Since 2013, Simplecast has helped creators publish their podcasts the easy way with hosting, distribution, analytics & sharing tools. Try it out free today!
We start with
@ghost_munch
on domestic horror and Ghosts in the Burbs. Domestic horror, suburban ideals, and how these stories can help people raising children and taking care of their home in an unpredictable world, an often-invisible labor, feel seen.
Critic
@GavGaddis
has been a long-time fan of
@BlankCheckPod
, a podcast that breaks all the so-called rules of podcasting. Gavin dives into what makes Blank Check work: host chemistry, painstaking amounts of research, and hilariously obscure ephemera.
One of the most common complaints we see about podcasts is their unbalanced volume.
@holographicVA
has written up a guide to mixing for podcast loudness that defines the words you need to know, and uses images and audio files to take you step by step.
Critic
@GavGaddis
loves
@WHMPodcast
and is here to explain why this podcast, and its Patreon offerings, have kept their attention for years amid an industry overflowing with 'funny' movie review podcasts.
If you love an audio creator, remember to support their work. That doesn't only mean listening to their stories, boosting their podcasts, spreading the word about their skills. It also means, if they have more things they do to keep the lights on, support that too.
For
#DisabilityAwarenessMonth
,
@newtschott
writes about the lack of disability rep in audio and how to approach writing it honestly and respectfully. "[It] dawned on me that the issue was not me being given too much credit… we were just starving."
Anyone else excited to pick up our exclusive “Please Talk to Me About Podcasts” tee at
#PM18
this year?? Be sure to bookmark Booth 36 and get there quick! 🏃♀️💨
For our first Haunted & Horrified Week post,
@lisettewalking
tackles the intricacies of what it means to listen to horror for comfort. If you've ever fallen asleep or relaxed to Old Gods of Appalachia or The Magnus Archives, this one's for you.
Today at
#PodcastMovement
: Grace Kane, Dir. Biz Dev, AdsWizz + Simplecast, led "Demystifying Monetization for Indie Creators Panel " with Allison Gill, CEO, MSW Media, Steph Colburn, CEO, editaudio, and Bron Heussenstamm, CEO/ Founder, Bleav Network.
Long-time podcast critic
@cakeradios
has written up a detailed, exploratory, and actionable analysis about podcast cover art and visual strategy. There's beautifully laid out examples, quotes from designer
@nikeagxy
, and a nostalgic touch of the personal.
"Crucially, one of the spins Rugnetta and Moore have given
@funcityventures
, is optimism and hope, something lacking in the majority of cyberpunk dystopias–particularly Shadowrun."
"Where is the podcast criticism?" people have wailed, constantly. Everywhere. Critic
@GavGaddis
is here with answers and suggestions, including an interview with
@emilyvdw
that talks about the criticism industry as an ecosystem--and it's dying.
.
@lisettewalking
went to the HollyShorts Festival as an indie podcaster. Here, Lisette shares their observations about indie podcasts' place within an industry shutting more and more of its doors to creators, as well as some of their own research.
The Sandman by
@neilhimself
has received an acclaimed TV adaptation, but
@Roshan_Singh_S
noticed the Audible series, produced by
@DirkMaggs
, was treated as a mere stepping stone to Netflix. What if audio is, in fact, the best medium for this adaptation?
It's
#AudioDramaSunday
! Today, we're pointing at
@TheKilda
, a supernatural thriller about a con man who escapes to St. Kilda to change his life and uh, well... it does not go the way he plans. This story starts with an immediate grip on your heart, a calm dread suffusing you.
When you expand your podcast crew, finally taking off the many hats you've been precariously balancing on your head for so long,
@HolographicVA
explains what happens if you don't budget to pay people more than what you were (maybe) paying yourself.
It's June, and it's been a rough June. Jeez. So we put together a Pride podcast playlist: QTPOC ONLY! So if you want recs of pods produced by and featuring queer and trans people of color, we've got you covered.
Dear Travelers: the start of the Juno finale is here. Are you ready?
"Juno Steel and and Soul of the People (Part 1)" is available now. This episode also features some amazing music from
@MelloMakes
We're proudly powering
@Medium
's new podcast, Playback. Be sure to subscribe and listen to their first episode "What Fullness Is" with
@rgay
today
#OnSimplecast
Introducing Playback, a new podcast from Medium where writers perform—then discuss—their stories. In our first episode,
@rgay
reads her essay “What Fullness Is,” about her decision to undergo bariatric surgery, and unpacks it with host
@KaraRBrown
Wildly excited to have
@ShoMarq
on board, as a low-key longtime fan of everything they do!
