Podcast Insider Todd Cochrane, Mike Dell & MacKenzie Bennett

When this show started in 2008 we never could have imagined that we'd be at episode 300 now. Join us as we celebrate the 300th episode of Podcast Insider today! MacKenzie joined Todd and Mike to host this time and they reminisced about the past versions of the show, podcast advertising instances and where podcast listeners live.



Thanks for joining us on this episode of Podcast Insider. Looking to be a guest on the show? Let us know. Emails are listed at the bottom of show notes.



Live Facebook recording with Todd, Mike and MacKenzie

News



Obama’s moving their content to Audible, away from Spotify

4 reasons why advertisers in Asia should use podcast marketing from The Drum

Announcer vs. Host Read Ads

Podcast listening tilts towards larger cities



Best Practice

Celebrate your big wins publicly. Such as… your 300th episode of your podcast.



Some History of This Podcast



Started as the “Blubrry & PowerPress Community Podcast” in 2008ish.  

Restarted started as The PowerPress Podcast with MacKenzie in 2015.

A second podcast was added called “Your Podcast” with Todd and Mike (terrible name) in 2017.

We combined them to form Podcast Insider in 2019. First episode here.



Blubrry News



Blog post: Making the most of your summer break by Meryl Klemow

Media kit and programmatic ads are coming soon!



Blubrry Pro Tip

Tweaking Sound Design and Music



Interview

Robert Riggs, True Crime Reporter and Fox Nation TV show “Freed to Kill”

Learn more here.



Question of the Week

Question: From Ted Newill, Medical Device Success podcast

I have been invited by a trade show organizer to conduct a podcast from the trade show floor. This is one of their tactics to liven up the show. I will probably do 2 or 3 podcast interviews in one day. You have been to trade shows so you know what the noise level can be. What kind of gear do you recommend I use to keep the background noise to a minimum. Headsets with microphones? Lavalier mics? Etc.

Answer: A headset mic such as the Audio-Technica BPHS1 is a good option. Use that with a Mixer, portable recorder or interface that takes XLR. Any hand-held DYNAMIC mic should work. The background noise would add “ambiance” to the on location sound. Personally [Mike], I use a zoom H5 recorder with 2 hand-held dynamic mics and it’s good enough.

Got a question you’d like us to answer on the show? Drop an email to mike@blubrry.com (audio, text, video) and we may use it. You can also post a question on the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook group. 

The best place for support with any Blubrry products/services is our ticket system (https://blubrry.com/support/). Tickets give the whole team access rather than direct emails or calls.

______________

Coming to you this week from the Blubrry Studio in Columbus, New Media studio in Coldwater, Michigan & Mike Dell’s World Studio in Traverse City, Michigan.  Produced by the Blubrry Pro-Production team. 

NEW! Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider 





Schedule a one-on-one with Todd (hosting customers only). Email todd@blubrry.com

Schedule a tech checkup with Mike (hosting customers only). Email mike@blubrry.com

Send us your podcast sticker and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and we will send you a Blubrry care package.



Our mailing address is:

Blubrry – MacKenzie

150 E. Campus View Blvd. #180

Columbus, Ohio 43235

Learning never stops in podcasting. Recently, the team at Apple explained how Apple podcast search works and the results it gives, in terms of user behavior, metadata, and more. Speaking of learning, we go over 3 lessons on audio marketing, tips for respecting your listeners time and some branding recommendations for your podcast.



Thanks for joining us on this episode of Podcast Insider. Looking to be a guest on the show? Let us know. Emails are listed at the bottom of show notes.



Live Facebook recording

News



Apple tells how Apple Podcasts search works

3 Lessons on Audio Marketing -  Conal Byrne from iHeart

Podcast listening is growing in 2022

Spotify to acquire Sonatic



(Likely Related) WordPress.com says you will be able to create podcasts from blog posts





Snoop Dogg fans love Martha Stewart on her podcast

Vacations and road trips are in full swing. Lots and lots of articles out titled ‘Best Podcasts for Car Rides’



Best Practice

Set a podcast mission, similar to a company mission. What do you want your listeners to get out of this podcast and what action steps will you take to make those goals happen?



Blubrry News



Blog Post: Branding for your Podcast - by MacKenzie Bennett

Next week is our 300th show! (Yay us!) MacKenzie will be joining us to celebrate since she was the one who started the PowerPress Podcast which turned into Podcast Insider. Also, we have a great interview scheduled.

