As the hosts of Beer, Bourbon and Balderdash, Wes Olsen and John Harrison claim “they drink brown liquid, talk nonsense and maybe even solve some world problems.” Well, the Blubrry team was happy to feature them as our November Podcast of the Month and Wes joined Mike to tell us about their show and how it came to be. Today’s Hosts: Mike Dell, featuring Wes Olsen Read their featured article from earlier this month here. The two pals have been podcasting since 2022, try out new spirits and beers during the show and throw in their opinions about anything under the sun, but especially conspiracy theories. Find them on social Instagram Twitter / X The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider. Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call with Todd or a tech checkup with Mike. todd@blubrry.com and mike@blubrry.com

Expert advice on elevating your podcast into a whole new adventure. On today’s episode of Podcast Insider, we explore the dynamic world of podcasting and guide you through the ins and outs of turning your passion podcast hobby into your thriving podcast business. We assure you, it is possible to turn your beloved podcast hobby into a sustainable and profitable venture. We share the ways in which you should evaluate transitioning your show into a business opportunity. Today’s Hosts: Todd Cochrane and Mike Dell From Podcast Hobby to Podcast Business Turning a podcast hobby into a business involves a combination of content refinement, marketing, monetization, and consistent effort. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you achieve this: 1. Content Quality and Refinement – Find Your Niche: Ensure your podcast has a specific focus or theme that differentiates it from others. This will attract a targeted audience.– Invest in Equipment: Good sound quality is crucial. Invest in a high-quality microphone, headphones, and recording software.– Consistent Schedule: Release episodes consistently, whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. This helps retain listeners.– Engaging Content: Bring on interesting guests, cover relevant topics, and ensure your content is both informative and entertaining. 2. Build an Online Presence – Website: Create a website for your podcast where listeners can find episodes, show notes, and any other related content.– Social Media: Engage with listeners on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Share behind-the-scenes content, updates, and interact with your audience.– Email List: Build an email list to notify subscribers of new episodes or any other updates. 3. Monetization Strategies – Sponsorships: Once you have a consistent number of listeners, approach companies for sponsorships. These can be episode-specific or long-term partnerships.– Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services and earn a commission on sales made through your referral links.– Merchandise: Sell branded merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, or stickers.– Listener Donations: Platforms like Patreon allow listeners to support creators through monthly donations in exchange for exclusive content or other perks.– Paid Subscriptions: Offer premium content or ad-free episodes for paying subscribers.-V4V: Podcasting 2.0 features allow for value4value options to easily make money such as the funding tag. 4. Networking – Collaborate: Partner with other podcasters or influencers in your niche for guest appearances. This can introduce your podcast to new audiences.– Attend Conferences: Attend podcasting conferences to learn, network, and get exposure. 5. Analyze and Adapt – Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from your listeners to understand what they like or dislike.– Analytics: Use podcast analytics tools to track listener demographics, episode performance, and more. This can guide your content strategy. 6. Legal and Financial Considerations – Business Structure: Consider forming an LLC or another business entity to separate personal and business finances.– Trademark: Think about trademarking your podcast name to protect your brand.– Taxes: Understand the tax implications of your earnings and consider hiring an accountant familiar with media and entertainment. 7. Stay Updated and Educated – Industry Trends: Podcasting is evolving. Stay updated with the latest trends, tools, and best practices.– Continuous Learning: There are many online courses, workshops, and resources on podcasting. Invest time in learning to improve your craft. 8. Growth Strategies – Advertise: Consider using podcast advertising networks or platforms like Facebook and Google Ads to promote your episodes.– SEO: Optimize your website and podcast episodes for search engines to increase organic traffic. – Transcriptions: Offer transcriptions of your episodes, which can boost SEO and accessibility. Remember, turning a hobby into a business requires patience, persistence, and passion. It may take time to see significant profits, but with dedication and strategic planning, your podcast hobby can indeed become a successful business. The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider. Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call with Todd or a tech checkup with Mike. todd@blubrry.com and mike@blubrry.com

