If you’re considering hiring a podcast coach but wonder whether it’s worth it, fear not—the 6Cs Decision Framework will help you make up your mind quickly!

6Cs Sounds a Bit Like “Success”… Doesn’t It!?

The 6Cs Decision Framework sounds fancy and well-thought-out, but it’s really just a collection of subheadings starting with the same letter. However… if you say it aloud and in a specific accent, it can sound a little like “success”.

Now, you’re impressed eh?

No? Well, you’re here now anyway, so let’s get into it. What do you need to consider when weighing the pros and cons of hiring a podcast coach?

Cost

The first consideration is cost. Hiring anyone means parting with some cash, and podcast coaches are no alternative.

You might expect to pay in the high hundreds to low thousands for regular one-on-one coaching or mentorship. This means it’s obviously not for everyone.

Don’t worry; there are more affordable (and free!) alternatives to podcast coaching, and I’ll get to those in the “Compromise” section. But first up, another benefit is…

Clarity

There are some big questions worth asking before you ever hit record. Questions like “Why am I doing this?” “Who is this for?” and “What does success look like to me?”

A podcast coach helps you refine these answers early, ensuring your show is built on solid foundations. This can go a long way towards preventing you from realising something isn’t quite working. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting to 6-7 episodes and having to pivot or start all over.

Even if you’re well past the launch stage and looking for a podcast coach to help you take things to the next level, they are someone who can answer all of your questions. This means you never get stuck or confused about what to do next.

Confidence

Impostor syndrome affects all creatives, and podcasters are no different.

Confidence feeds into almost all aspects of podcasting, from getting behind the mic (or camera!) to the assurance that your opinions, questions, or commentary are engaging, relevant, or useful.

It’s no big revelation that there are emotional and psychological benefits to having a mentor. Accountability is a big factor, too—you have more confidence in executing a task when you know you’ve promised someone you’ll do it!

Control

If you run a podcast, there are a hundred different tasks you could be doing at any one time.

From updating your website and posting on social media to sound-treating your room and shopping for a new audio interface, you’ll often default to what feels easiest in the moment. Or, worse still, you’ll get overwhelmed and procrastinate on everything.

However, a podcast coach will set you achievable tasks after each session, which will be structured to keep you moving forward in a logical and sustainable manner.

Whether you’re an aspiring podcaster or an established creator looking to kickstart your growth, this type of structure and the accountability that comes along with it have huge benefits.

Competence

Improvements in technology make podcasting more accessible with every month that passes. But it’s still a “techy” medium.

If you’ve never done it before, recording, editing, and publishing audio or video can feel complicated and intimidating. Even AI tools that can write show notes for you are no use if you’ve never really used AI before.

No matter what tech stands in your way, a podcast coach will show you the ropes in person, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you pick it all up.

Compromise (Podcast Coaching Alternatives)

Alright then, the fifth C is essentially the “why you don’t need a podcast coach” bit.

Of course there are loads of benefits of having a mentor in your corner, but it isn’t essential. The vast majority of podcasters have never worked with a coach, and many of them do just fine.

Unsurprisingly, the big con of hiring a podcast coach is the financial aspect. Many podcasters simply can’t afford it.

Remember though, you can pay in time instead of money. All the knowledge you need to podcast is out there freely on the web; it’s just a matter of finding the good and credible stuff (hint: we try our best).

An alternative to coaching is podcast courses. These still cost money but rarely as much as one-on-one mentorship.

Cheaper still (but no less valuable) are books about podcasting. And you can learn a ton listening to podcasts about podcasting, which won’t cost you a penny.

Then there are free communities, like IndiePod—a great place to get advice, feedback, and motivation and harness collaborations with like-minded creators.

Finally, if you have some podcasting pals, then they might be up for helping you out if you ask nicely enough. You can even offer to help them out. “If you teach me how to edit, I’ll do it for you” could be a trade-off worth proposing.

Should You Hire a Podcast Coach?

So, is podcast coaching a good fit for you? Only you can decide. But hopefully, the 6Cs framework has helped you reach a conclusion. And if not, at least it was a pretty clever acronym and tenuous play-on-words combo, eh?

By the way, if you are looking to hire a podcast coach, then we can help. Get in touch to let us know your exact needs, wants, and ambitions, and we can take it from there!

Podcast events are perfect for learning and networking. As the industry grows, podcast events can range from a day of webinars to a multi-day conference taking over huge convention centers and hotels.

Whether you think of yourself as an introvert, an extrovert, a hobbyist doing it for love, or an entrepreneur building a brand, there’s always something you can learn with an open mind. On top of that, nothing beats getting together in person with folks who share your passion and enthusiasm for the podcasting medium.

As event coordinators update their events, we’ll update this page. Pack your headphones; here’s The Podcast Host’s Guide to Podcast Events in 2025.

Run a podcasting event and don’t see it mentioned here? Please give us a shout so we can include it.

January Podcast Events in 2025

Brand Podcast Summit 2025

• Brand Podcast Summit
• Date: Jan 14-15, 2025
• Cost: Free (Registration Required)
• Location: Online

An online event for marketers, founders, and business owners looking to make podcasting work for their brands.  Whether you’ve already started a podcast or not, this summit will help you take on a new approach to your podcasting strategy, opening the way for you to become a true thought leader in your industry.

PodFest Expo 10th Anniversary

• Podfest Expo 2025
• Date: Jan 16-19, 2025
• Cost: $99-$899
• Location: Renaissance Orlando, Orlando, Florida USA

The world’s longest-running annual in-person podcasting event returns for an unprecedented 11th consecutive year. 

February Podcast Events in 2025

Black Pod Popup 

• Black Pod Popup presented by Pod Melanin Productions
• Date: February 1, 2025
• Cost: Free
• Location: Nexus Creative Hub, Jacksonville, FL, USA

Join us in Jacksonville on Feb 1 for the Black Pod Popup! Connect with Black podcasters and enjoy a live Unicorns Talk recording.  

On Air Fest

• On Air Fest
• Date: Feb 19-21, 2025
• Cost: $249-$999 
• Location: Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Join us for three days, four nights, and six locations, presenting 80+ live performances, panels, podcasts, exhibitions, and multi-sensory experiences. Plus, interactive workshops, tech demos, and breakout sessions will help you level up your skills. Connect with thousands of creators and creative professionals working in audio, video and new media, all coming together to explore some of our most urgent questions today.

PodCamp Toronto 2025

• PodCamp Toronto
• Date: Feb 21-23, 2025
• Cost: Free to attend “sessions, panels, product demos, and more,” $60 for attendance, access to networking events and the Industry Lounge, or $100 for all the aforementioned, plus “Exclusive Swag.”
• Location: George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Designed to help digital leaders and creators tackle the biggest challenges in media, tech, and digital storytelling. Join us for insights, fresh perspectives, and connections that help shape the future of Canadian digital media—whether you’re an industry leader or an independent creator.

March Podcasting Events in 2025

Radiodays Europe 2025

• Radiodays Europe 2025
• Date: March 9th-11th, 2025
• Cost: 115 EUR + 24% Greek VAT – 644 EUR + 24% Greek VAT
• Location: Athens, Greece

Radiodays Europe is the event in the Radio, Podcast, and Audio World, bringing together over 1,500 visitors from 65 countries over three days. The event is organized into sessions, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, interactive sessions, summits, workshops, and networking events.

Podcasthon

• Podcasthon
• Date: March 15-21st
• Cost: Free to participate
• Location: Online

Podcasthon is an online nonprofit event that will unite over 1300 hosts worldwide to raise awareness for as many charities as possible. It is supported by many respected voices in the industry, as well as organizations such as Podnews, Acast, and Ausha. 

