How podcasting moved from the fringe to the mainstream of entertainment
Chattanooga’s podcasting—and whether you like noir radio drama, current events or geeky fandom, there’s likely local-focused audio out there for you. If you want to keep up with urban development and education politics, check out The Camp House.
The church/coffeehouse/meeting place offers a weekly long-form deep dive into community events at thecamphouse.simplecast.fm. Last week, they scored an interview with new Hamilton County Schools superintendent Bryan Johnson, Ed.D.
Like sports? The Chattanooga Football Club podcasts about all things CFC during the season (looks like they’ve been on hiatus a few weeks now). Or if you’re god(s)-fearing, it seems like almost every church in town has a podcast, from professional productions to simple playbacks of services.
A podcast is simply a digital audio program available as a download file; some podcasts are conceived and produced specifically for download, while others have a dual purpose as live audio on radio or another medium. More and more, radio programs are drawing listeners who visit their websites to download and listen to shows on their own schedules.
This is especially true with long-form audio or shows that air in installments, such as stories with multiple segments.
Tales of the City
One such tale WUTC’s “Operation Song” series, covering the Nashville-based nonprofit of the same name, which is dedicated to supporting veterans through songwriting. Featured on Around and About Chattanooga, the stories were popular radio broadcasts, but, as a series of downloads, spin a larger saga.
Listening to a segment of the Memorial Day special, I hear a choir singing, a woman speaking about the death of her husband in the Chattanooga terrorist attack, and different takes, from rough to finished, of the commemorative song “Chattanooga Rain.” The listener is immersed in the music and raw emotion. Around and About’s news director and executive producer Michael Edward Miller’s voice appears late and infrequently.
“I was there during the [song-writing process], so I have different versions,” Michael says. “Like any writing process, you make a way-too-long first draft, and then you play it for people, get guidance on what to cut out and rearrange, and then get guidance from more people, and just slowly winnow it down into something that makes sense without narration, and that flows logically and can tell the entire story without having to have somebody there to literally tell the story.
“And that is by far the most difficult kind of audio thing to do. Even with TV or film or documentary, you can do a lot with images…trying to do something like that without any narration…if you didn’t get the right sound bite you just have to figure out what you can do.”
To make that happen—an audio story told largely without a narrator—Michael draws on exhaustive on-the-ground research. Once interviews and sound files are collected, he creates a story just like a writer would.
Michael notes that podcasting is a continuum from amateur to professional. Around and About is designed as a radio program that’s also a podcast, but there are many similarities with home podcasters, such as delivery method. On the other hand, WUTC’s podcasts stay broad in topic rather than appealing a niche market, as would be more common for a hobbyist.
In another difference from live broadcast, a podcast’s biggest audience is at the beginning of a file, Michael says. People leave if they’re bored.
“Radio is much less linear,” he says. “People are tuning in and out all the time. You can never know for sure at what point in a radio story the most people are going to be listening. So, particularly in a long-form interview, you have to be careful to constantly re-introduce the subject and, for a feature piece, to produce it in a way that it still makes sense if somebody only caught the last half of it.”
Podcasts, by contrast, have a steep initial demand for a strong grab, but once the listener is hooked, it’s less important to keep hooking him or her. In any case, it’s the story that matters, Michael says.
“You’re thinking of the sound, because that’s what makes audio great,” he says. “But if you’re a good writer and you don’t have a great voice, you can still make a great podcast and do good audio journalism.”
Who Knows What Evil Lurks?
Podcasts don’t have to be non-fiction! Old-time radio stories ranged from police procedural to slapstick, and podcasts do the same. One favorite mode is noir thriller—if you liked “The Shadow”, check out the delightfully creepy stories on Dark Princess Theatre’s podcast.
These are elegant, textured listens averaging 25 minutes in length, featuring the adventures of the evil, charmingly Southern (and possibly undead) Lady Gwendolyn and her “bloody butler,” Aleistaire Rook.
