Podcast Artistry: What It Is, What It Is Not, and How You Can Become a Podcast Artist.

Where’s the artistry?

Seven years and change into my podcasting career, I’ve made an observation about the podcasting craft that is cause for concern. That is a conspicuous absence of artistry in those who publish them.

Far too often a podcast is viewed as a mere marketing tool, a means of making others aware you exist, generating leads to follow up with for your business. This is not an incorrect view of a podcast. It is all that and probably a whole lot more regarding the marketing side of things.

But to view a podcast as only a marketing tool, only a means of generating affiliate revenue, ad revenue, etc. misses the mark.

Let’s transport ourselves out of the digital age, to an era that is very different from our own, yet remarkably similar in many ways. I’m talking about the period of music history known by people with more degrees than me as the “classical” era. This is Mozart in his prime, Haydn, Handel are his contemporaries.

So let me ask this question: What musician has more brand longevity and global recognizance than Mozart? Going on 250 years after his death, his name and compositions are universally recognized. Who hasn’t heard of Mozart? But would you consider any of his symphonies or operas to be marketing tools? That’s essentially what they are if we want to be completely transparent from a marketing perspective, but Mozart was an artist first and foremost.

In case you’re wondering, the scene in Amadeus where Mozart’s dead body is dumped anonymously into a pile of corpses is metaphorical for how great art is trivialized and made common by mass media. He was actually well-known, and was given a dignified burial, but he still died poor, especially given his prolific output of masterful music. 18th Century Austria was not a boon for capitalistic enterprise. A person like Mozart was dependent on the graces and whims of wealthy benefactors, and not everyone in that time and place was wealthy, I’ll just leave it at that.

Now I’m not saying that anyone reading or writing this article is on par with a Mozart when it comes to artistry; but there is a principle we can learn and apply to our own podcasting endeavors. Mozart was an artist first, a marketer second (or maybe fifth). His music is art first and foremost, and great art at that. This is why his music has transcended not just his own era, but literally centuries later, he’s a household name all over the world. Impressive, and it’s because he focused on his art first.

We creators in the modern era can learn something from this. Sure we want to get the word out about our business and generate new revenue. That’s the whole point of being in business, and a podcast that doesn’t have that as its goal probably is not going to last very long. I say this as the co-host of a podcast with my wife Sana that has been done as a means of bonding as a husband and wife more than to generate revenue. So if it has a purpose other than making money, knock yourself out. But let’s be real. We want to recoup our investment in time and resources to put out a podcast as much as possible, and even make a profit with it. And the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that Artistry is the only way to go about it.

So what is Artistry as it pertains to a podcast?

The comparison to Mozart obviously has its limitations, but I think we could learn a lot from the methods and sometimes madness of a creative genius and prolific creator of his stature.

First of all, Mozart has a distinct sound, to the point that even a novice music appreciator here in 2022 could identify one of his works without ever hearing it – assuming they’re familiar with some of his other work. Now Mozart wrote for orchestras, because orchestra was really the only option he had available. But even so, if you’ve ever heard Mozart before, you can listen to something he wrote and at the very least make an educated guess that he wrote it. I’ve mistaken Haydn for Mozart before, and vice versa. They were contemporaries, so it makes sense they would have borrowed from each other in their creating.

Far too often I hear podcasts that lack that distinctive sound that sets them apart from others. Take away the obvious distinction of the voices, and way too many of them sound exactly the same. Cheap music purchased on Pond 5, a short spoken intro with text that is remarkably similar to so many others, with a generic voice that just lacks that “mmmphhh” that makes someone want to keep playing while they go about their business. Then the interview or the commentary is exactly the same as every other podcast out there. A few real leaders actually create something unique, find success with it, then inevitably the copycats come out of the woodwork to “ahem” borrow their creation and think they’re going to have the same results. But it doesn’t work that way. There’s no template that equates to success; it’s the energy put out by the creator of the show that makes all the difference.

When I first started doing podcasts, I was terrified of letting my real voice out. I thought I would allow the guests to have the spotlight while I’m in the background allowing them to get the praise and adulation they so deserve. But I massively hurt myself in doing so. I realized this is my show, I need to be the center of attention. It was uncomfortable at first, but I got used to it and even began enjoying it.

Artistry as I see it is that way-overused cultural buzzword authenticity. People love to use the word, but how often do you see real authenticity in anything? Not often. People are wired to fit in with the tribe. Anything that would make someone stick out from the norm actually goes against human genetics, as we crave Community (as Sana and I have discussed on our own podcast). That’s what makes real artists so valuable to society, be they musicians, poets, sculptors, painters, even podcasters. People are looking for moral permission to say what they believe, and it’s the artists that set the tone, give the encouragement or kick in the pants people need to set aside the fear of rejection by the tribe and just be themselves.

