🎤 Resonate PodFest 2023 Takeaways

Warning: might leave you feeling optimistic about the future of podcasting

Last week, the Resonate Podfest was held at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond VA. Created by Dr. Chioke l’Anson and hosted by Dr. l’Anson and Kelly Jones, this two-day podcast festival welcomed experienced producers and new creators alike. I reached out to some industry friends who attended the Podfest to hear about their experience.

The Allusionist gives a live performance. Photo credit - Ilana Nevins

I have to admit – despite the year of ups and downs we’ve had, their takeaways and memories from Resonate have left me feeling equal parts optimistic and curious about the future of audio.

I’ve edited and curated the responses below for easier reading. Read the complete interviews here.

A thank you to our contributors: 

• Arielle Nissenblatt, Founder of EarBuds and Community at Descript 

• Dane Cardiel, VP of Creator Partnerships at Gumball and Publisher of Good Tape 

• Elaine Appleton Grant, Host of Sound Judgment and CEO of the production company Podcast Allies, LLC.  

• Keisha TK Dutes of Philo's Future Media and AIR Board member

• Ilana Nevins, Marketer at Tink Media and Freelance Audio Producer

• Ronald Young Jr., host/creator Weight for It

• Samantha Hodder, creator of Bingeworthy, a newsletter about the art and craft of narrative podcasts

💡Key takeaways

🫶 Resonate seemed a welcome reminder for the audio community that there still is, well, a need for community. 

Arielle Nissenblatt shares the passion and optimism she felt: 

Creators are HUNGRY for audio-focused gatherings. The energy was absolutely buzzing and everyone was friendly and eager to connect. We really want the great podcast experiment to succeed. It's clear that everyone is so passionate about the audio work that they do and wants to have the resources to keep making things. 

Dane Cardiel echoes this: 

There was a real sense of collective optimism among attendees at Resonate. Not from a place of naivety, though. Despite the wave of budget cuts, layoffs, and show cancellations in 2023, there's optimism for a new and different version we know this industry is capable of becoming—one that prioritizes the craft of audio storytelling while re-envisioning more equitable (and sustainable!) business models.

Elaine Appleton Grant captures the passion of creators: 

We need and appreciate the community so much that everyone I met seemed to be breathing a sign of relief to be together in a venue designed for us. 

Samantha Hodder caught an interesting vibe shift: 

So many of the old power players have lost some of their power, the tide is shifting. I believe there is an opportunity to change some aspects of how the industry players mete this out. It could signal that the balance of power is shifting; I definitely saw an appetite in the room to change how that power is dispersed going forward, after this market-correction, right-sizing, downsizing-experience shakes out. 

Ronald Young Jr. leaves us feeling optimistic with: 

The listeners aren't going anywhere, they're listening more often and longer than they used to.  There is still a hunger to create and innovate in the medium.

🎙️ The impressive line-up of speakers at the event clearly left a mark on the attendees. 

Elaine shared the words of Dr. Chioke I'Anson with me: 

"The stories we tell help people get closer to the truth. Your work matters.” He was talking about how the Israel-Gaza war is being simultaneously covered too much and not covered enough. What he meant by the latter is that we need journalists to get to the truth of people's lives now more than ever. 

Arielle says what she heard impacted her experience of audio going forward: 

I learned from Juleyka Lantigua about the arc of intentionality, from Anna Sale about the art of not cutting to tracking when conversations get tough, from Ellen Horne about "being telly," (AKA telling your listeners what you want them to get from your story).

💡Innovative ideas

🎙️ Sayre Quevedo’s presentation titled ‘A Manifesto in 21 Questions’ touched many hearts and minds.

Ilana Nevins carries it with her: 

I have been thinking about it every day since. His questions and musings around the stories we choose to tell and how he thinks through the burden, truth and care within that process was everything.

Keisha TK Dutes agrees with this: 

His talk helped us self interrogate our motives and shared the importance of sitting with an idea and figuring out what the emotional drive is. 

Samantha Hodder recalls: 

A clip played from a Toni Morrison television interview from the 1980s. The male interviewer asked about the truth that underlies Morrison's (fiction) plots. It was a ridiculous question to ask; a white man asking a black woman if the facts of Beloved were real or not? Here is a woman who has just created a masterwork of fiction; why were the “facts” contained important? But she quickly retorted: “There are Facts, and there are Truths. The two should not always be confused with each other.” This clip hung heavy in the room around me. It made me think about the idea that fact and truth can co-exist, but they do not always overlap. 

