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Welcome to The epDate, where we bring you the latest in podcasting for podcast people

World Podcast News

Popular Australian true crime podcast ‘The Teacher’s Pet’ will be temporarily taken down from Australian podcast channels following the arrest of accused murderer Chris Dawson. The podcast series by Hedley Thomas of The Australian investigated the disappearance of Chris’s wife Lyn Dawson in January, 1982. Renewed interest in the investigation spawned from the podcast, which has garnered over 28 million downloads since its release in May, 2018 - put the public eye back on the investigation and helped uncover new evidence, some of which may be used in the upcoming trial. Hedley Thomas said in an update on the 5th of April that the decision to take down the podcast was not taken lightly, but revealed that the show had received expert advice suggesting that it was the appropriate action to take to help ensure that Chris Dawson gets a fair trial.

The audio streaming service Spotify has declared that podcasting will play a vital role going forward, with chief content officer, Dawn Ostroff declaring that the exploding industry’s ever-growing interest has gone beyond anything that any of us could have imagined. Ostroff told an audience at a South by South West session in Austin, Texas, that to achieve Spotify’s goal of being the world’s largest audio platform, podcasting has to play a part. Ostroff stated that according to their data, people who listen to podcasts on spotify spend twice as much time on the platform - while also listening to more music. Ostroff also suggested that longer podcasts are on the agenda for the future as well, with audience engagement sky-high for shows with an average runtime of 90 minutes and even shows that last in surplus of 3 hours.      

Two hosts of a podcast dedicated to recapping their favourite reality TV series have had their wildest dreams come true, with the reality show set to feature the two as guests on an upcoming episode. Comedians Max Cohen and Jim Search, hosts of Shut It Down: The Bar Rescue Recap Show, achieved the ultimate goal of featuring on an episode of their beloved ‘Bar Rescue’, a show where Jon Taffer, well-known entrepreneur, and owner of a bar and nightclub consulting firm, gives the Gordon Ramsey treatment to nightclubs and pubs to help them from closing. Cohen and Search aim to recap every single episode of the reality show. So far they are 65 episodes deep, with more than 100 more episodes to recap. Check out the show on your favourite podcasting app.

“She Podcasts” - A facebook group and podcast launched 5 years ago to support and promote women’s podcasting, will host their first live event this year in Atlanta, Georgia, following immense crowdfunding support from their followers. She Podcasts began as a small facebook group for women podcasters to gain quick podcasting answers, tips and resources from one another. Now with over 12, 000 members, the vision for She Podcasts  “is to support and nurture as many female-lead podcasts as possible, and to encourage knowledge sharing without excessive promotion”. It had been the group’s goal to host a live event for women’s podcasters for some time, but after hitting their target of $25, 000 on kickstarter - in fact clocking $40, 000 at the time of recording - they will now be hosting a podcasting weekend described as a “weekend of learning, camaraderie, and belonging”. Held between the 11th and 13th of October, the weekend will be about learning the core skills and aspects needed for every stage of podcasting. As ‘She Podcasts’ states on their kickstarter campaign, the event is: “part retreat and part conference and part slumber party”. Check out She Podcast on Facebook or their Kickstarter page, for more details.

Fans of the WWE are in for a treat as two former champions have a brand new weekly podcast. Nikki and Brie Bella, better known as the Bella Twins, are not only former WWE Superstars, but also social media darlings, with their close-to 35 million followers across multiple social media platforms affectionately referred to as ‘The Bella Army’. It is therefore not surprising perhaps that their debut episode landed them at the number 1 spot on the iTunes podcast charts. Brie described to ‘Forbes’ in a recent interview that the podcast is “a really fun variety show” that provides “an unfiltered look into their lives”. If you’re a part of the Bella Army, or just looking for a light-hearted variety show, check out ‘The Bellas Podcast’ on your favourite podcasting app.

That’s the podcast news from around the world this week. Now we’ll take a look at 5 podcasts you should be checking out this week.

