Even though I've been trying to keep these episodes short, the last episode was 30 minutes long. I'd like to keep them short as a challenge for myself, and also, because there are so many shows out there that you might want to check out quite a few!

Today I'll talk through my adventures, with reference to 3 pieces of news:

- Did you know that  YouTube is hiring its first executive focused only on podcasts?
https://www.slashgear.com/youtube-podcast-plans-could-muddle-things-over-at-google-again-06694220/

I've been posting episodes of 21st Century Work Life on YouTube, with no joy, but many people do listen to audio only podcasts there.

Now that YouTube is  going to be opening up that space it's worth considering it as a destination.

Are podcasts becoming a commodity, the same way as sometimes we search for information, find a blog post, read it and never come back to it. The same might be happening with podcasts. Something to bear in mind.

And audio search is growing, so worth bearing that in mind when you create your episodes. For example, I've been giving a clear headline summary at the beginning of each episode of 21st CWL for that reason.

- Anchor has introduced polls and listener questions, so that they show up in Spotify.
https://www.theanchorshow.com/spotify-adds-polls/

This is great because it's difficult to get listeners to reach out, so it's great if they can do it straight from the app. I'm trying this for our new show, Gastronostalgia, in Spanish, so I'll keep you posted.

- Descript has added loads of new sound editing features, becoming a really strong contender in the editing space
https://www.descript.com/blog/article/new-in-descript-studio-sound-overdub-model-pro-audio-effects-and-more

I don't use it myself, but from what I understand you can edit in there in the normal way, by tweaking the sound waves, or you can edit like in a text document, by editing the transcript it generates.

Remember that if you're looking for a media host and you decide to go with Buzzsprout, you can support Adventures in Podcasting by using this affiliate link.

My personal updates

We've published the first couple episodes of Gastronostalgia and would you believe it, I still forgot to carry out some of the steps, so I'll be putting together a checklist for launching a show.

Luckily I have my co-host Tomás who looks after show notes, social media and lots of other stuff, so it's a joy to only look after the audio. We've recorded the first eight episodes and we'll be releasing one a week.

We need to re-record the intro and outro for sound quality, but I'm going to leave the first 4 episodes as they are, or else we'll never get the show off the ground properly. Not many people listen at the beginning anyway, so it's the time to experiment to get things right.

If you need help with your podcast, maybe I can help you, especially if you're a coach, trainer or facilitator.

If you're thinking of starting your own podcasting adventure, I recommend Buzzsprout as host - click here for my affiliate link, which also gets you a little discount, and Riverside FM for recording, which you can access through this other affiliate link.