You Are the Podcasting Scene
Yes, you.
My background is in the music business. I worked in music marketing for over two decades and the majority of my career in broadcast radio has been hosting the show Music Business Radio.
That’s how I got started in podcasting. Right time, right place.
During my time working with musicians directly, it was very common to hear something like, “If only we had a scene like [INSERT LOCATION WHERE THE GRASS IS GREENER] …”
In the 90s, rock musicians wished for a scene like Seattle.
In the 80s, metal musicians wished for a scene like Los Angeles.
Rappers wished for a scene like Houston … or Atlanta … or New Orleans – wherever was hot at the time.
People thought “the scene” did the work. But that’s not entirely true, because you are the scene.
This is true for musicians and it’s true for podcasters.
If you don’t like where you are, you can either move to a place you do like, where other people have set the foundation for you, or stay where you are and create a solid foundation yourself.
The best option is almost always to build the scene yourself.
Is it easy? No. But you can make it exactly what you want.
Support other podcasters and lift them up. Support indie podcasting events.
Here are some things you can do to build a podcasting scene:
Promotion on Social Media: Sharing and promoting podcasts on social media platforms can increase visibility for those podcasts and help them reach new audiences. Simple posts or stories on platforms like Instagram or Facebook work great.
Guest Appearances: Inviting other podcasters to be a guest on your show can also be a great way to support the scene. This gives both parties an opportunity to reach a new audience.
Ratings and Reviews: Leaving a positive rating or review on platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify can help bring awareness to podcasts.
Collaborations: Collaborating on special episodes or limited-run podcasts can also be beneficial. This not only provides fresh content for listeners, but also helps to cross-promote each podcaster.
Mention in Episodes: Mention and recommend other podcasts during your episodes. This is a great way to directly introduce your audience to other podcasts (and podcasters) they might enjoy.
Sharing Resources and Advice: Sharing tips, advice, or resources with other podcasters can help improve the quality of podcasts in general. This could be anything from advice on how to improve sound quality to recommendations for editing software.
Networking: Building relationships with other podcasters can lead to future opportunities for collaboration and mutual support. Consider starting a local meetup for podcasters in your area.
Create Playlists: Creating playlists that include episodes from different (and related) podcasts can help expose your audience to other shows while providing them with additional content that they might find interesting.
The podcasting community thrives when podcasters support each other.
Start now.
