I haven’t attended Podcast Movement before, and the number one question I got while I was there was: “so what do you think?”

Well, first of all it’s like every other conference I’ve attended where I spend more time having coffee and meetings than attending the panel discussions. I hope to go back and listen or watch the ones I wanted to see. (I can do that right? They’re on-demand somewhere, right?)

The crowd seemed to be split between networks and companies making a commercial business out of it, public radio folks, and the DIY crowd. There still seemed to be a good amount of amateurs and people that are just getting started, or think this is going to be their way out of a 9-5 job and they will get rich podcasting.

I agree with Perry Simon at All Access that there was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement for podcasting overall. And over at Jacobs Media they highlight the quality that is necessary to really break through. (Meaning, you have a tough road ahead DIY folks)

But no matter where you fall in the podcast crowd… if you’re Gimlet, Panoply, WNYC or just a real estate broker from the tri-state area we are all asking the same questions:

How do I get more audience?

How do I make money?

The only difference was that the established networks and sales reps were asking: where do I get more quality shows and inventory? 

It’s a really exciting time to be involved in podcasting. As the industry matures, it’s only going to get bigger and better.

Here’s what I hope to see in the next year:

• Unified/standard metrics and some reliable form of “comScore” for podcasts.
• More advertising tiers. Right now the most common way to advertise is with host read ads. I’d like to see a really high premium placed on those host reads to allow for another robust tier of podcast ads to develop. Not re-purposed radio ads with car dealers shouting deals at you, but some level of agency produced ads that fit the sound and feel of podcasts.

As of now, I plan to go to Podcast Movement 2017… I just have to make more time for the actual show. That reminds me. I need to get back to Hivio too.

*the image on this article is from: http://podcastmovement.com