Hello and welcome to the final advice column of the week. We are nowhere near done sharing industry insight and tips, but as far as this week is concerned we are moving on to bigger things in the remaining days. For now, please enjoy this look at the world of podcasts and how independent artists can leverage them to gain additional exposure. If you have any questions about the content of the blog, or if you would like more information regarding the distributional services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
A decade ago you would have found it incredibly difficult to locate a quote/unquote ‘average person’ who knew of, let alone listened to, podcasts. These days, however, the opposite is true. As of June 2013 iTunes users had generated more than one billion podcast subscriptions, and that number has only continued to grow in the last year. From news and politics, to comedy and video games, there is at least one podcast for almost any topic you can think of, and more are being created every week. We even have one (due out soon)!
The music industry has not been as fast to embrace the world of podcasting as other areas of entertainment, but the business has certainly come around over the last year or so. Sites like Absolutepunk already have their own semi-weekly podcast, and there are a number of industry personalities who have started shows as well. Artists may hesitate to accept this at first, as a rise in podcasts add a new form of competition to the already over saturated audio marketplace, but it is becoming increasingly clear that podcasts are not a trend that will soon die off. More accurately, podcasts are becoming a sort of radio 2.0, and forward thinking independent artists such as yourself would be wise to factor that idea into their future marketing plans.
There are likely dozens of ways you can leverage the world of podcasts to help your career, but for the purposes of this article I have chosen to highlight four basic steps musicians can follow to gain additional exposure:
Start your own podcast (duh.)
The beautiful thing about podcasting is that there are very few, if any rules to how one has to approach their show. There are podcasts that double as game shows, podcasts that exist to educate young minds, podcasts that pick apart episodes of The X-Files, and literally hundreds of podcasts that simply feature two or more people talking about whatever comes to mind when their laptop is recording. As an artist, podcasts present a unique opportunity to engage your fans on a regular basis without the presence of any additional advertising or branding. Video updates are usually hosted on YouTube, which is easy to use, but ultimately cluttered with ads and suggestions for other clips. Text updates usually reside on social networks, which are becoming increasingly littered with ads, in addition to their own fair share of built-in distractions. Podcasts, however, allow you to connect with fans through headphones, car stereos, laptop speakers, and any other listening device without another ad or suggested distraction anywhere in sight. The listener may be doing other things, sure, but while your podcast plays you have a direct line to their mind and short term memory.
If you want to forge a lasting bond with you audience, launch you own podcast, update it as often as you feel compelled, and use each show to share your not only your latest music-related news, but also who you are as a person. Share with your listeners and ask them to share with you. Read the feedback sent over Twitter, Facebook, and the like to shape your future podcasts, then repeat that process over and over again. Not every fan will listen every time, but anytime someone wants to learn more about you and your work they will be able to access a library of podcasts featuring you and you alone. No critics, no commenters, no anything that tells them who you are other than you. You cannot put a price on exposure like that in the digital age.
Appear on other people’s podcasts, even if they have nothing to do with music
There are a growing amount of podcasts focused specifically on new music, and if you can find your way into one of their highly coveted guest slots then you should most certainly take full advantage of that opportunity. Just like blogging, however, the demand for features on music centric podcasts can sometimes too high for almost anyone considered ‘unknown’ to cut through the noise and be heard. When this happens, musicians should rely on their other skill sets to find shows that may provide a platform for exposure. For example, there is a snack themed podcast hosted by a member of the No Sleep Records’ band Mixtapes. The subject of the show may not be based around music, but because of the host it’s likely many fans of punk and its various sub genres would listen to it, thus making it an ideal place for an independent artist to gain exposure. You might not even have to mention your music directly. As long as you can carry a conversation and do not say anything to completely turn people off from your creative endeavors there is a decent chance people listening to any show you appear on will give your other creative efforts a chance. They might not become lifelong supporters, but that is never a guarantee where music discovery is concerned.
Sponsor a podcast
Podcasters hate the word ‘advertisement,’ but for whatever reason they tend to be perfectly fine with having people and companies ’sponsor’ their show(s) through financial means. These deals are usually made in exchange for mentions during the podcast, which usually take place at either the beginning or in the middle of the show and involve copy delivered by podcast host. When your group is planning a new tour or prepping to release another album, consider sponsoring podcasts that target the type of audience you are hoping to win over with your music. This placement is usually far more cost effective than traditional digital advertising, and because it is delivered by the host of the show it’s far more likely that consumers will take an interest in the product/event being mentioned because they already have an established relationship with the person conveying the information.
When all else fails, consider theme music
Every great podcast has a theme song, and every great theme song has to be written by someone with talent. With a little networking and creativity you could be that person with talent, and I am willing to bet you already have a few songs in your catalog that could be sampled to make killer theme music. If not, you could always contact shows you enjoy to see what kind of music they are looking for and attempt to create it. It’s unlikely every single desired sound will be something you’re able to make at home, but if you search long enough there will be people who want to use your art for their show.
