Lessons
Class Introduction
04:15 2What is a Podcast?
04:28 3Lay of the Land
03:44 4Content Types
14:17 5Building Blocks
04:53 6The Look of Podcasting: Title, Design & Logo
07:15 7The Sound of Podcasting: Scoring & Sound Design
17:45 8Audience Engagement & Growth
06:53Lesson Info
Class Introduction
It's wonderful to be here. I have to confess that, you know, podcasting is all about being behind a microphone. There aren't a lot of visuals and cameras involved, so here we all are in a live setting, and it's really exciting to be talking to you all. So, as Kenna introduced, I'm the executive producer of Radiotopia, from PRX, which is a podcast network with 19 shows currently. We are downloaded about 19 million times per month collectively. My career in listening and audio started way back in college, not in an academic program, for journalism or media, but in a sociology degree, where I also-- getting a sociology degree, I also found my way to the college radio stations, and found myself very comfortable behind record store counters. So I started by loving music. I was very into the indie rock, and the riot grrrl, and then found my way to experimental music in that role, Eventually moved on from college and made my way to North Carolina, where I had a public radio internship with th...
e public radio station in Chapel Hill, WUNC. And while I was there I helped found an experimental film and video festival called Transmissions. So here we had audio festival, and found my way to Chicago next, right in time to help co-found and then lead for-- co-found and co-lead for 14 years the Third Coast International Audio Festival, which, if you don't know, is an ongoing celebration of the best creative radio and audio work made around the world. So we did that for 14 years. That around-the-world part paved the way for my next move, a big jump over to Sydney, Australia, where I helped launch the creative audio unit at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. For about two years, a small but mighty team and I produced two national weekly hour-long shows for broadcast. Both of these shows also had podcasts, and everything was going fine down there. We were quite enjoying it, but then the sirens of Radiotopia beckoned and being audio inclined, I listened and came back across the pond to take the job with Radiotopia, about three years ago. So that's kind of my trajectory into where we are right now. I'd love to know a little bit more about you all, so can we see a show of hands or maybe, more appropriately, a hoop or a holler for anyone out there who is currently thinking about starting to make a podcast? (hoots and hollers) All right. How about anyone who is currently making a podcast? All right. And then who are just the superfans? Really we just wanna know more about the business, and the industry, how it all works? You can overlap in your categories, by the way. (hoots and hollers) Yeah, that's what I thought. Okay, well, the reason I'm here talking to you today, is because of all of this experience, and where I'm at now. I get pitched all the time about new podcast ideas. I get pitched through email, I get pitched through Twitter, through LinkedIn, I get pitched on the train, I get pitched at block parties. Somehow people understand I'm associated with podcasting and throw their ideas at me quite a lot. So, given that, given the fact that I'm in contact with producers all day long, both in Radiotopia, and outside of Radiotopia, given the fact that I've heard probably tens of thousands of hours of audio up until now, lots of it excellent, more of it kinda mediocre, all of these things have gotten me to the point where I feel very strongly about what it takes to make strong audio, and to make a strong podcast. And that's what we're gonna talk about a little bit today. We've talked through about 10 elements of podcasting that I implore you all to think about before you actually start your podcast. This is a little bit of actually a pre-podcasting overview and lesson for all of you thinking about getting into it. Now, it's not irrelevant for people already making shows. These foundational elements are basic and always relevant throughout your process. So even if you're already well on your way, I think you'll find valuable information to think about. By the end of this course, I hope that you have a good sense of the industry, what's out there, what the landscape looks like, and where you might fit into it; a little bit of a better idea about what it actually takes, not for the fainthearted; and then also something about the creative joy and reward you get. Why are we actually putting all this hard work into making these shows. So that's what we're gonna do today.
Ratings and Reviews
MAURICE
Thank you for the class. I am grateful to have received vital information pertaining to the layout of podcasting (ideas, intentions, technological aspects, industry, etc.). As a beginner, the talking points created ease and clarity for the next steps, while inspiring me to continue to push out content. Ms. Shapiro is thorough and seems honest, I most certainly learned a lot and will use the information as resources for future planning and application. Take care
Krista Massad
Great flow! Ms Shapiro has a wonderful voice which makes the content desirable and easy to listen to. I especially liked the end when she listed off several sources for further expansion of my podcast project. Thank you so much!
Anjani Millet
Fabulous, interesting, informative class by a very knowledgeable and highly experienced professional. I loved it. A must-listen for anyone interested in starting a podcast.
Student Work
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