Should Podcasters Be Using YouTube For Their Podcast? YouTube is a dynamic platform that extends beyond video content, making it an option for podcasting. Leveraging YouTube for podcasting provides creators with a broader audience reach, as the platform boasts billions of users worldwide. By converting audio content into engaging visual formats, podcasters can tap into the platform’s powerful search and discovery features, enhancing discoverability. It also has monetization options, such as ads and memberships, provide podcasters with opportunities to generate revenue. Based on a recent announcement, we discuss the reasons why podcasters should and should not be using YouTube for their podcast. Today’s Hosts: Todd Cochrane and Mike Dell YouTube announced in October that they are going to start letting podcasters add their RSS feeds to a YouTube playlist. Along with that, they are turning off a perfectly good podcast app, Google Podcasts. Content ownership Ads Censorship Re-hosting (caching) Releasing episodes Ad-free (no non-host read ads) Make static video from audio (fake video) Google no longer says “don’t be evil” Potential upside Regardless of the usefulness of YouTube’s devoted podcasting features, with its user-friendly interface and vast audience base, YouTube proves to be a versatile and accessible platform for podcasters looking to share their content with a global audience. The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider. Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call with Todd or a tech checkup with Mike. todd@blubrry.com and mike@blubrry.com

Podcast Episode Artwork Part II: Including iOS 17 Artwork Updates Podcast artwork is a requirement for each and every show to be universally accepted in podcast apps and directories; it’s also a direct advertisement for what listeners can expect from the show. As of late episode specific podcast artwork has been increasingly popular. So much that Apple has now integrated into their directory. Tune in and check the show notes for details about all of our topics today as well as examples we found in the Apple Podcast app. Today’s Hosts: MacKenzie Bennett and Aaron Hope A Brief Recap of Part 1 that was released in May 2023 Dos Meet minimum requirements Let it breathe Derive inspiration Don’ts Avoid DIY artwork Understand your audience Maintain legibility Stay clear of explicit content and copyright issues Podcast Episode Artwork and Podcast Show Artwork … serve different purposes and are used in specific contexts within the podcasting world. Here are the key differences and when and why podcasters might use one or the other: 1. Podcast Show Artwork Purpose: Show artwork, also known as podcast cover art, is the primary image associated with your entire podcast series. It represents the podcast as a whole and is what potential listeners see when browsing podcast directories. Usage: It is used as the primary branding and promotional image for your podcast. It appears on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and others, along with the podcast’s name and description. When to Use It: Podcast show artwork is used consistently for the entire podcast’s duration and serves as the visual identity for your podcast series. 2. Podcast Episode Artwork Purpose: Episode artwork, on the other hand, is specific to individual podcast episodes. It provides a visual representation of a particular episode’s content. Usage: Episode artwork is typically displayed when a listener is actively engaging with a specific episode. This can include the Now Playing screen, queue, and links shared on social media. When to Use It: Podcasters use episode artwork when they want to create a unique visual representation for specific episodes, highlighting something specific or relevant to the content of that episode. When Podcasters Might Use Each Show Artwork: Consistency: Podcasters use show artwork to maintain a consistent and recognizable visual identity throughout their podcast. This helps with branding and making the podcast easily recognizable in directories. General Promotion: Show artwork is ideal for general promotion and branding efforts. It’s what potential subscribers see when they first encounter your podcast. Establishing Brand: Show artwork is essential for establishing and building the podcast’s brand identity. It sets the tone and expectations for what listeners can anticipate from the entire series. Episode Artwork: Highlighting Specific Content: Podcasters use episode artwork to emphasize or highlight specific topics, guests, or themes covered in a particular episode. This can help attract more attention and make the episode stand out. Variety and Creativity: Episode artwork allows for more creative and diverse visual representations. It gives podcasters the flexibility to experiment with different visuals for each episode. Enhanced Visual Context: For episodes with unique content, artwork can provide visual context to help listeners quickly grasp the subject matter. Show artwork is about consistency and branding for the entire podcast series, while episode artwork is a tool for creativity and the opportunity to provide context for specific episodes. Podcasters often use both to create a balance between brand recognition and highlighting unique content. iOS 17 Artwork Updates This September they started supporting episode artwork. Episode artwork can include original illustrations, graphics, or photographs to provide more context about each episode. This artwork is displayed in various locations, including the Now Playing screen, Queue, Lock Screen, Control Center, Up Next in Listen Now, show and episode pages, and link previews in other apps. Creators should consider these locations when designing episode artwork. Creators will upload episode artwork via RSS using their hosting provider. Episode artwork is encouraged, especially for creators looking to be featured on Apple Podcasts. When episode artwork is not provided, the show artwork will be displayed by default. Apple Podcasts will default to show artwork when multiple shows are presented together. Creators can also enhance the listening experience by adding chapter-specific artwork, which is displayed in real-time as listeners progress through an episode. What’s New With Apple Podcasts Apple Podcast Artwork Requirements Using different artwork for each episode. The background is based off of the artwork. The album art flows into the rest of the screen. View on an unopened iPhone. Tools and Resources for Artwork 1. Canva: Canva is a user-friendly graphic design platform with a podcast cover art template. It provides pre-designed templates and a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for non-designers to create professional-looking artwork. 