Podcast Movement: Evolutions

• Podcast Movement Evolutions 2025
• Dates: March 31-April 3rd, 2025
• Cost: Ticket prices start at $174-$1199; discounts may be available if you sign up for their mailing list. 
• Location: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, USA

Evolutions is Podcast Movement’s spring conference, where audio and video podcasters and podcast professionals come together to strengthen their networks, elevate their craft, and stay ahead of industry trends. Through interactive learning, expert insights, and meaningful connections, Evolutions empowers attendees across the podcast ecosystem to thrive in podcasting’s ever-changing landscape.

UniPodfest 2025

• UniPodfest 2025
• Date: April 4, 2025
• Cost: £15 – £49.46 with the Early Bird Discount
• Location: Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK

Celebrating the super-diversity of Birmingham by platforming diverse voices and growing the podcast ecosystem in the West Midlands. Come and join podcasters and audio professionals in the heart of Birmingham city centre, to pick up podcast skills to jump-start your podcast or to develop your podcast idea. It’s the ideal place to learn the ‘how to’ of podcasting, whether you have a podcast to showcase your expertise and passions or, professionally, to showcase your company or brand.

May Podcasting Events in 2025

NZ Podcasting Summit

• NZ Podcasting Summit
• Date: 10th May, 2025
• Cost: NZ$108
• Location: WG Building, Auckland Central

An annual hui for Aotearoa’s podcasting community to meet, collaborate, learn, & grow. Ticket includes full lunch + morning & afternoon tea.

The Podcast Show 2025

• The Podcast Show 2025
• Date: 21-22 May, 2025
• Cost: £59- £245 until 1st February 2025
• Location: Business Design Centre, Islington, London, England, UK

The Podcast Show is a unique global gathering of the broad and diverse podcasting community. By day, the show welcomes industry pros, independent creators, and business leaders to masterclasses, workshops, and global brands. By night, The Podcast Show is proud to present a week-long lineup of live podcasts, bringing some of your favorite voices and shows to life in theatres across London.

June Podcasting Events in 2025

Mic Check Retreat presented by Gaffin Creative 

• Mic Check Retreat
• Date: June 1st-3rd, 2025
• Cost: Early Bird rate is $799
• Location: Chattanooga, TN, USA

Mic Check Retreat was built for podcasters using their podcast to grow their business or become their career. At Mic Check Retreat, you can collaborate, network, and learn how to grow and scale your podcast. Over the course of two days, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from our speakers in the mornings, then implement, co-work, and connect in the afternoons!

Audio Storytelling at the Tribeca Festival

• Tribeca Audio Storytelling
• Date: June 4th-15th, 2025
• Cost: $225-$1350
• Location: Venues [vary by event] in New York City, NY, USA.

What started as a film festival has grown into a massive exploration of storytelling media. The Audio Storytelling wing of The Tribeca Festival celebrates podcasts that push the limits of what audio storytelling can be and stories that would otherwise go untold.

September Podcast Events in 2025

Podsummit YYC 2025

• PodSummit
• Date: September 19th-20th, 2025
• Cost: TBA
• Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Canada’s Podcast Event, where together we are building and amplifying the Canadian podcast community by uniting creators, storytellers, and experts shaping podcasting. This is the intersection of the art of podcasting and the spirit of innovation – where voices unite to push boundaries and ignite ideas. Step into a space built for discovery and collaboration, where each conversation and connection becomes part of the story. 

October Podcast Events in 2025

Afros & Audio 2025

• Afros & Audio 2025
• Date: Oct 17-19, 2025
• Cost: TBA
• Location: Baltimore, MD, USA

Calling all indie podcast creatives and audio professionals! Join us in Baltimore, MD, from October 17-19, 2025, for the 7th Annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival—a gathering where diversity, innovation, and the indie podcasting spirit come together. Gain authentic insights, connect and collaborate, celebrate black excellence in podcasting, and grow with valuable resources. As one attendee shared, “This podcast conference was everything—the speakers were genuine, the information applicable, and each conversation an opportunity to network and grow.”

Podcast Events in 2026 and Beyond

New podcast events are constantly planned and announced, so this list will always be a work in progress.

We’ll update this page as promoters inform us that they’ve added or changed events. You might also want to bookmark pod.events (run by the excellent Podnews email newsletter), which gives you a comprehensive rundown of everything happening in the next few months.

If you’re promoting a future podcast event, contact us directly so we can include it here.

Finally, if you’d like to connect with like-minded creators who may be attending podcast events in your area, be sure to join us in the IndiePod Community!

The first Christmas my husband and I spent together, he got me a bike helmet and a portable USB hard drive. That’s how I knew he loved me for my mind. The next year, he got me a USB mic because he wanted to support my voice.

Giving a gift that helps your loved one with their work not only shows how much you care but also benefits the audience for their podcast. Hence, this Gift Guide for Podcasters helps you make the world a better place.

We use some affiliate links to our gifts for podcasters’ suggestions, so we may earn a commission should you choose to buy through them. This is never at any extra cost to you, and helps support all the free content we put out!

Books as Podcast Gifts

Podcasters spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen, and there’s no doubt that screen fatigue is physically, mentally, and emotionally draining.

Books are terrific gifts for podcasters. They can learn more about their craft, spark inspiration, and escape the screen. Here are some books we’ve either written or read that should satisfy any bibliophilic podcaster.

Finally Start Your Podcast

Some folks have trouble getting started and need a step-by-step guide. Not only does Finally Start Your Podcast have all the essential information, but it also encourages a podcaster’s work as their show grows. Beautifully designed in full colour, this is an accessible guide where even the least “techy” of people will be ready to hit record in no time.

Get Finally Start Your Podcast

The Audience is Listening

Tom Webster takes a “tough love” approach when he reminds us that nobody deserves an audience. The good news, though? We can earn one. Tom is a fantastic writer who engages the reader immediately with his lively and relatable tone. Above all, though, he brings a much-needed reminder to content creators everywhere: It isn’t about grabbing attention, but sustaining it!

Buy The Audience is Listening on Amazon

Podcast Growth

In our survey about the problems podcasters struggle with, 47% of respondents said the worst sticking point for them was promotion. Getting the word out about a show can be challenging, to say the least. Podcast Growth is loaded with strategies and tasks to help any podcaster grow their audience.

Buy Podcast Growth on Amazon

Profit From Your Podcast

Nobody knows podcasting better than Dave Jackson. He’s put together Profit From Your Podcast, which is something of a podcast monetization bible. If the podcaster in your life is already up and running with their show, this could be the ideal gift. They might even take you out to dinner with their newfound earnings…

Buy Profit From Your Podcast on Amazon

The Podcast Host Planner

Studies show that writing by hand on paper engages more brain activity and improves memory. The Podcast Host Planner is a journal full of worksheets for podcasters to fill out so they can rely on their answers later while crafting their podcast. Over time, this helps sustain a podcast and make it more enjoyable.

Buy The Podcast Host Planner on Amazon

Instapaper Subscription

If the podcaster in your life enjoys reading articles online but would love to cut down on their screen time, consider a year’s subscription to Instapaper. For less than $30, this handy little app lets you send content to your Kindle so you can read it away from the phone or laptop. Pair Instapaper with Feedly for the ultimate distraction-free experience.

Get Instapaper

More Books as Gifts for Podcasters

Our Best Podcasting Books roundup is a treasure trove of tomes by podcasting experts that go into greater detail about aspects of podcasting, such as technology, gear, fiction, and drama. Knowledge is a gift that never expires, and your podcaster will have a healthy supply.

