Raising a Glass to Todd Cochran: Podcasting Pioneer

I am still in shock about the loss of Todd Cochrane.

I just saw him a few weeks ago 30 lbs lighter and looking great. I've known Todd for 20+ years. The man who wrote the very first book on podcasting. In looking for pictures, I only have this one in a group. Why? Because you always think a person will be there to do it next time.

Todd was a character. Unique. There will never be another one. At every event I would end up at a table with Todd, "The Robs" (Greenlee and Walch) and other OGs. Always great to catch up and share insights with the goal of making sure the podcast space was doing OK.

I will remember Todd as the courageous advocate of the independent podcaster. At one point he would get deals by grouping shows together. This was a HUGE nightmare of paperwork, but he wanted to see the "indies" make some money. I was one of those indies, and it was one of the first times I made money with a podcast. That wouldn't have happened without Todd.

On a recent show he talked about he wouldn't do a deal where the podcaster made less than 70%. Other companies are taking deals of 50%. Not Todd. The podcaster must be paid.

I loved that he had a wider view of the podcast space as the CEO of Blubrry and was always sharing what he saw. My favorite phrase to hear Todd say was, "I probably shouldn't say this but..." because you knew what was coming was a doozy. When you hear the stat, "Most podcasters don't make it past episode seven" that was first delivered by Todd Cochran. He was always open to share so if there was a problem so we could all solve it together.

Todd was the man behind the People's Choice Podcast Awards. When some shows didn't win, he received death threats. Did it stop him from holding the awards next year? No. Todd earned next to nothing for doing those awards, but did it for the indies (noticing a pattern yet?). Lots of work for next to no pay as long as the indie would benefit.

One of my favorite memories of Todd was way back at the New Media Expo. There was an off site party at a bar. I was running the podcast track, and got there late. The bar was at the top of a slope, so I was walking up this slight hill as Todd exited the bar. I believe the ol' sailor had consumed some spirits.

Todd had not made it down the two or three steps to the parking lot, so there I was gazing up at Todd who looked 10 feet tall. They had been talking about bigger companies getting into podcasting. Before I could even say hello, Todd raised his fist in the air and shouted, "There is a fox in hen house boys! VIVA LA REVOLUTION!"

So there he was, larger than life, fist in the air, up against the dark Vegas sky fighting for the indies.

There will never be another Todd Cochrane.

RIP My Friend.

Todd's Presentation from the New Media Expo 2015 - Reflections on 10 Years of Podcasting

• Todd Cochrane shared insights from 10 years of podcasting, covering 1024 episodes
• Spent 7,291 hours (303 days) creating content
• Emphasized the importance of audience relationship and engagement

Key Topics:

Audience Relationship

• Concept of "Ohana" (family) - treating listeners like close family
• Building trust and personal connection with audience
• Sharing personal stories and being authentic

Podcasting Journey

• Started in 2004 after a military injury
• Grew from zero to 45,000 listeners within 60 days
• Developed relationships with sponsors (e.g., GoDaddy for 10 years)

Monetization

• Showed actual earnings from podcasting
• Discussed sponsorship models (CPM, flat rate, CPA)
• Emphasized creating value for sponsors

Podcasting Challenges

• Need for accurate download statistics
• Importance of content quality
• Risks of inflating listener numbers

Future of Podcasting

• Need for more quality content
• Importance of storytelling
• Expanding beyond iOS platforms

Links referenced in this episode:

• geeknewscentral.com
• newmediashow.com
• blubrry.com
• ceoawo.com
• tweetnews.com