Now, cameras get decent audio too

• RØDE has launched a camera receiver for its Wireless Micro, letting you directly use a camera with the company’s latest wireless microphones. If you’ve already bought a Wireless Micro, you can claim a camera receiver for free (!!) by registering your product and paying shipping.

• Custom sound design is the thing that sets premium podcasts apart. That’s the view of Joshua Suhy, writing for Podnews today - with case studies of shows that benefited from a proper look at how the sound design worked.

• Even radio now has visuals in new dashboards. Pierre Bouvard, writing in the Cumulus Media and Westwood One blog, highlights some of the benefits of using visuals in audio advertising, using a number of studies. (We can use visuals in many podcast apps for podcast chapters; and, of course, on our YouTube videos). Pierre also shares this fun fact from Nielsen: “Half the time, TV ads are heard, not seen.”

• Our friends at Pocket Casts have a free partner newsletter for podcasters, which lets you know about upcoming curation opportunities for your show, information about advertising, or helpful insights into how the largest independent podcast app works. It’s free to sign up.

• In Canada, Ottawa’s first dedicated podcast studio, Pop Up Podcasting, has had a refit and a new focus on video production. It’s in 130 Albert Street, conveniently in the same building as official embassies of places like Peru, Panama, Bolivia, North Macedonia and Albania.

• In Germany, a new TV channel called Talk?Now! has been launched on Twitch and Zattoo, playing non-stop video podcasts (although they don’t say so - the company describes the word “podcast” as “absurd”.) There’s a full interview with the founders in German in the BEIFAHRERSITZ (“Passenger Seat”) newsletter, where they float the idea of a podcast cooperative.

• Further reading: Rob Greenlee suggests that the future of podcasting is not competition between audio and video: it’s collaboration and format flexibility … Manual Dousuario discovers that more and more Spotify-hosted podcasts haven’t realised that they’ve not turned RSS on, thus limiting their potential audience - and suggests Spotify may be using “dark patterns” to help it compete against other apps.

Moves and hires

• Erica Osher has been named Vice President of NPR’s AI Labs. She joins from National Public Media, and will oversee NPR’s AI strategy.

Tips and tricks - with Podcast Movement

• Our friends at Riverside take you through how to choose a podcast microphone.

Podcast News

Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne’s Life Uncut has recorded 100 million downloads. Britt and Laura launched the relationship podcast in 2019, and have built a loyal community of ‘Lifers’. It’s produced for ARN’s iHeartPodcasts Australia.

Deep in the Florida Everglades, where bureaucratic incompetence meets swamp reality, lies the most unlikely detention facility in America. Alligator Alcatraz tells the story of where corruption runs as thick as the swamp - and a broken immigration detention center becomes ground zero for a darkly comic uprising. With wisecracking narration from legendary AI Beau Thibodaux, Alligator Alcatraz is a sharp, satirical romp through government failure, family separation, and unlikely heroism. It’s Shawshank Redemption meets Veep, with gators.

Marquis and Eric Dream of… Another Gay Podcast is both cerebral and silly. As an inspection of sleep fiction and aspirations, the hosts dissect what dreams could mean for ourselves, our readers and the world with practically zero professional oneirological experience. Hosted by Filmmaker, Comedian and Emmy Nominated Producer Marquis The Honey Bear in collaboration with Award Winning Screenwriter, Podcast Producer and The Price is Right Screentime Stealer, Eric La Febre, the show brings the giggles, the gab and, most importantly, the gay.

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