Gear as Gifts for Podcasters

We update our equipment guides every year and test and review new podcasting tools frequently. Some of our favorite podcasting equipment has stood the test of time for quality and price. If you’re looking for a gift for podcasters that will help them for years, these devices will do that and more.

Samson Q2U Microphone

The Samson Q2U is our favourite mic. It is excellent value for money and plugs in as either USB or XLR. This dynamic mic picks up vocals without bringing background sound along for the ride. For under $70, this is a perfect gift for a podcaster.

Buy the Samson Q2U on Amazon

Zoom PodTrak P4 Podcast Recorder

Zoom’s digital recorders are some of the most reliable tools in the industry. The Zoom PodTrak P4 is a portable all-in-one recording studio that lets you record four tracks simultaneously from XLR microphones over the phone or the Internet. It also helps you mix in sound effects and music.

Buy the Zoom PodTrak P4 on Amazon

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Headphones

Bose QuietComfort 35 II noise-cancelling headphones are life-changers and sanity savers. Bose is one of the best at eliminating outside noise from the listening experience. And these pillowy over-ear headphones are luxurious to wear. Bluetooth connects these directly to a smartphone. As gifts for podcasters go, this one is top-shelf.

Buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones on Amazon

More Gear as Gifts for Podcasters

Our roundup of The Best Podcast Microphones for All Abilities and Budgets is the result of years of testing. It has everything from a gold-tone dynamic mic worthy of Elvis to a $45 USB workhorse.

And, our guide to The Best Podcast Equipment & Setup for Beginners & Pros Alike is a tried and true guide to everything a podcaster needs and nothing they don’t.

Clothing & Merch Podcast Gifts

Podcast merchandise, such as t-shirts, mugs, and stickers, are gifts for podcasters that do double duty. Not only do you give a gift, but you also help advertise their favorite pastime.

T-Shirts for Podcasters & Podcast Lovers

Our Teepublic store has a range of t-shirts designed for podcasters. From “Audio Changes Everything” to “I Like Big Mics, And I Cannot Lie”, these are great conversation starters for the podcaster in your life, enabling them to spread the word about their show freely and easily.

Merch for Podcasters

Speaking of TeePublic, you can also create tailored merch for your podcaster on their platform. They offer print-on-demand merchandise made by independent artists. If you have basic graphic design skills, you can design and print merchandise for your favorite podcaster with their show’s cover art.

Or, see which of their favorite shows are already selling their wares on there. Stickers are an inexpensive way to support many podcasts at once. Plus, when podcasters cover their gear cases, water bottles, and notebooks with them, they’re less likely to get lost or stolen.

You’ll also find stuff like mugs, clocks, wall art, cushions, kettles… pretty much any item you can think of will be available with a podcast logo on it.

Education, Software, & Course-Based Gifts for Podcasters

Nothing endures like the gift of knowledge. Podcasting courses provide a structured approach to launching or improving a show. Most are self-paced, so the podcaster isn’t under pressure.

Consider one of these if you want a gift for podcasters that can last a lifetime.

Launch Mastery Course

In Launch Mastery, we walk you through the process of starting a podcast, from the seed of an idea all the way through to publishing those first few episodes.

Check out Launch Mastery

Growth Mastery Course

Does their podcast frustrate them? Do you wish there was something you could do to help? The Growth Mastery course can help them improve their show with promotion tactics.

Check out Growth Essentials

The Podcraft Academy

You can gift the podcaster in your life access to both of the above courses along with loads more tools, opportunities, and resources by signing them up to The Podcraft Academy. They’ll get access to regular Q&As, podcast feedback and critique sessions, and group accountability to help support, motivate, and inspire them.

Check out The Podcraft Academy

More Podcasting Courses

Our collection of the best podcasting courses shows you paths to greatness in any aspect of podcasting.

Alitu: The Podcast Maker

Our all-in-one podcasting solution, Alitu, can help anyone plan, record, edit, polish, and publish a podcast. A pre-paid year of this software subscription can remove a lot of stress for any podcaster. It even offers text-based editing, so you can easily help with their podcast production. Or, at least, offer to…

Check out Alitu

RSS.com Gift Cards for Podcasters

If someone you know is planning to start a podcast, paying for their hosting is a big helping hand. RSS.com is a great podcast hosting option, and they have gift cards available for a pre-paid 3, 5, 8, and 12-month subscription to the platform.

Check out RSS.com’s gift cards for podcasters

The Gift of Podcast Promotion & Growth

I’ve already mentioned the Podcast Growth book and the Growth Mastery course. If you want to help the podcaster in your life build the big audience you know they desire, here are some other potential gifts:

• Hire an artist to animate their podcast. A cartoon video of an excerpt from their podcast is a great promotion tactic.
• Run an Overcast ad campaign for their show. It’s one of the most direct ways to get podcast aficionados to check out their episodes.
• Advertise their show on Podnews. There, it’ll be seen by a who’s who of industry folks, including people from NPR, Spotify, and the BBC. Not to mention about 32,000 other podcast enthusiasts!
• There are loads of other places to advertise podcasts, too. You’re only limited by your budget (or love for a certain podcaster).

Gifts for The Podcast Lover’s Kids

Is it possible to get kids interested in audio while limiting their screen time and encouraging independence? Yoto says yes.

The Yoto Player is a durable screen-free audio player that provides various ad-free stories, music, and relaxing sleep sounds. Big buttons or dials on the player help kids use it all by themselves.

Audio files are stored on cards, so kids choose what, when, and how they want to listen. Or, grownups can use a USB-C cable and the player’s app to add more content. Blank cards let kids record and play back their own audio creations. It’s all the fun audio provides without the clutter of the Internet. See our Yoto Player review to get the full lowdown.

Buy the Yoto Player on Amazon

And, if you really want to surprise a podcaster’s kids, apparently cassettes are making a comeback.

A Final Gift Idea for Podcast Lovers

Know someone who’s obsessed with a certain show? Why not set up a call with their favorite podcaster? Many podcasts have a Patreon or other crowdfunding pages, and a personal chat can be a benefit for donors. If you want a favorite podcaster to deliver a pre-recorded greeting or message of encouragement, lots of podcasters are on Cameo, too.

When You Give a Podcaster a Gift, You Invest In Their Audience

This past Valentine’s Day, my husband got me a BusyBox smart sign for my office. Either this is a punchline to a weird joke, or he respects my boundaries. He said it’s so I’ll have more focus to work on my podcasts, and I think anyone who listens to them would be glad.

When you give someone a gift that supports their interests, they know you care about them, you want to see them succeed, and you enjoy what they create.

On a final note, if you’ve got any gifts for podcasters’ suggestions of your own, we’d love to hear about them in the IndiePod Community, so please do pop in there and tell us all about them.

Take a look, pick your budget, pick your angle, and let’s get educatin’.

Pocket-Sized Podcasting

Price: Free
Format: Audio Podcast
Provider: Alitu.com

If you don’t want an entire course, but do want some podcasting instruction, Pocket-Sized Podcasting might fit the bill. Each episode is less than 2 minutes, answering the most common questions about creating a podcast like:

• What gear do I need to start a podcast?
• Can I use any music in my podcast?
• How do I find listeners?

Though the episodes are short, they’re structured to build on each other like a podcasting course. You’ll learn the basics first, then move on to more advanced topics. Don’t forget, when you have a question about the material, you can pop into the associated IndiePod Community to ask it, and chat with other podcasters. 

So you know, this article includes affiliate links. They help support the free content we put out at no cost to you, and we always review fair!

