TPU126 – 3 Podcasting Updates that Could Potentially Change the Podcasting Landscape!

The last 2 weeks or, so saw some podcasting updates that have the potential to change the way podcasting works.

One of them is related to using AI in podcasting.

Want to know about the other 2.

Then you might want to listen to this week’s episode.

The news about these podcasting updates wasn’t hyped, so it is quite possible that you could easily have missed it but, these updates are huge and can have some impact on podcasting.

I am not a fan of these trends and news kinds of episodes and prefer doing more evergreen content. But sometimes, it becomes important to take a look at critical updates.

You never know, tomorrow my prediction could just become reality and I will have something to go back and look at just to verify that I indeed did that prediction.

Isn’t it?

Anyways, jokes apart,

Let us quickly take a look at these updates and why I feel it could impact podcasting.

3 Podcasting Updates that could potentially change the podcasting Landscape

All the three of these updates are related to each other and you will know why when you hear all the three of them.

The biggest of this is going to be AI in podcasting and the impact it could have on the podcasting landscape.

So let’s get started!

Podcasting Update 1: Develop AI

The first one is Develop AI.

I am not sure if you heard about this Project.

Paul McNally owns this Project and it is an AI that can run a podcast.

That’s right!

This app can create solo podcasts or, co-hosted podcasts.

In fact, it can have more than 2 hosts and can create conversational episodes just like us human beings.

Paul already released a couple of episodes using this app that he developed.

And you need to listen to it to believe it.

I will leave a link in the show notes so that you too can give it a listen.

The conversation sounds a lot natural though I wouldn’t say 100% but it is almost there.

Paul is continuing the development of this app and is going to release it to the general public for people who would be interested in running AI podcasts.

You can listen to it here!

Why is this update a big one?

Because this can be extremely powerful and considering all of the latest developments in AI, you never know. AI podcasts could just be the next big thing.

And with the many possibilities with AI, you never know what route podcasting might take – for the good or, for the worse.

We need to wait and see.

Take Descript for example. They have released a new update to their overdub feature. Overdub basically is a voice cloning feature in Descript. You could submit a 30-minute script read out in your voice as a voice sample and Descript will create a clone for your voice.

And to be very frank it is incredible. You need to listen to it to believe it.

And if you didn’t notice it, then I used my voice clone in this episode at 3 different points. You might want to go back and listen to this episode up until this point again.

Coming back to Overdub.

Descript released an update that reduces the voice training time, which earlier was around 30-40 minutes to barely a few minutes now.

So you could train your voice model in a couple of minutes and you will have it ready to use.

With that update, you could just release a solo episode without uttering a single word.

I am sure by now you might probably have understood the impact of this update.

Now onto the second one.

Podcasting update 2: Zencastr update

This is about Zencastr!

Zencastr has been my preferred interview recording software when I was recording interviews. I have always promoted Zencastr because of the many features they offered even in their FREE plan.

Then they added FREE podcast hosting, monetization opportunities, and post-processing features.

Everything is in their FREE plan as well.

But I knew that it was just a matter of time before they stopped giving out everything for FREE.

That model couldn’t have been viable for the long term especially when all the other competitors were charging for the services.

And it has happened now.

Zencastr announced that their FREE plan will no more offer recording options. The FREE hosting and monetization options will still continue though.

This too is a huge update.

Why?

Let me explain.

Audio and video quality are going to be the differentiating factor between good and bad podcasts when the competition increases.

And the FREE Zencastr plan was an option that even a beginner podcaster could use to record high-quality interviews in both audio and video.

Now with that option out, you only have ZOOM as an option to record interviews.

And ZOOM isn’t great when it comes to podcasting.

There again the FREE plan will only give you about 40 minutes.

So for podcasters who are looking at running interview format shows, this is going to be an additional monthly expenditure.

And this expenditure will deter a lot of people who are not that serious about podcasting and are only looking at giving it a try.

This means a lot of the non-serious podcasts will get automatically filtered out. But how much is something that we will need to wait and see?

Coming to the third and the final one!

Podcasting update # 3: YouTube

This update is coming from YouTube.

Google has announced that it is retiring Google Podcasts and that podcasts will now be integrated into YouTube music.

YouTube had already rolled out its Podcast option to its users some time back. For anybody who started using it, your podcast should already be featured on YouTube Music.

Mine is. You can search for my show and you will find the show there. But not all the episodes.

So why is this update huge, you ask?

One of the things that podcasts have always lacked is searchability.