I have somehow managed to either overcome or am perhaps missing the gene expression that compels me to “fit in with the crowd.” Anyone who knows me will say that James Newcomb marches to the beat of his own drum. It has gotten me into a bit of trouble in certain social situations over the years. Nothing too terrible, but there have been some awkward moments. But ultimately I’m in a position to do what I love to do and am able to express my views as I see fit. Thank God for this country and form of government that allows me to do so, and thank God for the gift of self-expression and moral courage to say what I believe to be true, even when it defies cultural norms.

That thing you know you shouldn’t be saying…

…is exactly what you should be saying, because chances are, you’re the only one thinking that thing. I’m assuming we’re not talking about anything immoral or illegal; I’m talking about opinions or views that are unconventional, that fall outside the proverbial “3×5 card of allowable opinion” as my friend Tom Woods would say.

I’m going to go back to the Mozart reference, specifically the movie Amadeus. The movie producers made Mozart and Salieri rivals. Mozart the genius mocks court composer Salieri’s piece he created, which makes him bitter and envious, to the point he sabotages his career. From what I understand, real-life Mozart and Salieri were not bitter rivals. They may not have been BFF’s, but they were cordial and professional with one another. In fact, Salieri actually taught Beethoven at one point, so the guy knew his stuff. This doesn’t make for great cinema, but that’s the way it is. Got to have a villain to make a great story, right?

The thing that set Mozart apart from the likes of Salieri – in the movie and probably in real life – was his innovation, or I would say moral courage to put on paper what was in his heart. Maybe Salieri was a genius in his own right. Maybe he had similar thoughts or ideas that would have made him stick out like a sore thumb among other composers, but chose to play it safe because he thought doing so would risk his job as the court composer. I don’t know for sure, and I’m probably taking more artistic liberties than I should as I type this, but please bear with me.

Mozart couldn’t keep his innovations inside; to do so would have been creative suicide. He probably could have kept a “real job” writing pedantic music that would have kept the social trains running, but it would have been at the expense of writing music that changed the course of history.

One must be judicious in how they expend their creative energy, lest it be wasted on trivial matters.

To bring us back to the present day… Society has become so homogenized to the point it’s unrecognizable from when I was a kid. In the 80’s and 90’s, individuality was more prevalent than it is in 2022. You had more character, meaning people weren’t afraid to express themselves, or allow their emotions to be expressed. These days, what was considered normal if not acceptable will land you in either real prison, or in the contempt of the court of public opinion. People are literally terrified to speak their minds on certain issues, or to deviate from certain causes Polite Society demands we accept and champion.

Distinguished professors at major universities are being unceremoniously dismissed for saying things as simple as “All lives matter.” A couple years back, I interviewed a composer who was blacklisted by his peers and publishing companies for simply suggesting via Twitter that violence is not a healthy way to express condemnation of violence. Seems like common sense to me, but the Mob thought otherwise. And those who have been browbeaten into submission by the Gatekeepers of Polite Society condemned the young man for expressing his view and essentially made it impossible for him to create and make a profit from his creations.

Scary times we live in. But haven’t they always been scary? Point is that the opportunity to stick out like a sore thumb – for all the right reasons – has never been more potent. People are craving views and opinions that are original; that aren’tregurgitated from the talking heads owned by the major media syndicates.

Stick your neck out, and you might be surprised at not only will the axe not come swinging, but others will view you as a leader in your industry and will therefore follow you.

But it won’t happen if you’re content with singing other people’s tunes.

Love letters to your audience

This is more or less hearsay because I’ve never been to Disney World, and quite frankly don’t have a strong desire to do so given their affection for things I personally object to. But I’ve been told in various marketing trainings I’ve consumed that the Disney brand loves to reward loyalty to its most devoted fans and followers.

For example, at the restaurants at Disney World, if you look at the ceiling, you’ll see carefully manicured imprints from various movies such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and others. Who looks at the ceiling in a restaurant? Their most devoted fans, that’s who. Those are the folks who pay attention to every last detail, and will notice if things aren’t exactly as they should be. It’s not like the folks who run Disney World need to put the effort into doing things such as that (and that’s just one example) which I’m sure is not cheap. They could very well have some generic design in the paint and call it a day, and no one would be the wiser. But in a way, they’re telling those who care enough to look at the ceiling, “We love you.” It’s kind of like a love letter to those 5% of visitors who are the hardcore fans, and who in turn will turn their children and their children into hardcore Disney aficionados as they come of age (assuming they buy into the woke political agenda Disney is currently peddling).

