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As artists, we can spend a lot of time waiting for someone to give us a job, opportunity, or platform to be able to create and share our art. With podcasts continuing to gain popularity and recognition like never before I would like to encourage readers to consider learning about the current podcasting landscape as an alternate performance avenue.
By hosting or creating your own podcast you get to take back your power and create your own platform.
No more waiting for Shonda Rhimes or Lin-Manuel Miranda to discover and hire you, now’s the opportunity to create your own dream role. Whether it’s a true crime podcast or a podcast musical, Hollywood is always looking to mine new intellectual property (I.P.) for content. In the last three years, we’ve seen podcasts quickly being adapted into television series (WeCrashed/AppleTV+, The DropOut/Hulu), movies (Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, Jesse Eisenberg’s When You Finish Saving the World), and even books. In addition, top agencies like CAA have established podcast divisions and top festivals like Tribeca and Sundance have created a podcast category for submissions.
Podcasts are said to be the current top self-promotion tool to center yourself as an expert or authority aside from publishing a book. By hosting an interview-style podcast or guesting on other people’s platforms you have the opportunity to shape how you want to be seen and heard by the world. Allow people to get to know the real you and why you are amazing.
For my fellow immigrant artists based in the U.S you will be pleased to know that in 2022, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated their policy manual to include audio and video transcripts as acceptable evidence for their ‘extraordinary’ visa categories.
With multiple apps to catch your favs on the go whether they’re audio-only or video streaming, podcasting has become a medium that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone, everywhere regardless of socio-economic background.
Not only is podcasting accessible to those with disabilities (thank you transcripts and captions) but it is also accessible to those in developing countries. In fact, there are creators in African countries distributing their podcasts via Whatsapp. All you need is internet and/or data bundles to essentially access a wealth of entertainment and information.
There is content for all ages, religions, cultural backgrounds, political affiliations, and interests, meaning podcasts essentially democratize content. As a bonus compared to producing a webseries or play, launching a podcast requires minimal financial investment.
Why not leverage podcasting as a way to establish yourself as extraordinary or an ‘expert’?
Global listenership means opportunities for local and international media coverage and exposure. So before you launch your podcast consider crafting a press release for social media, newspapers, radio stations, and media outlets. Create some buzz!
Maximize your experience with hosting or creating a podcast to go on other podcasts! The cross-promotion will introduce you to new audiences and potential supporters to grow your audience.
Don’t forget to transcribe your podcast to create accessibility, boost SEO, and repurpose content.
Boosting your SEO will increase your discoverability and visibility on the internet. Whilst repurposing your content is great material for your website, blog, TikTok/reels, or even publishing a book – just make sure you have permission from all parties involved and full rights.
Again my fellow immigrant artists don’t overlook or underestimate podcasting as another way to create and generate press to satisfy USCIS visa criteria.
It has been said that people are increasingly enjoying listening to podcasts over reading blog posts and consuming Netflix! As of January 2023, there are 464.7 million podcast listeners and the industry is projected to be worth US$4B in the future.
Aside from the opportunity for revenue from ad sponsorship, there are many ways artists can consider monetizing their audio productions (before you’re eventually scooped up for that exclusive Spotify deal of course).
If the 5 reasons above haven’t convinced you to take the leap and launch a podcast, I’d like to share the reason that changed it all for me. I cannot recall the exact source but it has been argued that,
50% of podcast listeners are women but less than 50% of podcasts are hosted, created, and/or produced by women. Even less by women of colour and those who identify as LGBTQIA+ and so on.
With that said if you are from an underrepresented demographic or community, your voice is needed in this space. It’s 2023 and diverse, inclusive content matters more than ever. So go ahead, and develop that podcast idea you have. If you’re worried your idea has been done before, may I remind you there are at least 12 podcasts catered to fans of The Bachelor franchise and hundreds of true crime podcasts.
Start that podcast. Do It. Take. Up. Space 👏🏾
Disclaimer: The thoughts expressed in this article are purely my own.
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Vongai (she/her) is an award-winning actor, singer and writer based in New York. She has worked in theatre, film, television and voiceovers. Before the Big Apple, she was born in Harare (Zimbabwe) and raised in London (UK) and Beijing (China) making her a proud third culture kid. She holds a B.A (Hons) in Film and Television Studies from Brunel University London and had the privilege of classically training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, NY. In 2018 she won the award for Best Drama Actress at Catalyst Content Festival (formerly ITVFest) for the short film, Patiri In The Promised Land. Vongai hosts ZimExcellence, a podcast that spotlights Zimbabwean change-makers and trailblazers. The show currently has 2.3K+ downloads and has been streamed in 58 countries and 381 cities around the world. Vongai is also a self-proclaimed ‘audition cheerleader’, having garnered over 800 positive reviews for supporting actors with their auditions on the platform, WeAudition. Follow her journey @vongaiofficial | https://bio.link/vongaiofficial
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