Category: Audio Drama

by Bob Tinsley

Why should you as a visitor to TVWriter™ be interested in making audio fiction? Why should you be interested in making podcasts? Discoverability, that’s why.

The meaning of the word podcast is evolving to include any episodic, audio-only production whether nonfiction or fiction. Agents and major studios have started trawling through podcasts and their creators for new content and talent. 

So here’s the latest news to help you and your podcast get discovered.

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Music from https://filmmusic.io
“The Builder” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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• I TOLD YOU SO.

The Horror Of Dolores Roach Podcast In Works For TV By Blumhouse & Gimlet.

Blumhouse TV has acquired the rights to Gimlet’s horror podcast, The Horror of Dolores Roach, written and directed by Aaron Mark. The podcast and TV series stars Daphne Rubin-Vega and Bobby Cannavale.

https://deadline.com/2019/04/the-horror-of-dolores-roach-podcast-television-series-blumhouse-gimlet-1202596790/

• I TOLD YOU SO, PART 2.

Marvel To Create Originals For SiriusXM.

Marvel will be creating a slate of original fiction podcasts for Sirius XM and Pandora starting next year. There will be four new scripted series of ten episodes each about Wolverine, Black Widow, Star Lord, and Hawkeye, as well as one where all four join forces. There will also be non-fiction podcasts about the history of Marvel, podcasts about individual franchises, and talk shows.

https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/marvel-to-create-originals-for-siriusxm/

• DISCOVERABILITY.

The Westwood One Podcast Download Report Fall 2019 was recently released.

Among some fascinating numbers was one that most reportorial people, excluding me, of course, seem to be ignoring: 54% of all weekly podcast listeners and 66% of podcast newcomers learned about new podcasts via social media.

https://www.westwoodone.com/2019/10/16/westwood-ones-podcast-download-fall-2019-report-women-close-the-gap-podcast-events-gain-traction-podcast-listening-on-smart-speakers-hits-a-speed-bump-and-podcast-ad-appeal-shif/

• GO SEE IT.

Southside Podfest.

Southside Podfest, a new podcast festival, is being held in Chicago with live performances of podcasts on four nights between November 6 and December 4. There will be a live performance of the sci-fi comedy, Oz 9, on December 4. All four nights will begin at 8pm at Lawlor’s on Archer (6854 W Archer Ave, Chicago, Illinois) and are completely free!

https://podnews.net/press-release/south-side-podfest?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2019-10-18

https://www.facebook.com/southsidepod/?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=podnews.net%3A2019-10-18

• GO SEE IT, PART 2.

The Digital Hollywood Fall Event.

The Digital Hollywood Fall Event happens at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles from November 12 – 14, 2019. There are fourteen different tracks and themes, the most interesting for budding podcasters is the Podcasting Forum. This takes place on November 14 from 10 AM to 7:30 PM and includes ten sessions. Among them is The Podcast Production Company: From Indie Start-up to TV/Film Divisions. Tickets are pricey, but discounts are available for full time students ($25!), the unemployed ($95), and self-employed producers ($135). If you can go, do it!

http://www.digitalhollywood.com/

https://www.digitalhollywood.com/podcastsfl19.html

• IF YOU WANNA WRITE, YOU GOTTA LISTEN.

This one takes the cake for the biggest surprise of the week. Supernatural Sexuality with Dr. Seabrooke explores relationships and sexuality in a world where monsters are real.

https://www.supersexradio.com/episodes

• PEOPLE WHO DO IT RIGHT.

  Interview with Lindsay Harris-Friel.

  In this interview Lindsay Harris-Friel talks about the creation of Jarnsaxa Rising, a podcast exploring what happens when Norse gods start playing around in a near future world.

  https://audiodramarama.com/2019/10/16/interview-with-lindsay-harris-friel/

So, until next week, same Pod-time, same Pod-channel, keep listening and keep creating.

SPEAKING OF AUDIO FICTION…

Did you know that all audio fiction entries in TVWriter™’s PEOPLE’S PILOT 2019 pilot script competition are eligible for the two major category prizes plus special prizes and a reduced entry fee?

