Month: April 2017

Podcast Movement 2017 Announces One More Speaker

~ jen

Podcast Movement 2017 has a tendency to slowly reveal who will be speaking at the event. Previously, they announced a group of podcasters who will be speakers. Now, they are announcing one more.

Aaron Mahnke will be a speaker at Podcast Movement 2017. He is the creator, writer, and producer of the hit podcast LORE.  The podcast was one of iTunes’ Best Podcasts in 2015, an AofP Best Podcast winner in 2016, and it is now headed to television.

Lore is a critically-acclaimed podcast about true life scary stories. Aaron Mahnke uses historically accurate information to bind together stories by a common theme. He spends over twenty hours a week on research. LORE started in March of 2015 as a hobby and a last ditch effort to market Mahnke’s fiction.

LORE is becoming an hour-long anthology television series from the producers of The Walking Dead. The TV series will debut on Amazon Video. In 2018, Del Rey Books (Penguin Random House) will debut the first installment of The World of Lore book series.

This brings the list of Keynote Speakers at Podcast Movement 2017 to:

  • Aaron Mahnke – LORE
  • Rabia Chaudry, Colin Miller, and Susan Simpson – Undisclosed
  • Shannon Cason – Homemade Stories
  • Dan Carlin – Hardcore History and Common Sense

The Messengers Documentary has a Kickstarter for Fans

~ jen

The people behind “The Messengers: A Podcast Documentary” have a Kickstarter for fans of the movie. At the time I am writing this post, the Kickstarter has about a month left. It has a flexible goal of $15,875.

The Kickstarter campaign is not about funding the movie. (It was funded in 2016.) The purpose of the Kickstarter is to encourage fans to help them make the launch of “The Messengers” in the iTunes store a national phenomenon.

Your purchase today makes you an official messenger of this special documentary that captures the magic of podcasting. Every purchase comes with the commemorative book, bracelet, and sticker to help spread the word.

However, we want more people to be impacted by what we have created and are asking the podcasting community to hold home viewing parties for the friends and families to watch and spread the message across the globe. We want to raise awareness for this community and need everyone’s help. Our ultimate goal is to get to #1 in the iTunes movie charts for letting the world understand that Podcasting is a legitimate medium that is growing with extremely talented individuals who are serving audiences the world over!

The Kickstarter has several “perks”. Each is designed for people to throw their own Home Screening Party of “The Messengers”. The lowest tier is the $25 Basic Fan Package. It gets you a first-run DVD copy of the movie, a sticker, a bracelet, and a commemorative program. Tiers go all the way up to $1,500. The more you spend, the more copies of the movie, bracelets, stickers, and Commemorative Programs you receive for your home viewing party.

Columbus Podcast Festival 2017

~ jen

The Columbus Podcast Festival is the first podcast festival in Columbus, Ohio. It will take place on April 26, and April 27, 2017. Tickets are on sale now, and range from $10 to $20. The start time for each night is 8:00 PM and will end shortly after midnight.

Columbus Podcast Festival is holding a DIY Podcast Contest.  The contest is an open pitch to anyone who’s purchased an Early Bird pass to the festival. Email them the legal full name you used to purchase the pass, your order confirmation number, and title the email DIY. They will pick the best submission and premier that podcast at an exclusive live show on the second day of the festival.

Your DIY submission should include: a name, a description, and a plan for your show at the festival. Who is hosting? Who are the guests? How many mics will you need?

DIY Contest Restrictions: You can’t have more than three guests. You can’t steal someone else’s idea. You can have props (but Columbus Podcast Festival will not be buying them for you). Keep in mind that this is a show and there will be a live audience to watch you.

There will be several podcasts featured at the 2017 Columbus Podcast Festival:

April 26th:

  • The Green Room
  • Amanda’s Picture Show A Go Go
  • Fart Cast
  • Confluence Cast
  • Guitar Knobs
  • FiliBUSTED!
  • Oddfellow Odditties
  • What’s the Deal with Creativity?
  • FYI Podcast

April 27th

  • Still Buffering
  • The Sounds of Bustown
  • Court Appointed
  • It’s All Been Done Radio Hour
  • Sawbones
  • The Comedy Underground
  • 6pod4
  • Babes to Know

There will also be a Podcast Workshop which is a pre-festival program scheduled on the first day of the festival. It will be presented by Craig Clawson of 6pod4 and Columbus Podcasters Meet-up. Craig will later be joined by podcasters Tim Fulton, Pat Deering, Christine Horvath, and Erik Tait for a Q&A.