Idea to Podcast Simplified

Price: Free
Format: Video Mini-Course
Provider: The Pod Sound School

The Pod Sound School’s minicourse is meant for business owners who already use content marketing and want to use a podcast to convert leads to clients.

Veronica (marketing) and Studio Steve (audio) combine their professional prowess in this free mini-course. To learn more, sign up for Podcasting Smart’s one-hour masterclass.

The Podcraft Academy

Price: $145 per month, paid annually ($1750)
Format: Private education platform containing coaching, courses, resources and tools.
Provider: The Podcast Host (us!)

The Podcraft Academy isn’t just a set of courses and resources. It’s designed to help you take that education and put it into action! It’s a small-group, personal coaching space designed by us, the authors of this site, to support you to improve, to execute and to succeed.

Beyond the individual and group coaching, that includes a 4-minute feedback service, an accountability tool, workshops and challenges, three core playbooks for launch, growth and monetisation, plus dozens of courses, resources, and tools for every podcaster.

The Podcraft Academy may seem like an overwhelming amount of information and resources. However, the learning modules are short and valuable, with concrete exercises for practice. This is probably why the yearly price is so popular; it gives podcasters time to sink their teeth into all the ways they can create and grow their podcast.

Join Podcraft Academy

LinkedIn Learning’s Podcasting Courses

Price: $29.99 per month
Format: Video courses
Provider: LinkedIN

Many people think of LinkedIn as a jobs board, but it’s got a whole lot more than that. Lately, it feels like Facebook for business! Experts from different industries talk about topics in their niche or promote events and publications. People who are starting a new chapter in their employment story can share valuable intel.

LinkedIn Learning can help you improve your podcasting skills as well as your career skills. 

When you take a LinkedIn course, you can display it on your LinkedIn profile. Then, when you apply for a job, potential employers can see how hireable you are. LinkedIn Learning offers podcasting courses ranging from the broad (e.g., “Producing Podcasts”) to the specific (“Editing Regions in Garageband”).  

LinkedIn Learning costs about $30 a month, depending on whether you pay annually or monthly. Sometimes, there’s a 30-day free trial. 

You may be able to access LinkedIn Learning through your local library’s website. Many libraries used to partner with Lynda.com, a platform for computer and job skills, provided free or at a low cost. When LinkedIn bought Lynda, part of the deal was to honor Lynda’s commitment to education through libraries.  

Podcasters’ Paradise

Price: $697 (Lite) or $1497 (VIP) per year
Format: Community & course space
Provider: Entrepreneurs on Fire

If you’re looking for a blend of comprehensive training and ongoing support, Podcasters’ Paradise stands out for its community-focused approach. Created by John Lee Dumas (JLD) and Kate Erickson of Entrepreneurs On Fire, this premium membership combines structured learning with practical implementation.

What sets Podcasters’ Paradise apart is its emphasis on building sustainable podcasting habits. Rather than just teaching the technical aspects, they focus on helping you develop systems that make podcasting a natural part of your business engine. The program includes:

• Step-by-step video tutorials covering the full podcasting journey
• Monthly live Q&A sessions with JLD and Kate
• An active community of podcasters at various stages
• Templates and resources for guest outreach and sponsorships
• A digital copy of The Podcast Journal
• VIP tier includes a strategy call and professional intro/outro production

This is an especially good fit if you’re:

• Looking to turn your podcast into a business asset
• Someone who learns better with community support
• Ready to commit to consistent podcasting
• Wanting direct access to experienced podcasters

The Paradise approach acknowledges that overnight success doesn’t exist – instead focusing on building sustainable habits and systems. While the price point is higher than some other options, the ongoing support and community aspect can make it worthwhile for those serious about podcasting as part of their business strategy.

Podcast Marketing Academy

Price: $1000 per year
Format: Video courses & community
Provider: Jeremy Enns

If you’ve been producing your show for over a year and want to focus on promotion, Podcast Marketing Academy is one of the most comprehensive options available. Created by Jeremy Enns, writer of the Scrappy Podcasting Newsletter and founder and lead strategist of podcast consultancy Counterweight Creative, this membership program will walk you through building a robust & effective podcast marketing strategy from the ground up. 

The curriculum offers over 20 hours of video content. Plus, you get a 60-minute small-group coaching call once a week. Podcast Marketing Academy also offers a community of members who have produced at least 100 episodes each. 

Narrative Podcasts Course

Price: $895
Format: Self-paced course, plus live workshop
Provider: Narrative Podcasts

Laura Joyce Davis and Nate Davis of Shelter in Place are deeply invested in podcasts and digital storytelling. Their approach, as Narrative Podcasts, requires you to examine your motivation and needs as much as how to set up a digital audio workstation. You don’t simply learn how to craft a good story. You’ll learn how to make that story meaningful. 

This may seem overwhelming. Fortunately, Narrative Podcasts offers long and short courses. Their one-day workshops are two hours, so you have time to prepare before and reflect afterward. Longer courses are a bundle of these two-hour workshops or courses that include scriptwriting, narration, sound design, and creative living topics, which can help you sustain your podcasting practice for the long haul.  

Each class is a live video session, available as a replay one week later. 

Pricing for Narrative Podcasts’ Courses:

• Individual Workshops: Each two-hour training session costs $95. 
• Workshop Bundle: Three of the workshop training sessions cost $250. 
• The Podcast Course: For $895, you get three Saturday workshops, a 30-minute private coaching session, a four-month subscription to Hindenburg, and a discount on Shure products. 

Narrative Podcasts’ approach focuses on why you want to make a podcast as much as how you make it. This is a good choice for podcasters who want their work to have a social impact. 

Where Else Can You Find Podcasting Courses?

You’re more likely to find podcasting courses online, but your local library or university has some options. 

For example, you can try:

• Education platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, or Coursera
• Your podcast host’s resource areas (such as Captivate, Buzzsprout, etc.)
• Universities (such as University of San Diego or Cornell)
• Podcasting pros, trade organizations, and advocacy networks, like AudioUK, Black Podcasters Association, ShePodcasts, or the Asian American Podcasters Association.

The focus and tone of these courses vary by the organization that offers them and its goals. For example, Skillshare teaches things people like to do for fun, so its courses may be more entertaining. A university podcasting course may fall under journalism, audio production, or business and marketing, so try different search terms to find what meets your needs. And, of course, the prices vary.

Wherever you look for a podcasting course, think about what kind of podcast you want to make, as you choose the class. 

What Can You Learn From a Podcast Course?

You can learn every phase of podcasting (recording, editing, publishing, promotion) in a general or comprehensive way. Some podcast courses are short, honing in on one aspect of podcast production in detail. Others offer the complete production workflow in broad strokes. 

Depending on how you learn, one course may be better than another. Most of these courses are videos followed by exercises and discussions. Take some time to think about whether you learn best by reading, watching, listening, or doing. 

Podcast Courses Help You Refine Your Skills

When you’re looking for a podcast course, the most obvious factors are cost and time commitment. However, you also need to consider how much experience you have so far, and what goals you want to reach.

Finding the right podcast course is much easier once you know what you have in your tool belt and what you want to add to it. I hope this information has made the decision a bit easier so you can get on with the fun part: creating the best content for your podcast.

Remember, you can get free daily podcasting tips via Pocket-Sized Podcasting, and we have courses on everything from planning and launching to growth and monetization over at the Podcraft Academy!

