To paraphrase a great philosopher of the early 2000's.....FINALLY.....The Jag Show....has come back....to podcasting. First, apologies for the hiatus.  I've spent much of the last six months on a passion project - the WJPZ at 50 podcast - interviewing alumni from a half century of my college radio station.  Look for a case study on that show soon in this space. Also, on Tuesday, April 4, I'll be co-presenting "How to Launch a Podcast," with my client Angela Buccellato of The Resume Rescue.  I'll be talking about how to get started, and Angela will talk about how she's used her show, That's Business, as a marketing and lead generation tool.  If you're local, the event will be at Bamboo in Royal Oak, Michigan.  If you're not local, you can watch virtually.  https://bit.ly/startapodcastwithjag Now, onto March's podcasting news.  The biggest news is the integration of podcasts into YouTube.  YouTube  is one of the top discovery methods of podcasts, and I've long said that even if your show is audio-only, it still needs to live there for SEO purposes.  Well, if you've organized your episodes into a playlist on YouTube, you can now categorize that playlist as a podcast.   Also, YouTube's got some great analytics available to creators - from watch time to device type and operating system, as well as the traffic source they came from.    For me, the only downside is that YouTube isn't pulling from your podcast's RSS feed (yet), so the YouTube metrics and your podcast download numbers will have to remain separate - for now. For audio podcast consumption, the debate rages on between Apple and Spotify.  Spotify has the most listeners from a quantity perspective, but they only download 3 episodes on average.   Apple's listeners download 30.   So more listeners on Spotify, more consumption on Apple. Edison Research's Annual Infinite Dial Study was released in early March, possibly the most important analysis in podcasting, IMHO.   Key takeaways are that after a bit of a COVID dip, podcasting is back on the upswing.  This of course relates to the return of commutes.  Two thirds of Americans age 12+ have listened to a podcast, almost half have listened this month, and a third have listened in the last week.   Full study here: https://www.edisonresearch.com/infinite-dial-2023-from-edison-research-with-amazon-music-wondery-and-art19/ The PodFest Global Summit is live this week https://podfestglobal.online/tickets/ Some fun tools for podcasters include PodSqueeze, which uses AI to generate show notes, summaries, and social media content from your uploaded audio file. I tried it this morning.  Pretty good, but like most AI, not nearly as good as a human doing it the old fashioned way. Auphonic, a popular online production tool, has revamped its system. And Podfast is an app that's coming soon which will deliver short audio summaries of longer podcasts, like a Cliff's Notes version.  They claim it's totally legal. We will see. Here's my key takeaway - as AI continues to get better and better, the list of potential tools for podcasters keeps growing.   But we aren't at "set-it-and-forget-it" levels yet.  We'll get closer, but we'll never be all the way there.  The best thing for you to do, as a podcaster, is see which of these tools can cut down your production time for your podcast, but check and tweak everything. Hope you continue to be well, and I'll see you next Tuesday in Royal Oak.  Lata!

What's better than one podcast producer's 2023 predictions?  How about 5?  I moderate this month's roundtable with Matt Cundill of The Sound Off Media Company, Catherine O'Brien of Branch Out Programs, Johnny Podcasts of Straight Up Podcasts, and David Yas of Pod 617.   We agree on some ideas, and have pleasantly divergent opinions on some others.

