There we were on Radio Row in Miami, one of almost 300 outlets all doing the same thing pretty much; storytelling with audio for almost a full week at the Miami Beach Convention Center. There were the traditional radio outlets, podcasters like The Tony Bruno Show, six college outlets, video setups, streaming posts, even setups with Twitter and Nickelodeon capturing content of the famous and the not so famous, all with stories to tell.
There was a time not too long ago when many thought that audio as a medium was almost dead. We live in a video world, we need to see things, no one has time to sit by a radio…but the ease of listening to quality audio wherever we are has changed all that, and sports storytelling is right at the center. Look no further than Spotify’s play for The Ringer last week, and you will see here brands and content aggregators are looking, and why audio is experience such a golden age.
By many accounts more people listen to storytelling via audio devices today than ever before…you can be very choosy about your interests, and if you have the means, can create your own broadcasts online for you, or whomever you want, to hear.
Where can it grow the most? Back to school. College and high school stations, on air, on line from no less than 25 nations and all 50 states take part each fall in college radio day a program, which was designed to draw attention to the value of college radio as a training ground not just for DJ’s, but for engineers, writers, bloggers, vloggers and broadcasters. Today, enterprising students, especially in politics, news and sports, can find a niche that was impossible to break into in years past. Want to host a sports radio show and get guests? Be professional in your approach and just ask whomever runs the station where you are in school. Some call letters and some informed opinions and you can build your own portfolio, and some great references.
The cost of production has dropped astronomically, so the ability to record and broadcast, even live sporting events from high school games in a town to collegiate events, is more of an opportunity now than ever before. More importantly for the enterprising young man or woman, the ability to market oneself and be heard by the mainstream is easier than ever before. Educational outlets which once reached a few blocks can now be heard online around the world, and the ability to customize files and pass them along to those who may have missed a key broadcast can give anyone the ability to have an amazing career through the spoken voice.
Want to parlay the word into written as well, or find a platform for brand activation. How about the fact that a recent New York Times story showed that there are almost 1,000 MORE college media outlets in the US than there are daily commercial newspapers, and in markets like Ann Arbour, Michigan, the college paper is now the primary news source for residents.
Now is it all about the money on the college level? Do you still need some creative accounting and sponsorship knowledge to make a financial go of it? Yes. Are more podcasting than “podlistening.” Yes but that’s changing. Is it easy to get scale? No way, but you really need to identify and literally speak to an audience vs. the masses. Do you have to learn about good writing skills, string note-taking and the ability to ask smart questions from professionals in the industry? Yes. Should shock jock and smart ass opinions be your forte?
Hope not.
However for those looking for an entree into the media field, the world of audio is alive and kicking.
