Giving Indie Voices a Bigger Megaphone

Podcasting began with a dream and a mic, but to reach the world, they often benefited from having someone in their corner, like this week’s guest.

On a new Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts indie-creator advocate Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn, and Founder, Megaphone). Libsyn is also the founding sponsor of our Indie PaC Awards, which is an extension of their 20+ years of support for independent creators.

Join Dan and Brendan as they cover: Indie Wins, Definitions, The Creator’s Voice, and more. Let’s dig in.

“For us, it’s: how do we think about bringing revenue to [creators] and helping them fuel their dreams on the business side?” – Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn)

Indies Hit Different – Whether brands realize it or not, they have a vested interest in supporting indie creators. Why? 80% of the top shows ranked by ORBIT are independents. Indies consistently punch above their weight in regard to ROI. Marketers, if you have an out-sized indie performer in your campaign, odds are you owe Libsyn a “thank you.” And if Indies aren’t a part of your strategy, you’re leaving performers on the table.

The Definition of Independence – What makes a show independent? In part, it’s what they aren’t: no big network, no outside influence, no celebrity vehicles, no safety net. In other words, indies are creators where your support makes a vital difference. Podcasting is a fragile meritocracy where independent voices can only make an impact if they can distribute and monetize from day one. Then they’ll have a chance to find their audience.

The Voice of the Creators – There’s one play you need to steal from Brendan’s business playbook. No matter the issue, he approaches it from the mindset of his core customer, the creators. Take AI: we have 10% improvement tools for creators (transcriptions), but where’s that improvement going to come from, and can you make that tool first? Marketers, bring the voice of your customers into your most important discussions and give them what they ask for.

For more insights on independent creators and why they’re vital to marketers, check out the full episode below.