Categories, Tags, & Partnerships

Hey, guys. Throughout our beta, Podchaser has received repeated requests for site updates, so, today, we’re introducing a blog to keep you all up to speed. The blog will be filled with tons of delicious material about the page and podcasting in general. It’ll be the first place to learn about site updates, partnerships, and other Podchaser-related announcements. Let us know what you think!

Announcements

We’re a few weeks behind on sharing some of these announcements, so bear with us while we get up to speed. First up is categories, now in the sidebar on Podchaser.

Broad, unspecific categories aren’t anything new in podcasting. But in discovering podcasts, the right category can make all the difference, and that’s vital to the central purpose of Podchaser. Categories, combined with our tagging system, will allow Podchaser users to discover new podcasts and episodes, especially as our user-powered database grows over time.

That’s why we’re breaking away from the traditional category hierarchy. Umbrella categories like ‘Society & Culture’ will separate into more granular terms. New categories will form based on your recommendations, and every podcast will fall under a category that makes sense. New submissions will be coming alongside our claiming feature. Out with the old, and in with the new.

Also new this week, you’ll find our tag editor. When you leave a review, we’re asking that you tag the episode or show based on the content. These tags are saved to the episode or show so that your searches become more relevant over time. If the tag already exists, you’ll see it populate in the tag editor. If it doesn’t, we’ll ask you to take a second to add it.

Our brilliant designer, Ryan, is launching some nifty new designs for Podchaser search in the near future. We have big dreams for how Podchaser will function in the next few months with people searches, episode & show tagging, and control over your podcast’s page. Let him know what you think with an email to [email protected].

Ben, our CTO, has also been hard at work on Podchaser’s search function. Exact name matches will show up higher in results (looking at you, Serial) and Ben has improved our indexing to ensure more relevant results when using phrases. User feedback through our bug reporting system was especially helpful — thanks!

Partnerships & Contests

We’re on the look-out for partners to collaborate with Podchaser for giveaways and contests. (Your imagination is the limit here!) Podcast hosts: We suggest encouraging your fans to rate and review on Podchaser, reading those reviews aloud on your show, and giving away some swag for helpful reviews. To see what this could look like and learn how Podchaser may be able to help, email Cole ([email protected]).

Patreon’s contest leading up to Podcast Movement was an enormous success. We were delighted by how many of you used it as an opportunity to rate your favorites shows and episodes. Generating that level of feedback in user ratings is the heart and soul of Podchaser. Shout-out to all of the shows in the contest who asked followers to rate and review on Podchaser, including Ben Greenfield Fitness.

Podchaser’s Top 5 Podcasts in Comedy

Yeah, we know. After the earlier broadside against unspecific, vague categories, we’re starting our regular Top 5 series on Comedy. (We’re still in the process of building categories.) So for now, you’ll have to heed my momma’s advice and ‘take what you get and don’t throw a fit’. Enjoy some selected user reviews below:

1. The Joe Rogan Experience

Artesian — ‘From hilarity to world-changing insights, this podcast has it all. You’ll hear from people you never knew existed and experts in every field from martial arts to gardening to surviving the harshest climates on Earth. You’ll learn about baking bread and psychedelic drugs and independent journalism… and you’ll wonder where all the hours went. The best podcast ever made. Bar none.’

2. We Got This! With Mark And Hal

jefe — ‘Turning on “We Got This” is like walking into your best friends’ living room in the middle of a heated argument. Mark and Hal have a long history together, which comes out in the show as good-natured teasing and ribbing. Simply put, the show is a delight. No topic is dull enough that these two guys couldn’t turn into an entertaining, thorough, hour-long debate.’

3. My Brother, My Brother And Me

AdamWK — ‘This is my favorite podcast. Without fail the Mcelroy brothers make me laugh each week with their absurdity and really tap into that part of my own sense of humor that I think is impossible to explain to others. The brothers are also just incredible ambassadors for how to do comedy without constantly trying tear others down. Love this show.’

4. The Adventure Zone

Garayur — ‘This is a great Live play RPG podcast. The GM does an amazing job with storytelling and his players are extremely invested and it shows. Well worth your time and obsession.’

5. My Dad Wrote A Porno

bzumwalt — ‘One of the funniest podcasts I have listened to. NSFW, but come on, what did you expect from the title? The porn itself is cringe-worthy and that is what makes it so funny. Add in the commentary from Jamie’s friends and you might need tissue because it will bring tears to your eye from laughter.’

Sneak Peek

We’re nearly ready to begin testing podcast claiming, so hosts can have greater control of their content on Podchaser. That’s right: create your own categories, interact with your fans, and update your feed with the click of a button. Not all features will be available day one as we work out bugs, but you can expect podcast claiming very soon.

That’s all for now! Every week or so, we’ll blow your mind with more updates about the site, so check back frequently. As always, please give us your feedback, and stay tuned.

xoxo,

Podchaser (Bradley, Ben, Ryan, Cole, and James)