A new report sheds an alarming light on the number of podcasts in existence, but should the rising show count deter you from launching something new?
Podcasts are here to stay. Many have known that to be true for years, but the long-form audio medium continues to find new listeners with each passing week. Musicians, artists, experts, and random everyday humans from all corners of the Earth are creating shows that cover every topic imaginable, and several are finding massive success along the way. We’ve told you to start one before, and we still believe you should.
But a new report has some creators thinking twice about their future in podcasting. According to Chartable, more than 17,000 new podcasts were launched every week in 2020. That amounts to more than 800,000 new podcasts for the year.
Now we know what you’re thinking: That is a lot of podcasts. We felt the same way at first, but then we considered a few data points that Chartable’s report does now:
Many podcasts never have a second episode. They start and die overnight.
Those 800,000 podcasts cover hundreds of thousands of topics.
Not every podcast is available on every platform.
Not every podcast is available in every country.
All or most of those podcasts do not feature YOU.
Music podcasting is mainly non-artists talking about artists they love. Musicians and groups using podcasting to engage and develop their community are far rarer, and that’s a shame.
In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell looks at the data and offers advice to anyone, especially musicians, that may be thinking twice about starting a podcast. He explains the benefits that podcasting can offer to artists of any size and even provides resources to help you start.
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After twenty years in the music business, Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld makes his Inside Music Podcast debut with stories of triumph, loss, and recovery.
Malcolm Gladwell would classify Justin Furstenfeld as an outlier. The frontman of Blue October has shaped the sound of alternative rock for over two decades. In that time, Furstenfeld has released more than half a dozen records, toured endlessly, and written numerous hit songs. He’s also hit rock bottom, found a path to recovery, and lived to tell his story. Furstenfeld is a person who puts his all in everything he does for better and worse. He fully commits in every way, and that approach to living has made all difference in his career.
When you speak to fans of Blue October, there is a sense of community that is impossible to deny. Each listener finds themselves relating to Furstenfeld’s journey through life’s toughest times in a manner that breeds hopefulness. They are often lost souls in search of meaning and peace who turn to music when they believe there is nowhere left to turn. Furstenfeld has done the same, and he conveys the messages he wishes to hear whenever he sings.
Hours before a recent gig in West Michigan, Furstenfeld sat with Inside Music host James Shotwell on Blue October’s tour bus to discuss the lessons learned from his time in music. Furstenfeld shared his highest highs and lowest lows, all of which lead him to change his perspective on life. That shift produced a ripple effect that benefitted not just his band, but everyone he connects with through music as well.
Bad Wolves frontman Tommy Vext stops by Inside Music to discuss his career in music and much more.
Tommy Vext is no stranger to the world of music. A twenty-year veteran to touring and recording, Tommy reached a new level of success in 2018 when his band, Bad Wolves, topped charts around the world with a cover of The Cranberries’ hit song, “Zombie.” The exposure, coupled with a relentless touring schedule opening for some of rock’s biggest names, has given Bad Wolves a lot of attention in a relatively small amount of time. The band is gearing up to release their Sophomore record this fall, but expectations are already high, and they’re likely to rise further before the album arrives in October.
But how Tommy find himself in this position? How did a former fan and venue security guard reach the heights of rock and roll success with only one album? And furthermore, where will he go from here?
On this episode of Inside Music, Tommy Vext sits down with host James Shotwell hours before taking the stage in West Michigan to share his journey in entertainment. Tommy tells James about his early singing career, his time as a security guard at the iconic Key Club in Los Angeles, and how he found himself helping other musicians live a sober lifestyle. The pair also discuss Bad Wolves’ new record, Bad Wolves Nation, and the expectations the band has for their future in rock.
With the launch of It’s A Pixies Podcast, a limited series program, the long-running indie rock group offers a glimpse at the future of music promotion.
‘Podcast‘ may be the most significant buzzword in music this year. Not only has the format been accused of encroaching on a form of entertainment previously reserved for music and audiobooks, but streaming services Spotify and Apple Music have been investing heavily in promoting notable shows, as well as creating exclusive podcast content.
According to MusicOOMPH, 71% of Americans are familiar with the term ‘podcast,’ and a little over half of the population has listened to a podcast. There are currently 700,000 active podcasts boasting a combined catalog of 29 million episodes, and that figure is going to grow substantially in the latter half of 2019.
The world of podcasting has already proven beneficial for many performers. Comedians in particular have found the freedom of expression podcasting allows as a way to engage their audience between specials and promote tour dates. Musicians can and should see view podcasts the same way. In a time when everyone wants more from everything they love all the time, podcasts present an opportunity to continually offer new content without rushing to release songs or records before they’re complete.
