Prologue
Authenticity
"Authenticity" is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the podcasting space ... many times as marketing jargon.
Take a look at the article below about a new AI tool being used to change Indian accents into American ones ...
This isn't authentic.
Effective? Maybe for short phone calls. But if you want to really connect with listeners of your podcast, you'll have better luck being yourself.
Your voice and everything that comes with it—your accent, your phrasing, and your opinions—it's an asset.
Speak up and lean into your authentic self. Nobody wants to hear a copy of what somebody else is doing.
Sponsor
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Podcaster Opportunities
The Death of Local Media
Here's something I wrote about the death of local newspapers, but it applies to all local media—television, radio, and newspapers.
This is a great opportunity for podcasters, because people are still hungry for local content.
Take advantage of it.
Podcast Marketing
Who Listens to Your Podcast? AI Knows ...
Check out this clever way to use AI for market research.
You can do something similar to get details on listeners of your podcast ... or podcast sponsors.
Try it and let me know via Bluesky how it works for you ...
Podcast Production
AI to Make Indians Sound Like Americans
Audio startup Krisp is launching a new feature that uses AI to change a user's accent during calls.
There's something about this that I find both dishonest and disturbing. I understand American callers can probably understand their own accent better than non-American ones, but I also feel it plays into stereotypes that flat American accents are more desirable than other accents.
Your accent makes you stand out. Don't fall into the trap of thinking a "flat" American accent is the way to go—it's not.
Your voice is the same way. Everybody has a "radio voice."
This is just the beginning of what we're going to see as far as voice manipulation. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Reach out to me via Bluesky and let me know what you think about this and similar tools.
Podcast Humor
The Podcaster Uniform
Do you wear a "uniform" when you record your podcast?
My advice ... It doesn't matter what you wear as long as you look the part. And this assumes you're not doing an audio-only remote session where you're not seen at all—if that's the case, wear whatever allows you to do your best work, regardless of what it looks like.
What do you wear when you're recording? Let me know via Bluesky.
The Business of Podcasting
Did Michelle Obama’s New Podcast Just Erase an Indie Brand?
I love this article on the power imbalance of celebrity-backed podcasts and feel the topic is something all podcasters should be aware of.
"Big business" is always looking for what's hot on the street—music, dance, fashion, etc ...
If you're got a few minutes, take a look at Merchants of Cool to see how the business works.
How can you protect yourself? Having a trademark and copyright can help. It's nice to have the .com domain of whatever "your brand" is.
But in the end, it may come down to whoever does the best job of getting the word out. The stronger awareness of a "brand" is, the less likely somebody else will come in and try to take it.
Classifieds
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The Wrap Up
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