Hey everyone, it's been a minute.  Gonna break down the last month or so of podcast news and look forward to 2023.First, a programming note.  Yes, I've "pod faded" with this show a bit.   That's largely because I've been dedicating a lot of time to a passion project, a show called WJPZ at 50.   It celebrates 50 years of the radio station at my alma mater, Syracuse University.  We are releasing interviews with alumni every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the beginning of March and our annual reunion banquet.  After that, the show will slow to a once-a-week cadence, and I'll be able to re-focus on this show and other areas of my podcast production business. Thank you by the way, PodNews and Podcast Business Journal for the mentions. OK, onto the news....What about video podcasts?  I'm asked this all the time.  A new study from Cumulus/Westwood One and Signal Hill Insights show that 28% of podcast listeners want to watch video of their podcast, and 29% want video playing in the background.  This changes a bit by format - like true crime for example is often best suited to audio only.  But here's MY key takeaway: 43% of listeners prefer audio only.    My position on this hasn't changed.  I'm a radio guy by trade, so I'm always audio first.  A podcast goes where video can't - in the car, walking the dog, and more.  Now YouTube is huge for podcast discovery, but you can get all that SEO benefit but uploading your audio to YouTube with a static image or moving waveform, or even auto-generated captions.   Make sure you have good show notes, and a transcription of your content if available.  But don't feel the need to shoot video of your podcast- to me, the ROI on your time investment just isn't there.   And yes, I know what you're thinking - Jag, aren't you doing a video version of this podcast?  Well, yes, but only because it's very short.  If this thing were 30 minutes, no way I'd be shooting and editing video.Speaking of YouTube, they've put out a 67 page guide to podcasting.  If you've got some time - you can link from the bottom of this article at TubeFilter: https://www.tubefilter.com/2022/11/23/youtube-podcast-guide/Podcast Hosting App Anchor seems to be losing market share.  I've long been concerned about Anchor, its connection to Spotify, and the murkiness around who owns your content.  Remember, free is never really free.  Anchor, however, HAS announced an audio enhancement tool that will clean up your audio in noisy environments.   Add this to the existing Studio Sound feature in Descript, and an AI audio enhancement tool in beta from Adobe, and podcast audio is going to get much better in 2023.    If you're going to use these tools, however, proceed with caution.  They aren't perfect, and unless you check through them, or employ a professional editor, you can get some WEIRD stuff in your "enhanced" audio.Spatial Audio could be the next big audio tech breakthrough.   Theoretically, if you're listening to a podcast with headphones, you'll be able to hear the conversation from different angles depending on how you move your head.  The New York Times has a website demo.   I think it will be a couple of years before this is common place, but the cutting edge stuff is pretty cool. Link: https://rd.nytimes.com/projects/a-guide-to-creating-spatial-audio-podcastsThere seems to be a growing sentiment in podcasting to remove email addresses from RSS feeds.  Up until now, you needed an active email address to verify ownership of a podcast in Apple, Spotify, and more.   But with the rise of two-factor authentication, that may no longer be needed.  Why the pushback against email addresses?  They inordinate amount of spam that you get from every bot on the planet as a podcast owner.  And think you have it bad?  Try being the email on the RSS feed of 25 or so client podcasts.    It's a daily pain I incur so my clients don't have to.  You're welcome. :)New research shows that podcast listeners are OK with content that's, shall we say, not squeaky-clean.  The reason seems to be: they've sought out a particular show. So for the most part, they know what they're getting into.  As opposed to something broadcast over a television network or FM radio station.  I will say, however, always mark an episode as "explicit" if someone swears.   It keeps our evil Lords at Apple happy, plus it's a nice courtesy to give your listeners.  However, explicit content and offensive content can be two very  different things.   Tom Webster has a great article on "brand safety" as it relates to podcasters and advertisers in Sounds Profitable: https://soundsprofitable.com/update/podcasting-superpowerAnd finally, I leave you with some good news.  Adnan Syed, the wrongly convicted subject of the podcast Serial, has a job.  Georgetown University has hired him to work with their prison reform initiative.   I'll give credit where credit is due to Georgetown, even as a Syracuse grad.  Lata!

It's been awhile since we did a recap of news in the podcasting world - so I'm gonna share some headlines that have grabbed my attention over the last month or so:The biggest story is Edison Research's Spoken Word Audio report, released at the end of October, and surveying Americans ages 13 and up.  Some of the key takeaways: 131 million Americans listen to Spoken Word Audio daily, that's up 25% since 2014.   Also, 29% of all audio consumption is now spoken word. That's up 1.5x from eight years ago.  And Gen Z specifically, their consumption of spoken word audio has nearly tripled.   And that's not just because today's pop music sucks.  Also, it's too loud and GET OFF MY LAWN!   Here's a link to the takeaways and the study: https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-spoken-word-audio-report-2022-from-npr-and-edison-researchPodcast host Buzzsprout has gone viral with their video on how to be a podcast guest.  It's a classic 90's instructional video throwback - complete with a rapping PSA.  Link: https://youtu.be/mes-wril-GwSome news specific to Apple Podcasts:  Beginning in 2023, they'll no longer require an email address to be associated with a show.   I love this idea - because I'm the admin email for many of my clients, I can't TELL you how much spam I get.   Your email address doesn't need to be in the back end RSS data.  But it should be in your show notes, so your listeners have a way to contact you.    Also, Apple has started auto-tagging individual episodes by category.   On one hand, Big Brother is listening, but on the other, it might help your discoverability!You may have noticed a new look to Apple Podcasts in iOS 16.  If you listen on an iPad, you'll have a new sidebar to help you navigate between shows.  And on iPhone, you'll be able to navigate easier from the lock screen.  That said, Apple is raising prices on Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple One.   Man, I hope that last season of Ted Lasso is worth it...Amazon Music still represents less than 1% of US podcast listening, but it's Amazon, so I expect that number to grow.  They've added more ad-free podcasts for Prime members.  Maybe instead, we'll just keep seeing ads for terrible Thursday Night Football games.  Titans-Packers this week.  Yawn.  Can't Wait.Tom Webster, in Sounds Profitable, has a two-part series on Radio's Seven Warnings For The Podcast Industry. They are:Painting With The Same BrushPlease Don't Destroy Us With AdsDon't Neglect the Farm TeamNever Be Content With ContentNo One Will Thank You For Killing Their JoyYou Don't Start Smoking at 30Never Forget Joey Bag O'Donutshttps://soundsprofitable.com/update/radio-warnings-for-podcast-industry-1https://soundsprofitable.com/update/radio-warnings-for-podcast-industry-2You know I'm a fan of Squadcast as a remote audio recording platform.  They announced they've received several patents for their behind the scenes tech. https://squadcast.fm/blog/patent-awarded-the-squadcast-recording-engineA podcast called Canadian Politics is Boring is putting out an episode of their show on cassette.  Yes, cassette.  It's a cool novelty - but unless you've got a device that plays cassettes, it seems the tapes are just going to be glorified paperweights.Finally, a quick shoutout to Evo Terra, who wrapped up his show Podcast Pontifications.  He was one of the first big names in podcasting two decades ago, and he was always gracious to me with his time, including being a past guest on this show.  You can find his episode here: https://thejagshow.simplecast.com/episodes/podcast-og-evo-terra-consumed-only-beer-and-sausages-for-a-month

