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21 Podcast All-Stars Offer Insight & Predict the Future

This star-studded list of podcasting pros and promising newcomers continually support our efforts at Podchaser to build the central destination for podcast search and discovery.

To showcase the brilliant minds behind our wonderful world of podcasting, we asked them questions about their current projects, how podcasting has changed their personal and professional lives, and where they see podcasting headed in the next decade.

On this list

Please enjoy hearing from our good friends by clicking on their names in the list below (in no particular order).

  • John Dryden — Panoply
    I believe fiction podcasts is in its infancy and that increasingly complex stories will emerge.”
  • Dan Franks — Podcast Movement
    “Refrigerator, play my favorite podcast.”
  • Jessica Stahl — Washington Post
    “…as an industry we still haven’t perfected discovery, analytics or advertising for our existing platforms, and here comes something totally new to change the game.”
  • Ma’ayan Plaut — RadioPublic
    “I built my first home into podcast land at the intersection of curation and community-driven discovery.”
  • Brendan Hutchins — Podcast Playl.ist
    “Short form, mobile, transcription, automation, and so many more recent innovations make it clear podcasts are here to stay and will keep growing.”
  • Kc Wayland — We’re Alive
    “If one builds an engaging and entertaining show, listeners will follow.”
  • Ashley Lusk — The Bello Collective
    “If we want to continue making these stories at the scale and scope that we are today, we will eventually have to figure out a sustainable way to fund this work.”
  • Rachel Downey — Share Your Genius
    “In the next ten years, podcasting will become the norm when it comes to a strategic marketing plan.”
  • Evo Terra — Simpler Media Productions
    “The trending separation of “passable” vs “purposeful” content construction will continue, so long as discovery platforms can recognize the difference and reward the latter.”
  • Bradley Davis — Podchaser
    “Lastly, when I die, hopefully my soul can be transformed into a podcast.”
  • Arielle Nissenblatt — EarBuds Podcast Collective
    “We simply need a way to weed out the podcasts that don’t interest us and to jump right on the ones that strike us.”
  • Cat Blackard — Consequence Podcast Network & Nerdy Show
    “With audio dramas you can make blockbuster scale stories for a fraction of the price and they’ll be even more engaging because the listener is filling in the blanks in their mind — creating an individualized experience.”
  • Jeremy Collins — Podcasts We Listen To
    “I met my fiancé, Deana Marie of the TwistedPhilly podcast through podcasting.”
  • Nick Howell — Orbital Jigsaw
    “The independent hobbyist boom of shows that has erupted in the past couple of years has sparked new interest in the medium from Hollywood, and has driven sales of prosumer audio gear and services to new heights.”
  • Erik Jacobson — Be My Guest & StartupMixtape.fm
    “There are more than 200 million radio listeners in the US alone, and over the next 10 years they will all move to podcasting as their primary platform for audio consumption.”
  • Sarah Cotenoff — The Bite Agency
    “I’ve failed pretty hard, but my biggest wins all have had one thing in common — collaboration with some of the brightest and most creative minds from a variety of backgrounds, industry vets and newcomers alike.”
  • Dave Keine — Uncover Studios
    “By 2028, half of all podcasts consumed will be created by AI.”
  • Kevin Goldberg — Discover Pods
    “Hopefully with these advances, we’ll become less reliant on mainstream podcasts and we see the rise of — or at least equality — of niche, special-interest, and indie podcasts.”
  • Pam Getchell — Audiotainment News
    “Getting stuck in traffic just meant I had more time to listen to great shows.”
  • Ray Hilbert — Bottom Line Faith
    “Creating and hosting a podcast has been an incredibly fun, educational, and rewarding experience for me.”
  • Andrea Jablonski — Talk of Shame
    “Having a dialogue in this kind of space has helped make us some really great new friends.”