Programmatic form here



Blubrry Pro Tip

Respecting Listeners Time



Question of the Week

Question: Why are all the apps & directories so strict on podcast artwork? What are the rules?

Answer: Apps need to have a consistent aspect ratio. Everyone picked square as it’s the easiest. As far as the content of the image, no rules other than common sense.

As for the technical rules…  The image must be PNG or JPG in RGB.  (lots of letters there) Apple wants between 1400 and 3000px SQUARE images.  All the other apps and directories will take an image in that size range.  BUT the other size thing is file size. Try to make it less than 500kb in size.  It will work a bit larger than that, but no need to have an image that is too big.  Most people are seeing it on their phone screen at 1x1 inch.  My images are all 1400x1400px.  That is good enough and gets the job done.

Got a question you’d like us to answer on the show? Drop an email to mike@blubrry.com (audio, text, video) and we may use it. You can also post a question on the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook group. 

The best place for support with any Blubrry products/services is our ticket system (https://blubrry.com/support/). Tickets give the whole team access rather than direct emails or calls.

______________

Coming to you this week from the New Media studio in Coldwater, Michigan & Mike Dell’s World Studio in Traverse City, Michigan.  Produced by the Blubrry Pro-Production team. 

NEW! Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider 





Schedule a one-on-one with Todd (hosting customers only). Email todd@blubrry.com

Schedule a tech checkup with Mike (hosting customers only). Email mike@blubrry.com

Send us your podcast sticker and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and we will send you a Blubrry care package.



Our mailing address is:

Blubrry – MacKenzie

150 E. Campus View Blvd. #180

Columbus, Ohio 43235

Looking to monetize your podcast? Luckily, Blubrry has programmatic advertising coming soon to our platform for all hosting customers. Mike and Todd chat about what this will entail with our podcasters and lots on Spotify, as they had lots to say in a presentation earlier this week on their future, RSS feeds and their active monthly users.



Thanks for joining us on this episode of Podcast Insider. Looking to be a guest on the show? Let us know. Emails are listed at the bottom of show notes.



Live Facebook recording.

News



From Podnews: Maya Prohovnik, who oversees Spotify’s creator tools across podcasting, described RSS as “outdated technology”, and said they have been able to replace it for their on-platform distribution. She also claimed that every new Anchor show brings 2.5 new monthly active users to the Spotify platform. Ashley Carman’s Twitter thread on it here.  Spotify Investor Day recap here.

Spotify, a 20 billion opportunity, including insight into advertising

Apple Podcasts changes some of their user agents (very geeky) but good news

Blue Wire says its studio at the Wynn Las Vegas is helping it stand out

Clubhouse loses 4 executives

Bob Saget’s final podcast interview to air on Til This Day podcast

Why so many TV shows have podcast companions



Best Practice

Instagram Stories: Great for promoting episodes specifically, and use posts to promote the show overall. When new episodes are released the 24hr story option is an easy way to share new content or content that is currently relevant. Posts tend to be more useful for the long haul.



Blubrry News



Blog Post: Why you need a template for your podcast by Jen Thorpe

Todd will be speaking at PodStock in New Jersey this weekend

Want to monetize? Programmatic advertising coming to Blubrry soon!

Email MacKenzie@blubrry.com if you’d like to be June’s Pride podcaster of the month.



Blubrry Pro Tip

Podcast environment  



Question of the Week

Q: From Janet Lewis on Facebook. “Since the pandemic, I have been recording my podcasts online using zoom BUT my podcast editor just shared with me that my guest and myself are speaking at different levels. If you are recording a podcast via zoom are you just using the output from zoom OR are you using additional tools to ensure you and your guest are speaking at the same level?”

Answer: I [Mike] would recommend you run the file through Auphonic (Auphonic.com) It will auto-level your episode file for you so both parties sound at the same level. The Blubrry Pro team uses it for Podcast Insider and it works very well.

Todd: You may also want to consider not recording in Zoom. You may want to consider something like a Rodecaster that integrates with Zoom but will allow you to control levels.

Got a question you’d like us to answer on the show? Drop an email to mike@blubrry.com (audio, text, video) and we may use it. You can also post a question on the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook group. 

The best place for support with any Blubrry products/services is our ticket system (https://blubrry.com/support/). Tickets give the whole team access rather than direct emails or calls.