A great way to promote your podcast is in other podcasts.  It's what's known as a "Feed drop."  If you can work out a trade with a similar podcaster, you can promote each other's shows.    The old adage is "fish where the fish are."  It's a lot easier to land a podcast listener from another podcast than it is from a social media channel.  They're already on their podcast app!With that in mind, here's a demonstration of how that works.   I'm working on another project - a podcast commemorating the 50th anniversary of my college radio station in Syracuse, WJPZ.   Episode 1 of the podcast debuted today, with interviews of our longtime faculty advisor, Dr. Rick Wright.     I've taken the artwork and audio from that podcast's trailer, and added it to my feed for my followers to see and hear.  And it's up now, classified as a "Bonus" episode. Maybe you'll be interested and follow that show after hearing it here.  Enjoy.

My wife and I are back from a week in Disney World with some friends, and a lot of the things they do there can apply to you and your podcast.Now I realize Disney has about a 90 year head start on you, and 50 for Disney World specifically.  Nor do you have a multi-billion dollar marketing machine and 4 generations of super fans at your disposal.  But here are 8 takeaways from the Mouse House that you can scale down to your podcast.Exceptional customer service.  Don't be afraid to change - AND to change back.Upcharges had better be worth it.  Be recommendable.  Ties to emotion.  Where and how are you advertising? BrandingFinally, Be Inclusive. To talk more about podcasts and how I can help you, find me online at jagindetroit.com.

TikTok continues to out-innovate (and out-grow) other social media apps.  And podcasting could be their next feature.PodNews, via AudioMeans, reports that there is a new "bot scraping our feeds." Or, in English, another party is starting to look at our podcasts.  And it traces back to TikTok servers.  Details are scant so far, but this makes total sense.   TikTok has been rapidly gaining on other social media apps, so it only makes sense they'd want a bite of the podcast pie as well.   What I find REALLY interesting is, will they work out deals with record labels so you can include commercial music in your podcast like you can on TikTok?  We're probably a long way out from the answer on that - but definitely something to keep an eye on.Speaking of big names in podcasting, YouTube is continuing to increase their efforts in the space.  You can now purchases ads in YouTube podcasts through Google Ads.  If you haven't seen what YouTube's podcasting space looks like, you can go to  https://www.youtube.com/podcastsJust know it's only available in the US at this point.How often does shared podcast listening happen?  As in more than one person listening together?  In a new study from SiriusXM and Edison Research, as much as 12% of podcast listeners report listening with someone else, including in-car and in other places.  This can result in a 5% boost to impressions for podcast advertisers.  And co-listening happens in the home, too - usually while cooking or eating together.  Here's a link to the survey:https://www.sxmmedia.com/insights/5-reasons-brands-shouldnt-sleep-on-co-listeningAnd speaking of Edison Research, you know I'm a big fan of almost everything they put out.  Next Thursday, they're releasing their Spoken Word Audio report for 2022.  It's going to look at how Spoken Word Audio fits into overall audio listening in the US, and there will be special focus on Gen Z listeners.   If you're not paying attention to them, you should be.  They were born between roughly 1995 and 2010.  Which means the oldest ones are close to 30 now, and have significant disposable income to spend.   Here's a link to sign up for the Edison Webinar. https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-spoken-word-audio-report-from-npr-and-edison-research-save-the-date-3As always, appreciate you listening, and if you have any questions about podcasting or starting a podcast, find me at JaginDetroit.com.  Stay healthy and stay safe. Lata!

The big news in podcasting this week was Spotify canceling 10 shows from its Parcast and Gimlet studios, leading to a layoff of just under 5% of its workforce.  And it's all because of...greed. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/spotify-cancel-podcasts-parcast-gimlet-1235234758/These shows are Spotify exclusives. While it's true Spotify is one of the biggest players in podcasting, they are far from the only game in town.  When you keep a product off of certain distribution channels, that content had better be an absolute home run, and worth the price of admission to Spotify.  Another bad look for Spotify - and a reminder that you need to be crystal clear who owns your show's content.  Their show "Sex, Lies, and DM Slides" was created in September 2020.  The hosts parted ways, and now the show is being made without them - same name and everything.  Spotify says they own the intellectual property of the name.  More from PodNews: https://podnews.net/update/old-show-new-hostsAnother piece of advice for your podcast - make it recommendable- to listeners and to Google.   Connect with your audience and make them WANT to tell their friends and family about your show.  And don't forget about Google and SEO.  More: https://www.amplifimedia.com/blogstein/podcastings-paradox-of-choiceFinally, some podcasting quick hits:  Arthur the Aardvark is launching a podcast series next Thursday, October 20th, repurposing some content from the former kids show.  Adnan Syed, the subject of the groundbreaking serial podcast, has had all charges against him dropped, after serving 23 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.And speaking of true crime, Kim Kardashian is investigating the case of Kevin Keith, who was convicted of a triple murder in 1994.  He maintains his innocence.    The Spotify show is called "Kim Kardashian's The System."  And some of the survivors of the attack are NOT happy with the show.  Well, I mean frankly, if you can't trust Kim Kardashian as a serious investigative reporter, who can you trust?As a reminder, I'm here to help you with all your podcasting questions and needs.  And you want this show emailed to you every week, just visit jagindetroit.com/subscribe.Until next week. stay healthy and stay safe.  Lata!