John Dryden

Panoply

Living in a country where “radio drama” never went away, I was fortunate to be allowed to hone my skills as an programme maker and audio story teller for the BBC and, crucially, to take risks. Since working for Panoply as Director of Scripted Podcasts, I’ve discovered that “radio drama” is not quite the same thing as a “fiction podcast”. In the US it’s like audio fiction has just been invented as a new medium. We are starting from the ground up. Much of the podcast audience is unused to multi-voice audio drama and for a fiction podcast to be successful it needs to make in-roads to the part of the audience that wouldn’t normally listen to “drama”. That’s why so many of the successful fiction podcasts are framed as non-fiction, with a presenter or as “found” sound. But audiences’ tastes are changing rapidly and what seemed original last year might seem like a gimmick this year. I believe fiction podcasts is in its infancy and that increasingly complex stories will emerge.

For me personally, after spending years making highly produced audio dramas such as the epic historical TUMANBAY and short-run thrillers such as PANDEMIC, THE RELUCTANT SPY, A KIDNAPPING and SEVERED THREADS, as well as a number of dramatisations of great novels like THE HANDMAID’S TALE, A FINE BALANCE and BLEAK HOUSE, moving into podcasting offers an entirely new set of challenges. Whereas in the broadcast medium the audience is pretty much guaranteed, in podcasting it’s all about persuading people you’ve got a great and original story to tell and giving them every reason to stay with it past the opening episode. “Compelling and sustainable” is my new mantra!

Find John at Panoply and on Twitter.


Dan Franks

Podcast Movement

Since starting Podcast Movement as a crowdsourced conference in 2014, the industry as a whole has undergone an incredible transformation, and amazing growth. While some single things can be pointed to as having contributed to the growth (Serial, anyone?), I attribute it mostly to creativity, consistency, and courage of independent podcasters. The community of podcast creators is so passionate about what they do, that they’ve made it possible for an event like Podcast Movement (a summer camp and family reunion under the guise of an educational conference) to be possible. I’m so excited for the continued growth of the medium, and especially what it means for the future of live podcast events, both ones geared towards creators like Podcast Movement, and also ones geared towards fans and listeners.

Ten years from now, I think podcasts will be as mainstream and as much of a household term as YouTube or Netflix is now. And I think they will be integrated (in a user friendly way) into every automobile, smart household device, and portable electronic. “Refrigerator, play my favorite podcast.”

Find Dan at Podcast Movement and on Twitter.


Jessica Stahl

Washington Post

There’s been a growing number of new ways that audio will be integrated into our lives — from the rise of smart speakers to audio-integrated car dashboards. For those of us who make audio that should be incredibly exciting, but it’s also quite daunting — as an industry we still haven’t perfected discovery, analytics or advertising for our existing platforms, and here comes something totally new to change the game. I think it’s going to force professional audio creators to solidify their strategies while simultaneously finding new ways to innovate.

That’s the balance we’re striking at The Washington Post this year. We are continuing to refine the ways we create and support successful programs like “Can He Do That?,” “Constitutional” or “Letters From War,” while also experimenting with new audio formats as we do for other products like “Daily 202’s Big Idea” daily briefing or “Retropod’s” daily history tidbits, which air on smart home devices.

By the end of the year, the industry could look nothing like it does now. And if that change goes well, we get to keep the best of what’s happening right now — a wealth of great programs for listeners to choose from and new players entering into the space — and layer on top of it new approaches to meet the changing demands.

Find Jessica at The Washington Post and on Twitter.


Ma’ayan Plaut

RadioPublic

I arrived at podcasts relatively recently in the timeline of the existence of podcasts. They were quietly there for a few years, and while on my personal quest to find more things to listen to that fit my interests, I found myself on a similar professional quest to find where my own particular skill sets in communications and content strategy could best enable the makers of the things I loved to do more.

My start at RadioPublic in 2016 was at a particular moment of change for me: my thoughts, actions, and daily routines had so deeply affected by the things I had heard in the past two years, and as such, I wanted to return the favor by applying what I knew how to do to aid in shaping this new media landscape as boldy, creatively, and unexpectedly as it had changed me. I had so much respect and awe for the work that went into the audio I heard, yet was so deeply frustrated by the difficulty in navigating, even for a relatively tech-savvy person like myself, the quickly expanding world of podcasts. I didn’t see just one (technological) solution to this, but a combined tech/content/curation/communication/support/community solution that had thoughtful action-driven people behind it, and I found exactly the people and the puzzling out of these problems at RadioPublic.