Nancy is a New Podcast From WNYC

~ jen

At first glance, you might think that Nancy, the newest podcast produced by WNYC, was named after the host. There are podcasts that include the first and last name of the host, after all. But, there isn’t anyone on Nancy who is actually named Nancy. The podcast’s description says:

BFFs Kathy Tu and Tobin Low are super queer, super fun and ready to take over your podcast feed. Join them for provocative stories and frank conversations about the LGBTQ experience today. Because everyone’s a little bit gay…

Prior to Nancy, Tobin Low was a producer on WNYC Studio’s More Perfect, the Radiolab spinoff about the Supreme Court. His work has also appeared on Marketplace, Studio 360, and the Codebreaker podcast. Prior to Nancy, Kathy Tu did production work for a number of podcasts including The Memory Palace, The Mortified Podcast and Masterpiece Studio.

At the time I am writing this post, Nancy has a introductory episode titled: “It’s a Podcast, Not a Person”, which was released on April 3, 2017. New episodes are released every Sunday night. Topics covered in the first three episodes include: coming out more than once, sex education not giving LGBTQ people the information they need, and “We were in a relationship?”

Ecamm Announces Ecamm Live

~ jen

Ecamm is the creator of products that are helpful for podcasters that use Macs. I’ve used Ecamm’s Call Recorder for Skype for years, and highly recommend it. I find it to be a useful backup just in case my recording (or the recording done by a co-host) crashes and is lost forever. I’ve also used it to record podcasts with people who do not know how to record their own audio.

Now, Ecamm is introducing something new – Ecamm Live.

Ecamm Live puts the power of Facebook Live at your fingertips. You can try it for free. It requires MacOS 10.11 or newer. You can purchase Ecamm Live for $29.95 (and it comes with free lifetime updates).

Ecamm Live allows podcasters to stream in HD quality with one click, using any connected mic and capture device. You can even switch between cameras during a broadcast. It has seamless Facebook integration, which means there is no need to worry about stream keys or complicated set-up steps. The app takes care of it all.

Once you’re live, you will be able to see the audience size, Facebook comments, and reactions right in Ecamm Live. Ecamm makes it easy for you to add text and graphics such as a company logo to your livestream. Simply type a title or drag an image into place. Ecamm Live even supports animated GIF overlays.

Ecamm Live is for streaming high-quality live video. But you can also use it to broadcast a video file that has been pre-recorded. Just drag the file into the app.

In addition, Ecamm can be used to Livestream your presentations, tutorials, demos and gameplay with one click. You can add a live picture-in-picture to the broadcast for a personal touch. I can see where this feature would make it easy for people who podcast about video games to include their gameplay right into the podcast – and broadcast it on Facebook Live.

Podquest Contest Seeks the Next Podcast Superstar

~ jen

Podquest is a contest for podcasters (who fit the qualification criteria). “If you’ve got an idea, a story, or you’re a brilliant story teller – then Podquest is for you.” Record your podcast and share your story.

The winning podcaster will receive 5k cash plus studio and production time, and help from industry experts to bring their podcast series to life. Podcasts will be judged by a panel of internal and external industry experts in content, sales, and marketing. There may also be judges who are well renowned podcasters.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

Originality – Has anyone else done a similar podcast?

Narrative – What are you like at telling a story?

Hosting – Are you any good as this podcasting “thang”?

Commercial Viability – Podquest describes this criteria as: “Let’s face it, in the long run, it would be nice to quit your job and become a full time podcaster.”

Audience – Who could the possible audience be?

Each entry should demonstrate how the story will live as a series. They are not looking for a sample of your best work. Ideally, your entry should run for up to 20 minutes. You can upload your podcast file to the Podquest website. They want an MP3 that is at a maximum of 30 MB. The website also has an entry form for podcasters to fill out.

As always, it is worth taking the time to view the view the Terms and Conditions. Nova Entertainment is the promotor of the contest. In March, NOVA launched the Nova Podcast platform, a portfolio of podcasts, including optimized show content, original productions in non-radio podcast categories, and podcast series specifically created for brands.

The contest entry period started on April 7, 2017, and will end on May 19, 2017. Eligible entrants include all Australian residents from NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and WA. Entrants under the age of 18 are required to get express permission from their parent/guardian before entering the contest.

Up to 10 finalists will be selected. Those podcasters will be contacted to let them know they made the finals. Speaking with a promoter does not automatically mean the podcaster has won the contest. One podcast will be selected as the winner.

NewsFeed with @BuzzFeedBen

~ jen

BuzzFeed’s newest podcast is called NewsFeed with @BuzzFeedBen.  It can be found on the BuzzFeed website on the same page as the rest of BuzzFeed’s podcasts.  The podcast is hosted by BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith. As you may have guessed, his Twitter handle is @BuzzFeedBen.