Transcription: Podcasting in 2014 Vs 2024

A UKPOD14 Feelgood Factor & the Power of Networks

Colin’s original post from 2014

Not a bad day, today, all told. I’m on the train, sipping on 1st class tea and enjoying an extra comfy seat. I’m not sure if it really is that luxurious, but the upgrade is providing all sorts of placebo effects that are making up for a slight fog of morning-after-ness…

The reason for this uncharacteristic upgrade splurging? Well, primarily an attempt to extend the feel-good factor I’m currently in the midst of thanks to UKPOD14, otherwise known as the first UK Podcaster’s conference. Yesterday was one of the most interesting, fun days I’ve had at work in a long time. To be honest, it was only a tiny little bit of work and mostly a whole lot of pleasure.

The concept of UKPOD14 arose quite a few months back when Mike and Izabela from Music Radio Creative started considering the first UK Podcaster’s conference this decade. Having worked in Podcasting since the mid 00s but never having managed to develop a decent network in the niche in nearly all of that time, I was pretty excited at the prospect of meeting a load of people with a similar passion.

To make things even better, I was pretty honoured to be asked to speak after I put in a wee proposal to them early in the planning stages. Nerves started straight away at the thought. I’ve spoken at quite a few conferences in higher education, but this was my first on Podcasting, and certainly the first at which I was the only person on at the time. Most higher ed events have a few parallel streams, which always seems to take the pressure off a little – at least they’ve chosen your topic out of a few options…

To cut a long story short, the event has now come and gone, and, to me, it was about as successful as any event has the right to be.

The content was great – thanks to Joseph Bushnell for brilliant marketing tips, Jon Buscall for strategy gold, John Colley for a launch plan to kill it in any niche, Mike Russell for pro production tips and Jason Van Orden for some of the best and most inspiring storytelling I’ve seen in a long time. Oh and not to forget some excellent MCing from the excellent Peter Billingham.

But, the feel-good factor I’m riding now isn’t really due to the content, it’s all about the people I met. I’ve rarely met such an open, honest, enthusiastic and friendly bunch of folk in my life. Mike and Izabela did a great job in enabling the networing and chats by including plenty of breaks and choosing a great venue, but it was the people there that made it happen. I didn’t spot one person hanging around by themselves in the corner (good job since Izabela promised to ‘punish’ any such behaviour) and I rarely walked more than 10 steps without someone introducing themselves.

On top of that, with just about everyone I spoke to, there always seemed to be something we could do to help each other out. There seemed to be such a thirst for contacts and collaboration in this area, and not surprisingly given the enthusiasm for podcasting in the UK, but without really any long term in person groups surrounding it. It felt like people had been looking for this opportunity for quite some time. Or perhaps that’s just the general attitude of Podcasters in general – for example ‘competition’ isn’t really a word in our vocabularly given the usefullness of swapping interviews with others in your niche, and the huge growth potential there still is in audience numbers.

In an attempt to make this post even slightly useful, and not just a stream of enthusing about the great time I had yesterday, I’ll make that my advice to any podcasters out there that didn’t attend UKPOD14. Get to an event with like-minded people as soon as you possibly can.

Networking is a horrible word, but the concept is amazing. Call it making friends instead, I feel like I did yesterday by 11pm after probably a few too many beers.

Meet people in Podcasting and talk about the practise. Share your enthusiasm – it’ll multiply with those you talk to and fire everyone up to acheive so much more the following week.

Help people out, do things for the community, and it’ll come back to you in spades.

Oh, and offer to speak – you never know when they’ll say yes, and you might be as surprised as I was by the hugely enthusastic reponse. That was certainly one of the most rewarding talks I’ve done in a long time, and I’m still humbled and honoured by the feedback I got.

Anyway, enough of my train rambling – time for another tea. If you were at UKPOD14, it was great to meet you. And if you weren’t, you missed out. I’ll see you at the next one.

Well, I am the one who pops his head out from beneath the nearest boulder.

I don’t read social media feeds, so most of the things that are “breaking”, “trending”, or “latest news” will pass right by me, unnoticed.  

You might think that’s akin to burying my head in the sand. But that’s not the case. I am very much open to new information – I just try to be as deliberate as possible about it.

That’s one of the many reasons I love podcasts. You can get up to speed on the latest happenings in your field, industry, or areas of interest. And, you can really get into a topic, deliberately and deeply, spending as much time as it takes to understand the finer points and nuances of someone’s argument, analysis, or perspective.

But I also like to read, and there’s undoubtedly a lot of fantastic written content out there on the web. I mean, it’s literally my job to try and contribute to that.

I don’t want to miss out on the latest news or updates in podcasting. In fact, if I’d like to stay useful and employed, then it’s vital that I don’t. But I’d prefer for it to be served up in a format that isn’t sandwiched between the rantings of some furious arsehole and a cat meme.

I’m a big fan of email newsletters. There are a lot of great ones out there in the podcast industry. These help keep me in the know whilst I lounge in cool darkness under my rock. But even then, I’m not going to log into my inbox to do an hour of informed, deep-dive reading. Even if I did, there would inevitably be other correspondence in there that would demand my attention, so newsletters alone can’t be the solution.

Fortunately, as a podcaster, I know that there are few problems in life that can’t be solved by the RSS feed. And once again, I’m leaning on this venerable technology to stay informed in words as well as sounds.

To optimise my workflow, I use two other tools – Feedly and Instapaper.

Using Feedly to Follow Your Favourite Websites

Feedly will be old news to many, but a revelation to some. It’s an RSS-reader tool that lets you “follow” websites or blogs in the same way you’d follow something on a social media app. The crucial and glorious difference is that it comes without all the horrible baggage those platforms drag along with them.

You can start using Feedly for free. Or, upgrade for an extremely reasonable $8 a month (annual savings are available) if you want to follow more than 100 websites or more than three “topics”.

So, how does Feedly work?

Well, when I say “topics”, the correct term on Feedly is “Folders”. You can create a folder to group together blogs and articles that follow a similar subject matter or theme. This makes it much easier to curate.

You might be really into the nuts and bolts of the podcasting industry, so you can have a folder for that. Then, you might want to keep up on a sport or certain sports team. Or the latest music news in your genre of choice. The World (Wide Web) really is your oyster.

Once you’ve created a folder, you use the search bar in Feedly to find or paste the content sites you’d like to hear from. In my case, I made one called “Podcasting” and hooked it up to all the good podcast blogs out there. When any of them publish new posts, they drop into my Feedly folder within minutes. Feedly’s “Similar Feeds” feature means you have the opportunity to constantly discover new content to add to your reading rota, too.

I’ll then check in on Feedly deliberately and on my own terms to find a fresh batch of interesting, informative, and well-written articles waiting for me.

But – here’s my next barrier – I hate reading on a computer screen. So, I use a second tool in my arsenal: Instapaper.

Instapaper to Send Articles to Your Kindle

Instapaper is a superb app that lets you send lists of articles directly to your Kindle. As a side note for podcast enthusiasts, it was founded by Marco Arment of Overcast fame.

So, I simply look at my “Podcasting” folder on Feedly and copy the links that catch my eye to Instapaper. I’ll probably give posts like “How to Start a Podcast” a miss (not through any disrespect to the author, of course!), but the latest edition of Podnews is always a must, and I see Castos has a compelling new roundup of the best chairs for podcasting, so that gets added too. Then, I hit “Send articles to Kindle”, and off they go.

My Kindle was built in a Clyde shipyard at some point in the 1930s, but it still easily handles regular deliveries of Instapaper-compiled posts for me to take away and read at my leisure. Usually, this is when my daughter is watching Peter Rabbit. I mean, it’s not that I take no interest in the show. But on around my 800th watchthrough, it became apparent that Mr. Tod was never actually going to eat Peter and his pals.