2. Adobe Spark: Adobe Spark offers design templates, including ones specifically for podcast cover art. It’s a web-based design tool that doesn’t require any design expertise. 3. Snappa: Snappa is an online graphic design tool that offers podcast cover art templates. It’s easy to use and provides various design elements to customize your artwork. 4. Crello: Crello is another online graphic design tool with templates for podcast artwork. It’s user-friendly and offers a variety of design assets to choose from. 5. Fiverr: If you prefer to hire a professional graphic designer, Fiverr is a platform where you can find freelance designers with experience in creating podcast cover art. You can browse portfolios and select a designer whose style aligns with your vision. 6. Upwork: Upwork is another freelancing platform where you can find graphic designers who can create custom podcast artwork based on your requirements. 7. Podcast Cover Art Template Generators: Several online tools specifically generate podcast cover art based on your show’s details, such as Podchaser’s Podcast Cover Art Generator. These are quick solutions if you want a basic design. 8. Unsplash and Shutterstock: These stock photo websites offer a wide selection of high-quality images that you can use in your podcast artwork. Make sure to check licensing and attribution requirements. 9. Pexels and Pixabay: These are free stock photo websites that provide images you can use in your artwork without worrying about copyright issues. 10. YouTube Thumbnail Templates: Some podcasters repurpose YouTube thumbnail templates for their podcast artwork because they share a similar square format. Canva and other design tools offer YouTube thumbnail templates. 11. Artificial Intelligence (AI): ChatGPT 4 has image creation tools now. Works well for episode artwork, but be sure to review your image carefully as they are definitely not perfect, especially words. The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider. Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call with Todd or a tech checkup with Mike. todd@blubrry.com and mike@blubrry.com

In this episode, we explore the advantages and drawbacks of daily and weekly (or less frequent) podcasting schedules. We discuss the delicate balance between quantity vs. quality podcasting. The nature of your content, whether it’s daily news or in-depth interviews, should also influence your choice of podcasting schedule. Lastly, it’s crucial to assess the time, energy, and financial resources you have, as daily podcasting can be resource-intensive. Today’s Hosts: MacKenzie Bennett and Mike Dell The decision between daily and weekly podcasting largely depends on your goals, resources, and the expectations of your potential audience. Both have their advantages and drawbacks: Daily Podcasting Advantages: Routine Engagement: Daily podcasts can become a part of your listeners’ daily routines, like listening during their morning commute or workout. Can help with growth: The more content you produce, the more opportunities you have to be discovered by new listeners. Topical Relevance: If you cover current events or news, daily podcasting allows you to stay up-to-date and relevant. Monetization Opportunities: More frequent episodes can mean more ad spots and increased revenue. Drawbacks: Time-Consuming: Producing content daily requires a significant time commitment. Potential for Burnout: Constantly creating can lead to fatigue, both for the creator and potentially for listeners. Quality Concerns: With a tight turnaround, there might be less time for thorough research, editing, and production, which can affect the quality of the content. Weekly (or less frequent) Podcasting Advantages: Consistent But Manageable: Weekly episodes strike a balance between consistency and giving podcasters ample time to produce high-quality content. Deep Dives: With more time between episodes, you can delve deeper into topics, conduct thorough research, or produce longer episodes. Reduced Burnout: A weekly schedule is less intense than a daily one, reducing the risk of burnout for both creators and listeners. Higher Production Value: More time can lead to better editing, sound quality, and overall production value. Drawbacks: Slower Growth: With fewer episodes, there might be fewer opportunities for new listeners to discover your podcast. Less Routine: Listeners might not incorporate a weekly podcast into their daily routines as easily as a daily one. Considerations: Audience Preference: Some audiences might prefer daily short updates, while others might favor in-depth weekly episodes. Content Type: If you’re discussing daily news, a daily podcast makes sense. For in-depth interviews or investigative pieces, weekly might be better. Resources: Consider the time, energy, and financial resources you have. Daily podcasting can be resource-intensive. Quality vs. Quantity: Decide whether you want to focus on producing a large quantity of content or if you want to focus on creating fewer, but potentially higher-quality, episodes. How often you podcast is entirely up to you, but as we explored in this episode, finding the right rhythm is essential to ensure your content doesn’t suffer from an overzealous publishing schedule. Where does your podcast fall in the quantity vs. quality podcasting debate? The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider. Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call with Todd or a tech checkup with Mike. todd@blubrry.com and mike@blubrry.com