There’s more podcasts than before the pandemic. About 300,000 more.
Have we reached peak podcast yet? Right now it seems like everyone who’s anyone is using the pandemic slowdown as an opportunity to plan their eight-part backyard podcast. The numbers certainly show a massive increase in production. Courtney Carthy, who established Melbourne podcasting company Nearly Media, says plenty are unloved, but many are treasured. He gives us his thoughts, and some sage advice if you’re thinking of jumping on the bandwagon.
The joke is that in lockdown everyone is doing a podcast.
Obviously that's an exaggeration. What is true though is there are more new podcasts probably because of the lockdown. Podcasting, like blogging, can be a hobby that you do for the sake of doing.
A global pandemic was declared on 11 March 2020. Between March and June there was a significant rise in the total number of podcasts. Far above the norm.
This jumped from just shy of 1 million valid RSS feeds (the technology that delivers the audio files) to almost 1.3 million.
It's worth noting though that, of the podcast feeds that are valid, only about half (690k) have published an episode in the last 90 days.
Here’s the graph from My Podcast Reviews.
Before I get to the following questions I really want to be clear about this — there are many different circumstances, skill levels, personal experiences and levels of professionalism in podcasting. Think toddler recording a video with an iPhone all the way to James Cameron on set.
Please ignore any “that’s not my experience with podcasting” reflexes. See paragraph above.
How are podcasters overcoming the barriers created by isolation and physical distancing?
Mostly by simply setting up at home and then, if they did record in a studio pre-pandemic, reminding the audience that they’re recording at home in an uncomfortable area of the house. Usually a closet.
Many are using remote recording techniques and discovering that social distancing in 2020 does not mean poor quality audio.
Two ways I recommend:
- Tape sync. Communicate with the other person on the podcast by phone line/audio function on chat app/video conferencing. Record yourselves at either side with microphones connected to recorders (not connected to the way you are communicating) and then merge the two audio files in post-production.
- Zencastr.com. This is an easy and inexpensive (mostly free) service that operates in Google Chrome browser. It records each user and sends the host the files. If you have USB microphones (like this one)set up with your computer this can sound very good.
Is the pandemic making podcasters more creative?
Anecdotally, no. The equipment side of podcasting can be frustrating. And that frustration can get in the way of incidental creativity.
For those using a professional studio then equipment is not often such a worry, they might not even have to press record because a studio engineer is there.
Now everyone’s at home busy trying to fill in the skills gaps created by not having access to that engineer who would in normal times check plugs, look at switches, wave in the studio or help you use ideas that come with some pre-show banter.
It often doesn't leave much room for extra creativity.
What are some tips for making a podcast in lockdown that is actually good?
- Buy a microphone.
- Learn how to record and edit yourself. I recommend Reaper.fm.
- Even if you can, don’t do phone interviews. They sound terrible
- Test the equipment for audio quality
- Think about what job you are doing for the audience by making the podcast. Why should they listen?
- Make a pilot and time how long it takes. Then imagine doing that 10 more times. Do you have the ideas, time, contacts, stamina and interest even if 5 people per episode listen?
- Don’t go into it expecting it to be cost-free.