Learn all about it at: https://peoplespilot.com

by Bob Tinsley

Why should you as a visitor to TVWriter™ be interested in making audio fiction? Why should you be interested in making podcasts? Discoverability, that’s why.

The meaning of the word podcast is evolving to include any episodic, audio-only production whether nonfiction or fiction. Agents and major studios have started trawling through podcasts and their creators for new content and talent. 

So here’s the latest news to help you and your podcast get discovered.

---

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“The Builder” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

---

• I TOLD YOU SO.

iHeart Media has teamed up with Blumhouse Productions to produce a number of original thriller audio fiction podcast series “with potential film and television development” to be released beginning in January 2020. The first will be The Mantawauk Caves, by writer, director and producer Dan Bush. It tells the story of three boys who enter a cave in the Adirondack Mountains. Only one comes out alive.

https://blog.iheart.com/Pages/iheartmedia-and-blumhouse-productions-are-teaming-up-to-bring-listeners-a-slate-of-new-thriller-podcasts.aspx

• I TOLD YOU SO, PART 2.

  iHeart, Ferrell Expand Podcast Relationship.

  Will Farrell and iHeart Media partnered early this year to produce The Ron Burgandy Podcast, one of the most successful podcasts in iHeart’s stable. Now they are expanding that partnership to launch a new podcast network called Big Money Players Network dedicated to launching new comedy podcasts, both scripted and non-scripted. Opportunity knocks.

  https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/iheart-ferrell-expand-podcast-relationship/

• IF YOU WANNA WRITE, YOU GOTTA LISTEN.

Radiotopia’s Excellent Passenger List Is About More Than a Missing Plane.

Vulture has noticed podcasts. It just published an in-depth, and glowing, review of Passenger List, a podcast I have mentioned before, starring The Last Jedi’s Kelly Marie Tran and Patti LuPone. If you haven’t listened yet, you’re missing out.

https://www.vulture.com/article/passenger-list-podcast-review.html

https://www.radiotopia.fm/podcasts/passenger-list

• PEOPLE WHO DO IT RIGHT.

  Trendsetting Spook-show, Conspiracy Theories And The Men From Night Vale.

  In this short interview with Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, creators of Welcome to Night Vale, the most downloaded podcast in the world, they talk about how they got where they are. They also mention other podcasts, some theirs, some not. Most valuable for budding fiction podcasters is reference to their non-fiction Start With This podcast in which they teach you to DIY.

  https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/trendsetting-spook-show-conspiracy-theories-and-the-men-from-night-vale-20190917-p52s99.html

•  LISTENERS, WE NEED MORE LISTENERS.

  My Biggest Tip For Live Podcast Events.

  In this article Dan Misener, Head of Audience Development for Pacific Content, points out not only why you should be doing live podcast events but also how to do them correctly. Bottom line, you must remember that podcasts and live events are different. You have to put on a show that plays to the strengths of live performances.

  https://blog.pacific-content.com/my-biggest-tip-for-live-podcast-events-84741894ae5e

• RESOURCES.

  Former Google and Spotify executives launch Sounder, a new podcast platform offering free hosting, distribution, transcription, measurement, and monetization. Within a few months you will be able to edit your podcast right on the platform. It’s getting easier, folks.

  https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/former-google-spotify-execs-launch-podcast-platform/

• RESOURCES, PART 2.

What does it take to turn a fiction podcast into a TV series? In her article on CinemaBlend, Britt Lawrence interviews Limetown creators, Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie, going deep into the challenges they faced. Listen to the podcast, watch on FaceBook Watch, and read the article.

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2482348/limetown-creators-explain-challenges-and-changes-when-turning-a-podcast-into-a-tv-show

So, until next week, same Pod-time, same Pod-channel, keep listening and keep creating.

SPEAKING OF AUDIO FICTION…

Did you know that all audio fiction entries in TVWriter™’s PEOPLE’S PILOT 2019 pilot script competition are eligible for the two major category prizes plus special prizes and a reduced entry fee?

Learn all about it at: https://peoplespilot.com

by Bob Tinsley

Why should you as a visitor to TVWriter™ be interested in making audio fiction? Why should you be interested in making podcasts? Discoverability, that’s why.

