Month: September 2016

Chicago Podcast Festival 2016 Will Happen in November

~ jen

Chicago Podcast Festival 2016Chicago Podcast Festival 2016 is the first ever Chicago Podcast Festival. It will take place on November 17-19, 2016 in Chicago. Jonathan Pitts, executive director of Chicago Improv Productions and the co-founder/producer of the highly successful Chicago Improv Festival has teamed up with WBEZ’s & The Moth’s Tyler Green, to produce the first annual Chicago Podcast Festival.

The Chicago Podcast Festival will feature the following podcasts:

  • Song Exploder (Radiotopia Podcast Network)
  • RISK! (Independent)
  • Bullseye (Maximum Fun)
  • Filmspotting (Independent)
  • Filmspotting: SVU (Independent)
  • Hello from The Magic Tavern (Earwolf Network)
  • Kevin McDonald’s The Kevin McDonald Show (Forever Dog Podcast Network)
  • My Favorite Murder (Feral Audio Network)
  • Improv Nerd (Feral Audio Network)
  • Shannon Cason’s Homemade Stories (WBEZ Podcast Network)
  • It’s All True with Tim Barnes (independent)
  • The Book of Ye (Forever Dog Podcast Network)
  • Open Ended (PostLoudness Network)
  • Roboism (PostLoudness Network)
  • Black Girl in Om (Post Loudness Network)
  • Booth One (Independent)
  • Cinema Jaw (Independent)
  • My Favorite Murder (Feral Audio Network)
  • Nerds On Tour (Independent)
  • Shannon Cason’s Homemade Stories (WBEZ Podcast Network)
  • The Room Where It’s Happening (Earwolf Network)

More may be added as we get closer to November, so be sure to check the Chicago Podcast Festival website to stay up to date. Tickets will be available soon (but are not available yet). Podcast recordings will be taking place across several venues in Chicago, and all tickes can be purchased online and at the performance venues.

IAB Releases Podcast Ad Metrics Guidelines

~ Shawn Thorpe

IAB logoThere’s been a lot of talk surrounding podcasting metrics lately. Some would say the state of measuring podcasts is a “Wild West” of varying methods with no centralized protocols. Others would say that they’ve had proven processes in place for years to accurately measure the audience of their podcasts. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has been working diligently to bridge the gap between these two mindsets. The organization made a big step forward earlier this week when it released its Podcast Ad Metrics Guidelines:

This document provides an introduction to tracking ad delivery in a podcast and attempts to provide clarity in the marketplace by describing common and existing practices. It breaks down some of the technical details of content and ad delivery and then defines the commonly used metrics, with some examples on how to measure those metrics. While we expect this document to be updated further as the market develops, we believe that this will help buyers, publishers, and the developers of technology by guiding them toward a common language.

The guidelines were released in the form of a downloadable 14-page PDF. A long list of contributing organizations, including ESPN, Midroll, LibSyn, Rawvoice, PodcastOne, NPR, and more, helped to finalize the rules set forth in the document. The guidelines contain much more information than we can cover in one blog post. But it’s definitely worth a read (especially the appendix section in the last few pages) if you’d like to know more about the technical aspects of podcast download measurement.

To see how some noteworthy representatives in the podcasting space reacted to the IAB document, check out this article from Radio Ink.

DC PodFest Will Happen in November

~ jen

DC Podfest 2016The second annual DC PodFest will happen on November 4-5, 2016. It will be held at the Wonderbread factory once again. They are planning an incredible, passionate, podcast event.

Some might call this a conference. The DC PodFest prefers to think of the event as “an independent podcast intensive for podcasters and podcast fanatics”. It will focus on the business, creativity, and influence of podcasting in various ways over the two day event.

Early Bird Tickets to DC Podfest 2016 are now available. The price is $99.00 ($103.46 with the service fee). Fifty percent of the total ticket sales for DC Podfest will benefit Youth For Understanding’s Intercultural Exchange Programs.