So, whilst they go through the motions in the background, I can catch up on the latest podcasting news without being distracted enough not to notice she’s started juggling flaming knives on the arm of the couch.

No Stress RSS

This is yet another way RSS technology can work for you. Just like your favourite podcast episodes, you don’t need to go out there into the irradiated wastes to scavenge for them – they can be delivered to you automatically the minute they’re published.

If you also deploy this tactic to compile your reading lists, you can win back so much time from the doomscroll and all its accompanying horrors. And more time gives you the freedom to create much better content, which, in turn, grows your audience. Or, you can just kick back and watch some Peter Rabbit. It’s entirely up to you.

So, at a minimum, get signed up to Feedly, then build your list of “must read” resources to follow (add us, please!). Then, if you want to make the experience even better, try out Instapaper too. And if you like it, be sure to let me know.

You’ll find me under that rock over there.

Why Are Solo Episodes So Hard to Do?

So many more podcasters are choosing to run a solo podcast instead of a co-hosted or interview show with guests. The advantages of having a solo show are huge, but there’s also a certain awkwardness that can exist. This somewhat uncomfortable “I’m talking to myself” feeling can also creep in when you’re doing the occasional solo episode in an otherwise cohosted or interview show. Either way, have you ever wondered why it feels so odd to record when it’s only you in the room?

There’s a certain momentum to conversations, usually. You can almost feel the fluid back-and-forth motion. And it’s super hard to replicate that momentum when only one person is talking. This is especially true if you’ve recorded episodes with others. It takes practice to get over this feeling, but once you know how, you may even look forward to those quieter, solo recordings. Here are three methods I’ve used over the years to push past the awkwardness and lean into being as me as possible on the microphone.

Tip #1: Tap Into Your Social Self to Relax Your Voice

Early in my own solo podcast episodes, I noticed a few trends when my voice sounded different. If I recorded solo after talking to a friend or even after watching a fun video, I sounded more like me. My voice dropped to its normal range instead of a tighter, nervous higher pitch. And I had more bounce in my sentences. Also, if I was thinking of someone who would enjoy that episode, my voice had a softer tone. After a while of noticing these differences, I decided to try and reverse engineer them. I wanted to know how to sound more like my social self when recording awkward solo podcast episodes.

Here are some of my favorite things to do:

• Chat with a friend just before recording a solo podcast episode
• Have a photo of one of someone you adore either up on your computer screen or taped to the side of the screen. Look at it and talk to them during the recording.
• Leave a voice message for a friend on WhatsApp, Signal, etc., right before recording
• Watch a funny video before recording

These weren’t the only things I noticed, so let’s look at a few more ways I discovered to sound like my conversational self when recording alone.

Tip #2: Color Code Words to Guide Your Voice

During a voiceover class ages ago in San Francisco, I learned the power of color coding. This tip came flooding back to me when I started to record scripted intros and outros for my interview podcasts. It’s simple to do and easily customizable. Let’s look at some examples.

First, here’s an intro to my business podcast. I wanted to stress the words that are in pink. So when I say the pink phrases, I’ll slow my pace and smile to emphasize them. Also, the alternating black-pink colors will automatically make my voice into an up-down-up-down pattern that mimics natural intonation in English.

Personally, I like to color code the words themselves, but you can also highlight the words instead, as in the second example below. In this example, I color-coded the same words but used highlighting instead of changing the color of the words themselves. This is a personal preference.

You can even highlight words in different colors to mean different things if you wish. Blue can be sad, orange happy, and so on. This overcomplicates it for me, so personally, I stick to one color. This is a good place to start until you find which method works well for you. Remember, you’re listening to what color coding method makes your voice sound the most like you, not what looks good visually on the screen.

Tip #3: Use Hand Gestures to Bring Out Your Emotions

Exercising your voice is important, but we can’t forget about our bodies. I grew up with Italian hand gestures, so it’s natural for me to move my hands when speaking. In fact, I had to train myself to stop moving around so much when recording because this made a bunch of unwanted sounds.

Just as the color coding above can help you emphasize a word or phrase, a simple hand gesture can do the same. Do these hand gestures while talking and see how they change your voice.

• wave your hand
• bang your fist on a desk
• clap your hands
• put your hand up in the “stop” flat palm gesture

Did you hear your voice change? Good. It’s hard for our voices to reflect these emotional gestures. Use this to your advantage when trying to sound a certain way during a nervous solo podcast episode recording moment.

Start by taking notes as you watch videos, tv, or movies over the next week. What hand gestures are they using that you can do without making unwanted sounds during your solo recording? Also, ask your friends what hand gestures you often do. You probably overlook your own, so it’s good to enlist friends for this one. Slowly bring these into your recordings. The best part is that there’s no way to do the hand gestures wrong because no one can see them. Like the color coding above, it’s not about how it looks but how it makes your voice sound. Repeat the gestures that make you sound more natural, more like you.

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Why Does a Lively Tone in Your Voice Matter for Your Solo Podcast Episodes?

Chances are you’re podcasting to find like souls that enjoy talking about your podcast topic. Though listeners will be drawn to your podcast for the topic, they’ll stay for you and your personality. So it’s important to make sure you sound like you as much as possible, even during nervous solo podcast episode moments. These tips can help you let your guard down and let listeners in, to get to know and adore you as much as we do, you wonderful podcaster!

Podcast Movement 2022’s Tracks

Let’s start with the conference tracks; these are the big-picture areas the conference talks will cover. We have: 

• Creation, which will help launch and produce your podcast. 
• Industry, which gathers experts from across the podcasting landscape to present their data, observations, and predictions.
• Marketing, to help you grow your show’s listener base and get more downloads, 
• Monetization, to help you generate revenue with your podcast
• Society, Culture, and Advocacy, designed to talk about some of the tougher questions in podcasting around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Technical, to help put the right gear and processes in place
• Audio Drama / Fiction, in case you want to get in on one of the fastest-growing genres in podcasting
• Brand Impact will teach you how your brand can leverage podcasting to make it part of your marketing plan. 
• Spanish Language, to celebrate and learn from those who podcast completely in Spanish

Phew! That’s a lot of tracks! And while you’re probably thinking there’s too much to learn, don’t worry. The schedule is pretty well organized. 

Schedule Notes

Thursday (the 23rd) is kick-off and workshop day. And there are several to choose from. If it’s your first time attending, you want to be in the Lone Star A3/A4 Room. There are three separate sessions dedicated to orienting new attendees. 

Aside from that, it’s up to you! Each workshop has a separate registration, and there are descriptions on the full schedule. 

There are sessions the rest of the time, and most of the tracks will remain the same across the remaining days. The only tracks that change by day occur in rooms Lone Star C3/C4 and Dallas C. So if you’re attending pay close attention to those tracks. 

If you’re not attending, don’t worry! Podcast Movement includes a Virtual Pass, which for $199, gets you: 

• Live video stream of all keynote sessions, as well as four of the track stages, across the three event days (Wednesday through Friday)
• On-demand video and audio of all sessions after the event (approximately one month after the event concludes)

…you can also add a T-Shirt for $15 if you’d like.

If you are attending, the virtual pass is an additional $100, and this guarantees that while you can attend the most important talks to you in person, you will have access to all of the content to review later. 

Interesting Themes and Recurring Subjects

Whether you choose to view the sessions via live streaming or in person, there are a few notable themes throughout the event. 

For example, this year, there’s a dedicated video podcasting track. The question of if you should make a video podcast has become more common in recent months, with the likes of YouTube seemingly getting in on the podcast action. Increasingly the answer seems to be yes, and the video podcasting track could give you valuable insight into successfully moving in that direction. 

