Things Are Heating Up (Despite the Arctic Blast)

By the time you'll be reading this, Knoxville will be preparing for a snowstorm that will rival '93, and I'll be desperately trying to find some space in the house to get some work done so I can go sledding with the kiddos (or so I hope!).

I hope your Holidays were full of fun and cherished memories with your friends and families. As we enter 2025, I'm feeling eager for this year. It's going to be a special one - not only because I'll end it by leaving my 30's - but because the world is evolving at such a rapid pace. Whether it's politics (ugh), AI, or podcasting, I feel like we're going to see a lot changes this year. Hopefully all for the better.

As for the present, we've got a lot going on! I'm headed to speak at Podfest next week on "Building A Business Beyond Yourself", and we've hired a new team member.

Podfest 2025 Bound

I'm excited to be speaking at Podfest again this year. I'll be there to talk about "Building A Business Beyond Yourself," which is a session focused on helping up-and-coming editors understand what they need to know to grow their business beyond freelancing. If you're going to be there, let me know! I'd love to find some time connect, and I'd love to have you join the session which is part of the Editor Track on Saturday morning at 10:00am.

Meet Editing Extraordinaire Gene Priest !

I'm proud to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Gene Priest !

With 20 years in post-production, Gene's joining HumblePod as our newest Podcast Editor. He's worked across many areas of the industry, from producing to editing.

Prior to joining us, Gene ran his own post-production company from 2013 to 2023, working on everything from commercials to documentaries. He is also a lifelong musician and the creator of an ambient electronic project Skeleton Beach. Since 2014, Gene's co-hosted the Sharing Needles with Friends podcast and a radio show focusing on music and artist interviews.

Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, video games, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and pets in beautiful Knoxville, TN.

?? Stuff You Should Know

(Hardly) Making Money on the Mic

Spotify has launched its own Partner Program! The short and sweet is that you can now make money off your podcast... But with that said, good luck getting any green unless you have a ludicrous amount of listeners. In a sense, it's much like YouTube's Partner Program, but with a much, MUCH higher threshold to qualify. Instead of needing 4,000 streamed hours in the last year, and 1,000 subscribers, you need 10,000 streamed hour PER MONTH on top of 2,000 unique listeners (and 12 episodes of a series). If your show is on the smaller side, you're probably better off just seeking out sponsors or launching that Patreon you've been thinking about. (Read More...)

Australian True Crime Cracks the Case

It's no secret that true crime podcasts are insanely popular, and one show has helped moved the needle in a nearly 30-year-old murder cold case in Australia. On January 9th, police in Sydney charged Keith Lees for his alleged role in the 1997 death of Meaghan Louise Rose. He was arrested last week after police put out a bounty in 2023 worth $500,000 AUD (just slightly above $309,000 USD).

So what tipped off authorities? The Australian True Crime podcast. While there are discussions to be had surrounding the ethical merits of the genre, investigator say Lees was identified by a group of people lead by a fan of Australian True Crime. He made an appearance in court related to the case on Friday.

This is just another real world example of why it's important to understand the strength that comes with a large audience. (Read More...)

?? Launch A Podcast With Us ???

If you're interested in how we can help you or your business with a podcast, let us know! We've helped launch well over 50 podcasts and generated millions of downloads. We're confident we can help you produce a show you'll want to HumbleBrag about.