Libsyn is short for Liberated Syndication. Rob Walch is the VP of Podcast Relations for the 14 year old proud Pittsburgh company. The 2016 Podcasting Hall of Fam inductee is also the host of a few podcasts including podcast411, Today In iOS, and The Feed which he co-hosts with fellow HoF inductee Elsie Escobar.
Rob has built a reputation on trust in the industry by being honest: You're not going to make money right way, it is going to take time to grow your audience, and podcast is not as easy as it looks. He has seen many podcast ventures come and go, and we discuss why some are durable, and others haven't been.
This episode is great if you are considering getting into the podcast space with your brand, or are thinking about starting a podcast yourself. If you want to dig deeper into learning more - Dave Jackson's School of Podcast is a good place to start. He also answers your questions in a weekly show that you can find here.
There has been a lot going on in the podcast world, but Rob qualified that much of what is going on is the result of a lot of publications increasing their reporting on transactions and news. Speaking of which - we also spoke about the launch earlier this week of Podcast Business Journal which is created by the people at Radio Ink. (If RadioInk is getting involved that should be an indication to anyone in radio where the business is headed, so sign up) Rob’s most recent contribution is here.
More in this episode as we talked about the the impact of Spotify, Google, and what the Netflix of Podcasting looks like. (spoiler: It already exists and chance are good you are using it) Libsyn made news last week with their collaboration with Pandora to distribute podcasts. Rob provides some great insights into implications for podcasters in the latest episode of the Feed which you should subscribe to:
If you are looking for a podcast host, you have some good choices, and there are some questionable choices. Free isn't always free so check the terms of service carefully and do your homework before engaging with a podcast host. To find out more about Libsyn, e-mail Rob and he can point you in the right direction.