I built my first home into podcast land at the intersection of curation and community-driven discovery. While still a relevant part of my role as RadioPublic’s podcast librarian, even more of my time is now spent in a content strategist headspace. I bounce daily between tactical marketing and communication guidance for podcasters looking to grow their audiences and expand upon the strategic ways in which podcasters can best achieve their goals by engaging with their listeners.

When I look forward to the next decade of podcasts, I see subtly important changes in existing spaces already being explored:

• more shows coming from a greater cross-section of producers more accurately representing the breadth of people in the world

• that clearly communicate about their depth of offerings to their current and future audiences which are aided by

• software solutions that better index audio and hardware solutions that build upon that to provide a more accessible listening experience,

• which will lead to more people than not listening to on-demand spoken word audio on a daily basis, so that

• more shows can achieve their own defined level of (personal, professional, and financial) success.

Oh, and I suspect we’ll see an overhaul or rebrand of the word “podcast” too. That’s a discussion for another day.

Find Ma’ayan at RadioPublicMedium, and Twitter.


Brendan Hutchins

Host of Podcast Playl.ist and creator of Podcast Advocate Network

“The people’s revolution is gunna be a podcast.” — The Marxist Brothers by Mike Burkett of NoFX.

I thought I was late to podcasts when I started listening in 2007. Then I thought I was late to making podcasts when I started last year. But an amazing thing about the podcasting community is the incredible acceptance of veterans and newbies. The low barrier to entry of podcasting is getting lower every month and there are more great podcasts than can be listened to, even at high speeds! Podcasting is fun, connecting, and here to stay, and I’m excited to hear what happens next!

It makes sense to look back at the changes in the past 10 years, where we have seen a steady growth of awareness and enthusiasm of the platform with new companies and services built just for this niche, and to look at the past year, where we’ve seen steady but quick growth in the number of new podcasts, listeners, services, and types of services. Short form, mobile, transcription, automation, and so many more recent innovations make it clear podcasts are here to stay and will keep growing. Editing podcasts in a word processor and audiograms are awesome recent innovations in the podcast creation space.Like many others, I got out of the predictions game after the 2016 election, but I can’t imagine a future without a vibrant and growing audio medium.

If I had a dream for where podcasts would be in 10 years, podcasts would be easier to subscribe to (podto.org), the industry would be less centralized around a certain fruit company, and even while things grow, indies can still find their place and thrive.

PodcastPlayl.ist is my tribute to the medium. Through the podcast, the twitter feed, and in one-on-one interactions, I’m sharing my passion for podcasts with reviews, samples, and spreadsheets! To further this goal, I created PodcastAdvocate.Network to encourage collaboration and promotion of other quality independent podcasts as both a podcast network and an editing service.

Find Brendan at Podcast Playl.istPodcast Advocate Network, and onTwitter.


Kc Wayland

We’re Alive

Podcasting has completely changed my life. Starting nine years ago, it not only gave me a delivery method to distribute content directly to consumers, but also the ability to go toe to toe with any other audio production company in the world. If one builds an engaging and entertaining show, listeners will follow. I now have been able to support myself in this budding industry, fueled by passion and love to continually create aural stories. As society evolves and continues to get busier, there will be a growing need for non-visual entertainment, and also expansive growth as more listeners take a seat in the “Theater for the Mind”.

Find Kc on Twitter and at We’re Alive.


Ashley Lusk

The Bello Collective

It used to be that podcasts were reserved for small, dispersed communities of people with shared interests, but we’ve seen a few waves of the movement that have radically altered the trajectory: when This American Life made their show into a podcast in 2006, the Apple Podcast app coming standard on iOS devices, Serial, and now an international explosion of thousands of podcasts on every topic imaginable. I also think we’re beginning to stretch our concept of what podcasting looks and sounds like — we’re moving beyond the big three of news, narrative, and interview, to embrace audio drama, musicals, and documentary, among others.

For a long time, podcasting was largely white and largely male, but I’m increasingly excited that it is becoming a gateway for people of color, women, and non-heteronormative voices to tell their stories. They are creating important bodies of work, and building incredible communities along the way.