(Equally excited to give them the keys to this Twitter account! 🔑)
I have news! I'm now working with
@Simplecast
, in communications and content! I'm super excited about this opportunity, and about all the cool stuff that is coming your way on the blog & socials. 🎉
Oh, hey! 👋
The all-new Simplecast just launched on
@ProductHunt
! 🚀
We've been so excited to share what's new with our current customers, and we're equally pumped to show it to everyone else!
See what all the fuss is about. ⤵
We've just published an article here that will help you, as a podcaster and as a podcast audience member, to figure out ways you can support your community after some of the SCOTUS decisions this week (currently, abortion rights and the Miranda warning).
Beloved fiction podcast
@unwellpodcast
, who wrecked hearts, showed us our vulnerable underbellies, and haunted every corner with ghosts and casserole, has come to an end.
@bobbysnailss
interviewed
@eleanorhyde
and
@euripidesredux
about the end of an era.
This week,
@starplanes
highlighted 4 indie crowdfunds that need attention! If you want to help podcasts like queer BIPOC fantasy-western
@radio_outcast
or
@lifewithleoh
which centers love lives of BIPOC women, you can. Make storytelling dreams come true.
Now, let's start introducing you to the marketing team at Simplecast. First up, the person who is writing this tweet: Ely! It's weird to write things in third person about yourself. Anyway, this questionnaire has me on brand, as usual.
Host of Poetry Unbound with
@OnBeing
,
@duanalla
, has released Poetic Spirituality. Poetry Unbound is a favorite here, a gentle look into poetry like creaking open a door into a quietly vibrant heart, and the book promises more of Pádraig's beautiful soul.
.
@PodcastMovement
is a can’t-miss opportunity for anyone in podcasting, which is why we’re offering one lucky person an expenses-paid trip to join in on the fun. More details on how to enter and win here:
#PM18
"Love & Noraebang" is a feast for the senses, one that lovingly encapsulates
@mashupamerican
's goals and ethos.
@Roshan_Singh_S
examines this show through its pilot episode, and describes what it feels like to be invited to the noraebang.
Our writer
@TalofSwords
wants your fiction podcast to be successful, and sometimes that means a hard truth: scale down, think about your constraints, and build something that works within them, instead of fighting tooth and nail every step of the way.
Amid the current union wave,
@WGAAudio
turns up the volume to raise podcast writer standards. Anti-union propaganda is deeply embedded within our culture and the Alliance's pushback means involving non-union members in community organizing strategies.
Simplecast is hiring!! We’re looking for candidates eager to shape the future of podcasting and empower audio creators with the tools and resources they need to share their stories, evolve their craft, and connect with a world of listeners.
📝
Haunted & Horrified special event: On October 13th, at 12 PM EST/9 AM PST you can join us for a Twitter Space on The Ethics of Horror with
@EsterTheEsper
,
@MotzieD
, and
@missdefying
(hosted by our editor,
@ShoMarq
)!
Also, this little ghost friend is Caster. Say hello, everyone.
So Season 1 and Season 2 of
@MissionToZyxx
run ~about~ 26 hours total.
You know what that means?
Plenty of time to catch up before the new season starts! 🚀
Open your hangar bays, because we’ll be back March 20th with Season 3! And get this: We’re now part of the
@MaxFunHQ
podcast network. We're jucking pumped to join such a great roster of shows on a fan-supported, artist-owned network! Let’s P-p-p-p-party!
Podcast creators are making innovative and productive use of the social platform Discord in order to build up and support their community.
@starplanes
has all the details on how to do that, best practices, and fun ideas.
We often hear the hardest part about creating a fiction audio-only script is the dialogue: How long are our silences? Is this overexplaining? This quick guide from
@ghost_munch
will help kickstart your dialogue's natural flow.
This summer, financially support an indie podcast, like the Black horror-thriller
@AfflictedAudio
or queer Greek myth retelling
@echoboxpod
. I've given
@starplanes
a platform to yell about them and I will not remove the box until you do something about it.
I’ve had the joy of being able to build and play around with the
@Simplecast
playlist player. The fully responsive goodness that the design and dev team put together is mind blowing. I can’t wait until you can experience it for yourself. SOON…
#pleasetalktomeaboutpodcasts
Coming up on our Haunted & Horrified weekend, here is a simple treat: four little podcasts that jump headfirst into the weird, the surreal, the experimental, the bizarre.
@Wireland_Ranch
,
@TheGobletWire
,
@TheSiltVerses
, and BBC's "The Sink".
We love our indie fiction creators, and we want to support them so that they can blossom in this industry, because indie creators in general are the salt and the earth. We wouldn't have gotten this far without them. Go visit booth 7 at
@PodcastMovement
! They will have COOL STUFF.
