Podcasting is harder for radio people
I remember when I first mentioned podcasts to radio colleagues (2005). It was always met with phrases like “that’s amateur,” or “it will take our listeners.” We’ve come a long way - but not far enough. Somehow we turned to the mentality of “We are audio. We need to own podcasting!” Yikes. That might be worse.
The reality is; us radio people are spoiled. Spoiled ROTTEN.
“No, Brad, I’m underpaid and engineering still hasn’t fixed the microphone processing I asked for last month. Don’t even get me started on sales.”
I hear you. But in podcasting, you’re the engineer, the personality, the sales team, the PR team, the boss, the intern - It’s all on you. From all the radio people I’ve helped transition to (or add) podcasting, this realization usually hits the hardest. Radio ain’t so bad, and that equipment I get to use every day costs a fortune! Thankfully, the modern world of podcasting has handled this for you in most cases.
Radio person.. meet technology!
Instead of being mad at engineering, you can be upset at the podcast hosting platform you chose! Don’t worry, there will ALWAYS be someone to blame. I kidddd.
Engineering is now the podcast hosting platform, your guest booker is Twitter, and your sales team is half cyborg half community. While you’re, indeed, more on your own than you’ve ever been, the community of podcasters to help you is large, mostly kind, and doesn’t care about your ratings. Which brings me to my next point…
Collaborate and listen
Unlike radio, you’re not competing with anyone. Podcast listening is very different. There is unlimited space. In the broadcast industry it’s always terms of war: destroy, maneuver, win! Don’t get me wrong. I love it. There’s something primal about it. But another primal thing we talk less about is community. Not even cave people traveled into the woods alone.
In podcasting you could promote and be promoted by a show on the exact same topic as yours. Imagine a world in which Ryan Seacrest and Carson Daly were promoting each other’s talent shows! That’s the podcast world. Entire networks are created of a shared topic. Lifelong friendships are born of personalities who would NEVER be friendly in the radio war machine.
I encourage you to reach out to people. Guest on each other’s shows. Create camaraderie (yay! A Podcast war term!)
Three action items for you
- Go to The Podosphere and look at podcast hosts. What features do YOU find important? I’m curious.
- Reach out to one other podcaster. Begin unlearning the competition of radio. There is no podcaster across the street trying to steal your bed music.
- Message me with one thing you’ll do to move forward in your podcasting process
What do you need?
When you’re ready, I would love to hear from you. What areas do you want to know more about? Ideally my writing becomes a highly collaborative space for us.
- Brad