I had a feeling Google Podcasts would solve it. But with Spotify and Apple podcasts taking up the major chunk of the podcast listening app market, the impact of discoverability from Google Podcasts was extremely low.

With podcasts now being featured on YouTube, the landscape changes.

YouTube has a huge user base and if podcasts start appearing on their browse and search page, then SEO and searchability in podcasting will be redefined.

So as a podcaster, it makes absolute sense for you to upload your episodes to YouTube with or, without a video.

And if you can record it with a video, then nothing like it.

But irrespective. Once your episodes start appearing on YouTube music and people start listening to it there, the entire game changes.

Now add an AI twist to it. The first update I shared a little while back.

And you will have shows on anything and everything. And a lot of them could be AI podcasts

Shocked, surprised, awed!

I would like to know your thoughts.

Comment below and let me know your thoughts!

Show Notes:

Here’s what we discussed in the episode –

1. 3 podcasting updates
2. How these podcasting updates could impact the podcasting landscape
3. My take on these podcasting updates.

This episode is sponsored by Zencastr. Use my special link here to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 

Thank You for Joining

Thank you all for joining me on the show today.

If you enjoyed this episode then I am sure you will love some of the previous episodes as well. Pick your favorite ones and give them a listen.

The podcasting university is available on all podcasting platforms. You can pick your favorite one to listen to the show there. The links to some of the prominent ones are mentioned below.

CASTBOX: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/castbox
STITCHER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/stitcher
TUNEIN: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/tunein
GOOGLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/googlepodcasts
APPLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/itunes
PLAYER.FM: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/playerfm
SPOTIFY: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/spotify
HUBHOPPER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/hubhopper
AMAZON PRIME: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/prime

Recommended Resources for Podcasting

Here are some of the recommended resources for Podcasting. These are the ones that I personally use and am satisfied with and hence am recommending them.

• Acast Podcast hosting – Acast is my favorite podcast hosting company. They have excellent customer support, have a pocket-friendly plan, and even have a free option with no limits.
• Behringer Audio Interface – You will need an audio interface if you are using an XLR microphone. This is my recommended audio interface.
• Zencastr – Zencastr is the easiest option to record interviews, both audio-only and audio+video. This is a must for an interview podcast. Go to zencastr.com/pricing and use my code “thepodu” You’ll get 30 percent off your first three months of Zencastr professional.
• Audacity – This is the best and the most feature-rich free audio editing software. It gives you a lot of options while editing your interviews.
• Blue Yeti USB Microphone – My recommended microphone
• Tidycal – My recommended calendar and booking solutions
• Fusebox – Embeddable Podcast Player
• Descript – Audio Editing, Transcription and Video editing software

AMAZON DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Podcasting University is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

MICROPHONES –

1. ATR-2100x
2. MAONO AU-HD300T : https://geni.us/ro48q
3. Maono AU-WDM01 : https://geni.us/PhZ3V2v
4. Samson Q2U – https://geni.us/k9cuk
5. Audio Technica AT 2035 – https://geni.us/g2URDI
6. Rode NT USB – https://geni.us/O6b65K
7. Shure MV7X – https://geni.us/w7rZ4

LAVELIER MICROPHONES

1. Boya ByM1 Auxillary Lavelier Microphone – https://geni.us/boyabym1lav
2. Boya ByM1 Pro Lavelier Microphones – https://geni.us/boyabym1prolav
3. Digitek Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/R3cGd
4. Boya – BYXM6 Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/OS6gq
5. Vook Dual Channel Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/V9YBO1i

PORTABLE RECORDERS –

1. Zoom H5 Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/rVTAIAV
2. Zoom H1N Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/dOaDg

AUDIO INTERFACE –

1. Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 – https://geni.us/gBCjm
2. M-Audio M-Track Solo – https://geni.us/RnhHr
3. HAYDEN HY-229 – https://geni.us/c80KbWB

MIXERS –

1. HAYDEN 4 Channels – https://geni.us/cXQ0
2. Behringer Q502USB

MONITORING HEADPHONES –

1. Oneodio Studio Pro-10 : https://geni.us/IQI88Se
2. Maono AU-MH501 : https://geni.us/AbNrU
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M20X : https://geni.us/eEUf9

POP-FILTER –

1. JEYANG Metal Pop Filter – https://geni.us/JMfuY
2. Wright WP 101 – https://geni.us/OcOAzj

DESK-STAND/BOOM ARM –

1. MY-STANDS MC 18 : https://geni.us/Lwnb
2. Bulfyss Professional Recording Microphone Stand: https://geni.us/mV4S

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