If we want to continue making these stories at the scale and scope that we are today, we will eventually have to figure out a sustainable way to fund this work — from the hobbyist with a reach of a few thousand, to the network with a portfolio of shows.

I also personally hope we won’t try to stretch shows out for years and years — that eventually we’ll get better at letting show have a short, but prolific run.

Find Ashley at The Bello Collective and on Twitter.


Rachel Downey

Share Your Genius

The podcast movement is entering a golden age where innovation, growth, and change will take place. Companies are exploring how to leverage the platform in new ways. It’s becoming a component of an overall marketing strategy used to open doors. In addition, a podcast positions the host as a subject matter expert in their respective field.

Podcasting allows you to have a niche, authoritative voice in a green field. Often clients worry they will become another show in a myriad of others. Don’t buy this thought; podcasting is a great platform to build an untapped audience. However, the more significant benefit may lie in the evergreen content that’s created all while having conversations with ideal prospects. It’s a new way of thinking. It’s a new way of learning. And it’s here to stay.

In the next ten years, podcasting will become the norm when it comes to a strategic marketing plan. We’ll see an increase in data analytics around shows, more opportunities for monetization, as well as a culture of podcast entrepreneurs.

Find Rachel at Share Your Genius and on Twitter.


Evo Terra

Simpler Media Productions

The new boom in podcast attention is having predictable results in the consulting space. There’s a rush of new people and companies that want to start a podcast, but have no idea how (or where to look for answers) to start. Marketing agencies are pivoting to media production. Media companies are breaking off entire podcasting practices. And slew of independents, some with little experience and some with more than a decade, are hanging out their shingles. That’s a good thing. It’s a sign of a healthy business environment flourishing around podcasts, with plenty of room for players at all levels.

The trending separation of “passable” vs “purposeful” content construction will continue, so long as discovery platforms can recognize the difference and reward the latter. See Google, Medium, and even social media algorithms for examples.

As smart speakers become ubiquitous, they threaten mobile’s consumption dominance. But they’re also subject to the similar listener experience limitations, and the current ecosystem isn’t tenable, and I’m not sure an “Amazon Podcasts” directory is the answer.

Find Evo at Simpler Media Productions and on Twitter.


Bradley Davis

Podchaser

I started off my career with a soul-sucking hour-long commute. I generally listened to music or just sat in silence, letting my mind slowly rot. My good friend Cole (the author of this blog) insisted that I fill that time with podcasting. I was lucky to catch the incredible wave of growth and innovation we see today. What started as a somewhat fringe/hippy movement has turned into a hugely accessible and dynamic media vertical. From The Daily to S-Town, podcasts are pervasively filling the cracks of our ears’ needs.

Looking forward, I think podcasts will continue to be a breeding ground for interesting fiction. We’re already seeing it, but the pace with which movie studios are picking up IP from podcasts will likely only increase, similar to what we are accustomed to with books being turned into movies. I also think podcasts will continue to be dynamic, serving in different roles. Specifically, the possibilities for education are interesting. Lastly, when I die, hopefully my soul can be transformed into a podcast.

Find Bradley at Podchaser and on Twitter.


Arielle Nissenblatt

EarBuds Podcast Collective

Podcasts are definitely becoming more familiar to the public. With this, we find that more and more people are creating their own podcasts. A lot of these are painfully mediocre. Others are pretty great. The point is, there are a lot more podcast programs to choose from now than there were 5 years ago, even 2 years ago. The future of podcast listening will depend a great deal on curation and segmentation. This will work both for podcasts hosts and producers, and for consumers. We simply need a way to weed out the podcasts that don’t interest us and to jump right on the ones that strike us. My prediction is that there will be more and more curation services going forward, wherein people will receive delivered lists according to their interests.

When I started EarBuds Podcast Collective in February of 2017, my initial intention was to listen to more podcasts. And for my friends to be exposed to more podcasts. This happened. Now, a year or so later, about 5000 people per week are exposed to new podcasts because of our recommendation lists. I’m hoping, and I predict that people will start to listen more. Not just to podcasts. But to the content within podcasts, which have the power to expose us to concepts and topics beyond our everyday realms of thinking.

