June celebrations, Spotify's carbon footprint, residencies & awards with looming deadlines, Scarlett: Reliquary of Souls and strategies for conference season

Issue 306 of The Fiction Podcast Weekly is brought to you by What Do The Most Popular Podcast Names Have In Common? A Breakdown by Genre

What Do The Most Popular Podcast Names Have In Common? A Breakdown by Genre. Katie Paterson offers more insights into the data surrounding current events in podcasting, and this one is a particularly interesting conversation-starter.

News, Roundups, and Announcements

• James Cridland has written a resource about how to make podcasts more accessible for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing users.

• Podnews reports that Greenly’s latest study shows how Spotify’s carbon footprint from turning audio into video is rising. Taking users’ devices into account, Greenly estimates that Spotify will emit 187,040 tonnes of CO2e in 2025 – roughly 12 times the most recent carbon footprint of Vatican City.

• Audio Remains The Primary Mode Of Podcast Consumption Despite Growing Video Options, According To Brand New Cumulus Media And Signal Hill Insights’ Podcast Download – Spring 2025 Report, by Elizabeth Meyer for Westwood One

• Maximizing your marketing effectiveness with data-driven decision making by Nielsen. Don’t let the headline put you off. “Nielsen’s latest data reveals a stark contrast between how marketers perceive channel performance and how these channels actually perform in terms of return on investment.” Or, just because someone says you need video doesn't mean you do.

• Tira Adams shares, “Conjure is a 13-episode supernatural audio drama about a family of Black witches in Brooklyn set to debut this Halloween! However we still need you help to raise $15,000 for Vol 1! Join us at the iconic bookstore The Ripped Bodice for a night of magic and mischief.” Friday, June 27th, 8 - 10 pm.

• Still celebrating Juneteenth? (Why not? I think it should be a holiday that makes a long weekend, but they didn’t ask me.) Evo Terra has updated The End’s collection of completed audio fiction that’s Made by BIPOC Creators. Enjoy these with a hammock and a cool beverage.

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Creator Resources

• The new issue of All Hear for June 2025 is ready for you.

• Your Audience Doesn’t Want More. They Want Better. Some creators publish tons of episodes, minisodes, clips, etc., to try and “beat the algorithm,” or chase a “more is better” approach. Let me show you how to avoid diluting your message and confusing your audience.

• Updated for 2025: How to Run Your Podcast Booth for Events: Expert Tips & Tactics shares insights based on experience from Gavin Gaddis, Sean Howard, and Travis Vengroff. No, I do NOT have a big crush on The Vengroff, but he consistently offers helpful behind-the-scenes content and insights, so why wouldn't I keep mentioning him? He’s the opposite of Daniel Ek.

• Speaking of creators who offer helpful behind-the-scenes content and insights, Tin Can Audio’s Twitch oasis shares weekly sessions where they make magic, and Amber wants to get 500 followers, so go get ‘em, Tiger!

• Thinking about podcasting for kids? PBJ interviewed Molly Bloom and Elena Tsakakis of Brains On! about the influence of kids’ podcasts.

Scarlett: Reliquary of Souls - On Kickstarter NOW!

From the creators of Hannahpocalypse. A gothic thriller about myth, grief, and persistence. Join the ritual. Make your offering on Kickstarter today. Help keep indie audio truly independent.

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Opportunities

• Ontario, WI: 'Liming: Riverfront Stories' Podcast seeks a Production Assistant.

• Tokyo Arts and Space Research Residency Program 6 - 12 week residencies in Tokyo for five international creators working in the fields of visual art, film, design, architecture, music, sound art, performing art, and curation. Deadline: 25 June.

• El Palacio Artist Residency is a residency programme for international artists at El Palacio San Andrés in Gijón, Spain. Sound art is listed as one of the accepted art forms. Selected residents will receive €4000 in project funding and €800 per month in artist fees, as well as accommodations and workspace at El Palacio. Deadline: 25 June.

• Sovas Voice Art Awards - a competition hosted by The Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS) for media work which uses the human voice as a primary element for communicating. Super early bird deadline: 5 July.

• Black Podcasting Awards - submissions must be hosted by a Black person or have the majority of their cohosts be Black. Podcasts must be in English. Applications cost $139 before July 17th and $199 before July 31st.

Milestones & Debuts

• Dancers on the Shore, the celebrated short story collection by William Melvin Kelley, is being reimagined as a powerful audio theater series, launched on Juneteenth, June 19, 2025.

• Lands’ End- A Shepherd’s Tale A shepherd’s quiet life on a mountain is interrupted when he finds the body of a young woman among his sheep. The murder investigation focuses on her involvement in the ongoing land rights protests. Still, the shepherd is tracking a different lead: his sheep start growing more monstrous with every passing day.

• Hamlet. Yes, I know, it’s Hamlet, again. But, this new take on Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy drops you inside the fractured mind of the prince, with binaural sound design.

• Olympus Dale: The Ghost of Valkyrie A supernatural barrier mysteriously appears around the small town of Olympus Dale, trapping the citizens inside and cutting them off from the rest of the world. A group of misfit kids must face paranormal terrors to unravel the town's secrets and reverse a looming cataclysm.

• The Grimoire Diaries William Moore works at a quiet bookshop in North London, shelves odd little fairytales, and rolls his eyes at anything resembling the supernatural. But when something awful happens to someone he loves, William is forced to reckon with the idea that nursery rhymes, old gods, and forgotten superstitions might not be stories after all.

Keep sharing good stories.

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