⭐ Special Issue: Tribeca Selections Speak
Tribeca Audio creators on podcast marketing, and what they need right now
Hello! Apologies for being a day late to your inboxes; I was cooking up something special. It’s a long one today but hey, what are Saturdays for if not for reading!
As some of you might know, Tribeca’s Audio Festival (and yes, the Film Festival too) happened recently in New York. While I was unable to attend, I wanted a glimpse of some of the magic that I know unfolded there. So, I turned to Davy Gardner, friend of Tink and Head of Podcasts & Audio at Tribeca, for help.
👀 [Psst…if you don’t know and love Davy yet, check out his interview in Lauren’s Podcast the Newsletter.]
I asked him to introduce me to all the official Selections (both from the Surprises and Reckonings collections) so that we can learn from masterful creators. He did! And oh boy, did they come through!
Truth be told, attending Tribeca’s Audio Festival in 2024 is the reason I’m still in this industry. It made me fall in love with the power and softness of audio when my faith was dwindling.
Reading their answers to my questions made me fall in love with audio all over again, and it might do the same for you. Enjoy!
Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity. Any emphasis is mine.
🟡 If you only have time for one thing…
When asked what was the most creative piece of podcast marketing they’ve witnessed, most creators said it was Jacob Reed’s event. Jacob Reed is the creator of the hilarious investigative podcast Jacob Reed and Me on which he interviews other people named Jacob Reed. He described the event as:
It really seems like you need big names to sell anything right now, and since our show is about the unusual surprises that come from people having the same name, we held a red carpet event during Tribeca where only people with ‘big names’ could walk the red carpet: Morgan Freeman the advertiser, Ryan Reynolds the guidance counselor, Jackie Chan the hairdresser, etc.
Referencing this event, Sarah Amos, of Condé Nast and creator of Famous Amos, said –
Anytime you create an event that so clearly ties to your podcast, but also allows the community to get involved, that's a real winner. It’s also just great knowing there is a gentleman named Sam Rockwell in New York who is signing and sending back fan mail to folks.
💡Let’s Hear from The Creators
I asked this group of creators three things:
What do you most need from the podcast industry right now?
What is the most creative bit of podcast marketing you’ve seen?
What was your biggest takeaway from this year’s Tribeca Audio Festival?
🎙️What creators need from the podcast industry
A common thread among most responses to what they need most from the industry was – take more creative risks, and have faith in your artists. At the very least, recognize them.
Marianna Miniotis of Stanland from The Sonar Network made a powerful statement –
One of the biggest things we need is recognition from other industries as legitimate artists. People don't tend to take audio as seriously as they do visual media, but it's such an exciting medium. While TV and Film are becoming saturated with franchises, audio creators are out here telling personal, unique, deeply compelling stories.
Moujan Zolfaghari, one of the creators of The Young Old Derf Chronicles, echoed this –
Taking bigger chances on projects that aren’t based solely on celebrity. There are so many incredible and original stories, storytellers, and voices in this medium that need support and uplifting, as opposed to gatekeeping.
Helena de Groot, who created, produced and sound-designed Creation Myth, said –
Sure, produce that celebrity chat show. But how about you use that revenue to fund a show that’s daring, artistic, niche. Maybe you have the next cult classic on your hands!
Joel Johnstone, the co-creator of The Assignation, asked production companies to think bigger –
It feels like there’s a collective decision by production companies to only take chances on existing IP, or a close neighbor of something that already exists. The list is long, but many of the most profitable films and tv shows have been original works. My hope is that companies keep that in mind as they grow their libraries.
🔉 Another thing the creators need is plain and simple – money.
Ronald Young Jr., creator of Weight For It who interviewed creators at a panel in Tribeca said –
[We need] for the executives to release the purse strings and trust the creators and commit all of their efforts towards marketing and discoverability. The audiences exist and y’all can be very instrumental in helping creators to find them.
Ian Coss, co-creator of Radiotopia Presents: We’re Doing The Wiz, indicates that gaps caused by lack of money can be closed by community –
At this point we all know money is tight and most places don’t have a lot of it. So when I start conversations with folks in the industry, I’m mostly looking for opportunities to collaborate and share audiences.
