The Jag Show

Sometimes, it's a slog to produce a podcast. Coming up with new content is hard. And most studies say consistency is key - listeners should know when to expect new content. But today I'm going to give you a different angle. Don't. People have such limited attention spans - don't ask them to spend time with content that, as a creator, even YOU aren't confident in. Case in point - yesterday's press conference from Michigan's governor, Gretchen Whitmer. The CDC was pressuring her to shut the...

Thank you to all of you who commented on last week's special episode, The Death of Music Radio. I was worried about coming across as bitter toward radio, but most folks in those circles found my commentary maybe a little harsh, but fact-based and fair. Here's a link to last week's episode. https://bit.ly/jagshow040221 Twitter almost bought Clubhouse. Business Insider says they were in talks to buy the platform for $4 billion, but those talks fizzled out. As far as this week's actual...

Welcome in, I'm Jon Gay. As you hear in my intro, I'm a radio guy turned podcaster. When in radio, I rolled eyes at those "bitter old radio guys" who said "back in my day." This is not me being bitter about being out of radio. Professionally, I'm really happy. But what upsets me is what's happened to an industry that I loved. Radio has been around for over 100 years, and traditionally, rumors of its demise have been greatly exaggerated. But there's been a perfect storm of threats to music...

The number of total podcasts online has now hit the 2 million mark - after just passing ONE million last year. Only a third have put out content in the last 90 days. Wanna stand out? Good audio, good content, get to the point. Nielsen says podcast audiences are getting diverse and there could be some great advertising opportunities in the space: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/report/2021/podcasting-today/ BetterHelp still #1 at $4.3 million spent on podcasts in February. That's...

It's no secret that where you record your podcast is almost as important as how you record it. Generally speaking, you want to avoid rooms with high ceilings and hard, flat, "echo-ey" surfaces. It's why a living room, bedroom, closet, or even your car are much better places than say, a kitchen or a bathroom. But mindset is also important too. I recorded last week's pod in my office, because I was also doing video and the lighting was better. But when I went back and watched the video, my...

Apple is changing its podcast phrasing from Subscribe to Follow. - Tom Webster of Edison Research says 47% of non-podcast listeners think it costs money to subscribe. It's a barrier to entry. So follow, like Twitter or other social media, is a better word. I've said "subscribe for free" in many of my podcasts, but I think follow is better going forward. If you're watching this on video, I bought a new webcam- the Logitech Brio. It's got multiple angles and zooms, with great definition. If...

Does your brand have an "audio strategy?" Yes, everyone loves video. But how burnt out are you on the Brady Bunch squares of Zoom? And picture your audience listening to a podcast - in a pair of Air Pods as they walk the dog. Or alone in a car. Audio has intimacy that video doesn't - don't forget that. Great article on audio brand strategy from JAR Audio that I picked up at Podfest this week. https://www.jaraudio.com/blog/audio-strategy In my presentations, I always talk about podcast...

First, my tip of the week - make sure your podcast isn't only on the web. It NEEDS to be, at a minimum, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. I've talked to several very smart people lately who were either never told this or just couldn't figure out how. To submit, you need an RSS feed, and your show needs to have a logo and at least one episode or trailer. Then use your accounts for each of these corresponding apps - links below: Apple:...

Last week, Squadcast debuted their video recording in their latest upgrade, which puts them on par with StreamYard and Riverside. Squadcast users had been pining for this for awhile, and now it's here. If you'd like to try Squadcast, here's my referral link: http://bit.ly/squadcastjag Also in the last week, Adam Corolla went on Fox Business with Robert Ellin, the CEO of a company called LiveXLive. They said podcast video will drive the industry's growth over the next 5-7 years, to somewhere...

I've been having neck issues for a few years now, and it stems largely from being in car accidents in December 2016, March 2017, and July 2019. Now that I'm 40, I really need to start taking better care of myself. This week I saw a neck therapist and this month I've returned to physical therapy. Now, I've ordered an ergonomic desk chair that will keep me sitting upright while recording and editing, and I've download an app that reminds me to stand up every 30 minutes. Take care of yourself -...