I really don't want this to be a podcast where I talk about radio, an industry I left in 2017 after almost 20 years.  But for the second straight week, we've got a radio company who's trying to break podcasting.Last week it was iHeartRadio, and their sketchy practice of buying podcast downloads as ads in video games.  How sketchy was that? Well depends on who you ask.   This week, it's Audacy, formerly Entercom, and CBS Radio before that.  They're the company that saw how badly ClearChannel and iHeart screwed up the radio business, and said, effectively, "Hold my beer."Most radio companies have invested heavily in the digital space, specifically in podcasting.  Audacy is no exception, having purchased Cadence13, and Pineapple Street Media, two leading podcast studios.  Well flash forward to late 2022, and Audacy's stock price is in the crapper, below $1, and facing de-listing from the New York Stock Exchange.  So in a desperate move, they're selling off...you guessed it, Cadence13.  It's the classic "company is in deep trouble, so we need to sell something valuable to save our butts today, future be damned."  Mortgaging the future to save the present.  Now we've seen this before, and it's what happens when companies - radio or otherwise - get too big.  They've got to satisfy bean counters and stock-holders, and they get away from their core missions and what they do well.   That's what happened to ClearChannel when they went public, sold to private equity, declared bankruptcy, and seemingly had layoffs every step along the way.  That's why in a market like Syracuse, New York, there may be more radio stations than live DJ's.The more I think about it, I'm actually kinda glad Audacy is selling off Cadence13.  Maybe it will end up in the hands of someone who can invest in the product, not rob Peter to pay Paul.  Keep screwing up radio, Audacy.  Stay out of podcasting.Onto other podcast news this week.  Kara Swisher is leaving her New York Times podcast and returning exclusively to Vox Media.   But there are reports that the New York Times, who owns all rights to the show, has repurposed her feed to do a new show.   On the surface, it seems like a good idea for marketing and downloads.  Start a show standing on third base, with an already dedicated number of listeners to a certain feed.   Nothing illegal, either.  But what I don't like here is the idea of eroding trust with your audience.   They expect certain content from a show they subscribe to.   Maybe they'll give the NEW content a chance, but I've got to think they'll unsubscribe.  A story to keep an eye on for sure.  The lesson: always be sure who owns your content before you start a show.   For a deeper dive on that, you can check out this months Podcast Superfriends episode, which I cohost.  Link in the show notes. https://www.soundoff.network/show/the-podcast-super-friends/podcast-married/Twitter is rolling out its premium features within Twitter Blue, including podcasts, to Android users.  It had previously been available on just iOS devices.  Personally, it's not enough to get me to pay for Twitter, which I guess differentiates me from Elon Musk.Finally, if you're looking for a higher-end podcast microphone, Logitech has unveiled the Blue Sona Dynamic mic.  It's designed to compete with the microphone I use, the Shure SM7B.  Now the Shure has been used in many radio stations, and by artists from Michael Jackson to Eminem.  I love it.  The Blue Sona is about $50 less ($350 instead of $400), and is designed not to need a signal booster, like a Cloudlifter or a Fethead.  For me, I'm going with the tried and true mic that's been used for 40 years.  Plus, I already have it.  But if you're watching your budget as you build your podcasting setup, the Blue Sona might be worth looking into.  Link in the show notes: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Blue-Sona-XLR-Microphone/dp/B09MRSQDJ7Finally, I'm not one for shoutouts in my podcast, but do have to give one to my colleague Johnny Peterson, aka Johnny Podcasts. He does what I do, based out of Fort Worth, Texas.  He's getting married this weekend,  and Johnny, looking forward to celebrating with you.  His podcast is called Pod Logic, and that he's a great follow on Twitter at Johnny Podcasts. Until next week, stay healthy and stay safe. Lata!Johnny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnnypodcastsPod Logic Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/pod-logic/id1469902956Pod Logic on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1PtfPZDon9qB9yfWuQvlE9JAG in Detroit Website: https://jagindetroit.com/

Is iHeart scamming the podcasting industry?  That's the implication of an article this week that was widely discussed in the podcasting world.The story is from Bloomberg and written by Ashley Carman, one of the most respected reporters in our industry. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-27/inside-podcasters-explosive-audience-growthAdvertising buys in podcasting are based on audience size - downloads and streams.  According to Carman, publishers are buying ads inside mobile games.  The publisher can claim a dubious download, as WELL as an ad impression for a commercial that may not be heard.Are they gaming the system?  Well, opinions are all over the map on that.  For a deeper dive, you can check out this week's Podcast SuperFriends Roundtable where I discuss it with four of my colleagues.   https://www.soundoff.network/show/the-podcast-super-friends/podcast-married/Tanner Campbell suggests in his Good Morning Podcasters newsletter that iHeart isn't doing anything wrong here.   https://tannerhelps.substack.com/p/iheartradio-isnt-doing-anything-wrong?r=19niz3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=emailHere are my key takeaways. Will the industry correct for this practice?  After this much publicity, I believe it will.  Much the same way as Apple Podcasts and Google Search always find a way to punish folks who try to game the system.  Also, will this affect your show?  No.  Unless you are in the rarified air of a large podcast, with huge download numbers, that sells advertising based off of those numbers, this has no bearing on you, or your show. But there is a concern over that anything that hurts the credibility of the podcasting industry.   In other podcasting news, PodNews reports that the average length of a podcast is shrinking, from 53 to 37 minutes.https://rephonic.com/blog/podcast-episode-lengthNew podcasts are out from Stephen A. Smith and the CIA this week.Don't miss an episode of The JAG Show Podcast - you can subscribe in your favorite podcast app, or have it emailed to you every week.  I promise not to spam you.  Just go to https://jagindetroit.com/subscribeUntil next week, stay healthy and stay safe - especially our friends in Florida.   Lata!

