Special to the Retailer

Why Podcasting Is Important for MI

By Ryan Roullard

There’s no denying that streaming and podcasting are now established media platforms with mainstream appeal. “The Joe Rogan Experience” has eight million subscribers, and top Twitch streamer Ninja boasts a staggering audience of 16.6 million. As the affordability and accessibility of the required technology increases, streaming and podcasting have also become popular hobbies.

So where do MI retailers come in? The common thread between musicians and online content creators is, of course, audio — it’s just not necessarily musical audio. And while you know how to sell a microphone or audio interface, there are a few more considerations to take into account when selling to this new demographic.

Let’s take a look at not only why you would want to get into this market, but also how you can leverage your existing sales and marketing know-how to move the needle.

Why Get Into the Podcasting and Streaming Markets?

Consider the following: • According to Activate, eSports viewership is second only to the NFL in viewership numbers and is more than that of the MLB, NBA, NHL or MLS. • According to PodcastHosting. org as of May 2021, there are more than 2 million podcasts and more than 48 million episodes. Approximately 55 percent of the population of the United States has listened to a podcast. • According to Verve, Twitch served 17 billion (with a B) hours of video, mostly gaming media. • According to TwitchTracker, Twitch had 9.5 million active streamers — that’s active streamers, not viewers — in Feb. 2021.

Look hard at that fourth statistic. That’s at least 9.5 million microphones and audio interfaces. And you sell microphones and audio interfaces, right?

Make no mistake: Streamers and podcasters are today’s pop stars, and these potential sales are not necessarily based around music. But these customers do all need audio products.

It may be reassuring to know that, while the landscape has changed a bit, the dream mostly hasn’t. Your job is the same as it ever was: sell the dream to the dreamers. And by “the dream,” I mean microphones, audio interfaces, headphones, speakers and software.

Accessorize and Bundle

High-tech tools can be difficult for first-timers to navigate, particularly when a new streamer has to get so many tools communicating with one another: microphones, interfaces, software, cameras, lighting, etc. Save them the trouble by doing a bit of research on compatibility and assembling a few hardware bundles for them. Some suggestions: • Entry-level streamer bundle: A USB microphone, a boom arm, inexpensive headphones and an RGB light strip. • Mid-grade podcasting bundle: Two XLR broadcast mics, a twochannel audio interface and two sets of headphones. • High-end livestreamer: An XLR broadcast mic, an audio interface, a boom arm, a pop screen, headphones, two small studio monitors, and a ring light or RGB strip.

Note that RGB lighting for decor/atmosphere is very popular in the streaming community, and it can be surprisingly inexpensive. RGB strips could make for a great accessory or impulse-purchase item alongside your mics, interfaces and other hardware.

Mobile Compatibility

For the non-gamer set that prefers to use a mobile-only platform like TikTok or Instagram, the ability to stream straight from their phone is key. These customers aren’t using a desktop computer with the robust processing power and advanced connectivity that’s required to use a multichannel audio interface. These customers aren’t recording multi-channel band productions, they’re shooting from the hip without a linecheck. Record, edit, upload … and on to what’s next.

For these customers, I recommend USB microphones that are compatible with the iOS, iPadOS and Android platforms. Demonstrate the portability element for these customers. Consider a bundle with a tripod and ring light.

Older ≠ Better

Avoid using the kind of messaging that you use to sell a minty made-in-Japan BOSS HM-2 to a graying shredder. With some crossover exceptions (e.g., a podcaster with a show about vintage guitars), the streaming crowd is about today’s tech. When they see a classic Neve preamp in your glass display case, it does not register as vintage mojo. It registers as something that looks like it was salvaged out of a submarine circa 1963.

Knowledge Is King

Ask around, and you may well find that you have an employee (or several) for whom livestreaming or podcasting is already a hobby. Check out their content, and if it seems like they know what they’re doing, consider inviting them to host a free class for your customers (in-person or online) on how to set up a livestreaming rig or a podcast studio.

For the podcasting crowd, topics worth covering will be a little more in line with some musicproduction conventions you and your staff may already be familiar with: vocal (dialog) recording, acoustic treatment of studio space, etc.

Be sure to include a bit of software how-to as well. Studio One Prime and Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) are wonderful free applications suitable for podcast production and livestreaming, respectively. Of course, some interfaces, like those made by PreSonus, also come with some level of recording software, which can be an amazing value-add for anyone just starting out.

Offer a bundle discount or a giveaway to incentivize attendance. Hit your email list and social profiles hard to pitch the event a few weeks ahead of time, and send a reminder a couple days before the event. (By the way, you’re using that email list for social media ad retargeting too, right? Good.)

Why Now?

The logarithmic rise of streaming’s popularity managed to coincide with a global pandemic that found people relying upon new communications technologies for socially responsible/distanced communication. And for many, work-from-home forcibly raised their standard of media tech savvy. Furthermore, folks have been stuck at home bored, and many have begun to look into streaming as a new hobby.

It also turns out that many people have been unable to spend their dining-out money for over a year. So go get yourself a slice.

Ryan Roullard is documentation manager for PreSonus Audio Electronics. He has been active in the audio equipment biz for a while now, in varying capacities: social media management, copywriting, email marketing, graphic design, technical support and heavy lifting.