A little extra expense to carve Belle and The Beast into the paint on the ceiling earns lifetime loyalty for generations of fans. It’s smart, long-game marketing, ultimately is good for the profits and brand recognition, and it comes from a sincere desire to connect on a sociological level with their most devoted fans. 95% of people will come and go thru Disney World, have a nice time, and then get on with their list of amusement parks to visit. But giving that extra effort for those 5% who do care is what separates them from the rest of the pack.

We creators could learn something from Disney’s ways. Rather than creating a message that we think is going to appeal to 10,000 people, maybe a better way to go about it is to create a message that will appeal to five hundred people. Build a community of loyal followers with whom you have an intimate bond – as intimate as can be on the Internet – then let others partake of the goodness that ensues, let them choose whether or not they want to be part of the tribe.

Shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are hugely popular, but I would wager not even 5% of fans of those shows really connect with them on such a level I’m talking about. They’re entertaining, engaging, have unbelievably deep backstories, attention to detail, etc. but you listen to the folks that make the show, and there’s a bond between them that simply cannot be shared with a mere consumer. That is what we need to look for in the content we create, be it a podcast, a blog, a book, whatever. You make it for whosoever will to consume, but there’s a small tribe of listeners with whom you share a wink and a smile, knowing only you know what this show is really about.

Those are the ones who will carry you to the finish line, not the fair-weather fans who consume what you put out, then go on to the next podcast on their list.

Artists are Leaders

So far in this email series, I’ve talked about how artists take the lead in many ways by saying what they know in their heart needs to be said, be through a podcast, a painting, a song, whatever the case may be. This has never been more true here in 2022, when it seems every institution known to man is bending over backwards to accommodate the shifting winds of what’s acceptable in Polite Society. People are desperate for leadership, and are looking for a leader to follow. Someone who has the moral courage to say what many others are thinking, but are hesitant to do so for fear of being blacklisted by the mob, socially, professionally or otherwise.

People don’t follow followers

I once worked for an organization that had many positive attributes, and in some ways provided an outlet to be creative, but the culture as a whole had flaws that I found to be untenable with my own approach to doing business. The people calling the shots were constantly in “reaction” mode, meaning if something went wrong, there was a reactive mindset. Fix the immediate problem, and then do nothing to document what went wrong and establish a plan of action for avoiding the issue from happening again. It’s no surprise that the issues would indeed happen again, while the leaders would again react to them, continuing the same cycle of putting out a mediocre product and creating a demoralizing work environment. Pleas on my part to do things differently fell on deaf ears, which ultimately led to me parting ways with the organization, and not necessarily on the best of terms.

Being reactive, accommodating and appeasing toward problems and complaints from inside and outside parties creates confusion, and ultimately results in a lack of respect toward a person or an organization. But real artists are not this way. Artists are the ones who set trends that others follow, for better or for worse. Artistic Integrity has real meaning. Bucking the trend makes them easy targets for those who prefer to stay within the confines of what is considered socially acceptable by The Crowd. Jobs are lost, reputations are smeared, sometimes families are sadly broken apart. But when the dust settles, they’re respected if for nothing else than saying or doing what they believe to be right.

But one must be careful.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

Calling one’s self a leader without a solid set of principles, moral or otherwise, is a recipe for disaster. Many charismatic personalities throughout history have “led” unsuspecting masses down the road to perdition, financial ruin, moral depravity and much worse. So be careful who you follow, and be even more careful if you find yourself leading others who choose to follow you.

One must have a solid set of principles before attempting to lead others. These principles are forged through hardship and suffering; not a fancy certificate from a university, and certainly not by declaring one’s self to be a leader on their LinkedIn profile.

If you didn’t get all that, get this…

Every time you press the “publish” button, you’re releasing your own unique energy into the world. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to mimic your favorite influencer in order to be effective at the craft. You won’t be effective, it will only weaken your own brand. For copying wreaks of neediness – and neediness repels like catfish bait. If you don’t know what catfish bait smells like, take my word for it that it’s nothing you want on your clothes.

You were not put on this earth to mimic someone else’s style, their cadence, their rhythm. Sure you can model someone you respect and admire for a time until you find your own groove, but it should never cross the line into mimicking. A fine line it is, and I can’t explain where it is; you just know in your gut when someone is copying another person.

The secret sauce to being likable is to simply speak into the microphone as though you’re speaking to a friend. That’s the best way to ensure the real you is consumed by the earballs of your followers.

Practice, tweak, twerk, experiment to your heart’s content. But never compromise your values or what you believe to be true for fear of offending someone. That thing you know needs to be said, but are afraid to say it because no one else is saying it just might be exactly what needs to be said in that moment – for you were given that thought at such a time as this.