The first day of DC PodFest 2016 will include an early coffee social, workshops, panels, and The Listening Room Discovery Sessions. There will also be some live shows, a panel, a “Late Night Podcast Fun Time”, and an After Party.

The second day will start with a Podcasters & Pancakes Networking Power Breakfast, more workshops, sessions, and panels, and some live shows. The event will end with the DC PodFest Independent Podcast Awards Party.

All of those details are subject to change. I would expect that you will find more specific details about DC PodFest 2016 on their website as we get closer to November.

Win the International Podcast Day Gratitude Award

~ jen

International Podcast Day Gratitude AwardInternational Podcast Day is dedicated to promoting podcasting worldwide through education and public engagement. It’s the podcast version of things like National Pancake Day (and other one-day celebrations of a specific thing). The official International Podcast Day is September 30.

There is an International Podcast Day Gratitude Award that will be awarded to one podcast. The purpose of the award is to recognize the podcast with the most engaged global audience, as measured through international podcast reviews in iTunes.

They made it fairly simple for podcasters to enter their podcast into this competition. First, you have to register your podcast on My Podcast Reviews. That website is run by Daniel J. Lewis, host of The Audacity to Podcast. It collects up your international podcast reviews for you.

After you sign up with My Podcast Reviews, it will collect your reviews and display them on the site. Users who have a free account will see the most recent 30 reviews. Premium users will see their complete archive of reviews.

For the purpose the International Podcast Day Gratitude Award, My Podcast Reviews will automatically check your reviews in all 155 iTunes stores through September 27, 2016. The podcast that has the greatest proportion of international reviews will win the gratitude award.

After you register your podcast with My Podcast Reviews, the second thing you need to do is ask your audience to write reviews about how your podcast has impacted their lives. International Podcast Day recommends that you should especially encourage those who are listening from outside the country to write an iTunes review for your show.

Vox Media Seeks Executive Producer of Audio

~ jen

Vox Media logoVox Media is currently seeking an Executive Producer of Audio. This posting follows the one from ReCode that was looking for an Executive Producer of Podcasts and Audio.

Vox Media is made up of eight distinct brands: Vox.com, The Verge, ReCode, SB Nation, Eater, Racked, and Curbed, as well as their in-house creative agency (which is called Vox Creative).

The ad says that Vox Media is looking to advance their audio programing in an exciting and impactful way. This will start with the hiring of the company’s first ever Executive Producer of Audio. The person who is hired for this position will lead Vox Media’s creative programing and production strategy by working closely with their editorial teams and other stakeholders to create best-in-class audio content across Vox Media’s brands.

Requirements include:
* Ability to communicate on an executive level while keeping a pulse on production

* Background in audio production, liner audio, XM Radio, or podcasts

* A strong network of contacts in the audio space

* 5+ Years of experience in building and managing teams; ability to manage remote teams

The job is described as “a permanent, full-time position with excellent benefits – including flexible hours and generous parental leave.” It also includes a comprehensive healthcare option.

Pirates, Wrestlers, and Runners – PCN 036

~ jen

PCN iTunes artworkIn this episode, Shawn and Jen talk about pirates that steal other people’s audio content. We review some options about what you can do if your content is stolen, and point out a site that tends to end up with a lot of stolen content.

We also talk about why it is a good idea to listen to a podcast while you are running. And we finish the show with a nice story about a podcaster who participated in the Rio Olympics.

Links mentioned in this episode:

* Takedown or Shakedown Notices: What You Need To Know About DMCA and Podcasts
By Attorney Barry Kantz on PowerPress Podcast

* When Will Youtube Deal With Its Audiobook and Podcast Piracy Problem?
By Ryan Holiday on Observer

* Tracking metrics expected to improve as podcasts grow
By April Simpson on Current

* Running is the perfect time for podcasts
By Carolee Belkin Walker on TribLive

* Love of wrestling leads Jason Bryant from Poquoson to public-address announcer at Rio Olympics
By Marty O’Brien on Daily Press

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

It’s Official: iPhone 7 to Have No Headphone Jack

~ Shawn Thorpe

Schiller QuaintEver since it rolled out the first Macintosh computer over 30 years ago, Apple has been on a mission to make products that are smaller, sleeker, and minimized. That ethos has played out over and over again thru the years. The first iMacs had no floppy disk drives. Then, Apple stopped installing optical drives into its desktop and laptop machines. Now, in the modern age of the iDevice, this practice is repeated with Apple designing phones and tablets that are increasingly thinner and lighter. It was pretty obvious this trend wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. And while it seemed Apple couldn’t possibly make these devices any smaller, they still found a way.

