Month: November 2017

Portland Podcast Festival is Coming Up Soon

~ jen

The Portland Podcast Festival was founded by Jason Lamb (Minority Retort) Greg Nibler and Sarah X Dylan (both of Funemployment Radio). The goal is to help foster and support the podcast community of Portland, Oregon. This year’s Portland Podcast Festival will take place on December 2, 2017.

The 2017 Portland Podcast Festival will be held at the Hawthorne Theatre in Portland on December 2, 2017. The doors will open at 5:00 pm. The event will start at 6:00pm and will end at 12:00am.

Tickets are on sale now. The ticket includes access to 2 stages, 13 podcasts, 2 bands, 1 free beer from Small Town Brewery, and 1 Commemorative Lanyard.

Podcasts include:

  • Funemployment Radio
  • Minority Retort
  • Geek in the City
  • Room of Requirement 237
  • Rip City Bad Boys
  • Reading the Bible With Dan
  • Reboot, Reuse, Recycle
  • The Well Adjusted Gamer
  • Portland at the Movies
  • Trends With Benefits from Digital Trends
  • Control Yourself: A Showcase of Funny
  • The Sprocket Podcast
  • Self Care is Sexy

There is a schedule available that shows which podcasts will be on what stage at what time. Things on one stage start every hour on the hour, while things on the other stage start fifteen minutes after the hour.

The Portland Podcast Festival will feature two After Party bands: Courage (who will play on the Mountain Ale- Theater Stage) and The High Pets (who will play on the Toko Stage Brought to By Jane – Lounge Stage).

Record Your Podcast with Shout Out Network

~ jen

Shout Out Network was founded by Efe Jerome, after he started listening to podcasts in 2010. Diversity is the heart of what Shout Out Network does. They are trying to solve the issue of media representation by creating a diverse suite of UK based podcasts. You can record your podcast with Shout Out Network.

The Shout Out Network’s studio is a residential studio in Zone 1 in Central London. The nearest Stations are Kennington and Elephant and Castle.

They recommend that you check the Availability Calendar on the Shout Out Network website to find a time that is open. You must pay before you book a slot. They are available for evening and weekend recordings from 6-9pm Monday through Friday, and 9am-9pm on Saturday and Sunday.

They recommend that podcasters sign up for their All-In subscription. It is perfect for new or time-starved podcasters who want upload-ready episodes. All-In costs £340 per month.

All-In comes with:

  • 4 hours of recording studio time with engineer
  • 4 hours editing
  • Add Intro and Outro music
  • Minimize pauses, silences and ‘umms’
  • Normalize volume for multiple-devices
  • Reduce background noise
  • Upload-ready episode
  • Central London location
  • Evenings and weekends available
  • Up to 4 people
  • Recordings delivered same-day

They have three other subscription options, depending on your needs. The least expensive one is called Pay-As-You-Go”. It costs £60 per hour. There are two other subscription options as well. Visit the Shout Out Network website for full details.

BBC Introduces Podcasting House

~ jen

BBC has introduced Podcasting House. It was created to make it easier for people to discover podcasts from the BBC. Podcasting House will allow listeners to sample a range of the best of BBC’s podcasts, both old and new, in one place.

For more than a dozen years, we’ve offered many of the BBC’s radio programmes as podcasts. We led the way in 2004 when the BBC became the first British broadcaster to adopt the new technology launching Radio 4’s In Our Time as the BBC’s first podcast. Today, the BBC is the second-largest podcast producer in the world.

Podcasting House is a sampler feed that curates the best of the BBC’s existing podcasts for audiences that may not know them. It includes everyday real-life dramas (The Untold); podcasts that teach you something (Tomorrow’s World); and the ludicrous yarns of Simon Mayo’s Confessions.

The weekly drop will happen on Mondays, when new podcasts appear on the feed, bringing together a mix of BBC podcasts in one place to sample. In January, the BBC will begin launching a handful of original short series in which they will meet midwives, undertakers, comedians, and weather experts.

Prominent Atheist Podcaster Dies in Murder-Suicide

~ jen

Scott Smith, co-host of the Recovering from Religion podcast, and his wife were found dead in what police have described as a suspected murder-suicide. The couple was in the midst of a divorce. They are survived by two children.