Find Arielle at EarBuds Podcast Collective and on Twitter.


Cat Blackard

Consequence Podcast Network & Nerdy Show

Fun fact: did you know in the Star Wars universe they don’t read? Well, they read — there’s a written language called Aurebesh which you’ve probably seen decorating assorted merch. But in the universe you’re not likely to see someone reading a book. Books are all ancient and no one hand writes anything. It’s all audio and video. Strangely enough, that’s where we’re heading too. People are spending less time online reading, and more time listening, even listening to video instead of watching. The theatre of the mind is a powerful thing. We knew that during the golden age of radio, and we’re learning that again. The connection and camaraderie a listener feels when they spend hours with one voice or a group of friends talking is real, but that’s just talk programming. With audio dramas you can make blockbuster scale stories for a fraction of the price and they’ll be even more engaging because the listener is filling in the blanks in their mind — creating an individualized experience. Star Wars might be a big-budget institution now, but when it started it was just the crazy idea of a young filmmaker with an uncompromising vision — the kind of risk taking that’s now practically impossible to pull off in the established system. But podcasting is the Wild West, it’s uncharted space, it’s the power for every would-be George Lucas out there to get behind a mic and make their own Star Wars.

Find Cat at Consequence Podcast NetworkNerdy Show, and on Twitter.


Jeremy Collins

Podcasts We Listen To

Podcasting has changed my life in immeasurable ways. I met my fiancé, Deana Marie of the TwistedPhilly podcast through podcasting. I have become amazing friends with incredibly talented people because of podcasting. Our Facebook group (18K members) is holding a convention (PodernLove) that feature around 50 podcasters in August in New Orleans.

Podcasting is a medium that gives voice to people who might otherwise not be heard. People with valuable and valid opinions, information, and insights.

I think that, over the next ten years, traditional radio will see a marked dip in it’s market due to the increasing popularity of podcasts. It’s hard to compete with a product that gives you entertainment, news, and education. And, at the same time, has the ability to touch each listener’s special interests at a time and place that fits their schedules perfectly.

Podcasts are WHAT we want, WHEN we want it.

Find Jeremy at Podcasts We Listen To, the Podcasts We Listen To Facebook PagePodernLove, and on Twitter.


Nick Howell

Orbital Jigsaw

2017 was a huge year for podcasting in many ways, and we have seen it present itself in the growth of and interest in our network, the invisible behind-the-scenes hits to our website and show feed refreshes that no one sees, and the general buzz around podcasting, particularly here in Los Angeles where we are based.

While we did start out as a humble collective of shows, Orbital Jigsaw is morphing itself into a full-on production company that will soon be offering products and services to podcasters to assist in all facets of podcast production, from launch to post-production, to marketing, advertising, and running a business… these are all growing pains the industry are going through again some 10 years after the first big boom of podcasting in the late 00’s. The independent hobbyist boom of shows that has erupted in the past couple of years has sparked new interest in the medium from Hollywood, and has driven sales of prosumer audio gear and services to new heights.

Our future lies in original content. We are in the early and legal processes of optioning and adapting our first property into an audio drama podcast, and see this (in addition to the products and services mentioned above) as the future of professional podcasting.

Find Nick at Orbital Jigsaw and on Twitter.


Erik Jacobson

Be My Guest & StartupMixtape.fm

If you look at the last 10 years of podcasting, it may feel like the 68 million US podcast listeners and 400,000+ podcasts currently in the ecosystem is a lot. Maybe we’re at peak podcast? The data and evidence show the opposite — podcasting is just getting started.

Podcasts are now a mainstream way to passively consume new stories and ideas, and podcast listeners are the most engaged audience of any audience online. They feel connected to their favorite hosts and shows in a way that TV and written content can’t match. Businesses, creatives, advertisers, and hollywood producers are all starting to take notice. Businesses are jumping into podcasting as a way to put a voice to their brand, as well as grow their audience in a new and effective way. Hollywood is taking notice as well, and turning to podcast content for developing new film and tv projects.

