"What I Look For in a Podcast": Leah Harris

Leah Harris is Australia's Podcast Producer at Spotify, the world’s most popular global audio streaming subscription service. Spotify transformed music listening forever when it launched in Sweden in 2008 and today offers subscribers audio content for every moment, every day, everywhere with over 50 million tracks, including 700,000 podcast titles.

Leah is also a judge for My RØDE Cast 2020!

My RØDE Cast is our annual podcasting competition. Submit a 1-2 minute mini-episode for a chance to win a share of $150,000 in prizes. Find out more here and enter now – entries close Tuesday, June 16th. 

Need a hit of inspiration? Below, Leah takes us through the five things she looks for in a great podcast. Get cracking on your entry! And while you're at it, check out these posts from fellow judges Hrishikesh Hirway and Jacob Salamon. 

Host Knowledge

For authentic engagement, the host of the podcast should be knowledgeable on the content they’re discussing or be genuinely interested in learning about the topic area, alongside their audience. The audience needs to feel that, and know they are cared for and play a part in the success of the podcast.

Artwork + Episode Descriptions

Its integral that the artwork and episode descriptions are engaging and descriptive enough for listeners to want to press play and invest their time in your podcast. Episode cover art and descriptions are an art form and should be developed with the same care that is taken to produce the audio.

Production Basics

It may seem obvious, but when crafting a podcast episode it’s important to approach it with a storytelling structure. It should have a beginning, a middle and an end. And the content should be recorded and edited well – at a high enough standard that listeners shouldn't notice production when listening.  You want to ensure they’re hearing your podcast content and nothing else.

Distinctive and Unique

Podcasts are becoming more and more popular, so to ensure your content stands out and is heard, you should have a unique take. Something that no one else is covering or in a way that feels different to the audience. Always consider if your listeners will have heard it before, or in the way you’re exploring it.

Community

Decide on your audience and create content with this audience front of mind. This will enable you to build a community around your podcast. 

Entries to My RØDE Cast close 12 PM (AEST) Tuesday, June 16th, so get going! Find out more here.