The meaning of the word podcast is evolving to include any episodic, audio-only production whether nonfiction or fiction. Agents and major studios have started trawling through podcasts and their creators for new content and talent. 

So here’s the latest news to help you and your podcast get discovered.

---

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“The Builder” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

---

• I TOLD YOU SO.

In an earlier edition we mentioned that the fiction podcast, Limetown, had been adapted into a “TV” series to be shown on Facebook Watch. The first episode premiered yesterday. As I am writing this a week beforehand I haven’t yet seen it, but from watching the trailer I will be. You should, too.

https://www.facebook.com/limetownstories/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARB0ZLguFFz8hI9gXOhHeQCIkSU6aMwKfyVbznOFqxcJl_rkzHO4ZKedTPch03TzQw6yzKK_jVl8OMwC

• LISTENERS, WE NEED MORE LISTENERS.

  Radio Ambulante’s Audience Is Worldwide. Listening Clubs Help Bring Them Together.

  Local listening parties or clubs are apparently on the rise for some shows. This is a fascinating article about another way to increase your audience. The article covers a nonfiction example, but there’s no reason this can’t be adapted for fiction podcasts. Did you know that Generation Listen even exists? I didn’t. It will take some organizing, but NPR has a free kit for organizing listening parties.

  https.//www.niemanlab. org

  https://generationlisten.npr.org/

 LISTENERS, WE NEED MORE LISTENERS, PART 2.

Audio fiction podcasts go international.

This article in Japan Today covers Hollywood’s fascination with audio fiction as a source of stories. It also mentions the fact that the big players in podcast networks are expanding beyond the US and the English-speaking world with English language podcasts. The big attraction, fiction podcasts aren’t crippled with the territorial rights associated with television and film.

https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/podcasts-pique-hollywood%27s-interest-with-fiction-series

• MONETIZE IT.

  August Top 15: Spotify Makes The Top Podcast Advertisers List For The First Time.

  The top 2,000 podcasts on Spotify received three times as many ads in August over July this year. Their new podcast tagline: “The best new shows aren’t on TV.” Over 7,000 brands have advertised on podcasts. It looks like advertisers are flocking to podcasts in increasing numbers, but it takes work on your part to get in the right door.

  https://medium.com/@magellanblog/august-top-15-spotify-makes-the-top-podcast-advertisers-list-for-the-first-time-752307f81155

• RESOURCES.

   

Sound Design.

In this podcast from Fantastic Noise host Terry Lee interviews sound designer Sarah Myles about her role in making sound the best part of your podcast. You may not want to be a sound designer, but you do want to learn what role they play in your production.

https://fantasticnoise.podbean.com/e/sound-design-with-podcast-producer-sarah-myles/

• RESOURCES, PART 2.

Podcast Your Way to Hollywood: How Content Creators Can Find Success

Interviewed in this article, Travis Vengroff, one of the most successful audio fiction podcasters working today, gives an A-to-Z blueprint on how to produce and monetize a podcast. This year he and his wife and partner in Fool and Scholar Productions, Kaitlin Statz, began making enough money from their Patreon account to become full-time podcasters. It’s not easy, and it takes time, but you can, too.

.https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/podcast-your-way-hollywood-how-content-creators-can-find-jeff-rivera/?fbclid=IwAR3mvwP1SWswWcwn15hVYnniVRiUVxyQPzwpZysWyrz7Pd6rwstESUbnyrE

• IF YOU WANNA WRITE, YOU GOTTA LISTEN.

Dart is a fiction podcast about a traumatized food delivery driver trying to find normalcy.

From the website: “But when a fellow driver turns up dead and a sticky darkness starts to seep into Boston, Jenny might be reluctantly pulled back into the world she left behind.” Each episode is three to five minutes long. Amanda McColgan wrote, produced, and performed the role of Jenny.

https://enfieldarts.com/dart-an-audio-drama/?utm_campaign=Fiction%20Podcast%20Weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter

So, until next week, same Pod-time, same Pod-channel, keep listening and keep creating.

SPEAKING OF AUDIO FICTION…

Did you know that all audio fiction entries in TVWriter™’s PEOPLE’S PILOT 2019 pilot script competition are eligible for the two major category prizes plus special prizes and a reduced entry fee?