Recovering from Religion posted the following on their Facebook:

As many of you have likely heard by now, Scott Smith committed suicide this morning after taking his wife’s life. Scott had worked with Recovering from Religion, most prominently as a member of the team that put out the RfR podcast. This news has hit all of us who knew Scott very hard, and we are struggling, as many of you are, with a large amount of powerful emotions, including sadness, guilt grief, shock, anger, and confusion. Our hearts go out to all affected by this tragedy, especially his four children.

Recovering from Religion provides online resources for people who have questions about leaving their faith. There is a phone number people can call to speak with someone. It is also possible to schedule a call or find a support group.

KSAT TV reported that police spokeswoman Sgt. Michelle Ramos said that a man called 911 at around 10:41 a.m. And threatened to hurt himself and his wife. A SWAT team was called out to their home. Police heard two gun shots.

UPDATE: A GoFundMe campaign has been established to provide support for the Smith family daughters.

News UK Seeks Head of On-Demand Audio

~ jen

News UK is a company with journalism at its very heart. Its newspapers and associated websites are some of the most powerful media brands in the English speaking world, reaching 30 million people each week. The embrace creativity and initiative and have some of the most talented people in the industry. News UK seeks a Head of On-Demand Audio – Wireless.

The summary of the role is: Lead the delivery of podcasts, personalized / listen again radio, audiobooks, and other on-demand audio offerings across Wireless Group and News UK.

Some Relevant Skills and Experience Include:

  • Previous leadership experience within a spoken word audio production environment
  • Experience in creating podcasts which have had a major impact
  • Experience in creating pre-recorded speech radio programmes
  • Experience in managing a fast-moving audio production team
  • Ability to manage talent and key editorial stakeholders
  • Creative flair and strong ability to generate new ideas

Some Key Objectives of the Role Include:

  • Contribute to the development of an overarching editorial strategy for The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times, TLS, and Wireless Group on-demand audio content
  • Oversee production of high quality podcasts, audiobooks and other on-demand audio offerings aligned with their radio and print brands that are capable of achieving a major impact
  • Recruit and manage a team of talented and highly creative audio producers capable of delivering excellent audio content to a defined budget
  • Work with the digital department and distribution partners to ensure strong prominence and promotion on external audio platforms (iTunes, Acast, Deezer, etc.)
  • Foster strong audio production relationships with HarperCollins.

For full details, visit the want ad on the News UK Careers website. Part of the website appears to have more information about facilities, benefits, development, and diversity.

The Sarahs are Seeking Submissions

~ jen

The Sarah Lawrence College International Audio Fiction Awards is now seeking submissions for the 2018 Sarah Awards. There is a total of $4,000 in cash prizes to be won. The winners will be celebrated at an award ceremony on April 23, 2018, at New York City’s Players’ Club.

The first place winner will receive $2,000. The second place winner will receive $1,000. The third place winner will receive $500. The winner of Best New Artist will receive $250, and the winner of Sarahs’ Sarah Award will also win $250.

Some Eligibility Requirements include:

  • Entries must have been produced between February 2017 and February 2018
  • Entries must be between 3 minutes and 60 minutes in length
  • Serialized works are allowed to enter, but the entry for each series can be no more than 60 minutes.
  • Entries of all languages are admissible. However, if your works are not in English, you must provide a transcript in English.
  • All works must be fiction. No documentaries will be accepted.

Each entry should consist of one audio file (MP3). You must submit your entry through Submittable. Visit the Sarah Awards website for more details about how to do that. All entries must also include a brief producer bio (80 words max), a synopsis of the entry, and an entry fee.

Entry fees:

  • $25 dollars for entries uploaded by December 1, 2017.
  • $40 for entries uploaded between December 2, 2017, and January 31, 2018.
  • No fee for student entries.

Visit the Sarah Lawrence College International Audio Fiction Awards website for full details.

The Butterfly Effect is Now Ad Supported by Midroll

~ jen

Midroll was born from the recognition that great hosts thrive when they can focus on their shows, and advertisers benefit when they can work with a professional sales team. Midroll announced that The Butterfly Effect with Jon Rohnson has started its free ad-supported run with Midroll.