Rumors began circulating earlier this year that the iPhone 7, the latest edition of Apple’s wildly popular smartphone, would ship without an analog headphone jack. And those rumors were confirmed today during an Apple event that announced the iPhone 7. Apple’s Phil Schiller made his case for a bold, wireless future by rolling out a quaint image of an old-timey switchboard operator that was meant to enforce the analog headphone port’s origins in old technology. Indeed,  Apple is all about the future. The bright, shiny (and most importantly), wireless future.

Thanks to a proliferation of audio/video apps and accessories for iOS, these devices have become invaluable tools for many podcast producers. And while the death of the headphone port may be discouraging, it’s not the absolute end of the world. Apple will provide an analog adapter that’ll plug into the Lightning connector, allowing users to connect headphones and other analog-driven devices. It’s also a good bet that a whole new line of third-party products will hit the market to service those who’ve been abandoned by the headphone port’s disappearance.

Of course, another alternative would be to just hang onto older devices instead of trading them in right away for the iPhone 7. But just like that telephone operator, I know this is also a quaint notion for most modern technology users.

MAPCON is Starting Soon!

~ jen

Mid Atlantic Podcast Conference logoThe Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference (MAPCON) will take place on September 9 and 10, 2016. It will be held at the Holiday Inn Philadelphia South-Swedesboro in New Jersey. There is still time to register and purchase tickets.

Podcast Mid-Atlantic started in December of 2014 as a Facebook group for podcasters who live in the Mid-Atlantic States (North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut). The idea was to bring podcasters together for meet ups, Google Hangouts, and eventually to grow into conferences. Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference (MAPCON) is an extension of Joe Pardo’s passion to host amazing events with great people.

Speakers Include:

* Jessica Kupferman – Co-Host & Founder She Podcasts

* Tayo Rockson – Founder and CEO UYDMedia.com

* Michael O’Neal – Founder & Host SoloHour.com

* Heather Ordover – Host and Founder CraftLit.com

* Dave Jackson – Founder and Host SchoolofPodcasting.com

* Anthony Minaya – CEO and Founder AnthonyMinaya.co

* Jeff Bradbury – Founder and Host TeacherCast.net

* Rob Greenlee – Head of Podcast Content Spreaker.com

* Jessica Rhodes – Founder of InterviewConnections.com, Host of Rhodes to Success

* Mark Asquith – Co-Founder PodcastWebsites.com

* Mary Nichols (a.k.a. DJ Fusion) – Founder FuseBoxRadioOnline.com

* Ramona Rice – Community Manager PodcastWebsites.com

* Joe Boggess – Founder and Host RelaunchShow.com

* Darlene Victoria Gonzalez – Founder of Digital Media Support Services, Host of Inspired Entrepreneur’s Guide

* Annett Bone – Founder and Host of The DancePreneuring Studip Podcast Annettbone.com

* Tina Deitz – CEO, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, Host of the StartSomething Show

* Christian Lee – Founder and Host WhatAreWeWatching.com

* Tom Tate – Product Marketing Manager Aweber.com

The event will include the Creative Podcast Competition. Podcasters will team up to create a less than five minute podcast in 45 minutes incorporating three items given at the start of the competition. Each episode will be performed on stage to be judged for fabulous prizes!

It will be possible to record podcasts at MAPCON. Podcasters are encouraged to use the spacious area, tables and chairs in the atrium to record their shows. This is a great opportunity to meet and interview other podcasters for your show.