A press release this week announced that one group, iconic indie rock band The Pixies, is ready to embrace podcasts and the numerous possibilities it can offer. The band is promoting their upcoming record by sharing a limited, twelve episode series that documents the creation of the record and the conflicts that arise during production. The podcast is hosted and narrated by New York Times best-selling author Tony Fletcher who was with the band during throughout the creative process.
The full press release reads:
Good morning! “It’s A Pixies Podcast,” Pixies’ 12-episode series, makes its debut today and we hope you’ll check it out. It’s now live on all podcast platforms including Apple, Pandora, Acast, Stitcher, Google and more. The podcast is hosted and narrated by New York Times best-selling author Tony Fletcher who was embedded with the band and producer Tom Dalgety while the new album, Beneath The Eyrie, was recorded last December at Dreamland Studios near Woodstock, NY. The podcast provides a real fly-on-the-wall perspective of not just the recording, but of the interaction between the band members and Dalgety, while tracking in the main room or making a cup of tea in the kitchen. Beneath The Eyrie will be released on September 13 (BMG).
You can stream It’s A Pixies Podcast wherever you enjoy podcasts. The band’s new album, Beneath The Eyrie, will hit stores in September.
Artists at any level can get into podcasting, and they should. You don’t have to talk about your music. You don’t even have to talk about music in a general sense. Find something you’re passionate about and share that interest with your fans. It can be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or whatever works for you. As long as you’re having fun, your fans will enjoy the experience, and they will come away from each episode feeling more connected to you. That connection translates to more engagement, more purchases, and more support.
John O’Callaghan, the vocalist for a band called The Maine, is appearing for the first time on a podcast called Inside Music.
The idea of community is at the heart of every great music career. Be it something cultivated by the artist(s) themselves or by their fans at large, having a sense of community can help give any career longevity. People love to feel as though they belong, and few bands in the alternative community have done a better job of making people feel welcome in the world than a group from Arizona known as The Maine.
For over a decade now, The Maine has been a band that straddled the line between pop and rock with sugary-sweet melodies and lyricism that isn’t afraid to address the darker side of life. Their seventh studio album, You Are OK (out March 29), is no exception. Every song on the record is bursting with hopefulness in spite of reality. It’s a collection of tracks that dare to acknowledge the mental abyss that drags down so many and demands we fight to resist its call. You Are OK is the album the world needs right now, and The Maine is the only group that could deliver it.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls The Maine vocalist John O’Callaghan to discuss his band’s latest album. John tells James about the creation of the record, as well as his band’s participation in the upcoming Sad Summer traveling music festival. From there, the conversation turns to longevity in the industry and how other artists can follow in the steps of The Maine.
Whether you dream of standing on stage in front of thousands or working with the biggest stars of tomorrow, these podcasts will give you a leg up in the music business.
We’ve talked a lot about podcasts on our blog as of late, and for a good reason. The audience for podcasts is booming, and the content being created by brilliant minds from around the world is second to none. For no cost whatsoever, anyone can tune into a podcast and learn something about topics that interest them, laugh with the biggest names in entertainment, or lose themselves in a completely irreverent conversation about nothing shared between close friends.
Competition in music is fiercer than ever, which means the professionals of tomorrow need to take advantage of every opportunity for education they are able to right now in order to surpass their peers. Thankfully, aspiring musicians and business folk alike no longer need a college degree to learn about the realities or working in music or the work required to succeed. There are tons of podcasts covering those same subject for free with new episodes released weekly, and many feature guests that help to create a more fully-realized picture of life in the entertainment industry today.
Finding the show you enjoy the most that best meets your needs and interests is an individual journey, but we can help get you started. Out of the numerous music podcasts in existence today, the following shows are guaranteed to entertain and educate you on a regular basis. Check it out:
Mentioning our podcast may be a bit silly, but the show itself is quite serious. Inside Music focuses on the daily lives of people currently working in the music business. Each week, a musician or someone who works with artists shares their journey to success and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. There is also a lot of storytelling, as well as discussions around emerging trends within the industry that could very well shape our future.
What does it take to front a band? Hosted by Silverstein vocalist Shane Told, Lead Singer Syndrome seeks to answer that question through a series of interviews with vocalists from the world of alternative rock and metal. Told’s experience on the road allows him to relate to anyone who guests, which in turn creates a space for deep conversations to occur in a relatively small amount of time. Artists open up to other artists in ways they otherwise might not, and when that happens, there is no better insight into the realities of music anywhere on Earth.