🎙️ When speaking of the art of interviewing, Keisha TK Dutes further shared with me: 

From KaLaLea, I was reminded to lean into the uncomfortable moments while interviewing and for all of us to remember that our interviewees are giving us their precious time and they are going through this thing called life, so practice care and compassion when talking to people. As a fellow interviewer, when Anna Sale said "an interview is more than just a two way."- I wanted to shout! But most importantly she talked about how mistakes can be rectified no matter how long it takes. Don't just let it go. Fix it.

💡Post-tumultuous year advice

💜 Podcasting has been navigating a year of ups and downs. When asked what advice or lessons Resonate left them with, especially about preparing for the future, the contributors value creativity, community, and communication. 

Dane Cardiel says: 

We need to talk to each other more. More group chats. More impromptu dinners. More questions about what work we want to hear, support, and invest in. More collaborative conversations. More scheming and dreaming across the board, I say.

Ilana Nevins echoes this: 

We're at a junction where we can still choose an industry-wide future that is good for most/all of us, rather than just the few (a la Hollywood). Continue to create for yourself and your friends. 

Arielle Nissenblatt adds to the ways in which we create and communicate: 

When I speak with recent college grads or folks looking to move into audio making, I always recommend that, in addition to learning the fundamentals of Descript, ProTools, getting good tape, they're also reading newsletters about marketing, audience development tactics, and more. In order to get people to listen to our stuff, we need to be able to market to those people.

Samantha Hodder draws attention to an essential point: 

Keep hold of your IP. Find ways to partner with publishers who are willing to share it and be transparent. Also, keep pushing forward with serialized narrative shows - don’t give up!

🔭 Staying ahead of the curve

👀 When asked where the industry is heading and how podcasters can stay ahead of the curve, our contributors had some gems to share. 

Keisha TK Dutes reminds us: 

For podcasters in general- be as flexible as possible. Be open to as many ways of working and storytelling as possible and you have colleagues that will champion you through whatever types of storytelling as possible.

Ronald Young Jr. asks creators to stick to the basics: 

Over the next 18 months, if you can survive as an independent and continue to hone your skill set there will be more opportunities to create and make money in the future.  Creators are still creating, so if you want to make something, now is the time to invest in yourself and do it.

Dane Cardiel asks creators to pay attention to the business of creating: 

If a creator keeps their business insights at an arm's distance—focusing solely on the content itself—they're unlikely to gain the business IQ required to keep pace with a rapidly evolving and emerging medium. To stay ahead of the curve, creators need to understand what business model they are working with and what strategies and tactics they need to consider to make a sustainable living.

✨ In conclusion, excitements and opportunities

🫶 When I asked them what moment from the festival got them excited for what’s next in podcasting, the contributors had warmth and joy to share. 

Ron is excited to see creativity on the rise: 

Dane Cardiel reminds me that ideas that we think can actually exist in the world, and that is what makes me excited about seeing a room full of creative folks released into the world after being inspired by other creative folks.  I'm pumped to see what we're going to accomplish!

Arielle was left with a feeling of optimism: 

The fact that every single session was packed and every single person was invested in what the speakers had to say. It's very clear that the people in this industry love being in this industry and I think that bodes really well for the future of audio.

The Resonate Pitch Party stayed with TK: 

The 3 people that pitched had really interesting stories to share and plans on how they intend on making their projects. Their vulnerability and willingness to get critiqued got me excited for my own passion project.

Dr. Chioke l’Anson’s words to Anna Sale stayed with Elaine: 

"The reason Death, Sex & Money is so good is because you and your team have found a way to codify your empathy into journalism practice." Now that is inspiring!

Dane’s words capture his excitement best: 

As we center artistry in podcasting, we open ourselves up to be moved and changed and influenced. The practitioners we have today in podcasting, the level of thoughtfulness and empathy they bring to their practice, that brings me the most excitement about what's next.

Anna Sale’s closing remarks made an impact on Samantha: 

Anna Sale closed the conference and hit the pitch perfect note, with the question: Why do we do this? Her show hangs in the balance as we speak; her vulnerability to come and speak to an audience was incredible.

Thank you to all of our contributors! After reading your Resonate experience, I wish I can attend in-person next year.

🪄 More Magic:

• Not enough optimism for you? Tom Webster to the rescue as always. On Making the Case for Podcasting, Tom shares why and how we need to start talking about podcasting positively.

• Our very own Faybeo’n Mickens has started writing for BlkPodcasters: Diary of a Mad [Marketing Savvy] Black Podcaster. In the first diary entry, she explores “the dichotomy of content marketing and the intersection of social media marketing for podcasters.”

• The Podcast Marketing Trends 2023 report is now live!

• Ethan Strauss writes about why paywall podcasts (and how not to regret doing it).

➡️ A quick word from our sponsors: Trailergram

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