Yesterday, I went to the North American International Auto Show, known to locals here as the Detroit Auto Show, or just the Auto Show.  And it reminded me of a common question I get from podcasters - when should I release my new episodes?Now, whether you release, weekly, biweekly, monthly, whatever, the key to growing your show is consistency.  As your show grows, your listeners will learn when to expect new content - whether that's the 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month, or every Wednesday morning, whatever.  We are creatures of habit.The Detroit Auto Show was always in mid-January, usually when it was about 0 degrees  here in Michigan. It sucked, but we were used to it. In 2019, they decided to move it to the summer or fall, where it could become a hybrid indoor-outdoor event.  Seemed like a good idea.  But then the pandemic happened, and this week's auto show ended up being the first since January 2019.I checked it out with some friends yesterday, and it was pretty meh.  Was it cool to have monster trucks at Hart Plaza downtown? Sure, I guess.  Inside, it was fun to drool over exotic Corvettes, Mustangs, and concept cars.  And there were the ridealongs to check out the acceleration in the F-150 lightning electric, as well as the off-road capabilities of the Bronco and Jeeps.   But the show seemed quiet.    Was it, as one friend suggested, the fact that people have way more going on in September than in the dead of winter?  Maybe.  But when people think of the Auto Show, they think of January.  Now, this could be a great event again if they can get more buy in and participation from car companies,  and if they get the public used to the idea of it happening in nice weather.  But it's going to take time.   The pandemic gave them a reset, but now they have to build a new habit from scratch.  That's why it's important to be consistent with your podcast release schedule.Amazon Music celebrated two years of featuring podcasts on its platform.  If you don't use it, don't feel bad.  They boast a whole 0.7% of podcast listening.   But putting your show on there is as easy as giving Amazon Music your RSS feed.  And it's free, so why not?Could we be one step closer to using copyrighted music?  YouTube is testing out a program called Creator Music, that will allow you to either purchase a use-license for commercial music, or enter a revenue share with the artist.  It's still in Beta, they're hoping to launch in the US later this year.   So it's a baby step, but if it works, that could provide a blueprint for podcasters.  Via PodNews: https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/20/youtube-announces-creator-music-a-new-way-for-creators-to-shop-for-songs-for-use-in-videosAre audio ads more effective than video ads?  Well, yes, according to a press release from Mars Media Group, linked in today's show notes, via Podnews.  They claim a 25% revenue increase for audio ads over video.  The reason, they suspect, is with so much screen time, visual ads just become more clutter.  They also say that audio ads, in their research, haven an 85% listen-through rate.  Pretty impressive. https://podnews.net/press-release/audio-ads-mmgOn Medium, Adam Rostad says you should stop buying ads on big podcasts and, instead, create your own podcast for the same investment- or less, I might add.  Among his other reasons, the "skip" button in your podcast player, podcast ads aren't forever, and honestly, listeners just crave that human connection. More: https://medium.com/@a.d.rostad/3-reasons-you-should-stop-paying-for-ad-space-on-podcasts-e5bc7ce93f30What was the first podcast you listened to?  For me, it was Serial.  Well this week, a judge quashed the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, ordering a new trial.  He's been released from jail and is on home confinement, pending his new trial.  That's at least in part due to the power of a successful podcast.Until next week, stay healthy and stay safe. Lata!

Did you see 16 year old Shane Hawkins pay tribute to his dad at the recent Foo Fighters tribute to Taylor Hawkins?  Well, turns out how you heard about it and how you watched and reacted to it - can teach us a lot about podcasting.How did you hear about it?  For me, it was a combination of social media post after social media post, and hearing friends talk about it.    Was it the same for you?  Did you run to YouTube to see it?  Or did you actually pull up the Paramount Plus app to watch the one hour highlight reel?There are so many lessons here when it comes to podcast discoverability.  As we heard over and over at Podcast Movement, make your show SHAREABLE.  Have some kind of hook.  Have content that folks will want to tell others about.  Make is so they'll post about it, and tell their friends.Also, and I mentioned this last week.  Getting folks to change platforms is hard.   When I watched this show, it was probably the second time in months I've used the Paramount app.  The first was to watch the new Beavis and Butt-head movie and channel the inner 15 year old in my head.  Huh Huh.  I said....nevermind.Anyway, this was content that was worth opening a different app for.  If you're promoting your show on TikTok or Instagram, THATS the criteria you need to hit to get someone to open Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Onto this week's podcasting news.Meghan Markle seems to have paused her podcast in the wake of the Queen's passing.  We will see if she resumes it, against (allegedly) the new King's wishes.Twitter is upping their podcast game - rolling the feature out for their Blue (paid) subscribers).Research from Amplifi Media and Podnews recently showed that there are only 155,000 regularly-updated podcasts out of the 4 million shows in existence.  The space is not as competitive as you might think.There's a new podcasting publishing king - in terms of total audience of shows.  Spotify now leads the pack, followed by SiriusXM. iHeart rounds out the top 3.I record my show on a Shure SM7B microphone.  It's the same mic that Michael Jackson recorded the Thriller album on.  And I just found out another, more contemporary big name in music uses it for his podcast.  And there's a Detroit connection.