Don’t have time to dedicate an hour or more every week to a podcast? Wade Sutton and Rocket To The Stars have a solution. The Six-Minute Music Business Podcast delivers an industry education in bite-sized chunks without skimping on facts or entertainment. With episodes posted multiple times a week, listeners can quickly learn to navigate various realms of the music business while running errands, driving to work, or walking the dog. It’s everything you need to know delivered in an easily digestible manner.
CDBaby is known around the world for its role in distribution, but the company’s official podcast has established its own integral role in the lives of artists everywhere. Each week, the CDBaby team tackles issues facing musicians today with wit and knowledge to spare. Topics range from ‘twenty-five ways you’re sabotaging your career’ to ‘how to tour Europe without a booking agent or label.’ They even take listener questions!
Many artists will hate to read this, but your music is a business. Rick Barker is the President and CEO of the Music Industry Blueprint in Nashville, TN. He is a manager, entrepreneur, author, and consultant focusing on the recent changes in the music business. Each week, Rick helps musicians learn to see their music as a business so that they can better navigate the record industry and position themselves for a successful career.
How do you make a hit song? Is it the lyrics? The melody? The production?
If you’ve ever asked this question, Song Exploder is for you. Each week, the show highlights a different artist and picks apart one of their most successful tracks to understand why people can’t get enough. It’s the kind of deep dive into the craft of songwriting and music production that was largely impossible to achieve in a time before podcasts. Aspiring musicians can use this show to improve their songwriting, while rising professionals can learn what grabs the attention of increasingly distracted consumers and why. Everybody wins!
The only thing harder than making it as a musician in the entertainment business is having the mental strength to manage talented people without losing your mind. Manage Mental brings together two experienced artist managers and music industry professionals who share their insight into the business of music, as well as offer advice on how to keep cool and succeed in artist management.
A show for indie artists, the people who work with them, and the fans who support them. Break The Business welcomes a wide variety of industry talent to discuss their work, their aspirations, and their experiences navigating the tricky terrain of entertainment. Most episodes run under thirty-minutes, which makes the show an ideal companion for walking to class or driving to work. As a bonus, you can hear the Haulix team discussing what we do best!
Ray Harkins knows how to make people talk. For the better part of half a decade, Harkins has used 100 Words Or Less to speak with some of the most influential names in alternative music of all-time. His gift for conversation has allowed Ray to help artists open up about their struggles and uncertainties, as well as their successes, in a way no one else can achieve. He’s the Marc Maron of the alternative underground, and his show should be considered required listening for anyone passionate about music.
A newer show, Stereo Confidential goes deep into the work required to create an album or catalog that stands the test of time. By focusing on one artist or release per week, the hosts of the show are able to uncover the contributing factors in a record’s success, as well as little known facts that help listeners hear music in a new way. The show’s recent series on the band Copeland is particularly inspired. Don’t miss out.
With a growing global audience and low startup costs, podcasts are the next step in digital marketing and fan engagement.
Did you know that 50% of all US homes are podcast fans? How about the fact that over 44% of the entire US population, or roughly 124 million people, listened to podcasts over the last twelve months?
On a global scale, more than one in four residents of Japan, France, Canada, Italy, the United States, Australia, Sweden, and Spain listen to podcasts monthly. In South Korea, more than half of the entire population (58%) listens to podcasts on a monthly is.
These figures and other available online are growing with each passing month. Podcasts were practically unknown a decade ago, but today there are more than 500,000 shows offering millions of hours of entertainment for listeners. Studies show the average podcast fan commits to six or seven shows each week, and most (80%) listen to each episode in full. Podcast listeners are, on average, smart and loyal listeners who actively support the shows they enjoy through either digital promotion, crowdfunding, or engagement with sponsors who make their favorite programs possible.
All this data is impressive, but what is even crazier is how few musicians have decided to engage their fans through podcasts.
A podcast can be anything you want. Some choose to interview people they find interesting, while others stick to a theme or subject. Pop-punk band Waterparks host a series where they read fan fiction about their group. The possibilities are endless!
The perks of having a podcast are numerous, including:
Direct engagement with fans
Ability to deliver new content to fans regularly
A promotional vehicle for tours, albums, and anything else
Creates future promotional material (you can share clips on your social media)
Allows fans to know you better (they don’t have to stalk you, they just have to listen)
Provides a platform to discuss and dissect your art
Potential to create new fans for your music through conversation
Fill time while at home or on the road that is otherwise spent scrolling social media or staring out the window
Potential for extra income, either through fans buying merchandise or sponsors getting behind the show
Podcasts are also incredibly cheap to create. Many shows are recorded using a smartphone voice memo app, but others use the same microphones artists use to create demos in their home studios. Hosting is available through a number of providers, including several that have offers for free hosting to first-time users, as well as free distribution to major platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.