In addition to the voices of writers/stars/producers Hope Holloway and Marcus Patrick Ellsworth, listeners will hear spooky organ music, creamy accents, and screams—lots of screams.
Hope’s background is in film and radio. She came to podcasting through the route of a voice talent interview.
“I met my co-star Marcus Ellsworth when I interviewed for a podcast,” she says. “Marcus was interviewing me for the Tennessee Paranormal Investigative Team. We got to talk ghosts all night on the Delta Queen. We had an instant chemistry. We’ve been working together on different projects ever since.”
Dark Princess, as a hosting and performance troupe, is more than their podcast, but sound is at the heart of the production company’s work, whether they’re hosting balls or giving live readings. Their influences span from anime (think Black Butler) to 1960s gothic soap opera.
“We loved old classic horror movies, Edgar Allen Poe, Oscar Wilde,” Hope says. “Marcus writes [the scripts] but from the beginning stages, our process is a group effort. We chat and develop our ‘brain babies’ as we call our ideas. Marcus finesses our thoughts into dialogue.”
Then, Hope says, they find sound effects to fit the story. It’s the reverse of the editorial process Michael describes—the script comes first, then the sound.
Now in pre-production for a new podcast season, Dark Princess is looking to add an audio production specialist to their roster. With a cast of five for Season 2, they’re keeping busy.
“We have some amazing new characters and storylines to reveal,” Hope says. “We’re mixing things up a bit with some hilarious and dark characters you’ll love.”One new character, known as Wampus, is a supernatural cat based on Cherokee lore.
“It’s a speaking part,” Hope says. “She is quite a character—a bit of a smarty pants with her own ideas about things. You’ll recognize the cat in her for sure.”
As with news and community programming, fictional podcasts lend themselves well to story arcs. Instead of catching an episode at random, the dedicated listener can visit a website and listen in order.
“It’s different from live productions,” Hope says. “We started out as a horror hosting company, but soon realized we were bigger than that. Our characters told us stories in our heads. [We use podcasting] to get those stories told. In our live theater, we’re mindful of how the story’s developed in the podcast.”
Hope advises readers to check the website for an upcoming Halloween special. Brrr!
A Voice in the Wilderness
When it comes to starting your own podcast, advice varies wildly. There’s no legal bar to entry; unlike radio broadcasting, you don’t need a license. Beyond that, some podcasters recommend caution and preparation.
“Legally, you don’t need anything to podcast,” Mike says. “But if you want people to actually listen, you should invest in some decent equipment. You should definitely try to find a specific focus and have some sort of editorial process where people other than you listen and make suggestions…even if it’s a subject you care a lot about, you’re not the audience. You have to be mindful of who the audience is and what they want.”
For the equipment, Popular Mechanics offers a beginner’s shopping list, along with troubleshooting tips. Search “podcasting” on their website to find the list and several how-to articles.
Hope, on the other hand, urges less caution and more diving head-first into podcasting.
“Just do it!” she says. “Don’t let lack of equipment hold you back. Try it on your computer. Take that first step. When I started, I had experience writing, but I figured out the podcast part as I went. You can build up the equipment and knowledge as you go.”
Professional and amateurs alike can benefit from research about what draws listeners to click on—and listen all the way through—podcasts. With many radio stations adopting a podcast model, it’s possible to measure listening time, “likes” and “shares.” Doing just that, experts at NPR.org learned a lot about what generates good numbers:
- Grab your listeners’ attention with the first words. Tease them. Pique their interest.
- But don’t be too mysterious. Quickly tell listeners what the story’s about and why it matters.
- Keep it short. Podcasts around 3–5 minutes long attract the most listeners, according to NPR’s research.
Podcasts can be anything: Drama. Music. Hard news. Game show. Opinion. If you have a story to tell, a podcast is a great way find an audience.
“Think of your story,” Hope says. “Put it together and get it out there!”