Welcome to Season 4 of the Jag Show. We're going to start with what I learned this year at Podcast Movement, and how you can improve your show.The first thing you should know about is video.   Your show needs to be on YouTube.  According to Edison Research, 48% of the podcast audience has consumed a show on YouTube.   So even if your show is audio only, put a graphic, or an audiogram with a moving waveform up, and upload that audio to YouTube.  OK, what about short-form video?  One of my big curiosities this year was around the world of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and now YouTube shorts.  The goal of every social media platform is to keep users on that platform.  It's not going to be easy to "STOP THE SCROLL" and get someone to switch apps.  The bar is very high.  So unless your highlight is absolute gold and will get someone to want to hear more, consider a different approach.  So how do you grow your podcast?  Well, the easiest ways are to "fish where the fish are."  Two ways to do this are 1) a "promo swap," where you find a similar podcast and agree to promote each other.  Or 2) what's known as a "Feed Drop."   You post an episode of someone else's podcast in your feed, and they return the favor.  So how do podcast listeners find shows?   Well, back to Edison Research:Recommendations of Friends and FamilyGoogle SearchYouTubeOther Social MediaThis advice comes from James Cridland of PodNews, don't be afraid to advertise IRL - in real life. But don't be scared by the total number of podcasts out there.  By some counts, there are now 4 million shows.  But most of them died on the vine!   The podcasting space is NOT as crowded as you might think.  Another great session I went to was presented by Jay Clouse, where he talked about using Twitter and Email to grow your show. Email especially, is a great way to grow your show.I also get into what I learned about branded podcasts, and the interesting approach iHeart is taking.And yes, we address the Ben Shapiro controversy, mostly online, that happened in Dallas.Finally, you'll notice some tweaks to The Jag Show - now into Season 4 after a summer hiatus and re-tool.  New artwork, new music and voiceover, and new format.   I'm trying some different things out, and I hope you'll enjoy.   If you'd like to have new episodes emailed to you, you can sign up at JAGinDetroit.com/Subscribe.

You may have noticed that it's been awhile since I've come out with a new episode of this podcast.  And for that, I apologize.  I've often talked about "PodFade" in this show - it's when after a certain number of episodes, a podcast falls down your priority list.   Well, it happened to me.  Today, I'm going to tell you how it happened, and what I'm doing about it.My wife and I are doing a lot of traveling this year - call it pent up wanderlust from COVID, scratching an itch, whatever.  Well, as a small business owner, you're never really fully "on vacation."   So I would work a lot of long nights and weekends prior to and just after a trip.   I thought I had a plan for this podcast - I had created some bonus content and planned on releasing that weekly.  Well, that worked in April.  But as we turned the calendar to May, June, and soon July, the work kept piling up, and the further away I got from creating new content, the less of a priority it became.   Now don't get me wrong, I have some amazing podcast clients, and the influx of new business is certainly a good thing - it just wasn't for this podcast.So I've decided to pause The JAG Show for the summer, and perhaps re-tool it.   Summertime often sees a dip in podcast listening, as people's habits change for trips, being out of routine with school and work, and more.  So if you do need a break, this is the time to take one.   Here's what I would like to know from you, though.   What about this show have you liked and disliked?  Do you prefer more of the podcast industry news, practical tips for your podcast, or a combination?  I'd really like your feedback as I think about what Season 4 of the JAG Show will look like.  Let me know on social at JAG in Detroit, or drop me an email - jag@jagindetroit.com.One thing I HIGHLY recommend for you if you're taking a break - learn a lesson from me.  Tell your listeners if you're taking some time off.   It wasn't until a colleague asked me the other day, "Hey, what's up with your podcast?" that I realized I owed you an explanation.  By the way, thanks for that, Stacey.So my telling you that this show will be back in the fall, I'm committing to it.  And this will help hold me accountable.  There may be some bonus content between now and then, but I will be back in the fall.  Just let me know what you want to hear in the show.So until then, stay healthy and stay safe. Lata!

In our May 2022 livestream, the 5 "Podcast Superfriends" assembled to talk about how Matt Cundill pushed through the usual podcast obstacles to get to the 300th episode of The Sound Off Podcast.We cover lessons learned, and how they can apply to our clients.   What's changed since the show started?   Should you "batch record" or do one episode at a time?  What about live vs recorded?The five podcast "Superfriends" are:Johnny "Podcasts" Peterson of Straight Up Podcasts in Fort Worth: https://straightuppodcasts.comCatherine O'Brien of Branch Our Programs in Baton Rouge: https://www.branchoutprograms.com/David Yas of Pod 617 in Boston: https://www.pod617.com/Matt Cundill of the Sound Off Media Company in Winnipeg: https://www.soundoff.network/And Jon "JAG" Gay of JAG in Detroit Podcasts: https://jagindetroit.com/