Furthermore, with Spotify’s recent acquisition of Gimlet Media and Anchor the streaming giant — who already has a large stake in podcasting — is planning to promote podcasts heavily in the months and years to come. Artists with shows will not only be able to promote their music and vice versa through a single platform, but they will also be able to earn streaming royalties from their podcast. That’s money which, unless otherwise agreed to in a contract, goes directly to the artist behind the show. It’s a side hustle that helps the main focus of an artist’s career in many ways.
Competition is music is growing fiercer by the day, and most acts use the same tricks as every other artist or business or consumer to build their audience. But right now, for what will likely be a very short window of time, there is a market for musicians willing to open up in podcasting that is largely overlooked. Any artist would be foolish to not take advantage of this opportunity. Podcasting offers a chance to grow closer to fans, build an audience, and earn a few extra bucks. What more could you want?
After a little more than a month away it gives us great pleasure to reintroduce the Inside Music podcast. We learned a great deal from our first episode, including the necessity of high quality microphones, and have made several efforts to improve our production for this latest offering. If you have any ideas for how we can improve our efforts further, please reach out on Twitter.
This week’s episode features guest Zack Zarrillo, otherwise known as the founder of PropertyOfZack.com and co-founder of Bad Timing Records. Zack has been a fixture in the pop punk scene for the last several years, and though he’s only 21 he has already managed to carve a unique niche for himself in this business that has opened more doors than I am able to count. Our conversation revolves mostly around Zack’s efforts in writing, as well as his plans for future, but we do dive into his other projects and the problems that arise when someone takes on as much as he has in the past year. I’m really happy with the result, and I think those that listen to the full recording will learn to see Zack in a new way as a result.
Our plan is to release a new podcast every week from here on out, and we already have another episode 90% complete. We hope you have as much fun listening to this show as much as we did making it. I know we’re not on the iTunes store just yet, but we will update you on that front soon. For now, let’s get to the show:
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.
Hello and welcome to the very first ‘Advice’ column of 2014. We have been planning a number of these articles for the weeks ahead and are beyond excited to begin rolling them out this afternoon. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
If you read our feature with Vince Edwards from Metal Blade Records last week you may recall him mentioning how radio is still one of the best pathways to a career in music available today. This was directed towards aspiring professionals at the time, but the same applies to independent musicians as well. Radio has always been one of the best avenues to new listeners available to artists, and even though your time at terrestrial stations may still be far away, the age of the internet has created countless new stations/podcasts/outlets for reaching consumers. We cannot guarantee airplay for anyone, but if you follow the advice below you will position yourself as well as you possibly can for exposure on radio in 2014.
It’s worth noting that it is possible for artists to hire people and companies who specialize in radio promotion, but for the purposes of this column we are speaking to those who prefer to go the DIY route. It usually takes more effort on the part of the artist, but the costs are much lower (and people tend to appreciate the personal touch).
As I mentioned above, the digital age has brought a wealth of new radio opportunities for artists that were not possible even a decade ago. Whether you hope to be in the mix on Pandora, spotlighted with other newcomers on New Music Inferno, or if you want to sit across from comedians like Marc Maron and talk life, the boom of internet radio has created a variety of new and innovative avenues for your music to reach people who may have otherwise never knew your art existed. Before you can reach them however, you need to set some goals. Decide what type of audiences you hope to reach and in what ways you want to reach them. Do you want to have your song added to a bunch of shows, or do you want to promote the new record with an interview? Every radio show is different, especially online, and knowing what type of programming you want to be a part of before diving any further into your quest for digital exposure will aide your efforts later on.
Once you have a handle on the type of shows you want to contact, you will undoubtedly need to research the best programs that fit your criteria. To help get you started, we’ve included a few links below:
Want to be featured on Pandora? Make sure you meet the requirements outlined in this article and then head to the official submission site to apply for placement.
Need a list of popular radio shows? Wikipedia can help get you started. We also suggest combing through the top radio stations and music themed podcasts available on iTunes.
Looking for airplay and are open to exposure from anyone will to share your art? Signing up for Music Alley will help make your media available to broadcasters in search of new music.
After your list is compiled, you will need to research each outlet individually to understand the procedures that you must follow in order to submit your music. There will likely be similarities along the way, but every station is unique. Keep this in mind and do whatever you can to personalize the messaging that is sent alongside your media. Sending a blanket message to every email you find is tempting, but crafting original messaging can go a long way towards forging relationships with hosts, DJs, broadcasters, and beyond. You never know who will read your message or who will hear music as a result of your submission. Don’t take any opportunity for exposure for granted.