Learn all about it at: https://peoplespilot.com

by Bob Tinsley

Why should you as a visitor to TVWriter™ be interested in making audio fiction? Why should you be interested in making podcasts? Discoverability, that’s why.

The meaning of the word podcast is evolving to include any episodic, audio-only production whether nonfiction or fiction. Agents and major studios have started trawling through podcasts and their creators for new content and talent. 

So here’s the latest news to help you and your podcast get discovered.

---

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“The Builder” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

---

• I TOLD YOU SO.

Law And Order: SVU Has A Podcast.

The show celebrates the TV program’s 21 years of innovative storytelling with interviews with the cast and crew.  The really interesting part? They promise that they’ll be putting out “radio-style episodes.” I’m excited! 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-law-order-svu-podcast/id1480917617

• STRUCTURE

Stepping Through the Narrative Door: An Essay on Contemporary Audio Fiction.

Ella Watts, Executive Producer of the podcast, The Orphans, turns out one of the best examinations of the structure of successful audio fiction that I have yet read. Last year about this same time she wrote a more general analysis of audio fiction. Both are must reads. By the way, visit The Orphans website for an outstanding example of how to do it right.

https://www.internationalpodcastmonth.com/blog/stepping-through-the-narrative-door-an-essay-on-contemporary-audio-fiction?fbclid=IwAR3RaPWOrl6s_uAJ3iFC2VS5dRjBQVTgAwfpP0QvAm9LDZTQevhu4Ci_90Y&utm_campaign=Fiction%20Podcast%20Weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter

https://www.internationalpodcastmonth.com/blog/the-art-of-the-invisible-wall

https://www.orphanspod.com/

• LISTENERS, WE NEED MORE LISTENERS.

Podcast Promotion: 8 Ways to Grow Your Audience.

This article provides the deepest dive into podcast promotion that your humble correspondent has seen yet. Don’t let the constant reference to nonfiction throw you. These points apply just as well to fiction. You want to gain listeners who aren’t currently podcast consumers? Instead of saying “subscribe to my podcast,” say “listen to my show.” All of the links in this article are well worth clicking.

https://comealivecreative.com/podcast-promotion/

• LISTENERS, WE NEED MORE LISTENERS, PART 2.

You Must Be Everywhere – Offline Too!

Despite the rather hyperbolic title, this article contains some good advice, Number Two being the most important of the seven ideas. You don’t need thousands of downloads to give a presentation at libraries, churches, senior citizen centers, just a recording of your show and talk about the process. You WILL have anecdotes to share.

https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/you-must-be-everywhere-offline-too/

• IF YOU WANNA WRITE, YOU GOTTA LISTEN.

Cryptids: A Science Fiction/Horror Podcast

Releasing weekly episodes from September 29 through October. From the Google Podcasts listing: “Cryptids tells the story of a conspiracy radio show host and an avid listener who go in search of an afterlife. Instead they find a truth beyond their wildest nightmares. In this female driven, scripted, sci-fi audio drama, you’ll meet monsters, aliens… and the ultimate grim reaper.”

Worth a listen.

https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9jcnlwdGlkc3BvZGNhc3QucG9kYmVhbi5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw=

• OPPORTUNITY.

Forever Dog Unveils New Slate.

Forever Dog, an alternative comedy podcasting network, announced its new season with six shows including two all-new scripted comedies and four returning shows.This will make scripted content half of their total new season. If they added two new scripted shows this year, it’s time to start pitching for next year.

https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/forever-dog-unveils-new-slate/

• RESOURCES.

Visit the BBC Writer’s Room.

The number of resources here are mind-boggling, not the least of which is a script library where you can download scripts from the BBC’s most popular radio and TV series. The Writer’s Room deserves a permanent place in your browser tabs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/

So, until next week, same Pod-time, same Pod-channel, keep listening and keep creating.

SPEAKING OF AUDIO FICTION…

Did you know that all audio fiction entries in TVWriter™’s PEOPLE’S PILOT 2019 pilot script competition are eligible for the two major category prizes plus special prizes and a reduced entry fee?

Learn all about it at: https://peoplespilot.com