NewsFeed with @BuzzFeedBen is described as “conversations on the intersection of politics, media, and technology – and all of 2017’s insanity.” To me, this implies that the podcast is intended to close at the end of 2017. Or, perhaps it will continue into 2018 and slightly change its description.

The very first episode features David Axelrod, the founder and director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. He is also the Senior Political Commentator at CNN, and was the Chief Strategist for Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.

The first episode of NewsFeed with @BuzzFeedBen is a continuation of a conversation between Ben Smith and David Axelrod that was episode 136 of David Axelrod’s podcast The Axe Files with David Axelrod.  This means you need to listen to that specific episode of The Axe Files with David Axelrod before you listen to the first episode of NewsFeed with @BuzzFeedBen if you want to hear the entire conversation.

The second episode of Ben Smith’s podcast is an interview with Charlie Warzel. He is a senior writer for BuzzFeed News, and reports on and writes about the intersection of tech and culture.

Con Before the Storm Prepares for its 5th Anniversary

~ jen

Con Before The Storm is a fantastic, fun, pre-Blizzcon event that is for fans of video game podcasts, streamers, and pro esports teams, and artists that make game related artwork. The event is on Kickstarter with a funding goal of $14,000. At the time I am writing this blog, they have raised $12,040.

Con Before the Storm started out as a podcasting event that featured podcasts that focused on video games made by Blizzard Entertainment. The event has grown every year, and will have its fifth anniversary this year.

People can attend the event for free. The Kickstarter is intended to raise money to pay for at least three conference rooms, which will include their Art Gallery, Meet & Greet, World of Podcasts, a photobooth, and bartenders to serve the party-goers. The World of Podcast portion of Con Before the Storm typically includes panel discussions featuring hosts and co-hosts of podcasts about Blizzard’s games.

If Con Before the Storm raises their goal of $14,000, they will begin working on some stretch goals. The first stretch goal is $16,500, so they will be able to host the Frogpants and Amove.tv meetup. The next stretch goal is $19,000, which will allow them to move their Meet & Greet into a ballroom, and to put World of Podcasts into its own room.

Assuming they raise the money they need, Con Before the Storm will take place on Thursday, November 2, 2017, in Anaheim, California. The event has always taken place the night before Blizzcon. A person does not have to be attending Blizzcon in order to attend Con Before the Storm.

Podcast Movement 2017 Announced More Speakers

~ jen

Podcast Movement 2017 will take place in Anaheim, California, on August 23-25. The event has a habit of slowly announcing who the keynote speakers will be.

Earlier this year, Podcast Movement 2017 announced that Dan Carlin, host of the Hardcore History and Common Sense podcasts, would be a speaker. Recently, Podcast Movement 2017 announced more keynote speakers.

Rabia Chaudry, Colin Miller, and Susan Simpson are the hosts of Undisclosed.  All three hosts will be keynote speakers for Podcast Movement 2017.

The Undisclosed Podcast investigates wrongful convictions, and the U.S. Criminal justice system, by taking a closer look at the perpetration of a crime, its investigation, the trial, and the ultimate verdict… and finding new evidence that never made it to court. Undisclosed is now in its third season. The hosts went from having no podcast experience to having one of the most popular shows in the world with millions of downloads.

Shannon Cason, who preformed at SXSW in Austin in March of this year, will be a keynote speaker at Podcast Movement 2017. He is the host of Homemade Stories, which partnered with WBEZ Chicago for the 2014-2015 season. Shannon Cason is a storyteller and writer, and is originally from Detroit.

Senator Bernie Sanders has a Podcast

~ jen

Senator Bernie Sanders, who became very popular with progressive voters in the 2016 election, now has his own podcast. It is called The Bernie Sanders Show. The first episode was released on March 26, 2017, but it wasn’t officially announced until April 7, 2017.

The announcement was done in the form of a tweet on Bernie Sanders verified Twitter account:

Engadget reported that The Bernie Sanders Podcast is the podcast version of his Facebook Live stream. This is good news for people who are interested in what Senator Sanders has to say, but do not use Facebook.

If you look at the iTunes listing for The Bernie Sanders Podcast, you will find that the link for “podcast website” takes you directly to Senator Sander’s official U.S. Senate website. A section of the website functions as a minimalistic show notes page for the podcast. The description of the podcast says:

Election days come and go, but political and social revolutions that attempt to transform our society never end. Listen to The Bernie Sanders Show to stay informed on the political revolution, our focus for a fight for a progressive agenda and how Bernie and others are fighting back against the Trump administration and its efforts to divide us up.

At the time I am writing this, The Bernie Sanders Podcast has released four episodes, all of which are interviews with people progressive voters would recognize. This includes Rev. William Barber, Bill Nye, Josh Fox, and Jane Mayer.