Tag: podcasters

Want to Start a Podcast? Hear How From Anchor Podcasters

April 2, 2020

Always wanted to host and produce your own podcast? While it may feel like a significant undertaking, there are plenty of tools that can help—and podcast experts who are ready to guide you along the way.

Anchor, the podcasting platform Spotify acquired in 2019, provides easy-to-use creative tools, free content hosting, and distribution to listening platforms, including Spotify. Since its creation, Anchor has enabled people all over the world to broadcast their voices.

Looking for additional guidance and inspiration on starting your podcast? Well, look no further than Anchor’s How I Podcast series, where podcasters deep dive into their processes and best practices. Check out this roundup of great advice from Anchor creators Ashley Smith and Kristy Brannon, Evan Pricco and Doug Gillen, Aaron Bernstein, and Alex and Christine Schiefer.

The Power of Anchor-Made Podcasts in Indonesia: Spotify Highlights Top Shows, Including ‘Do You See What I See’

February 26, 2020

If you think podcasts are all the rage around the world, you’re onto something. Thanks to a new partnership with some of Indonesia’s biggest podcasters, eight of the top-streamed shows in Indonesia (Podcast Raditya Dika (PORD), Do You See What I See, PODKESMAS, Rapot, Menjadi Manusia, Podcast Bagi Horror, Box2Box Football Podcast, and Podcast Suara Puan) are now available exclusively on Spotify—marking the first round of Spotify Exclusive Podcasts in Southeast Asia.

While all of these shows were made using Anchor—the platform where creators have the ability to record, distribute, and monetize their podcasts from any device (for free)—it turns out that 90% of podcast consumption on Spotify in Indonesia comes from Anchor-made programming. This platform, which was acquired by Spotify in 2019, has given more podcasters an opportunity to produce their own original content.

As the number of podcasts continues to grow in Indonesia, the number of hours spent listening to podcasts has also increased—by tenfold in the past year. We asked Rizky Ardi Nugroho, host of one of the top podcasts in Indonesia, Do You See What I See, what it takes to create one of the most popular shows in the country.

What inspired you to start Do You See What I See (DYSWIS)? Did you have any podcast experience prior to this?

It all started with telling my true horror story on Raditya Dika’s show. Radit—who is one of Indonesia’s most famous content creators (and host of Spotify Exclusive Podcast PORD)—happens to be my high school friend. We made five videos in the Rumah Eyang series, and all five went viral with more than 15 million views. From that experience, I saw that audiences liked horror stories delivered directly by those who experienced it. So, when the opportunity came, I would say, I took the chance—and my channel was trending in one week of airing.

I like to try new things; I learned and I did it on my own. I had no experience in the world of content creators, and I had never worked on audio editing, but I have been a podcast listener for a long time.

Why do you think Indonesians are embracing listening to and creating podcasts?

Podcasting is a new media in Indonesia. Oftentimes, something that’s new and viral is exciting for them to try. It occurred almost at the same time anchor.fm started to sprout and gain traction in Indonesia. Given the fact that it is easy and trending, [Anchor] is all they need to start making podcasts on their own.

Most of my listeners are commuters, so this podcast is interesting to listen to on the go. Podcasting also has more benefits, such as light bandwidth and being battery friendly. People don’t need to watch the screen all the time—not to mention there are various themes and categories being offered.

When sharing stories, you go by the name of Mizter Popo. What’s the origin behind the name?

Mizter Popo is a nickname my friend gave me in middle school. It’s taken from a character in the famous Japanese manga comics at the time, Dragon Ball. It turns out that having a nickname helped me develop my character.

You built two businesses: a rice company and a bakeshop. What did it take for you to start one of the biggest podcasts in Indonesia? Can you describe what your process was like?

I don’t like it when I am labeled as a follower and likened to other existing content/channels, so when I first wanted to make Do You See What I See, I did a lot of research on horror podcasts and content that already existed. I wanted my creation to be different from all that.

I change the sound design for each storyteller—different back sound, different SFX, and without a bumper—in the hopes that listeners will always have different experiences in each episode.

Are you still actively running the businesses?

Yes, as of now, I am still actively doing the organic rice business, O-Rice Brand, and 24-hour cake shop, Honey To The Bee.

What is it about DYSWIS that has people hooked? 

I think people like DYSWIS because the concept features different experiences in each episode.

For the uninitiated, what do you hope people take away from this podcast?

I hope this podcast presents entertainment in the form of storytelling that continues to grow and is different from other channels in Indonesia.

Check out Anchor to find out how you can make a podcast of your own, and listen to Do You See What I See? on Spotify now.

Sound Up UK Is Back to Help Bring Female Podcasters of Color to the Mic

December 11, 2019

Despite the popularity of podcasts like 2 Dope Queens, women of color remain vastly underrepresented in the podosphere. That’s why Spotify created Sound Up, an accelerator program dedicated to lifting up and amplifying the voices of women of color in podcasting in the U.S. and U.K., First Nations women in Australia, and LGBTTIQ+ individuals in Germany. 

This year, the second for the program, Spotify’s Sound Up U.K. program was hosted in Manchester to help grow podcasting beyond the London hub. Over the span of four days, 10 hand-selected individuals participated in intensive workshops, delving into the writing, recording, and business aspects of the craft. The week-long program was led by longtime facilitators Rekha Murthy, Graham Griffith, and Christina Moore. Participants enjoyed the opportunity to learn from podcasting veterans—and at the end of the week, four were awarded a £10,000 grant to make their podcast idea a reality. 

While every participant grew as a podcaster, four ideas particularly wowed the judges. This year’s grant recipients were (drumroll please!): Tosin Mustapha, Clara Monroy, Esther Robertson, and Shade Nathaniel-Ayodele.  

We caught up with several of the Sound Up U.K. participants to hear about their experiences. Here’s what they had to say.

Viv May 

“Don’t doubt yourself. I’m a D.J., a songwriter, and now a podcaster thanks to everything I’ve learned at Sound Up.”

Shade Nathaniel-Ayodele  

“Starting with this seed of an idea and having it flourish into this bouquet of flowers—it’s been amazing. And the women that I’ve talked to, and the support we have for one another, it’s phenomenal.” 

Esther Robertson

“I’m lucky to be a part of a group of amazing women of color, it’s like we’ve grown up together.  I feel really empowered. You’ve got 10 strong women wanting the same goal.”

Lorraine Okuefuna 

“I was talking to a lot of the other women and I really do feel like my life has changed from this week. I’ve had so much confidence building and technical building—it’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

Emma Sayers 

“Being around such a good group of people where we all got to share ideas and collaborate, as well as all of the things that have been thrown at us and all the help and advice that we received, it just feels really empowering.”

Adilah Hameed

“Every single one of us in this program has a passion for our subject and that’s why we all want to make it. It’s not about anything else, it’s purely because we love the subject that we want to discuss it. My biggest piece of advice is to have a passion for your idea.”

Clara Monroy

“For me, the biggest takeaway is that a lot of the barriers that I saw before the program were in my head. Sound Up has really helped me understand that it’s doable, it’s possible.  And there is so much that can be done, that needs to be done, there are so many voices that are not being heard.”

Amber Mehmood

“I feel so inspired by listening to everyone else’s stories—everyone did amazing.  It’s incredible just listening to how far we’ve come from the start of the week to the end of the week.”

Tosin Mustapha

“The highlight for me was the session with Renay Richardson. As a fan of hers, it was great to get her feedback on different ways of giving a new perspective.”

Check out Dope Labs, one of the podcasts from Sound Up U.S. grant recipient, Titi Shodiya.