There are more than 200 million radio listeners in the US alone, and over the next 10 years they will all move to podcasting as their primary platform for audio consumption. Blockbuster and the cable companies didn’t move fast enough to stop Netflix from building the future of on-demand TV. Today, the professionalization of podcasting and on-demand audio is happening before our eyes. Don’t miss out.

Find Erik at Be My Guest & StartupMixtape.fm.


Sarah Cotenoff

The Bite Agency

“It’s an exciting time to be in podcasts.” My most-used statement in all my conversations with brands? Absolutely. Exaggeration? Absolutely not.

When talking to brands or content creators from other mediums about podcasts, I often hear concerns akin to “but it’s the Wild West.” That may be true,but it’s also true that this is the biggest advantage this industry has right now. The barrier to entry is so low which can be overwhelming, but it also means an influx of different minds providing unique perspectives that extend beyond the content itself to solutions for our biggest challenges including measurement, scalability, and discovery. The diversity in content that podcasts do so well is now extending to diversity on the tech and business side.

Even the most established players — marketers, advertisers, publishers, content creators — have an incredible opportunity to think outside the box. They have permission to throw ideas at the wall to see what sticks. Every failure produces a lesson, and that holds particularly true for us because everything is constantly evolving. So much is yet to be figured as podcasts become mainstream. I’ve failed pretty hard, but my biggest wins all have had one thing in common — collaboration with some of the brightest and most creative minds from a variety of backgrounds, industry vets and newcomers alike.

2018 is going to be an exciting time in terms of seeing creative solutions to our biggest challenges. I think the best of these solutions are going to come from where we least expect them — collaborations between the big players and up & coming newcomers in the space. I’m talking everyone — creators, tech companies &, brands.

One reason I love this industry is that people are genuinely generous with advice and eager to collaborate, because a win for one of us is a win for the industry. With every new advertiser that invests in a podcasts and with every advancement that’s made in terms of measurement, it’s one more potential point for podcasts as a viable advertising medium. So yes, it’s a pretty exciting time to be in podcasts, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Find Sarah at The Bite Agency and on Twitter.


Dave Keine

Uncover Studios

I was a long-time listener and working as an art director for a marketing agency when I saw the podcast boom on the horizon in 2014. I decided I had to be a part of it, so I dedicated myself to learning everything I could from production to promotion and met with producers and executives every chance I could to learn the craft. Where opportunities presented themselves professionally, I lead the way into podcasting because I believed in the medium. It wasn’t overnight or easy but over years we’ve built campaigns, capabilities, and eventually content. It’s been so rewarding to produce great podcasts and build the ecosystem that supports it.

We’re at an interesting point for podcasting, especially when it comes to branded podcasts. While it’s still the wild west in a variety of ways, we’ve reached a level of maturity when it comes to content. Good podcasts are now the norm. It used to be that a show could get noticed and develop a strong audience simply because it was well-made. The first wave of branded podcasts capitalized on this and found early success. But listeners are reaching feed saturation and that model has changed. In order to develop a long-term listener, brands not only have to put out superb content, but more importantly, a robust campaign to sway listeners and non-podcasters. It’s vitally important for brands to tap into other media both in promotion and distribution of their podcast. The cross-platform promotional ecosystem around the custom content is just as important as the quality of the show.

Here’s a sane prediction. Influencers, feeling at the mercy of platforms, will fully diversify their content outlets. Audio/podcasts will become a vital part of a media ecosystem along with video and text. We’ll see this trickle down to the masses with an adoption of user-generated audio content.

Here’s a crazy prediction. By 2028, half of all podcasts consumed will be created by AI. As computerized voice passes the Turing test, there will be a wealth of text-media aching to be vocalized for passive consumption. AI narration combined with an internet’s worth of interviews, audio clips, music libraries, and some magical machine-learning and voila, a passable podcast that helps you catch up on topics of your choosing.

Find Dave at Uncover Studios and on Twitter.


Kevin Goldberg

Discover Pods

I started Discover Pods because there’s an inherent broken class system in the podcast industry ensuring only a small handful of podcasts get the bulk of the listeners and notoriety. Though podcast popularity tiers are inevitable, the current barriers are systemic problems and unchanging. Discover Pods aims to be a more democratic outlet to highlight all podcasts — big and small.