Podcast growth is another common problem for podcasters, as there’s no single platform for discoverability like there is with videos and YouTube. The Podcast Growth track promises to offer a full day of insights, data, and strategies for you to grow and keep your audience effectively. 

Another area that has become of interest over the last year or so is the Independent Podcaster track. Data suggests that most of the money in podcasting goes to the top 1% of podcasts. Networks and platforms acquire many of those podcasts. 

So, what can you do as an independent podcaster? This track aims to help you answer that question. One talk that’s a must-see for any independent podcaster is Mike Kadin’s Getting Serious: The Guide to Turning a Hobby into Middle Class Income. It aims to show that you don’t need the backing of a big network to make good money with a podcast.

Then there’s the Society, Culture, and Advocacy track. Talks here cover reaching underrepresented audiences and voices, the importance of storytelling to different communities, and other important topics like reaching children, talking about trauma, and representing deafness through a primarily audio medium. 

Finally, diversity and inclusion is a topic that spans multiple tracks. There’s an entire Spanish Language track, which is one of the fastest growing areas in podcasting. Talks here cover breaking into this community and the social impact these podcasts have there. 

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Keeping Up With the Changing Landscape

Podcast Movement 2022 is sure to help podcasters keep up with the quickly evolving landscape. With thousands of hosts, producers, and industry experts, it’s the biggest event in the podcasting space. And the sheer number of talks and topics, from teaching beginners to having tough but important conversations, ensures that every attendee (whether in-person or virtual), will gain crucial knowledge to improve and grow.

I spoke with veteran voice actors Owen McCuen, Sarah Golding, and Billie Jo Konze, all of whom have plenty of commercial and independent podcast acting experience. I also spoke with Ella Watts, the casting director at Six to Start; she also produced Doctor Who Redacted for the BBC. They all know about voice casting for podcasts and commercial audio, both on the producing and acting sides.

Should You Make Your Own Podcast Voice Acting Demo Reel?

Voice acting coaches or teachers recommend you have your demo reel produced professionally. This can seem like a scam. Maybe they want to charge you a lot of money to help a colleague when you could record and edit the demo reel yourself.

Yes, you can make your own podcast voice-acting demo reel. It’ll teach you sound engineering and editing skills and save you some money.

And, no, you shouldn’t. Owen McCuen said, “Professional voice buyers can detect a homemade demo from a mile away. Even professional voice actors and sound engineers have their professional demos produced by someone else who has distance from the project and a more objective ear. ” Billie Jo said, “Make a great first impression with something that is industry standard, that fits the style that agents and directors and casting directors are used to hearing. This industry is too competitive now for you to not sound amazing.”

But, a producer who’s making an audio drama podcast on a tight budget can’t (and doesn’t) expect their actors to have demo reels costing more than the budget of their entire podcast. When you’re pitching your skills to independent fiction podcast producers, it’s better to have some example of your voice acting than none.

Owen has an excellent workaround. “Don’t present your homemade collection of clips as ‘my pro demo.’ Instead, present it as, ‘I’ve put together some samples; would you like to hear them?” This shows that you know enough about recording and editing that you’ll be good to work with in the studio. But don’t have that as your only voice-acting demo reel. Make the investment in yourself and your career.

What do we mean by “fit for purpose?”

Voice-over jobs are divided into markets for different industries. Commercial work, audiobooks, video games, animated movies, and audio fiction have different expectations, audiences, and funding.

Owen says, “specialized demos are best for getting paid work in the specific field you are courting.” For example, Owen’s commercial demos are separate from his audio drama voice acting samples. Sarah’s reels are divided into documentary film narration, children’s books, and character voices.

Just like any other aspect of podcast promotion, feed the tiger what it wants.

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How Long Should My Voice Acting Demo Reel Be?

Your voice acting demo reel should be between one and five minutes. Three minutes is enough.

What to Include

Your natural voice is the best place to start; it shows the casting director or producer a baseline of what you can do if you’re tired or rushed.

Owen says, “Lead with samples of your best work.” Sarah echoes this sentiment more specifically: “Put your three most used and cast voices first as they’re obviously your forte.” She also recommends, “Avoid using growly or shouty voices, because then they’ll expect you to do that for a whole show.” It can ruin your vocal cords and hurt a lot.

Tips from a Casting Director

Ella Watts provided a comprehensive list of what casting directors need most when listening to voice acting demo reels. She says, “Introduce yourself at the start, and the title of your reel (i.e. ‘Dramatic Reel’)

“We need to start with your natural voice: a lot of the time, casting directors are most interested in people’s native accents and timbres, as that’s the voice we’ll be casting in major roles. Impressions and caricatures are fun but tend to be bit parts in audio.

Give us some variations on your natural voice, depending on the work you want to be doing: comedic delivery, dramatic monologue, scary atmosphere, emotional range, etc.

If you feel very strong in your accents, give us as naturalistic of a performance as possible in your non-native accent. Often a weak accent will discourage us from casting you, so don’t include it unless you’re absolutely sure it’s perfect!

Goofier impressions are fun, especially if you’re more interested in cartoons and so on. Only include them if that’s the kind of work you want to be doing.

Ideally: if you want to be doing drama, make a voice reel that includes at least one clip that makes me feel something. If you want to do comedy, include a clip that makes me laugh. If you want to do horror, include something frightening (though jumpscares and loud noises rarely work out of context).

It’s good to include a little autobiographical information in the text, not the audio. Mandy and Spotlight list this kind of information, and it’s entirely up to your discretion what you’d like to share. Sometimes it helps casting directors to know, for example, whether you have a particular racial, ethnic or religious identity; consider yourself disabled, LGBTQ+ etc. Again, this is entirely down to you and not at all necessary, just worth considering.”

Personal qualities show the casting director what life experience you bring to the project and how the audience can relate to you.

Save your voice-acting reel as an mp3 and back it up in more than one location. Don’t lose all your hard work!

Where to Post Your Voice Reel

You want your podcast voice-acting demo reel to be discoverable by the right people at the right time. You also want everyone you know to be, at least, aware of it in case one of your friends finds a voice acting job that would be right for you. People who hire voice artists use social media too. There’s no one place that’s the best to put your reel. More than one is better.

Make an Audiogram

The easiest way to get your voice-acting demo reel as much exposure as possible is to make it into an audiogram. Once you create it, embed the audiogram in social media posts, blog posts, and more. Pin your audiogram to the top of your Twitter or Facebook profile, and share it as Highlights on Instagram. This way, not only does everyone know you’re a voice actor who’s available for hire, they can hear your range of abilities.

Soundcloud

Soundcloud is popular with musicians for its shareability. Users can play the audio file on Soundcloud’s website or app. You can embed tracks like an audiogram, and people can click “like,” comment, or share it.

YouTube

YouTube is a good vehicle for self-promotion. Billie Jo Konze’s YouTube channel has video versions of each type of reel. She recommends keeping comments enabled so that people who are genuinely interested can interact with you. She also says, “don’t feed the trolls.” Don’t dilute the content on your voice-over YouTube channel. Save your home movies and opinions for your personal channel. This content should be focused on getting you hired. If you get rude comments or activity, delete it and block and/or report the user.

Your Voice Acting Website

Making your own voice acting website gives you a central hub of contact information, audio clips, and a resumė. One example is actress Billie Jo Konze‘s website. An embedded player at the top has different product samples. She embeds YouTube clips of her voice reels.

Owen McCuen’s website has separate pages for different kinds of work. His landing page displays his commercial voice-acting demos. Samples of his audio drama voice acting have their own dedicated page on top of Soundcloud. Both Billie Jo and Owen have pages with good SEO. Yes, this is extra work, and it’s worth it.