As a company that has always obsessed over creators’ success, data and measurement standardization is a huge piece of that. That's why we're so excited to be IAB Certified!
Looking for a one-on-one meeting with some of the most helpful creators we know? Sign up below to reserve your spot at our
#PM18
Podcast Clinics — open to all attendees!
We stand against racism, injustice, police brutality, and the systemic oppression of Black people.
We believe that Black lives, joy, and success matter.
The Tower from
@TinCanAudio
is a study in musical-architectural experimental audio fiction continued in season 3. From
@Roshan_Singh_S
: "If The Tower evokes a mythic Labyrinth, it is simultaneously the golden thread laid conspicuously out for us."
@VibertKevin
shouts out co-creator
@sophiekaner
, who operates pretty much everything in their recording studio.
@thepenumbrapod
started off recording in Kevin's very loud dining room –but if they had actually waited for studio space, they probably would never have gotten started.
Currently in beta, we've enabled the ability for listeners of certain shows to share snippets of their favorite podcasts (it'll open to more shows in the coming weeks). We'd love for you try it out!
#Recast
#OnSimplecast
Audiogram tech is a HOT topic in podcasting, and rightfully so! Which is why I'm so excited to share an exclusive first look at the industry's first tool that empowers a show's *listeners* to share the audio that moves them — Recast.
Actor
@felixtrench
interviews fellow actor
@kdimerc
about voice acting in podcasts, and how to get comfortable selling your voice on the internet. "I want to play characters again. I want new and exciting projects with passionate people."
The frights have arrived!👻 Next week, October 10th through the 15th, we'll be celebrating our first Haunted & Horrified Week at the Simplecast Blog. Every day, you can read a new article about horror (in nonfic AND fic). PLUS join us for a special event in our Twitter Space!
Somehow, I missed that
@MotherlandsRPG
has a podcast version, making it even easier for me to stay up to date.
@Simplecast
, you've got an amazing group of highly talented actors on your platform. Help spread the word.
If you want fresh frights like gothic dread or psychological fear, or even "in the neighborhood of horror" like apocalyptic microfiction or suspenseful fantasy, we've got you. This list of indie pods has everything you need for the Halloween you want.
Have you ever noticed how it seems like the same podcasts get press coverage over and over (and over!) again?
Us too!
That's why we were so happy when our COO & CLO, Jeanine Percival Wright, wrote up some of her favorite shows for
@harpersbazaarus
.
"[The Tower] wants you to know that it sees you, the listener who suffers, in the many ways that modern life can engender suffering."
@Roshan_Singh_S
on The Tower, from
@TinCanAudio
.
Proud to welcome
@FastCompany
to the Simplecast family!! Be sure to subscribe to their new podcast "Secrets Of The Most Productive People" today 💡📈
Listen on
@ApplePodcasts
:
@meetcuteromcoms
has a new college romance that draws inspiration from Pitch Perfect, Gilmore Girls, and To All The Boys. Read
@bobbysnailss
' thoughts on it here and their interview with the writer and two directors at Meet Cute!
Critic
@newtschott
reviews new steampunk fantasy
@kingmakerpod
, a gory comedic romp in an enormous magical sandbox dropping Oct. 7. "...Colette Geise grows a rock out of her head... [a] magical gem that can explode exploitative bosses’ heads (long story)"
Since it’s Friday the 13th, we thought it would be a good time to get a little spooky. 👻Check out 13 of our favorite spine-tingling, scary, and creepy shows!
In 1 hour, join our Twitter Space on the Ethics of Horror! We'll be talking to
@MotzieD
,
@missdefying
, and
@EsterTheEsper
about folklore, true crime mockumentaries, and more.
Can't make it? We'll be recording! Reply here ⬇ with your question for Q&A.
Please. Make a press kit/media kit/press pack. They're all words for the same thing: a toolkit you give to journalists and advertisers and anyone else you want to pitch your podcast to with everything they need to know about your show.
#PM22
Start local, small, and unconventional. Think about what your listeners would be interested in and go for that.
Also make a media kit! Basically, it's a PowerPoint talking about your show.
#PM22
We're sponsoring the Podcasters of Color networking event, and we want to hear about what would be the most helpful, relevant programming there for you.
If you are a person of color working in podcasting and want to be involved in these discussions, please fill out this form to join in (my DMs are also open if you have any questions/thoughts for me):
We don't know about you, but our weekend plans for the next few months involve getting extreeeemely cozy. 🍂
Here are Marketing Manager
@HelloCVH
's favorite podcasts to listen to from under a pile of blankets.
Last week, we had our very first theme week at the blog: Haunted & Horrified! We had some very talented writers publish and discuss incredible analysis and stories while uplifting creators. Let's do a recap!