Host and producer Jon Ronson is known for his best selling books, like “The Men Who Stare at Goats”, his TED Talks, and his appearances on This American Life. The critically acclaimed The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson is a seven-part series that is available on Audible.com. The podcast debuted there in August of 2017.

This artfully produced documentary charts how one small isolated action can trigger seismic changes. In this case it’s the story of how a German teen obsessed with free pornography went on to acquire a Montreal-based YouTube-style porn site, in turn, affecting the entire pornography industry, altering the lives of those working within it.

The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson obviously contains adult subject matter. The description of the podcast on Audible says “free for a limited time”. Audible is offering it for free to those who sign up for a free 30-day trial. I’m going to assume that those with an Audible subscription might be able to get it for free as well. For everyone else, the podcast is $24.95.

Episode 2 of The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson is about three women who desroy a mysterious Norwegian man’s stamp collection. In episode 3, the topic is about a woman who became convinced that she played a part in a murder committed by an Italian priest. Episode 4 focuses on a boy in Oklahoma who is forced to move to a house at the very, very edge of his town.

SoundCloud’s CFO is Now at TuneIn

~ jen

TuneIn brings together a wide collection of sports, music, news, podcasts, and audiobooks – including live, on-demand and original content. It lets people find what they love while helping them to discover new things. TuneIn announced that they have appointed Holly Lim as their new Chief Financial Officer.

In this new role with TuneIn, Holly Lim will oversee finance, legal, HR, workplace and corporate development. She will be based in San Francisco at TuneIn Headquarters.

“We’re thrilled to add Holly to the executive team,” said John Donham, CEO. “Holly’s experience in consumer subscription services, entertainment, and original content uniquely qualify her to join our team and help drive our business forward.”

“TuneIn has built an impressive team with incredibly high ambitions,” said Lim. “I am joining the company at an exciting time – TuneIn has built a unique position in the audio space through its bold content acquisitions, core growth in listeners & subscribers, and the global reach of its offering.”

In 2006, SoundCloud announced that Holly Lin would join the company as its first Chief Financial Officer (CFO). She was having to split her time between SoundCloud’s headquarters in Berlin, Germany, and SoundCloud’s New York office.

Chorus is a New App for Podcast Lovers

~ jen

Chorus is a rapidly growing social network for podcast lovers. You can download it for iPhone right now. It requires iOS 9.0 or later, and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Android users can sign up to help beta test Chorus for Android.

From Kleenex-grabbing vignettes to thought-provoking science breakthroughs, Chorus gives you an endless list of recommendations from some seriously fascinating people.

Chorus is a social podcast player. Use it to share podcasts with friends, fans and fascinating strangers. It lets you do the following things:

* Discover episodes, personally recommended by podcasters and podcast-lovers
* Recommend your favorite episodes to friends and other fans
* Talk to other listeners and podcasters in Communities
* Follow the podcasters you love, and see what they recommendation
* Build a following
* Share your podcast recommendations on other social networks

Audiosear.ch is Shutting Down

~ jen ~ 1 Comment

Audiosear.ch is a one-stop search and recommendation engine for podcasts. They transcribe, timestamp, tag, cluster, and collect ratings and reviews for thousands of shows. Audiosear.ch announced that they will be shutting down on November 28, 2017.

If you visit the AudioSear.ch website right now, there is a bright pink line at the very top with important information. It says they will be winding down support operations and ending support for Audiosear.ch on November 28, 2017. The Audiosear.ch team also posted a blog that says:

Audiosear.ch will be winding down operations on November 28, 2017. As of that date, you will no longer have access to our API endpoints, the website, or features such as Audio Alerts, the Clipmaker, Buzz Score, and more.

We welcome you to contact us at info@audiosear.ch with any questions. We will do our best to reply in a timely manner based on the volume of emails.

We’ve loved watching the projects you’ve built with this technology over the past two and a half years, and we appreciate your understanding.

Rain News reported that Pop Up Archive is Audiosear.ch’s parent company. Pop Up Archive will also be closing operations on November 28, 2017. Pop Up Archive posted helpful information about how to download your transcripts and audio files.