Voice Talent Casting Websites

Casting sites, such as Spotlight or Mandy, are where casting directors go to find voice artists. Sarah Golding’s Spotlight page, for example, has links to her reels and shows her education, CV, skills and background. If a producer is looking for a specific age range, ethnicity, skill or dialect, they can search for it. The disadvantage is that you’re in direct competition with other voice artists on the site. But, the advantage is the professionalism the site provides. Plus, your information is on the site casting directors and producers pay to use.

No single option above is the best; a combination of two or more is better. Just like any podcast promotion strategy, diversification never hurts.

Strongest Possible Sound Environment

When you get a professional to produce your voice acting demo reel, you’ve already sorted this out. But, you can’t book a professional studio for every audition sample. If you can record at home, you’re ready for any job. Ella says, “Make sure the sonic environment for your reel is as strong as possible, as your audio quality will be another thing being judged – especially for a company like Six to Start, where we ask people to self-record.” This means your recording setup, space, and audio editing software.

It’s not only important to show your voice to your best advantage. This also shows your ability to record to your best advantage. If your recordings have an air conditioner or ice cream trucks in the background, the sound editor won’t be able to seamlessly fit your audio in with the other performers’.

Having your own home recording studio means you can build skills and record anytime. If QCode needs you to record ten lines for an episode with Rami Malek and the deadline is in an hour, you can confidently say yes to the job.

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Your Podcast Voice Acting Demo Reel is an Audio Swiss Army Knife.

In audition classes, acting coaches have a saying about bad news: “Children are rewarded for being good, adults are rewarded for being useful.” It’s a pretty bleak and capitalistic view of the acting profession. But, it’s a fact that your voice acting needs to fit with the bigger story and sound of an audio drama. Make sure that your audio samples and reels show you to the best advantage while continuing to build skills. Your podcast voice acting reel needs to be clear, concise, shareable, and everywhere.

What Was the Podcast Show London Like?

It Was a Huge Event in Person and Online

The Podcast Show London was huge: 2 days, 5,000 attendees, and many, many lattes huge. I’m not kidding. Apparently, nearly everyone I talked to mentioned the endless free coffee at the event. This was one small example of the energy goodness that permeated this event. Is that even bigger than Podcast Movement and Podfest? Wow.

It Was Well Run and Easy to Maneuver

Izabela Russell (below) of Music Radio Collective (and, organiser of one of the previous UK Podcaster conferences, New Media Europe) shared these impressions of the overall event:

• Nice event app that made it clear what was going on and where
• A good amount of relevant exhibitors
• Great venue!
• Very easy to get to, big enough to fit everybody but not too big so that you feel utterly lost!
• Plenty of event helpers on the floor.

The Online Presence Was Impressive

The pre-event buzz online was so tantalizing that I almost went but it just wasn’t in the cards. But I was watching things unfold on Twitter and Instagram, as you’ll soon see. And I was able to connect to many in-person attendees who were happy to share their impressions, both delight, and frustration. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this summary of the event.

“My husband and I separated off for most sessions and still hardly scratched the service doing around 10 sessions a day between us.”

Claire Sandys of The Silent Why

Disclaimers:

No event is perfect, right? We’re now going to highlight a few positives (yea) and negatives (nay) about the event in hopes of giving you as complete a picture of the event as we can while being respectful of the doubtless large amount of people that it took to make this event happen. With this in mind, I’ve chosen to use the names of attendees I talked to when they mentioned something positive and kept them anonymous when it was something critical.

Did Glitz Overtake the Event?

Yea: Many Big Players Turned Up for the Podcast Show London

it seems obvious to say that there’s a lot of money in podcasting right now. If you read podcasting newsletters like Podnews or Sound Profitable but podcasting is booming. Clarification, podcasting at the top is booming. This Instagram video from the official The Podcast Show London account shows the company layout of the Business Center. Many of the big players in podcasting were there like Spotify, ACast, Amazon Music, and BBC Sounds. There were also podcast adjacent companies like YouTube, Dolby, Patreon, etc there as well. To get a sense of the hugeness of the space, check out this Instagram video montage from Paddington Works Production.

Nay: Creators Wanted More Skills-Based Sessions

There were attendees that complained that there was more glamour than substance. Specific examples include speakers who were focusing on the celebrity being highlighted much more than a skill that can elevate any podcast. The people I talked to were annoyed that branding, monetization, and “inventory” (not “content”) overtook the schedule whereas there were only two very sound design sessions and no podcast editing sessions at all. Some people also mentioned that the session titles were click baitish.

We Needed to See Each Other Again

“It was definitely time well invested; the knowledge that was shared, networks that were made and sheer enthusiasm of being surrounded by like minded passionate people was one hell of an experience.  Roll on 2023!”

Uyi Agbontaen of The Point of U

Podcasters and podcasting professionals, indy, or network are all involved in a rather isolated process that can feel detached from a larger community. And for talkers like us, we need people. It was clear from the feedback I got that it was a relief to see other podcasting folks in person again.

Yea: Podcasting Unites Us

The celebrity conversations may have put off some attendees but, as is often the case in podcasting, the technology was a common ground.

Technology Is Our Common Ground

“It was affirming to see my home studio represented everywhere. Mics, mic arms, audio interfaces, and laptops were all being used together as examples everywhere. I thought I had an amateur setup but this made me feel more professional.”

Dr. Jonathan of The Element of Inclusion

People Accessibility Was High at the Podcast Show London

And the vast majority of the people I talked to pointed out that it was very easy to chat with most if not all of the folks at these power business booths. In fact, it sounds like there were many small break-away areas where 2 to 3 people at a time could grab a slightly more private chat. This sounds cozy, which is the opposite of what you think from watching those Instagram videos of that gigantic, tall ceiling, the bright lighted convention center.

Offsite Networking Opportunities Were Plentiful

Andy Taylor. The founder of Bwlb, had this to say about the off-site mingling opportunities in his LinkedIn summary of the event:

“Highlights from ‘the fringe’…

Sam Sethi’s Podland drinks on Tuesday night. Very welcoming and fascinating conversations with talented and generous people.

Nick Hilton’s ‘Bad Podcaster’s Club’ drinks on Wednesday night. A brilliant mix of people from all levels of the industry and really thought-provoking opinions, viewpoints and experiences being shared in a positive and fun atmosphere.”

Matt Cheney of Kult Media mentioned the mix of indy and industry folks at the Bad Podcasters meetup but he also noted that he was able to easily arrange a fair number of impromptu one-on-one meetings via LinkedIn DMs. The mix of all levels of creators and podcasting professionals was an advantage of the event that nearly everyone I spoke to mentioned.

Nay: A Lack of Smaller Podcasting Representation

As mentioned before, the sessions at The Podcast Show London were not the highest-rated part of the event for the people I talked to. Who and what was missing?

• podcasters who worked their way up from nothing
• businesses that use podcasting as a key marketing strategy
• podcasters who were niche successful but not celebrities

Nick Hilton of Podot touches on some of these shortcomings in this very thoughtful piece on The Podcast Show London.

In Summary, Hurrah for the Podcast Show London

In reality, it would be impossible to have a large podcasting conference like this without a certain amount of glitz and glamour. So the sparkle that might have rubbed some people the wrong way may just be something that we need to live. And the rest of the critiques, well, they can be ironed out, right? One thing is clear, despite the grumblings here and there, nearly everyone I spoke to said they were going back to The Podcast Show London in 2023. If you want to join them, you can get your tickets now for next year’s event. And don’t forget to check out the other podcasting events happening this year.