The podcast world is enormous. In 2022 the growing market boasted over five million podcasts with 70 million available episodes. There are 100 million active listeners in the United States alone. The industry as a whole generates billions of dollars in revenue and is worth tens of billions of dollars more.
No matter how you look at it, podcasting is having a moment. As with all successful tech-based movements, though, podcasting also comes with its fair share of challenges.
One of the biggest struggles is the complexity that comes with successfully executing a top-level show. With so much competition out there, it’s important for creators to generate content that can compete. The solution thus far has been to use a growing number of software tools to execute each stage of a successful podcast.
That’s where PodUp (previously ShowPlatform) is shaking things up. The revolutionary platform is restoring simplicity to the podcasting game.
The Challenge: Managing the Prolific Podcasting Tool Chest
The laundry list of apps required to pull off an effective podcast in 2023 is intimidating. Along with recording, editing, and publishing software, podcasters need to consider investing in applications that can help them manage:
- Workflow to shepherd their episodes from production and publishing through to marketing and promotion.
- Additional content creation tools include transcription services, guest invitation apps, image editors, and ticket management platforms.
- A website, e-commerce, and blog to host content, sell merch, and function as a central online “hub” for their podcast brand.
- Social channels to help with brand awareness, community building, and individual episode promotion.
- Video and live stream functions for bonus content and repurposing of audio episodes.
- Back-end tools from ad and affiliate management to SEO optimization, file organization, customer relationship management (CRM), and more.
The worst part of this exhausting administrative and creative to-do list is that the abovementioned avalanche of responsibilities is hardly comprehensive. It is just the tip of the iceberg. The list of tools that podcasters require to pull off a quality show is growing by the year — sometimes by the month.
Even within each category listed above, podcasters must make dozens of choices, too. For instance, the need for a workflow tool alone could be solved using Asana, Trello, Monday.com, ClickUp, and countless competing options. Each one offers unique value, and a show’s management team must research and decide which platform will integrate with the myriad of other tools they’re already using.
The lack of integration and natural overwhelm that comes with so many needs and even more options to address them is what inspired Nathan Gwilliam to create PodUp.
PodUp Is Simplifying the Podcasting Process With an All-in-One Platform
Formerly known as ShowPlatform, PodUp is an innovative podcasting invention from industry veteran Nathan Gwilliam. The founder ran his own successful show for an entire year before realizing how much money he was pouring into the many different technologies required to make that success possible.
The entrepreneur saw a need, and his answer was PodUp. To execute his ambitious vision, Gwilliam brought together an international group with over 20 years of experience growing digital ventures. PodUp’s core team brings experience from major corporations, including Sony, IBM, PayPal, and Apple.
Together, this group fleshed out Gwilliam’s vision, turning it into a comprehensive platform that integrates dozens of different products into a single, all-in-one podcasting solution.
PodUp doesn’t just do the grunt work of an army of different apps. It also integrates the dozens of other apps still required in the podcasting process. For example, the platform can be distributed to 18 audio streaming services, including prominent names like Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Pandora.
It also integrates social sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as various top-tier analytics, calendar, CRM, and email platforms. By bringing these capabilities and integrations into a single location, PodUp has created a one-stop shop software solution that dramatically simplifies the podcasting process.
PodUp Goes Beyond the “Episode” and Syndicates the “Show”
Simplification is a core philosophy of PodUp, but Gwilliam’s vision didn’t stop with efficiency. He also wanted to help creators take their content to the next level.
With that in mind, PodUp’s founding team looked beyond individual episode creation and focused on helping creators build shows. That process starts with episode creation, but that’s merely the first step.
From there, a successful show repurposes its audio into video, text, images, social, and even memes. This creates a multi-faceted content library for each episode, which can then be pushed out to various platforms. PodUp makes all of this possible from a single tool.
The in-house PodUp syndication process can exponentially impact a show’s overall growth. The platform doesn’t leave creators to guess at their progress, either. PodUp’s dashboard helps to monitor and analyze KPIs (key performance indicators) and deep, detailed analytics.
As a show grows, the platform also provides elite organization and backup capabilities to keep track of everything. Podcast managers can save and organize content in multiple formats. This makes referencing and collaborative sharing quick and easy. If questions arise, the brand provides 24/7 support to help creators use the software and successfully manage their shows.
PodAllies Streamlines Production Even Further
While PodUp makes it easier for a business to create a show efficiently in-house, the creators behind the platform have also launched an even simpler solution: PodAllies.
This is a “do it for you” production service that utilizes the PodUp technology and platform. In this case, it passes the bulk of the production process off to a third-party service. This is a lifesaver for a busy CEO or leadership team that is looking to save not just resources but time, as well.
PodUp Is Creating Efficiencies and Lowering Costs for Podcast Producers
The end result of PodUp’s all-in-one podcasting solution is an efficient and effective way to keep up with cutting-edge podcast production and promotion best practices. The tool has an impact on a show’s profitability, too. The sheer number of applications that this single platform eliminates can lead to as much as $8,143 per year in savings.
On top of that, the ability to quickly and efficiently manage a podcast can lead to faster growth. This, combined with the platform’s built-in monetization tools, can lead to streamlined monetization and higher revenue.
From simplicity to efficiency to monetization, PodUp is setting the stage for creators to take their shows to the next level. The platform’s combination of software and services is helping entrepreneurs, businesses, and agencies alike manage their podcasts with an alacrity that is hard to find in the oft-overwhelming world of modern podcasting.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels; Thank you!