For over a year now, three co-hosts and I have been working on a podcast for the Royal Oak Michigan Chamber of Commerce.  We interview various members of the Chamber about themselves and their businesses.  Once a quarter, we turn the tables on one of our co-hosts.   This week, it's yours truly in the hot seat.Show Notes:Today, we turn the tables on our co-host, Jon Gay of JAG in Detroit Podcasts, and put him in the hot seat.  We talk about his radio-turned-podcasting career and get some insight into his personal backstory too!Jon left radio in 2017 after a 15-year career in the industry.  While he saw radio on the decline, he saw podcasting blowing up.  So he started JAG in Detroit Podcasts, creating broadcast-quality podcasts for businesses and non-profits, in 2018.We talk about what a podcast is -and isn't - and some stats showing how big the industry has become.Jon explains the different levels of service he offers his clients, from basic editing to co-hosting shows with them.  We also ask him the two big podcast questions.  How long should your show be and how do you make money off of it?We also cover the rise of YouTube and the importance of having a presence there, even if you don't shoot a video version of your podcast.  And once the show is published, how do you promote it?The Blue Yeti is a terrible podcast microphone.  Jon tells us why, and which mic to get instead. (Spoiler: it's cheaper.)Andrea, Trish, and Lisa ask Jon about remote podcasting, and talk about how it's worked for this show.Finally, we learn a little bit about Jon personally.  He talks about his job, and the wanderlust for travel he and his wife share.  And our fishbowl question leads to a very interesting story about Mr. Gay in high school, involving his last name.Links:Samson Q2U Microphone Mentioned: https://amzn.to/3tVE3rFJon Gay from JAG in Detroit Podcasts - http://www.jagindetroit.com/Trish Carruth from The Personal Jeweler - https://www.thepersonaljeweler.com/Lisa Bibbee from Keller Williams - http://soldbylisab.com/Andrea Arndt of Dickinson Wright - https://www.dickinson-wright.com/Know a Chamber member that wants to be a guest on our show? Email us!  theroccpod@gmail.comAnd if you'd like to know more about the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce, or join, find them here:  https://www.royaloakchamber.com/

To watch this podcast as a video, you can do so here: https://youtu.be/hp4JmAZhTPEElon Musk is buying Twitter for $44 billion.  And while much has been discussed about the political and free speech ramifications of this move, the podcasting piece has largely been overlooked.  Earlier this week, I asked, via Twitter of course, what this move would mean for podcasting.   My good friend, colleague, and collaborator Johnny Peterson suggested we have a conversation about it.  That's what you'll find here.Johnny joins me to explore different ways Twitter could help podcasting. We start shrinking the "funnel" of having to tweet a link to a podcast, hope the algorithm doesn't penalize you, having someone click the link, then click play on your podcast.  There are a number of ways that Elon and his team could streamline this.We also talk about live audio - specifically Twitter Spaces, which effectively ended Clubhouse's relevancy.  Could Twitter re-boot its Periscope platform?  Johnny's got a great new name for it.  And how can we improve the quality?  Twitter's goal is to keep users on their platform for as long as possible - there are a number of ways podcasting can help with that.Musk has talked about verifying all "people" on Twitter, to differentiate from bots and trolls.  Could something similar happen for podcast accounts?Also on Johnny Peterson's wish list - the ability to play your podcast direct from a tweet.  Twitter has done this with play buttons before - but could they partner with Apple, Spotify, or even just pull directly from your RSS Feed?What about a virtual tip jar?To connect with Johnny Peterson, find him on, of course, Twitter here on his great username: https://twitter.com/johnnypodcastsTo connect with Jon Gay of JAG in Detroit, follow him here: https://twitter.com/jagindetroit

I joined Brenda Meller of Meller Marketing on Tuesday for a presentation on how to repurpose LinkedIn Live videos as podcasts.  While Brenda works mostly with LinkedIn, the tips here are applicable to video webinars of all kinds.After a brief intro on how important podcasts have become and the power of audio, we broke the presentation down into three key areas:Before You PresentDuring Your PresentationAfter Your PresentationWe talked about microphones and equipment, recording environment, recording software, and how to handle visuals in your presentation to be compatible with an audio-only version. From there, we talked about the power of editing the audio, and how to create, publish, and promote your podcast. For more info:Full video webinar: https://youtu.be/r3DuVu9C7x8Download a PDF of the slides here: https://bit.ly/LinkedInLivesToPodcastsFind Brenda Meller and Meller Marketing Here: https://www.mellermarketing.com/JAG in Detroit Website: https://jagindetroit.com/