______________

Coming to you this week from the New Media studio in Coldwater, Michigan & Mike Dell’s World Studio in Traverse City, Michigan.  Produced by the Blubrry Pro-Production team. 

NEW! Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider 





Schedule a one-on-one with Todd (hosting customers only). Email todd@blubrry.com

Schedule a tech checkup with Mike (hosting customers only). Email mike@blubrry.com

Send us your podcast sticker and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and we will send you a Blubrry care package.

Filling in for Todd today, MacKenzie talks with Mike about some new podcast equipment being released in the near future. They also discuss some stats on how and what people are listening to that might make you think. Make sure to stick around for Mike's recap of Podfest this past weekend.



Thanks for joining us on this episode of Podcast Insider. Looking to be a guest on the show? Let us know. Emails are listed at the bottom of show notes.

News



How many shows do you need to buy ads on to reach 100% of US listeners?

How to Make Money on Spotify -- white noise and calming sounds

Robert Riggs (a happy Blubrry customer) has won an award for his Fox Nation show Freed To Kill  

How to design a great podcast logo from Rachel Corbett

Nomono Sound Capsule: a new way to record in groups (in person)

New Focusrite Vocaster interface 

 How Americans spend time on their smart speakers



Best Practice

Are you up to date on your software?



Double-check your software before recording. Does it need to be updated? Should you wait on the update because it has some weird glitch and they’ll put out a small fix soon?



Blubrry News



Podfest/Vidfest Expo review - Mike and Todd were in attendance and both had sessions

We are looking to expand our development team - looking for a Junior Software Developer 

We'll be releasing programmatic advertising in the near future, stay tuned for more info.



Blubrry Pro Tip

Using your podcast to answer FAQ’s 

Question of the Week: I'm trying to help a colleague connect a mixer (Mackie 1402VLZ4) to a new Macbook pro. Unfortunately, Apple has removed a mic input on more recent Macbooks. Any ideas for a good solution that won't introduce noise into the sound chain?

Answer: Yes. Get yourself a USB sound card or interface. Make sure it has a line-in jack (not just a mic jack) because the output of an analog mixer is going to be line-level. Line-level is way too high for the mic input.

Got a question you’d like us to answer on the show? Drop an email to mike@blubrry.com (audio, text, video) and we may use it.

The best place for support with any Blubrry products/services is our ticket system (https://blubrry.com/support/). Tickets give the whole team access rather than direct emails or calls.

______________

Coming to you this week from the Blubrry studio in Columbus, Ohio & Mike Dell’s World Studio in Traverse City, Michigan.  Produced by the Blubrry Pro-Production team. 

NEW! Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider 





Schedule a one-on-one with Todd (hosting customers only). Email todd@blubrry.com

Schedule a tech checkup with Mike (hosting customers only). Email mike@blubrry.com

Send us your podcast sticker and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and we will send you a Blubrry care package.

Use the survey and let us know what else you want as we gear up for V2. 



Our mailing address is:

Blubrry – MacKenzie

150 E. Campus View Blvd. #180

Columbus, Ohio 43235

Explaining to your boss or company why your business should have a podcast isn't always an easy conversation, but it can be done well! Follow a few simple steps to convince the decision maker on your team the value of podcasting. Dave and MacKenzie guest host this episode as Todd and Mike are both out, attending Podfest.



Thanks for joining us on this episode of Podcast Insider. Looking to be a guest on the show? Let us know. Emails are listed at the bottom of show notes.

News



American Girl launched a podcast network, starting with three shows.

YouTube is the most popular platform for podcasts that post video shows.

SiriusXM has made yet another podcast acquisition, this time Coco Podcast Company for Conan O'Brien's podcast.

WTF with Marc Maron has signed a deal with Acast for the next three years for his show, moving away from Stitcher.



Best Practice



Blubrry is somewhat unique in its approach to podcasting, since we have multiple options for publishing. To make your life easier, be sure your Blubrry Podcaster Dashboard is set to show if you’re using PowerPress or Publisher. Do this by clicking the gear icon in the Podcast Landing Page card and selecting the appropriate option - “I don’t need a website,” “I would like a WordPress site from Blubrry,” or “I have a website.” This ensures that we’re displaying the correct settings when it comes to episode creation.



Blubrry News



Blog Post: Stalking Your Prospective Audience Without Being Creepy by Kim Krajci

Todd and Mike are at Podfest Expo this week in Orlando



Drop by the booth near the main expo hall entrance and say hi!