• Bingemode - The Ringer

If you’re like me and can’t wait for the newest season of Game of Thrones to drop next week, then catch up with all the previous episodes - and listen while you do it to ‘Binge Mode: Game of Thrones’. ‘Binge Mode’ leaves the world of Harry Potter, where they recently delved deep into that series, and return to Westeros. The Ringer’s Jason Conception and Mallory Rubin break down every episode in detail - reflecting on all the major events of the series as they binge on one of the greatest shows in the modern era. Great fun and an awesome podcast to get you in the mood for Thrones season.

• Unwell - Hartlife NFP

If you like storytelling podcasts, and horror is your thing then look no further than Hartlife’s new podcast ‘Unwell’. Another stellar edition into the audio drama genre, Unwell is a midwestern gothic mystery. Taken from the show’s podcast description: “Lillian Harper moves to the small town of Mount Absalom, Ohio to care for her estranged mother Dorothy after an injury. Living in the town’s boarding house which has been run by her family for generations, she discovers conspiracies, ghosts, and a new family in the house’s strange assortment of residents.” Dim the lights, wrap yourself up in your favourite blanky and enjoy.

• Blackout - Endeavor Audio

Rami Malek, who was recently crowned best actor at the 91st Academy Awards for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rapsody”, stars in a new audio fiction podcast called Blackout. Malek plays a radio DJ tasked with keeping his town and family safe during a nationwide power grid crisis. With masterful storytelling and gorgeous sound production, the podcast is best described as an “apocalyptic thriller”. Blackout has 5 episodes out now with 3 more on the way.     

• Hong Kong Confidential - Auscast Network

The latest episode of The Auscast Network’s Hong Kong Confidential where host Jules Hannaford interviews interesting people in Hong Kong about their lives, personal journeys and secrets.it out now! This week Jules is joined by Paula Miquelis, the organiser of the Green is the New Black Conscious Festival in Hong Kong. The two delve into sustainable living topics, climates change, plastic use, zero waste, veganism and mindful eating, plus Paula shares some of the highlights of the Green is the New Black Festival.

Genre Spotlight:

Next up it’s our genre spotlight. Each week we’ll focus on a specific genre available on iTunes in a different country look at some of the top podcasts from that genre. If it’s not your usual genre that’s ok!  But if you’re looking to dip your feet in and try something new, or you are indeed a huge fan of the genre - this will help highlight what the die-hard fans are listening to. This week, we’re taking a look at the hottest podcasts in Comedy on the Australian iTunes charts.

1. Stupid Genius with Emma Chamberlain
2. The Joe Rogan Experience
3. Hamish & Andy

The epdate’s weekly genre spotlight is Australian Comedy! Check out the Yeah, G’Day podcast on the Auscast Network. Yeah G’day is your complete guide to Australia with a comedic twist. Some of the latest episodes explore some crucial elements of Australian culture, including Weetbix, Mr Squiggle, and...well...goon sacks. Check out the Yeah G’day podcast today.  

And that’s it for the Epdate, make sure you subscribe to Auscast Network Extra for plenty more great podcasts. The sponsors for this weeks epdate are: Pushpull Media, Got the Merchandise, and Cartel Media. Send us your stories and cool podcast facts at AuscastNetwork.com.  Happy Podcasting, I’ll see you next week!

Podcast Resources:

https://podnews.net/press-releases

https://podnews.net/press-release/bar-rescue-podcast

https://podnews.net/press-release/she-podcasts-funding?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podnews.net:2019-04-09

https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/event-reports/podcasts_play_vital_role_in_spotifys_brand_future/125962

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuadudley/2019/04/06/the-bella-twins-have-a-new-podcast-and-want-to-be-on-the-cover-of-forbes-magazine/#4f2bb6b3ca43

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/podcasts/teachers-pet-podcast-series-to-be-temporarily-unavailable-in-australia/news-story/957300743da2878171631990510abd0b

https://www.marieclaire.com.au/teachers-pet-podcast-removed

https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/7/18294227/unwell-gothic-horror-podcast-midwest-america-listen

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/04/229254/rami-malek-blackout-podcast-interview

https://www.shepodcasts.com/

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmedia/she-podcasts-live-the-womens-podcasting-experience/posts/2471266

https://www.theringer.com/binge-mode

Music from Free Music Archive in order of appearance

(Artist - song)

Computer Music All Stars - May The Chords Be With You

Nctrnm - Absum

Nctrnm - Qeue