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You may have thought at some point: Why are podcasts so popular and how can I get involved?

Like other content formats including written word and video, audio content has its own nuances.

However, like most social media the best way to learn these nuances is by doing.

In this short clip I break down some of those nuances based on my experience of producing more than 400 episodes of Interpreting Wine.

I’ll also set out the next steps you should take, if like many out there you want to give podcasting a go.

While you’re here register for the Interpreting Wine Hospitality Summit 2020

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Episode Transcript

First part of this question about why podcasting is growing. I think it all comes back to time. If you look at where people are listening to podcasts, it’s usually when they’re on the move, when they’re in the gym, when they’re commuting, when they’re cooking. Usually when they’re doing something else. So it’s one medium that lets you multitask. So you can’t go for a run and safely watch a video or read a book. You know, you need to have your focus on what you’re doing. Same thing when you’re driving. But audio is usually an open channel. And as long as you’re not doing something that’s overly taking all of your concentration and, you know, you’re a kind of an experienced driver or you’re cooking something that’s not overly complicated. You’ve got that channel open and you can be multitasking. You know, you can be doing something else at the same time. You can be learning a language. You can be catching up on the news.

You can be listening to interviews with people that you like or, you know, in my case, through the podcast, you could be learning about wine, if that’s something that you’re interested in.

I think beyond that as well. We see that there’s that behaviour coming into even affect other mediums. I mean, a lot of people now, you’ll probably notice a behaviour in yourself. You watch the TV and you have your phone out and you’ll be doing something else at the same time, listening in to the TV, but kind of not there, like sat rapt and watching it and giving your 100 percent attention. And I think more of that’s going to happen. It just maybe a sign of the times that we’re always doing something. There’s always something that we can be doing or there’s always something that we can be sort of planning ahead with. And the fact that we’ve got the mobile phone there alongside us means that we’re less inclined to put that off until tomorrow or put it off until the office if the thing comes up and the opportunity comes up to do it there and then we’ll just usually get on and do it. And that might take time away from that movie or that TV programme that we’re watching or even that person that we we’re with, you know, you often do see this in restaurants as well. But I think all of these behaviours that certainly in London where I live, are becoming increasingly common. I think they’re all about time. They’re all about this either seizing the moment and doing something while it’s in our mind or saving time by doing two things at the same time. And that’s what I that’s what I see with podcasting. I think that’s why it’s really finding it’s Nielsen finding its audience. And as for the second part, how can podcasters leverage this interest? I think it’s very, very simple for anybody that’s listening. I think that you should give it a go. You should start a podcast. You know, I’m a firm believer that podcasting is social media. I know there’s lots of debates around this, but I’ll break it down. My point of view. So just listen and think about the words social media or the phrase social media. It’s social. To me, that means that anybody has access to it. It means that there are no barriers to entry. Anybody can kind of get on and give it a go. And media is that it’s based around a particular type of media. In the beginning, there was Facebook and there were photos. You know, it was that was largely the driver of Facebook right back at the beginning. And we’re just now in a phase, I think, with podcasting where the media are audio files. And the beauty of that then is that anybody has got access to that. So I’ve produced in preparation for the presentation at Wine2Wine, a kit guide that lays out every single piece of equipment that I use to produce Interpreting Wine and I’ve used from the start, and I still use now. I’ve uploaded that at www.interpretingwine.com/kit. I come to the conference and my one wish is to get one person who either came to the talk or will listen to this podcast afterwards to get them to actually give it a go. You know, it’s something that for whatever reason, people are are tripping up at the kit stage.

It’s the most asked question that I have is “what kit are you using?” That’s not going to be the thing that keeps you going and kind of unlocks your creativity and provides your motivation. But it is the first step. You know, you kind of need some level of kit to kind of get onto the playing field. And I would just, you know, highly recommend a people just give it a go. And if you’re like, just, if you if you kind of just want to give it a go and kind of want a reasonable price access point. You know, my my kit guide it prices everything out and the overall price of the equipment I use is about one hundred and thirty pounds. And then the ongoing monthly costs for what I use in my exact setup that set up in the kit guide is around 10 to 20 pounds. So, you know, if that seems like something that you could reasonably commit to and invest for the next like six months or so, then, you know, why not get the kit guide, see what’s in there. You can kind of buy an Amazon, have it delivered, and then you’re on the field. You know, you’re then in the place where you’re thinking about what you’re going to say, how are you going to say it vs.. Are you even going to be playing in the first place.