Todd will be speaking, 17 Years in Podcasting: Strategies for Success, at 3:45 pm on Friday the 27th

See Mike on a panel for Rebranding Your Podcast at 10:45 am on Friday the 27th





We’ll be out this upcoming Monday for Memorial Day.



Blubrry Pro Tip

What Tone Do You Podcast In?



Question of the Week

Question: How do you get your idiot, know-it-all, boss to understand the value of podcasting?

Answer: Data. First and foremost, there is data that confirms how many people listen to podcasts. Edison Research and Nielsen are great for this. And then harp on the ways in which you’ll be able to reach customers. And lastly, come in with content ideas and some logistics. Also important, costs! Shop around for pricing for every thing you’ll need -- sometimes including asking other team members if they’ll be able to add this to their plate or an outside freelance hire, etc. They'll come to understand the value of podcasting if you give them reason to.

 

Got a question you’d like us to answer on the show? Drop an email to mike@blubrry.com (audio, text, video) and we may use it.

The best place for support with any Blubrry products/services is our ticket system (https://blubrry.com/support/). Tickets give the whole team access rather than direct emails or calls.

______________

Coming to you this week from the Blubrry studio in Columbus, Ohio & Dave’s Studio in Logansport, Indiana.  Produced by the Blubrry Pro-Production team. (nobody in Michigan this week!) 

NEW! Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider 





Schedule a one-on-one with Todd (hosting customers only). Email todd@blubrry.com

Schedule a tech checkup with Mike (hosting customers only). Email mike@blubrry.com

Send us your podcast sticker and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and we will send you a Blubrry care package.

Use the survey and let us know what else you want as we gear up for V2. 



Our mailing address is:

Blubrry – MacKenzie

150 E. Campus View Blvd. #180

Columbus, Ohio 43235

Apple Podcasts will be making it easier for all new podcast - free and premium - to submit to their directory. Blubrry is one of a handful of podcast hosts that will be implementing this into their platform when Delegated Delivery is launched in fall of 2022. Stay tuned for more details this summer.



Thanks for joining us on this episode of Podcast Insider. Looking to be a guest on the show? Let us know. Emails are listed at the bottom of show notes.

News



Apple has announced Apple Podcasts Delegated Delivery. Read their announcement.

Of course, Blubrry will be implementing Delegated Delivery.

What does the Apple announcement mean for podcasters?

Jeff Kinzbach, a long time radio guy in Ohio, hits the road doing a podcast called Rocking the RV Life.

Comedy is the #1 podcast genre in the first quarter of this year.

How corporate take-overs are changing podcasting. That’s a bold statement.

Beyond Podcast Prefix Analytics.



Best Practice

Be everywhere (you can) with your podcast.



Blubrry News



Blog Post: When Outliers Come Together by Meryl Klemow

Todd and Mike will be at Podfest Expo in Orlando May 26-29th. Come see us there!

Todd and MacKenzie are traveling home from ATD in Orlando. Thanks Mike for handing the show solo this week!





Blubrry Pro Tip

Improving your range as a podcaster



Question of the Week

Question: Stats -- what is the difference between downloads and listens?

Answer: Nothing really. A ‘listen’ is the same as a ‘download’. The terminology changed due to the IAB 2.1 standards that came out last year. If someone comes to a website and plays a podcast in a web player, to the server, that is a download (not a stream). So, when we redesigned the stats system we changed the term to listen instead of using download, but you can think of them as the same thing. Just a new name.

Got a question you’d like us to answer on the show? Drop an email to mike@blubrry.com (audio, text, video) and we may use it.

The best place for support with any Blubrry products/services is our ticket system (https://blubrry.com/support/). Tickets give the whole team access rather than direct emails or calls.

______________

Coming to you this week from the New Media Studio in Coldwater, Michigan & Mike Dell’s World Studio in Traverse City, Michigan. Produced by the Blubrry Pro-Production team.

NEW! Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider 





Schedule a one-on-one with Todd (hosting customers only). Email todd@blubrry.com

Schedule a tech checkup with Mike (hosting customers only). Email mike@blubrry.com

Send us your podcast sticker and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and we will send you a Blubrry care package.



Our mailing address is:

Blubrry – MacKenzie

150 E. Campus View Blvd. #180

Columbus, Ohio 43235