Who’s “in charge” around here? - JUNE 2022 - PODKATT REVIEW
A personal blog post about podcast discovery and my podcast world.
I’ve been pretty vocal to fellow producers and podcasting peers, to Twitter, and even over on the Vocal Fry Studios blog about my concern for Canadian indie podcasts and our big discovery problem. Independently produced podcasts in Canada face a huge challenge breaking through the massive popularity of American podcasts and the shadow of Canadian network podcasts. So, in June I was on a mission to make some movement in the Canadian podcasting ecosystem. I wanted to foster Canadian indies the best I could, and get a better idea of who’s really “in charge” around here. Since June was quieter on the freelancing side, I took advantage of that time to do some digging.
Podcasts do a lot for answering the big questions I have about the world, and usually with “big questions” there tends to be more than one answer.
After nearly passing out at the grocery store after seeing the price of a chicken breast, I was desperate for an answer. I figured other people probably were too, and I curated a list of podcast episodes that might answer why everything is so expensive right now. I shared the list on Twitter and Tiktok. A couple days later, realizing how deeply depressing that was, I curated another list of podcast episodes to help understand the complexities about sustainable agriculture in an attempt to find some optimism through innovation. I also curated a list for the Vocal Studios Fry blog of podcasts to inspire your social revolution… are we sensing a theme here?
Curating these lists was an insightful way to find some great new podcasts. I listened to a ton of fresh content and stepped outside my buddle a bit. Plus, I got a really good look at the search functions on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts. None of them were a great experience to toggle through, but it made it apparent just how important great SEO is for your podcast’s title and description. If you have any questions about SEO, Erin Hynes is not only my wonderful host on Alpaca My Bags, but she’s a digital marketing wizard and you should totally reach out to her for a consultation.
BY THE WAY…
Are you a podcaster concerned about the overturning of Roe v. Wade? Founder of the EarBuds Podcast Collective, Ari Nissenblatt, organized an epic, community-backed, pre-roll campaign to fight against this horrific decision. Podcasts around the world have joined this organized movement and are using their voice for good! You can too! Find scripts, resources and more here.
Worried about what the overturning of Roe v. Wade means for Canadians with uteruses? Here's a list of podcast episodes that explore what's next for us.
Later in the month, I realized I was still really lacking in Canadian indies on my podcast queue. I took to Twitter again and asked Canadian independent podcasts to share the episode they’re the most proud of. In return, I would listen to them and review them, and they did not disappoint! I listened to 9 independently produced Canadian podcasts in two weeks, along with my regular roster of shows and I was feeling hyped! I got into sponge-mode and was soaking everything up. The talent, creativity, humility, quality, and insight coming from Canada is always so impressive, I had so much fun checking them all out. It only futhers my argument that there are so many incredible indie podcast getting overshadowed and it’s hightime major podcast platforms find a meaningful way to showcase them. Here are some of my favourites below… click the artwork to read my reviews!
HERE’S WHAT MY EARS LOVED THIS MONTH:
(Wait to the bottom of this post for a full list of what was on my podcast roster!)
ON THIS PODCAST PRODUCER
One of the the things I was excited to do this month was annoy some people. All of these podcast discovery thoughts had been spinning around in my head for so long and I needed to know what everyone else in this ecosystem is feeling. I reached out to a number of great people in Canadian podcasting and had some insightful conversations that really validated where my head is at: the podcasting ecosystem isn’t a fair playing field for independently produced podcasts. And that goes for branded shows made by notable production studios too! These conversations will be ongoing, because there are so many different players in Canadian podcasts, so expect more investigating from me!
I also subscribed to a ton of great podcasting newsletters and managed to clear our my “Promotions” folder on Gmail so I could track them all. If you’re a podcaster, I’d recommend following at least one weekly newsletter if you aren’t already to make sure you’re staying in the loop. This industry is way bigger many people expect and there are lots of great humans and resources out there to help you make sense of it all. Here some of my favourites for industry news, resources, and podcast discovery: Vocal Fry Studios Newsletter (of course), The Pacific Content Newsletter, Podcast Bestie, Hot Pod, Buzzsprout Newsletter, EarBuds Podcast Collective, and Podcast The Newsletter.
ON MY SHOWS
Season 5 of Alpaca My Bags, the responsible travel podcast, is coming August 31st, and our trailer is out now! We are unpacking some of the major factors that have been changing travel over the last few years. We’ll explore the impact of space tourism, the rise of digital nomadism, overtourism, sustainable travel, mental health struggles abroad, and more. We had a lot of fun making our trailer, subscribe and listen to it here or below…
Jim Beqaj and his podcast Be You: The World Will Adjust, is taking a break after over 2 years STRAIGHT of podcasting! Jim is my first client ever and, now, friend. We’ve had a lot of fun recording this show together and over the next two months we are excited to develop it into it’s next iteration!
Be You: The World Will Adjust is all about finding a career that you love by being you. Serendipitously, Jim was integral in helping me pursue my freelancing career, and still is as I build on it. He has so much valuable advice and stories that he shares on the show that have really made a big impact on me. If you’re not in a career that you love or, you’re just curious to hear from a guy who went from getting fired twice from C-suites on Bay Street to authoring two books and an audiobook, running a podcast and a successful career coaching business, please check out the podcast!
Like I said, we’re now in development of it’s next iteration - that means upgrading production, formats and more - so if you have any thoughts, ideas or suggestions that you think we could benefit from, please reach out to either Jim or me!
Looking for a reliable way to record your podcast remotely in studio quality without internet disruptions?
I recently partnered with Riverside.fm as an affiliate because I’m literally obsessed with their platform (no joke).
I do my remote podcast recording on Riverside.fm and recommend checking them out!
WHAT WAS ON MY PODCAST QUEUE IN JUNE:
ahhhhhhhhhhhh, so many podcasts!
NEW TO MY EARS
Normal Gossip (Society & Culture)
Playing with Marbles (Science)
Dork Matters (Pop Culture)
Resting Brunch Face (Society & Culture)
Contra Zoom (TV & Film)
We Really Like Her (TV & Film)
Gender, Sex, Tech (Technology, Social Commentary)
Scream Scene Podcast (TV & Film)
Canadian Politics is Boring (Politics, History)
Music is Good (Music)
Teen People Podcast (Society & Culture)
Left Turn, Canada (Politics)
FINALLY, SOME THINGS THAT KEPT A SMILE ON MY FACE IN JUNE:
Beers and giant, southern-Ontario-chain-restaurant cocktails on patios.
Saucey ribs.
Wrapping up pottery class with some solid pots, a bowl, a charcuterie board, and a hand-built mug.
Being outside building our new fence.
PRIDE celebrations. Love is love!
Keeping family close.
My dog Joey’s fresh summer-cut.
STILL Denim overalls.
MORE TO COME.
STAY HYDRATED.
Kattie (@PodKatt)