Jay Mueller on The Podcasting Phenomena

Image: Recording TEAM Effort in the TEAM Effort Business Cupboard

Every generation of broadcaster will say ‘this is the Golden Age of broadcasting/radio’, but with the emergence of podcasting and its growing popularity, it could be argued we’re living that Golden Age NOW.

Jay Mueller from Bad Producer productions calls it the “wild, wild west”, where just about anyone is having a crack and finding an audience.

What attracted him to podcasting was the ability to tell a story and connect with an audience at different level than radio.

“In radio you need a broad audience and you need a wide audience.  You need something that’s going to connect with a general audience.

“In podcasting you can be very specific. And you can say ‘you know what, we want to connect with (as in Game Changers) people who love radio.  I mean, that’s a niche market.”

While the Australian market is small compared with the US, Mueller believes we’re starting to see quality work being produced but says consistency is the key, along with a commitment to the project.

“The more thought and the more effort you put into the idea, the better it’s going to end up being. With Game Changers, Craig Bruce had a concept and he had an audience in mind. He knew how he wanted it to look and sound.  And suddenly it becomes something ‘tangible’.

“And I think in order to find an audience and have some level of success, you have to produce something on a consistent basis, so that people know when to expect them.”

“Are you willing to commit to this because it’s a slow progression and it takes time to build an audience.  The first episode of Game Changers did hundreds of downloads and now, 50 episodes later, they do thousands. It takes time.”

With literally thousands of podcasts being consumed every year, listeners are being spoilt for choice. But Mueller believes we’re not even begun to ride the crest of the wave.

“It’s the wild, wild west right now and so much is being experimented with and being tried, that is the thing that really intrigues me and grabs me: what can this medium do?

“I mean, you can get a mic or a recorder and you can do anything.  It’s open to just anybody to do it.

“Is somebody going to be able to produce the next great podcast out of their bedroom? Probably at some point. It’ll be somebody who can capture the imagination and it will be a success.”

Bad Producer productions has a number of podcasts under its belt including TEAM Effort, Childproof, The Garrett and Game Changers, but as for his own listening pleasures, Jay has a few favourites.

“I listen to a lot and I love the New York Times’ The Daily. It’s fantastic. That is just one of the best podcasts. The use of audio, the editing, and the way they get into a story.

“I love Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History. The podcast that I’m so involved with right now is Sizzletown. I love what Tony Martin is doing right now. Only a guy like Tony could do that.”