out the “Coulda Been Better” section), attending or speaking at these “Braindates” has so much more potential value.

I invited my friend and colleague, Jay Yow, to the Clubhouse room to discuss PM23, since he was a speaker there (see the guy in the pic with the thumbs up and mouth full of food? 🤣). Jay’s talk was about underrated tools and concepts, and specifically podcast mixing and mastering to make sure the sound was consistent throughout the episode. Jay did a great job on his talk, and I agree completely with him that it is often an overlooked step in audio editing. Jay also cleverly used the “Braindate” as a way to practice his talk beforehand and see what type of questions people had.

The “Coulda Been Better”

Unfortunately, this year the presentations were on the main conference floor, creating a common complaint by attendees of not being able to hear the speaker due to background noise and other distractions. I was a little surprised by the way it was set up, since podcasters would know about how to have a good space for audio and best sound quality. 

This decision was likely to appease the vendors who wanted more foot traffic in the conference hall. I am not surprised by this decision if that is the case, since Podcast Movement appears to put industry professionals and vendors before podcasters at their events.

As a seasoned podcaster, a lot of the presentations were surface-level and from corporations that had a goal of getting sales. There were a lot of indie podcasters in attendance at the event, so this didn’t feel like a genuine representation of the podcast industry.

There were a lot of presentations about video podcasting, since that platform is on the rise and will continue to grow. However, I don’t believe audio-only podcasts will be going anywhere and should still be a big part of the conversation. If you aren’t embracing video, don’t feel deterred, or like you will get pushed out of podcasting, it is not a barrier to entry. Take a look at the next story in this newsletter for a boost in audio-love. Pushing too hard on video could deter a lot of future podcasters due to costs and a much larger learning curve (than learning audio)

The AI

There were a lot of AI talks at this event and considering its rise in popularity, it wasn’t surprising. Of course I attended some AI-centered presentations to see if there were any new AI tools and how presenters were teaching the subject. There was a lot of surface-level information presented, and honestly, it made me so proud of the community that Nick and I started over at https://nextgenpodcaster.com/. Come join us to dig deeper into AI, empowering you to make the best of your show, and connect with each other!

Podfest’s 10th Anniversary

The next podcast conference is Podfest Expo January 25-28, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. I am excited about this one, it puts podcasters first, it’s a lot of connecting and fun, and I hope to see you there! Including myself, we have at least one other Empowered Podcasting Clubhouse member speaking: “What does Mental Health have to do with Podcasting” with Paula Sima Mulamula (I found your topic Paula!)

Prices go up Aug 31, after midnight. Plan ahead now so you can come: https://podfestexpo.com/ 

🖼️A Shift in the Audio Landscape

A recent article by Edison Research reveals a groundbreaking shift in how we consume audio. For the first time ever, on-demand audio platforms have overtaken traditional linear audio in terms of daily consumption. This is a monumental change that has been nearly a decade in the making.

The Numbers Speak: As of the second quarter of 2023, 50.3% of all daily audio time consumed in the U.S. by individuals aged 13 and above is spent on on-demand platforms. This narrowly surpasses the 49.7% spent on linear platforms like radio and satellite services.

Erosion of Linear Audio: Just seven and a half years ago, the gap between linear and on-demand audio was a whopping 38 percentage points. This margin has been steadily eroding, quarter by quarter, year by year, and now on-demand audio has finally taken the lead!

The Podcast Effect: One of the key drivers behind this shift is the explosive growth of podcast listening. Podcasts have conditioned hundreds of millions of listeners worldwide to prefer choosing their audio content, contributing to the decline of ‘lean back’ experiences like traditional radio.

Not the End for Linear: Interestingly, the article notes that this doesn’t spell the end for linear audio. Some people still prefer the traditional formats, and even those who are inclined towards on-demand platforms do consume some amount of linear audio.

🎒Pod-Story: Back to School Recap

This new addition of the Pod-Story series to the weekly newsletter has been such an awesome experience connecting with great podcasters and sharing their wisdom with you as we head back into school for another year. This week, I invite you to go back and read any of their interviews that you may have missed. Be sure to add their podcast to your listening line-up, too!

• On 8/3/2023, Olivia Wahl, host of Schoolutions, shared some great tips for how she’s streamlined her editing process. 
• On 8/10/2023, Mark Rubin with Lessons From Nature, reminded us to be ourselves and share our message. 
• On 8/17/2023, Ned Johnson of The Self-Driven Child, inspired us to be curious and really connect with our guests. 
• On 8/24/2023, Alex and his daughter Lucy from Daddy Daughter Book Worms, warmed all of our hearts by sharing their passion for books and podcasting. 

Thanks for joining me on this new series! I hope you’ve enjoyed our featured guests so far. Do you know a great podcaster that I should feature in the future? Reply back to this email and let me know. I’d love to connect with them and get to know more about their podcasting journey. 

I’m so grateful to be connected with you and a part of your podcast journey. 

All My Best,

👋Marc Ronick

This content was composed with assistance from OpenAI