Thread by @wwshaef

Podcasting power insights from my interview today with audio legends @adamdavidson + @smc90:

CAC: ~20x more expensive now vs. 2013 ($2 today)

$: Very few shows profit from ads. Podcasting largely top of funnel game.

Costs: Serial, Radiolab are $25k+ per episode. But...

🧵👇

Higher cost != higher quality.

Cover art + sound design: Spend here. Apple won’t feature shows without art.

Best audio: Has clear reason to exist. Knows audience. Overserves niche.

Best interview questions: Lead to a visual description + evoke emotion.

Insights per minute: Track this. Edit edit edit.

Beginning, middle, end: Have all 3, even in interview show.

Signposting: Remind listener where she is in episode arc. “Audio GPS.”Don’t give away the ending though!

Reminder: Like everything, podcasting and interviewing takes practice. Ira Glass wasn’t born @iraglass.

Well, he was, but you know what I mean.

Macro: There hasn’t been a Serial level hit in 2+ years.

Passion economy: Find the topic that you’re passionate about — you’re more likely to get 1,000 true fans than sufficient audience for ad model to work.

If you make it big, hey, that’s great too.

Thank you to Adam and Sonal for helping me #learninpublic.

Plug: Knowable has a 4-hour podcasting audiocourse featuring @paulscheer, @jonathanihirsch, @arsachs, @jkbasante, @smc90, and others from Team Coco, NPR, Vox, etc.

knowable.fyi/courses/how-to…