I firmly believe podcasting is at a major tipping point in the media paradigm shift. Though we — the people working closely with the industry — think this shift happened with Serial and the adoption is now relatively mainstream, there’s still work to do. However, with podcasts adapted for larger audiences including movies, TV shows, books, live specials, and more, this shift is likely to accelerate in the coming years.

Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, making it more convenient for creators to produce and listeners to engage. In the next few years, this proliferation will be impossible to ignore. Podcasts increasingly native in new cars, smart speakers connecting your family with podcasts, and learning algorithms tailoring curated suggestions. Hopefully with these advances, we’ll become less reliant on mainstream podcasts and we see the rise of — or at least equality — of niche, special-interest, and indie podcasts.

Find Kevin at Discover Pods and on Twitter.


Pam Getchell

Audiotainment News

Podcasts have had a huge impact on my life! I used to be one of those annoying people that planned their evening around what was on TV. I found audio drama podcasts due to a horrid commute of 3 hours in the car. After finding audio drama, I very much enjoyed my commute. Getting stuck in traffic just meant I had more time to listen to great shows. Then my whole family cut the cord. But not only did we get rid of cable TV, we don’t ‘watch’ any entertainment. Our entertainment comes in the form of scripted, fictional, audio theater podcasts.

With the way audio drama and podcasts as a whole are growing, I see this becoming a mainstream means of entertainment. Podcasts will likely also be a common way of gathering information. From our daily dose of news and current affairs to soaps and sitcoms, podcasts are paving the way to our mobile future.

Find Pam on Twitter.


Ray Hilbert

Bottom Line Faith

Creating and hosting a podcast has been an incredibly fun, educational, and rewarding experience for me. I have had the opportunity to travel the country and interview some of the most incredible and successful Christian business owners and executives. I have gained a wealth of knowledge on how these leaders build strong and profitable companies, while maintaining their integrity and integrating their faith and values system into their daily leadership. I have interviewed a wide variety of these high capacity leaders, ranging from an 80 year entrepreneur who has discovered a highly successful cure rate for a variety of cancers, to a General Managers of a Major League Baseball team, to the CEO/Founder of Hobby Lobby. I have learned first hand “best practices’ of how they lead and live at a higher level, how they deal with failure, and how they balance all the demands on their time.

As a host of a fast growing podcast, I get so excited when I think about the future of the entire podcast world. It is incredible to think that we have the capability to develop content and a platform around a topic matter we are very passionate about, while at the same time offering people valuable content that uniquely and specifically interests them as well- right at their fingertips. I see this industry only growing, both in terms of scope and impact, as well as the overall number of consumers looking for customized information that will help them focus on the things that are most important to them.

Find Ray at Bottom Line Faith.


Andrea Jablonski

Talk of Shame

The goal of ‘Talk of Shame’ is to try and create a relatable outlet for young women to feel comfortable with all of the weird things their bodies do, or the seemingly stupid decisions they’ve made by saying, “ hey look at all the dumb shit we’re up to”. For us, both personally and professionally, doing this podcast has helped work toward the realization that in the day to day, a lot of what we talk about on the show are things that would be brushed under the rug or that would be considered too taboo to bring up casually. The experience of being more vulnerable for audience has been pretty rewarding, and hopefully helpful to those who are listening. So while yeah, the idea of actually going to the the gyno might be scary and uncomfortable, if we’re able to make you laugh with a story about our experience of going and finding a bandaid where it doesn’t belong, then we’ve done something good right? Being this vulnerable personally has made it easier to be vulnerable professionally as a video producer and an editor. It’s allowed us to see the content we create with a different perspective.

In the grand scheme of things, podcasting is still a relatively new medium being explored. Over the next 10 years, as we all put in efforts to work out the kinks and grow a niche audience of podcast listeners into something more mainstream then the possibilities for shows are endless.

Personally, doing this podcast has allowed us the opportunity to meet and interview people from different walks of life that we never thought we’d encounter. Having a dialogue in this kind of space has helped make us some really great new friends.

Find Andrea at Talk of Shame and on Twitter.


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