First Impressions of Clubhouse

First, my tip of the week - make sure your podcast isn't only on the web. It NEEDS to be, at a minimum, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.  I've talked to several very smart people lately who were either never told this or just couldn't figure out how. To submit, you need an RSS feed, and your show needs to have a logo and at least one episode or trailer.  Then use your accounts for each of these corresponding apps - links below:

Apple: https://itunesconnect.apple.com/login

Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/

Google Podcasts: https://podcastsmanager.google.com/

OK, today's main topic: My first impressions of the Clubhouse App.  Yes, it's only available on iOS at this point, not Android.  Sorry guys.   At first, I wasn't going to join - after all, my newly-turned-40-year-old self had decided I was too old for TikTok, and my Snapchat account has been dormant since the end of my radio career 3 1/2 years ago.  I didn't want to deal with another app.   But my client Melissa Joy Dobbins (Shout out to the Sound Bites nutrition podcast) suggested it might be a great vehicle for me to connect with clients and potential podcasters.  

So far, I like the spontaneity. When I joined, all of a sudden I was in a room having a conversation with a college buddy in Miami.  Yesterday, I saw a professional contact pop up and I said hello to her - giving me a chance to reconnect.  And I'm going to talk to some fellow podcast producers about potentially doing an AMA - or ask me anything about podcasts.    Yes, the app has some security concerns - most do.  But if Facebook is already sending me targeted ads for Schitt's Creek t-shirts and online casinos, how much privacy do I really have?

Here's how I know Clubhouse is something to take note of.  Facebook and Twitter are already testing out products to compete, and Mark Cuban is launching something called  Fireside to compete with Clubhouse. Their point of differentiation - the ability to monetize.  Cuban's big audio takeaways from an interview with Erica Mandy in Business Insider:

1. Streaming is the future, and legacy companies need to get on board in order to survive
2. These days, audio is just as competitive as video because the barrier to entry is lower and there’s no pressure to look nice.
3. As new technology emerges, media will continue to evolve — and creators must keep up.
4. Anyone can be a broadcaster, but you still need to figure out how to gain traction with an audience.

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/mark-cuban-dives-into-the-future-of-podcasting-and-media-2021-2

Podcasting continues to grow among big names. New podcasters include Bill Clinton, Kurt Angle, Paris Hilton, Mike Pence and a new show co-hosted by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen.  Even a radio station in Jacksonville has launched something called the TrevorCast. It's going to focus on Clemson  quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whom the Jacksonville Jaguars are almost guaranteed to select with the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.  But the draft isn't until April 29th - can you imagine if Jacksonville traded the pick?

Podcasting is now big enough to attract hackers and ransomware.   Hosts Buzzsprout, Podbean, Spreaker, and Captivate were all targets of DDOS - or denial of service attacks this week.  Leave it to Podnews founder James Cridland to track down the Russian hacker who appears responsible.   Cridland says the hacker made a bunch of stuff up about exposing vulnerabilities and needing Bitcoin to pay for a sick mother's surgery.  What's more likely, according to Cridland, is that this hacker saw how big podcasting is getting, and wanted to make a quick buck.  https://podnews.net/article/ddos-team-podcasts?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2021-02-24

Spotify launched new tools for podcasters this week, including interactive polls, ability to add video, and most notably to me - a way to turn Wordpress content into a podcast. Stay tuned on that: https://www.axios.com/spotify-interactive-podcast-tools-218eb4d1-9a9f-4dd4-b0fc-5d56a22b3e12.html

The Wynn hotel in Vegas is buying sports podcast network Blue Wire and putting a podcast studio in their lobby.  One more thing to check out if I ever make it back there after quarantine - my favorite vacation spot in t