Crossing the (Podcast) Streams - Austin Sessions
After listening to different podcasts ranging from Marc Maron's WTF to the Nerdist, to Doug Benson's Doug Loves Movies, I've come to realize a very important detail. They are all guests on each other's shows! It's all tremendously incestuous. In an industry where, for the most part, its dog eat dog these guys are all helping each other. I find that immensely fascinating and admirable. It's rare to find that kind of camaraderie in the entertainment business yet here it is, nestled in the bosom of podcasting. I can only speculate at the reasons so...here goes. Much like their medium, podcasters are such a small niche of the web that I think they want to help each other as much as possible to ensure survival. They recognize their place in the net, and regardless move forward. They advance with hopes that the rest of the world will eventually catch on to what they're working towards. They have faith that everyone will recognize that what they're doing is actually a preview of what is to come in the future of on-demand media.
After deciding on starting a podcast, the first thing I did was some recon. I asked each person I knew if they had listened to, or even heard of a podcast. Roughly 2 out of 10 said they listened to podcasts. Another couple had heard of podcasts but weren't quite sure what they were. The remaining people had no idea what I was talking about and thought I was trying to get them to invest in some "new internet thing." As the Coen brothers so aptly put it, "Okay then." This was gonna take some work. Luckily, a friend had started a podcast a couple of years ago. I was willing to bet he had a lot of the same questions when he started.
In 2007 Terry Grier started When In Austin. Originally just interviews, the show slowly evolved into a weekly podcast. His one man show eventually expanded to include his co-hosts Vickie Grier, Eric Kennedy, and Nicole Torres. I was heavily into podcasts and was contemplating creating one of my own when I started listening to When In Austin. I remember thinking that Terry was already doing that thing I wished I was doing. Absorbing as much as possible, I listened to each episode. We talked a little here and there and slowly I starting picking his brain. I didn't want to flood him with what I felt were tons of boring questions. He was extremely gracious and open to talking about any and everything podcast. In fact, he loved talking about it. Over a period of three months, I started to research microphones, mixers, and peripherals. I googled the words "podcast," "tips," and "successful," more times that I care to admit. Sometimes I stayed up till three in the morning reading about what not to do on a podcast.
Fast forward a few months. I've got my gear. I've got my web domains. I've got my Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, and Instagram accounts. Now the real work begins. I knew it wouldn't be all beers and podcasting although that is definitely part of it. Realistically, I knew I wouldn't be able to post a weekly podcast considering my work schedule. I decided to shoot for every two weeks and hope for the best.
Tonight, I was a guest on episode #22 of When In Austin. The WIA crew invited us on the show to help promote Austin Sessions and to help get us out into the ether. This is camaraderie I was talking about. Originally, co-host Jason Johndrow was scheduled to appear with me but circumstances prevented him from being there. (Next time dude!) When I arrived I was met with a delicious plate of home cooked food prepared by Vickie Grier. I could get used to this. After some drinks and a little show prep we filed into the home studio to get started. The show was loose, fun, and good natured. Exactly what I had expected. Grier and I had discussed cross promoting podcasts from day one. The more people talking the louder we get. The louder we get, the more people can hear us. Sounds good to me. I look forward to having the WIA crew in my studio and am thankful to have friends like these. Listen. Laugh. Learn. Live.
-J