Podcasting Matures with Pod-Conference - Keynotes and Sessions
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One of the keynote speakers was Leo LaPorte, who does the popular podcast “This Week In Tech.” His was one of the few voices speaking out against the monetization of podcasting – specifically, against podcasters trying to win the backing of advertisers. “If somebody gives you money, you owe them something…I listen to my listener, but I don’t want to listen to advertisers.”
Taking a different viewpoint, Michael Geoghegan spoke on Saturday afternoon about “The Realities of Monetization and Corporate Use of Podcasting.” Geoghegan has credibility; he hosts a regular podcast that gives film reviews, and he has written a book on podcasting titled “Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting.” One reporter hailed his session as one of the best of the show. He drew on his experience doing podcast work for hire for Disney. He encouraged podcasters to think of themselves as media companies, and ask what they are worth. This comes in handy when seeking corporate clients, which is one way to monetize your podcasting expertise.
One session on Friday that drew a huge crowd was “Music in Podcasts: The Future of Music Licensing.” And understandably so, with the Recording Industry Association of America on the warpath lately! While many argued that the RIAA’s stance was wrong-headed, others pointed out that there is little we can do to change its views. That being the case, podcasters should get permission directly from independent artists to use their music, or use music carrying a Creative Commons license.
There were plenty of how-to sessions as well. Phillip Torrone hosted one titled “Podcast Hacking: All the Things You Should (and Shouldn’t) Do When Recording, Capturing and Publishing Podcasts on Computers and Mobile Devices.” It was described as providing tips “that will likely void the warranty of just about anything you might consider to fetch or record podcasts.” And it was probably meant seriously, considering Torrone’s chops as a hacking writer for “Make Magazine.” Indeed, one of the questions he asked early in his session was “No one’s here from the FCC, right?”
It almost made me feel sorry for Noah Glass, who ran a session at the same time. Titled “The ODEO Method: Modernization of the Oral Tradition, Sharing, and More,” I could not find a review of this discussion. From the description, though, it sounded less tech-centered than Torrone’s, with more concern for the narrative structure of a podcast. After all, in a very real sense, podcasters are a continuation of the long tradition of storytellers; Glass was scheduled to speak about how podcasters can use these time-tested techniques to connect with their audience. It was nice to see that more than just technical and commercial how-tos were covered by the conference.
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