Apple considering a podcast subscription in Apple One? I hate the idea...and feel like I'd just listen in Spotify or elsewhere. But the carrot might be that Apple could pay podcast creators for their content if they make it exclusive. I'm skeptical -I'm only paying for something if it's REALLY worth it. For example, I already pay for YouTube TV, Netflix, and more...I'm not likely to drop another $10 or $15 a month on another subscription. Meanwhile, Apple has announced they will Spotlight...

Last Saturday and Sunday were the NFL's new expanded "Super Wild Card Weekend," featuring (much to the chagrin of my wife) THREE games on each day. While the NFL has had to adapt during COVID, so have the the television networks. Due to Coronavirus concerns, NBC's Mike Tirico did the play-by-play of Saturday's Tampa Bay-Washington game from home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Then, on Sunday afternoon, CBS's Tony Romo did the color commentary side from his home in Dallas. In both of these cases,...

In my 2020 recap, I mentioned that we need to keep an eye on the big podcasting behemoths - Apple, Spotify, Google, and now Amazon. In the time between when I recorded the show and when it was published, Amazon announced they are buying Podcast studio Wondery for $300 million. According to James Cridland of PodNews, Wondery has had international success where many other studios haven't. And they also have 11 of 2020's Top 25 podcast. And could Amazon Prime's need for content be a good fit...

Podcasting is getting bigger - monthly podcast listening went over 100 million Americans this year, before pandemic. Overall/Technology: Pandemic paused things, we all scattered but came back. Desktop listening ticked up, overall listening shifted later in day as we got up later and didn't get in our cars, but new routines formed. Another pandemic affect - technology. Grandparents are now on Zoom, Facetime, and more. Which means more people listening. It also means more people creating. We...

Merry Christmas from your friendly neighborhood Jew. While I don't celebrate the religious aspect of the holiday, I do enjoy the holiday spirit. And in 2020, whatever brings you joy - do it. My tip of the week - using your smartphone as a webcam. Now again, I'm more focused on the audio side of things, but there will always be some folks who want a video component. So I've been working with Abel Grunfeld and the folks at Riverside FM to begin offering this to my clients. When I started, I...

What's your podcast doing over Christmas? You have options, especially this year. You could re-publish a great episode or interview from earlier in the year. You could do a year-end recap. Or, you could take a week off. Whatever you decide, today's piece of advice comes from my colleague Johnny Peterson of Straight Up Podcasts and the Pod Logic podcast. TELL your audience what you're going to do - you want to manage their expectations. For example, every Friday before a long weekend, on The...

As an early 40th birthday present, my wife bought me (us) a new TV for our living room. It's gorgeous - it's a Samsung 55" QLED Q8DT 2020 model (the Costco version). Our previous TV was an 8-year-old Vizio that she bought when she moved into the house. And it was fine. In fact, as a sports fan, I'm a little embarrassed to say that SHE noticed the old TV's age before I did. But when we got this new television mounted on the wall, the difference was JAW DROPPING. We wish we had watched the...

This weekend, I was caught up on all my subscribed podcasts and wanted something to listen to while walking the dog. So I actually opened my SiriusXM app and found the week's "Pop2Kountdown" - a snapshot of the Top 30 songs this week during a specific year in the 2000's. It's hosted by my former Syracuse classmate and all around good guy Rich Davis, who does a phenomenal job. For me, the sentimental value is off the charts. I graduated college in 2002, and started full-time in radio in 2004....

I've been saying this for a decade now. For local media to survive and thrive, the corporate giants need to leave the space, and local talent needs to be free to cultivate their personalities and relationships within the community. That's exactly what happened here in Detroit with Woodward Sports, the brainchild of former Detroit radio personality Sam "Stick" Day. Stick takes us through the personal tragedy in his life that spurred him to finally start this passion project, his partners,...

No Friday episode today with the holiday, so here's a "5 Minute Wednesday." As 2019 ended, my wife and I were trying to maximize our time with our first dog Brady. He'd had a leg amputated and was dying of cancer. We were extremely lucky to have him as long as we did, and he wasn't suffering. But as the months wore on, this cloud hung over our head. We always wondered, "will today be the day he decides he's ready to leave?" That's how we spent the last quarter of 2019, with New Year's Eve...