Heard.FM, a new curated podcast platform, announces the launch of their inaugural Independent Creator Program. With over 5 million podcasts available today, listeners and podcast creators alike are overwhelmed with choice – which means that sometimes the best shows get lost in the crowd. Heard.FM is built to bring podcasters and listeners together by offering a curated experience: only podcasts that meet the quality standards set by the Curation Team, catered towards what users are looking for, will be accepted onto the platform. By instituting a quality standard, Heard.FM promises users that all shows included on the platform offer the best experience audio has to offer, ranging from production quality to unique stories and the talent behind them.
As the industry grows, indie podcasters have found themselves competing against major studios for the same audience without the same resources. And, as a result, audio is becoming a less level playing field. The Independent Creator Program aims to help independent podcasts stand out amongst the ever growing crowd. Shows that are accepted into the program during pre-launch will receive additional benefits aimed at growing their listener base and utilizing the unique features of Heard.FM’s platform.
Some of these benefits include: featured placements in recommendation playlists curated by Heard.FM’s human creation team (rather than an algorithm you have to learn to beat), the ability to highlight the cast and crew of your show with headshots and bios, inclusion in category specific sections of the app to reach listeners looking exactly for your content, and thirty second audio commercials for your podcast. These commercials will play directly to users who fit each podcasts’ listener demographic, helping to bring new audience members to independent shows that may have never been reached elsewhere.
Heard.FM’s features allow podcasters to build a direct relationship with their audience where they’re listening: users are able to stay in touch with not only the feed, but the creators, cast, and crew members by utilizing the cast & crew feature. Through the community section, creators can engage in direct dialogue with their listeners – and appeal to new listeners that are looking for fresh content to add to their library.
Participation in the independent creator program is free of charge. However, there are a limited number of spots available in the inaugural program. Heard.FM is looking for shows that offer the following:
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Great sound quality. We’re looking for clean, listenable audio with no distractions in the background.
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Strong storytelling. Whether your podcast is fiction or nonfiction, listeners want to be taken on a journey. We’re looking for shows that will give our listeners new experiences, knowledge, or emotional journeys.
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Something unique. What does your podcast offer that the other 5 million don’t? What makes you deserve to be Heard?
Applications for the program must be submitted by September 30th, 2022 to be considered. Creators may apply here: https://heard.fm/creator/
Heard.FM is also open to the final round of early access Beta testers. Any interested users may submit to be a part of the program here: https://heard.fm
