Podcasts

Podcasts have become very popular in recent years and as the research shows at least 24% in US listens to podcasts once a day. A podcast is defined more by its delivery system than it’s content. Podcasts are on-demand audio content, and there’s plenty of room for more creators to join the fray which is good for anyone who would like to create one for branding, information or advertising purpose.

Out of the best performing on the market we can classify them in 6 different types:

1. One-2-One interview which is the most common format for podcasts because it’s easy to do. The equipment needed is a microphone and an internet connection. Apart from that there are some other components needed like organizational skills to book people to interview, interviewing skills, and the discipline to publish regularly.

2. Solo commentary over a period of time which is a person vs microphone. This set up can create very compelling content. From a technical perspective, this is also an easy podcast to pull off. But it’s harder than you think to carry a microphone on your own. Many podcasters do preparations for this type of podcast. The trick, then, is to write and read the script as if you are speaking conversationally. In general, podcasts are not like audio books. Listeners aren’t expecting to hear someone read. They want to hear someone talk.

3. Guest interview or discussions do require a little more work. First, everyone who participates should have a microphone whether they are all in the same room or not. Second, there are some technical hurdles to jump when it comes to recording several different sources of sound. Third, it’s a difficult to find a date when everyone is available to record. There are some real advantages to this format. The responsibility for being interesting is distributed throughout the panel. If the energy between the panel members is strong, listening to a conversation between some opinionated people is always entertaining.

4. Nonfiction narrative story-telling is dominated by journalism. And when it comes to audio journalism and story-telling. Many of the podcasts in this genre run about 20–25 minutes per episode. And to produce those 20–25 minutes, a team of reporters and producers have likely recorded somewhere between three and four hours of tape and hours of writing and editing scripts. Producing great non-fiction stories is labour-intensive and time consuming.

5. Fictional story-telling podcasts are not used by many people producing straight up fiction. It simply hasn’t caught on among fiction writers.

6. Hybrid podcasts mix and match the above forms to create more fun. There are lots of podcasters out there who combine different elements of these forms to create their show. Podcasters can use a monologue or solo commentary to start their show, and then they may move into an interview or panel discussion format. Usually such podcasts have distinct segments developed, just like traditional radio and tv programs.

7. Repurposed Content podcast are usually stories told in front of a live audience and then repurposed as a podcast to listen to any time. Many long-standing audio programs and live events  have jumped onto the podcast train as it’s picked up speed. Content that can be easily repurposed and distributed to a wider audience as a podcast are sermons, seminars, workshops, and even plays.

BMF Design can facilitate creation of the podcasts, choose and test the best format, platform create the scripts, book the people and record and manage the post production process.