How Riverside.fm Empowers Podcast Creators: Tips from Their Community Manager

What happens when you go from traditional media to new media, and try to use old lessons for a new audience?

Kendall Breitman, Community Manager at riverside.fm, joins the show.

She and Freddy dive into the real struggles—connecting with listeners, building community, and why sound can make or break your show. Whether you’re just getting started, or you’re an experienced podcaster feeling stuck, you might hear what you need.

Learn more about riverside.fm here.

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Key Takeaways

1. The Transition from Traditional Media to New Media (Podcasting)

• Takeaway: Both speakers draw parallels between their backgrounds in traditional media (TV journalism and radio) and the current landscape of podcasting. They emphasize the importance of storytelling, extracting headlines, and using lessons from old media (such as brevity and hooks) to enhance new media content. The skills and techniques from traditional broadcast can still offer valuable structure to podcasts.

2. Importance of Audience Connection and Content Relevance

• Takeaway: Success in podcasting isn’t just about information, but also about creating a bond with listeners. Hosts need to balance staying on-topic (especially for niche podcasts) with the right amount of personality and relatability. Sharing small, personal stories can strengthen the audience connection, but going off-topic at the start risks losing listener attention.

3. The Power and Simplicity of Modern Podcasting Tools (Riverside.fm)

• Takeaway: Accessible, user-friendly technology like Riverside.fm empowers anyone to create high-quality podcasts without a major studio setup. The discussion highlights Riverside’s features that simplify processes (multitrack editing, AI scene creation, noise reduction), effectively lowering barriers for new podcasters and supporting more diverse voices.

4. The Central Role of Audio Quality in Podcasting

• Takeaway: High audio quality is vital—listeners may forgive minor video flaws but will leave if the sound is poor. Riverside’s tools, such as background noise removal and enhancing low-quality guest audio, are specifically designed to uphold audio standards and ensure a professional listening experience, no matter the recording environment or equipment.

5. The Evolution and Future of Podcasting: Customization and Live Features

• Takeaway: The future of podcasting is moving toward even greater customization—video branding, overlays, animated captions, and expanded live-streaming features. Podcasters are being equipped to create more engaging, branded content and reach audiences across multiple platforms, adapting to new content consumption trends and opportunities.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 Showtime Factor in Podcasting

03:18 Coaching: Mastering Media Brevity

09:08 Enhancing Remote Audio with Riverside

09:59 Understanding Riverside's User Needs

13:52 Empowering Diverse Voices

19:45 E