I’ll let Ross Sutherland, whose They Will They Won’t was part of this year’s selections, cap it off –
Right now I have this self-contained / supporter-funded / no ad model that exists in its own little bubble. Because of this I often don't feel like I'm in conversation with anything resembling an industry. That said... I have bigger stories I'd like to tell, more ambitious shows I'd like to make. Podcasts I can't necessarily create from the margins. That requires building relationships. I guess it starts there.
✨ Podcast marketing creativity at its best
Unsurprisingly, this was my favorite question to ask. I was thrilled to say that podcast creators are continuing to invest in physical marketing assets, which is something we’ve said is a good way to start!
Shannon Burkett and Jenny Maguire of LEAD told me –
We printed up old school postcards with a call to action and a QR code. We think people still appreciate something tangible.
Kelsey Snelling, host and creator of Camp Shame (which I am LOVING), said –
I handmade 200 “Camp Shame” friendship bracelets (channeling summer camp, of course) and handed them out at the festival.
Katelyn Hale Wood, creator of Heart Trouble, absolutely has my heart (sorry)–
I love the listening parties Audioflux is doing right now. It’s an accessible and genuine way to connect folks and celebrate creative audio storytelling.
While not pertaining to this particular event, Ross Sutherland shared a creative thing he’d done for podcast marketing that I ABSOLUTELY must tell you –
I had a plan to pay a town crier to stand outside the London Podcast Festival ringing a bell and yelling IMAGINARY ADVICE (my podcast name) over and over. It would've upset a lot of people and probably brought no new listeners to my podcast, but I personally would have gotten a kick out of it. And this is why I am terrible at marketing.
(We’ll agree to disagree, Ross!)
🥹 Audio is well, alive, and thriving
I kept the happiest, most wholesome responses for the end. Tribeca was a reflection of how creators play and stretch the genre to tell stories. Plus, it rekindled a sense of community in those attending!
Chance Muehleck, the writer of Last Resort, said –
How diverse the podcasting ecosystem is, and the ways people are using the medium to stretch definitions and create new, surprising narratives. The form is evolving to accommodate all sorts of different story functions.
Moujan Zolfaghari reminded us –
Despite the variety of genres/content, we are all doing it for the same reason - we LOVE what we do and the love feeling of community it can build along the way.
Ronald Young Jr. centered me with his words –
Creators are still creating wonderful things. The industry is still moving forward and the creative direction is coming from folks who truly desire to make brilliant work. As long as that is happening the industry will continue to exist.
I couldn’t agree more with Jacob Reed –
The creativity is there, the humanity is there. Talented people are making phenomenal, relatable, and entertaining work in audio — we need more organizations and buyers to follow Tribeca’s lead and use their platform to amplify the incredible work being made.
Helena de Groot said it best –
We are a beautiful community! Tribeca gave us a chance to get together, show mutual support, appreciation, kindness, to cheer each other on, and keep each other going. I really think that’s our super power.
And last but far from the least, I’ll let Shannon and Jenny end it with –
Our biggest take away is how incredibly lucky we are that we were chosen to be a part of the Tribeca Festival. That we have people who support us and our project. That we are now a part of the Tribeca family. Huge shout out and gratitude to Davy, Allyson and Baiz.
Were you at Tribeca too? Let me know if you have anything to add to this. I want to soak up all the magic I missed.
💛 Thank you to Davy for introducing me to these wonderful creators. Thank you to Allyson, Baiz, and the entire Tribeca Audio family for everything they do. And a HUGE thank you to all the creators that responded. You can see all the official selections for the Tribeca Audio Festival here.
🤩 From the Desk of Tink
I’m SO excited to tell you about Levian, which released its first episode last week! It was created by the brains and hearts of Hug House Productions, including Tinksters Anne Baird and Wil Williams. The official description captures it best –
After his sister’s betrayal forced him into exile, Lord Valentin Tellari must now face the deadly ocean that rages against the Drumming Isles. But neither storms nor leviathans will smother the vengeful fire that burns within Valentin. He will not know rest until he has reclaimed what is rightfully his.
Thank you for reading this long issue. I hope it was as much fun for you to read as it was for me to curate!
Wil returns next week with some insight on 🥁🥁YouTube Podcast Data!
Until then, look for the magic in the mundane! (And stay hydrated out there).
💜 Shreya