Powerful storytelling, innovative documentary production and vital discussions on the future of podcasting metrics.

This time, Claire interviews Anna Stoecklein, creator of The Story of Woman, to find out more about her critically acclaimed new documentary series:

The Story of Woman: Finding Strength in Kenya

• A Harrowing Topic, a Powerful Message: Hear how Anna travelled to Kenya to create a three-part series on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), telling the human stories behind the statistics and research.
• Rewriting Tradition: In this series Anna speaks with survivors, activists, and community leaders in a Somali community in Nairobi and a Maasai community in rural Kenya, showcasing the strength and untapped potential of those working to rewrite tradition from the inside out.
• Splitting the Sats: Learn how TrueFans enables creators like Anna to use the splits feature in their digital wallet to distribute listener-streamed payments (SATs) between herself and partnering organisations, such as the Orchid Project.

Creator Strategy: Funding and Features

• New Metrics for Success: Sam explains how hosting on TrueFans provides creators with valuable metrics, including actual listen time and percent completion, that are far more useful to sponsors than traditional download numbers.
• Apple Joins the Chapter Party: Sam and Claire discuss the major industry news that Apple Podcasts will soon support chapters, whether their own or ones provided by the podcaster, including those that carry the Podcasting 2.0 format. Apple will automatically generate chapters using AI/transcripts, but creators are advised to make their own chapters for full control, dynamic updates (even weeks later), and the ability to include images and links that appear in all supporting apps.

Don't forget: You can support this show by streaming SATs from your TrueFans wallet or leaving a super comment!

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Are you struggling to break into the media industry or advance your career? David Spencer, who created The Media Mentor brand twenty years ago, shares why he launched The Media Mentor podcast as a powerful audio tool to help people navigate the "mystifying world of recruitment".

Episode Highlights You Won't Want to Miss:

• The Power of Audio: Discover why David, a long-time lover of audio who always dreamt of working in radio, believes podcasting is a "beautiful powerful way to communicate".
• The Video Frustration: Hear David's strong feelings on the general trend that "everything has to be video," arguing that a podcast is inherently not video and that the industry risks losing the magic of audio storytelling by becoming too fixated on video.
• Structuring Success: Learn how David structures his show to provide maximum value, balancing direct advice (theory on CVs and cover letters) with client case studies (brilliant stories and great learning experiences), and expert industry interviews (including a crucial episode on AI and recruitment).
• The Business of Podcasting: David explains how his podcast functions as a form of "soft power," helping to build the brand of The Media Mentor and showing the value of being a human character behind the brand.

Plus, Sam and Claire Dive into Exciting TrueFans Updates:

• Fairer Podcast Hosting is Coming: Sam shares exciting news about the progression of the new TrueFans hosting service, with the waitlist expected to open at the end of the month.
• Value-for-Value Pricing Explained: Learn about TrueFans' innovative hosting plan based on listen time rather than fixed fees or downloads. Sam reveals how the pricing works: you are charged a maximum amount (e.g., $15/£15), but if you use less listen time, you are charged less. Any unused allocation rolls over into the next month.
• Boosting Discovery: Claire praises the TrueFans' homepage, which highlights the latest episodes rather than shows promoted by huge PR budgets.

Hear more about why Sam believes independent podcasters are the "bread and butter" and "lifeline" of the industry, and stick around after the main interview for more from David and Claire on authenticity in audio and the difficulty of not spreading yourself too thinly across social media.

Don't forget: You can support this show by streaming SATs from your TrueFans wallet or leaving a super comment!

Listen to The Media Mentor here

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Connecting cats and the creator economy!

This time Claire Waite Brown chats with Amanda B, AKA Captain Kitty, the creator and host of the brilliantly inventive and award-winning 6 Degrees of Cats, the podcast that explores deep, cat-themed questions such as 'Are cats cuter than babies?' and 'Did Sir Isaac Newton really create the cat door?'.

Amanda shares the frustration of the industry devaluing 'human, handcrafted work', but offers a powerful, optimistic theory that the rise of AI-generated content is pushing the industry toward a new economy requiring 'proof of humanity': advertisers will ultimately demand host-read ads and genuine human interaction because 'nobody wants to pay for a bunch of robots listening to their stuff'.

We also contemplate a fun new way to use the Podcasting 2.0 Person tag and give Binky, Snuggles and Peanut the credit they deserve!

In this episode you'll discover how TrueFans is driving interactivity by teaching people 'that there are different ways to help listeners become fans'. Sam reveals how creators can use a marketing budget to incentivize listener engagement with small sats payments that show podcasters value the listener's time and attention.

Plus, learn about new TrueFans discovery features, including a dedicated Awards page that turns winners and nominees into dynamic playlists.

We also cover critical industry news, including a warning about rising production costs from hosting platforms, and the positive prediction that podcast advertising is expected to top $3 billion in 2025!

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