iHeart has launched a podcasting network for NFT's.  More on that later.Here are this week's podcasting headlines:Wanna know which advertisers are investing in the top 5,000 podcasts?  Podchaser has a new tool to track that. https://features.podchaser.com/api/?There's a new service to rate podcasts for kids - it's from Common Sense media and will let you rate shows for audiences 17 and under: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/podcast-reviewsOld school journalists will remember the "inverted pyramid" approach to telling a story.  Where the deeper you go, the less important the information.  This was great in the days of newspaper editors needing to make cuts.  See, a newspaper was this thing that you held up at the kitchen table....ah, nevermind.   Well NPR has a storytelling guide that's relevant to podcasts.  They suggest more of a trapezoid.  There's no hard stop in a podcast - keep bringing in good info to keep your audience engaged. https://training.npr.org/2020/08/20/for-digital-flatten-the-pyramid-and-embrace-the-trapezoid/I told you about my experiment on Anchor, "The JAG Throwback Show."  Still dropping episodes there, available only on Anchor and Spotify.   While I'm not a huge fan of Anchor, it's interface is now available in an industry leading 35 languages, which will help podcast discovery around the world. https://blog.anchor.fm/updates/anchor-web-localizationCode Switch, the popular podcast from NPR about race and identity, is getting a $600,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Brodcasting.  Not sure if the hosts also get a free tote bag. Apple Podcasts Connect is now showing you more data about your podcast listeners. I took a quick spin through it, and I'm not super impressed. I think you're better off to focus on the analytics from your podcast host - Simplecast, Blubrry, Buzzsprout, Libsyn, whomever you use.  However, if you want to play around with the Apple interface, The Podcast Host has a guide to the new features here: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/business-of-podcasting/apple-podcast-follower-metricsAccording the LA Times, Facebook is losing interest in podcasting.   You may remember, they allowed you to  add your podcasts' RSS feed to Facebook business pages, not personal pages or groups.  And it was only available on mobile, not desktop.  But even with those limitations, Facebook still grabbed half a percentage point of all podcast listening.   Remember, while it's fading with the younger crowd, Facebook is still the #1 overall social media platform.  And its got the potential to bring more of the older demographics in.    I really hope Facebook is only temporarily pulling back here, and will revisit the space soon. https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-04-14/facebook-is-pulling-back-from-its-foray-into-podcastingOK, now, onto iHeart and its building of an NFT network for podcasts.   If you want a deeper dive here, the great Tom Webster of Edison Research covered this in today's column.  https://tomwebster.media/podcastings-most-important-investment/I don't understand much about NFT's, and you don't have to either, in order to hear my take on this.  For those who understand NFT's, there's a short term gold mine while they are hot.  But my personal opinion is, the concept is too complicated for folks to understand for it to be a long-term play.   NFT stands for Non Fungible Token, so iHeart's network is actually going to be called - and I'm not making this up - "The Non Fun Squad."  The jokes are endless - I'll let you fill in your own punch line here.  But this really cements the fact that iHeartMedia is focused on digital and the future.  They are NOT focused on the radio stations that built the company.    As I mentioned in a previous episode, the wonderful Beata Murphy, program director of KISS FM in Los Angeles, told our WJPZ Alumni Banquet in Syracuse that SHE believes the company will need to sell off radio stations in smaller markets.   As a former radio guy, I think that's the only way for music radio to survive - is to be locally owned and programmed.   Because as of right now, there isn't a heck of a lot of appeal in radio outside spoken word (meaning news, talk, and sports) and morning drive.  The personality just isn't there.In fact, I'll leave you with an example of this.  My wife and I are back from a long weekend in Las Vegas.  Monday night, we were in a cab on the way to the airport.   The cab driver had on KLUC, the once legendary pop station in Sin City.  What did we hear at straight up 9pm?  A legal ID introducing the most popular songs on TikTok.  No voice track, no identification of the songs.  Just a flat out admission of "hey, you don't come to us for new music anymore, so here's some stuff from TikTok."  Unless I missed a break, I heard no DJ (not even the syndicated one they have listed) through 9:15, when they ran a pre-recorded liner to text in to win tickets.   To be transparent, and so I'm not only picking on iHeart here, KLUC is owned by Audacy, the second biggest radio owner in the US.  Their stations used to be CBS and Entercom, before a buyout and a rebrand, respectively.    And Vegas isn't even a small market, it's in the top 30!   Do you mean to tell me that nights in LAS VEGAS aren't worthy of a live DJ interacting not only with tourists, but with the thousands of service industry workers that start and end their shifts at all hours of the night?   iHeart, Audacy, and the other big players, being more focused on digital, need to hand the keys of their radio stations over to people who can properly run them as part of the communities they serve.   It's actually been a bit of a "circular firing squad."  Why are the radio companies investing so heavily in podcasting?  That's where all the content went after the kicked it out of music radio.   If you know one person who will enjoy the content of today's show, I ask that you please send it along to them by text, email, or social media.   And if you have any questions about podcasting, find me on my website, jagindetroit.com.  Until next time, stay healthy and stay safe.  Lata!

Some hand wringing over Infinite Dial 2022 - a slight dropoff in podcasting.   Monthly listeners went from 41% of the population to 38%.   My take: it's nothing to worry about.  The pandemic turbo-charged podcasting growth, and people are settling back in to routines.  109 million Americans still listen to shows every month, and that's more than pre-pandemic.  Further, podcasting awareness continues to grow - now up to 226 million, or 79% of US Adutls.Deep Dive from Tom Webster:https://tomwebster.media/what-to-do-when-the-line-stops-going-up/Infinite Dial 2022: https://www.edisonresearch.com/podcastings-key-statistics-for-2022/Spotify hopes to make a profit off of podcasting investments "soon."  You can preview Spotify's new "Tik Tok" esque interface here:: spotify:internal:podcastclipsOther New Tools: Podcast host Blubrry updates PowerPress plugin for Wordpress websites. Don't need to host your show on Blubrry to use it. Substack and ACast are getting into podcast hosting.  ACast is spamming people, though.Headliner's "Edit Eddy" is a new transcription service.  I think it's more accurate than Descript, but Descript has an easier editing interface.Need help with your podcast?  Reach me at https://jagindetroit.com/