With International Podcast Day on Friday 30th September here at NWD we decided to start celebrating early. Who better than one of the London’s leading urban podcast networks – SHOUTOUT NETWORK to give us additional insight into the Podcasting industry but also the highlight why The Shoutout Network is leading the way in the UK.
During this week, NWD have manage to interview the CEO for The Shoutout Network Imriel Morgan as well as some podcast presenters under the Shoutout Network umbrella. Within these interviews we spoke on diversity, their rivals in the US and the platform they provided to kick start a dialogue on controversial and touchy topics.
1. Please explain what a podcast is and what are the advantages and differences between Podcasting and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio.
When we started the network, we discovered that there are a few definitions for a podcast. For us, a podcast is an audio programme that is distributed through an RSS feed, so it is available to download or stream on demand across multiple channels. Unlike radio, podcasts are not bound by content restrictions, and we do not have to rely on the user to be available at a set time to tune in.
2.Please give a brief explanation as to what the Shoutout Network is.
The Shoutout Network is a podcast network that sets out to provide a platform for people from underrepresented backgrounds to tell their stories. Media representation is a problem in the UK, the Founder Efe Jerome wanted to do something about it. I (Imriel Morgan) was always behind the scenes trying to figure out how we grow the network. I became the CEO after the first podcast, Melanin Millennials launched, and I saw how much bigger this could be. The other shows started very quickly afterwards. What is most appealing to them is that they only have to show up and record, and we take care of the rest. Also, the ShoutOut Networks production quality rivals those from bigger and more established publications.
3. Why you didn’t want to pursue getting these shows as DAB podcasts?
If you mean Radio: Broadcasting on the radio is live which is not what we wanted, and there’s too much bureaucracy with licensing and censorship that we did not want. Podcasting offers more flexibility for us, our schedules and the hosts too.
4. You have been featured on Fader, The Guardian, SBTV, Huck Blavity and now NWD. What would you say is your biggest selling and/or staying power long term?
SON is committed to highlighting the diversity of thought and opinion in our communities. We can do what larger corporations and media companies cannot; the ability to achieve diverse content without censorship. Our content speaks to people because the hosts are real people, not celebrities or social media stars. We do not underestimate the power of having our thoughts and opinions validated outside of our social groups. We are normalising our audiences experiences because mainstream media can make us feel abnormal.
5. Why do you think the UK is behind in comparison to the USA regarding the number of different Podcast platforms?
I think that depends on what you mean by behind, if we are talking about the commercial side of podcasting then the UK is not that far behind the USA. There was a stat that found that most of the podcast advertising was dominated by roughly the same 20 companies which isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things. Podcasting blew up after Serial’s global success which was approximately two years ago. So as a medium it is becoming increasingly popular here as people start to understand how similar it is to radio
6. What are the top three advice you’d give anyone who is looking to set up their own podcast show.
1. Be very clear on what you want to talk about especially niche subjects. Podcasting will test your knowledge on a subject.
2. Have a structure and try to stick to it. Experimenting with your show in the first 6 months to a year to find your rhythm is fine.
3. Be consistent! This goes for everything from your audio quality, duration, and your episode release schedule.
Follow the podcast @MelaninMille via Twitter. Listen to their latest episode via Soundcloud. or download the full episodes for free via iTunes.
