Mastering the Podcast Universe: A Conversation with Alex Sanfilippo – Part 2
“I do believe in independent voices getting heard and elevated throughout the world, and I don’t feel that there’s a lot of mediums anymore where we have that opportunity. But podcasting, to me, is the ultimate solution right now for getting a voice heard and elevated throughout the world, that it can really change somebody’s life. I’ve had stories from listeners. I have a lot of friends that have stories from listeners that are all around the world focused on something really specific, saying this is the one thing I’ve been searching for, couldn’t find it anywhere except for your podcast. That type of thing, I believe, is what makes the world a better place. And sure, pat on the back for Alex or whatever you want to say, but, like I, am devoted to serving the world in that way.” — Alex Sanfilippo
This episode, “Mastering the Podcast Universe” is the second half of my conversation with veteran podcaster, PodPros founder, and entrepreneur Alex Sanfilippo as we talk about what to do and not to do when starting a podcast, the latest developments on PodPros and Alex’s series of podcasting apps, and both the risks and opportunities that podcasting’s explosion into the mainstream offers for creators.
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(0:00:01) – Podcasting Tips and Problem Solving
As the second half of our discussion begins, we talk about handling an overabundance of content, and how we both happened upon the solution of devoting two episodes to a guest.“But every word he said was gold,” he recalls about one early guest on his show, “like, what do I do? Right, broken into two episodes. So, Jodi, I love that you do it: that’s a pro-level hack right there.” We also talk about our early podcasting days and how tricky it can be finding the right topic and your most authentic voice as a podcaster. “I know all of us have to develop our voice,” Alex says. “I think you can really only discover it by using it often, or at least that’s probably the fastest way to discover where you’re at.”
(0:06:46) – Podcast Solutions and Industry Growth
Our conversation turns to Alex’s Podcasting Made Simple show and the reasoning behind his Podmatch and Podscore apps for podcasters. “The whole idea,” he explains, “is can we help them make the whole process less stressful and more organized through some project manager software that doesn’t take time to learn, something really easy, specifically for releasing episodes, and we help them get more reviews.” He talks about his belief in the power of podcasting to connect and help people all over the world, and about the mission that drives him as both a podcaster and app designer: “that’s really my whole mission behind it, it’s just: can we continue to make this thing possible for podcasters?”
(0:11:13) – Impact of Podcasting and Changing Trends
We also talk about how podcasting has broken into the mainstream and become a part of everyday life, with podcasts that rival television ratings and television shows like Only Murders in the Building revolving around podcasting. Alex talks about how the media and advertising industries have come around over the past ten years, and particularly since the pandemic: “Now we’re realizing we have a voice that can be heard through podcasting, and so all these companies are listening.”
(0:16:19) – Podcasting
Alex also gives us his tips on starting a podcast while avoiding podfade, the tendency of many podcasts to eventually fizzle out and disappear without warning. “If you just wanna start one,” he says “I guess it doesn’t matter. But if you do want people to listen, listener experience is important.” We also talk about YouTube’s foray into the podcasting market, and what the involvement of such major companies and opaque algorithms could mean for both independent podcasters and RSS. “We have to protect how individually powerful it is,” he says, “without getting into what I call the vanity metrics.”
(0:28:00) – Discovering Your Unique Voice in Podcasting
As our conversation comes to a close Alex shares his thoughts on the value of podcasting, and the role he sees it playing as people around the world become ever more connected. “The more, like, you can get to just the core of who you are,” he explains, “why you’re doing this. I find that you can just really develop that voice in such an authentic, passionate way that it actually does change lives.”
Episode Summary
- The value of content and finding your authentic voice as a podcaster.
- Alex’s work with PodPros and the latest developments of their podcast apps.
- How podcasting’s gone from obscurity to a mainstream role in pop culture.
- Tips for avoiding podfade and how YouTube might change the podcast industry.
- The importance of independent podcasters and what the future may hold.
Connect with the Guest
Find Your Podmatch Here: https:/www.podmatch.com/
Organize Your Show Like a Pro: https://www.podcastSOP.com/
Podcasters’ Success Resource: https://podpros.com/
Podcasting Made Simple: https://podpros.com/episodes/
Resources for Podcasters: https://podpros.com/win
Connect with Alex Sanfilippo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsanfilippo/
Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexJSanfilippo/
Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJSanfi/
Follow Alex Sanfilippo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajsanfilippo/
Subscribe to Alex Sanfilippo on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podpros_com/
Subscribe to Alex Sanfilippo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PodPros_com/
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This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.
