As podcasters, our control ends as soon as we’ve mastered our .mp3 files. After that, we cede control to other entities. Entities with their own goals, incentives, positions, and perspectives on what podcasting should be.

We rely on podcast hosting companies to generate our RSS feed, embeddable players, send automated social media posts, and update some of the bigger listener platforms via direct or API connections.

We podcasters have almost no control or visibility of the technical aspects of this process. That means we’re ceding decisions to the company we’ve chosen as our podcast hosting companies. Not just some decisions. Most of them. Decisions that might impact our listeners. Decisions that might limit our ability to work with partners. Decisions that we don’t get a say in.

With a few notable exceptions, most podcast listening happens via listening apps. And it’s the listening apps and the companies who make them who really own the relationship with the listener. Not us podcasters. Not our hosting providers. The makers of the listening apps have much direct information about and control over what our listeners see than we podcasters do.

If you think that experience is shitty, you have little control over getting your listeners to switch to a listening app you think does a better job of properly displaying your content the way you want your content displayed. 

Conflicts in podcasting’s power dynamics - past, present, and likely future - break down into a few common areas. 

• Privacy and security of listener data is a big and important topic right now. And you, as a podcaster, have almost no control over how your podcast impacts someone’s privacy and security.
• Metrics and analytics are rather important to our success, but we’re stuck just receiving what the hosting companies and apps provide us. Sometimes, when we try to use third party sources to help us better understand, we’re shut down by entities with more control than we have.
• Standards and conventions can influence or inhibit both of the prior points and have a big impact on the listener’s experience. But we’ve no power beyond adding something to a suggestion box.

As podcasters, I think we have to choose a position to take. Specifically, we need to choose what kind of minor role we’re going to play, And then play it as loudly as we can. Here are five I came up with, though I’m sure there are more:

• Activist Podcaster
• Podcasting Apologist
• Podcasting Insider
• Podcasting Outsider
• Uninterested Podcaster

I’m not trying to push you towards one role/position I’ve laid out. Honestly, I think it's a spectrum. I know I ride most of these roles from time to time, and I think you probably do as well. I think it’s a good start to understand where our power limits are, but also what roles podcasters can play to affect some changes in our chosen medium. 

I’m rapidly approaching “Evo’s long winter's nap” time, where I take a much-needed break from the show for the month of November and December. Last year, I opened it up to guest voices who wished to pontificate on my platform. I’m doing that again, so please reach out if you’d like to contribute and we’ll talk about your idea. I’m easy! 

-----

Read the full article and share with a friend: https://podcastpontifications.com/episode/the-minor-role-podcasters-play-in-podcastings-power-dynamics

Follow Evo on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come.