Top 10 tips to making a Top 10(ish) comedy podcast

By Daniel Page. People often ask me, “Dan, how the heck did you come to produce an iTunes Top 10 sci-tech-comedy podcast?”. And I’ll say to them, a) “Hey man, it was only briefly Top 10 in the iTunes Tech chart but thanks for mentioning” and b) “Do you want the jet wash or the deluxe?”. Also, I work at a car wash now. ….And people never ask me this. Well, almost never. But when those cool jazz-hounds at The Comedy Crowd mentioned it vaguely in an e-mail, I immediately seized upon their ill-informed slip of the tongue to pen this article…which I then forced them to publish in return for me releasing their Fiat Panda that machine with the big blue brushes.

So here they are! My Top 10 tips to making a Top 10(ish) comedy podcast (catchy, right?).

1. Find your niche. Just like the Labour front bench, one of the defining features of podcasts is their low barrier to entry – almost anyone can join in. As a result, it’s already a MASSIVELY overcrowded market, so to create a successful show you need to find a corner of the market that you add value to it. Yes, it would be great to invent a whole new genre, but that’s REALLY frickin’ hard – I mean I’ve tried and let me tell you now, NO-ONE wants to hear Spanish elephant improv. NO-ONE. So your best bet is to find an existing bit of the market that’s not yet oversaturated. Somewhere you can access a ready-made audience that’s already receptive to your train of thought…like Spanish elephant farms…right? RIGHT?
2. Have a good (enough) idea. Blah blah blah yes everyone says have a ‘good’ idea. Whatever. The thing is, what do they mean by a ‘good idea’? Is it an idea that everyone will find amazing? Ideally, yes but arguably this isn’t essential. What I suggest is sufficient is an idea that’s good enough to add to the sum total of human knowledge. That evolves what’s already there. That adds a new spin to an old wheel (how you like them metaphors?). Find something that moves things forward in a way that’s unique to you and your creative team and maybe, just maybe…you’re onto a winner.
3. Work with Talent. Isn’t this something they say in the movie business? In my experience, they normally say things like “Get out my office” and “Your script is literally the worst thing I’ve ever read”. Ah, jokes…. But what I mean here is that, as a Producer, you should seek out those performers/presenters/experts/Spanish elephants who have that special ability to create and entertain. And once you find them, put them front and centre of your show. It might be your idea, but without the right talent to turn it into something shiny and exciting it may well end up staying just that – an idea.
4. Find some money (if you can). Podcasts are cheap to produce, right? Sort of – it’s perhaps more accurate to say that they can cost as much or as little as you’re prepared or able to spend. Another key feature of podcasts is that they’ve effectively reset the cost model for creating quality audio, so publishers and broadcasters are naturally very interested in getting great content for less. But this often ends up meaning nobody gets paid, or at least they don’t get paid until audience figures hit a certain level to trigger any meaningful ad revenues. I’ll be honest, this isn’t something I’m excited by (Pachyderm based improv? Now that’s my bag). For what it’s worth, I think it’s important to, if possible, reward those who help create value. Or at the very least pay their train fare.
5. Understand your format. By which I mean the structure and content of your show, rather than Betamax or VHS (Betamax for the win!). If you’re going to be producing more than one episode (and let’s face it, that’s probably a good idea), then it’s worthwhile working out what your format will be – knowing what a show looks like and what it takes to put one together will help you achieve consistency…and maintain your sanity. That’s not to say you can’t evolve your format or change it – in fact, I actively encourage you to do so. But having at least a basic blueprint that you’ve tested with friends, enemies and people you’re just not that fussed about will really help you create something people can enjoy on a regular basis.
6. Ask for help. Chances are that someone, somewhere, has already tried doing that thing you’re trying to do. And whether they’ve succeeded, or failed, they will have learnt from their experience. So whether it’s working out what audio editor to use, how to rig up a microphone or even what podcast host to use (btw, you need a host platform for your podcast…) don’t be afraid to ask for help. And don’t be afraid to ask more than one person for their advice. Ultimately, you need to make the decisions that are right for your show, but doing so from as informed a perspective as possible is definitely a Good Thing™.
7. Promotion. As Salt n Pepa once said, push it, push it real good. There’s no avoiding the fact that, once released, people won’t just automatically listen to your show (weird huh?). So you’re going to have to go on a bit of a promotions binge. Tweeting all your mates is a good start, but ultimately you want to find lots of ways to drive people to your show – be it press articles, blog posts, Facebook pages, sponsored links…there’s a whole art to podcast promotion that I’m still learning about – and I recommend you do too.
8. Play all the angles. Sometimes you need to push the boundaries a little to give your work that leg-up. We created a sci-tech-comedy podcast which meant that, when it came to listing it on iTunes, we could choose to put it under science/technology…or comedy. One of them has LOADS of amazing comedy podcasts, garnering HUGE audiences on a regular basis. The other had several great technology podcasts…very few of which featured comedy. So we picked the one that gave us the best chance to stand-out in a crowded room.
9. Learn and adapt. As with most things in Comedy, one of the most powerful learning techniques is to try…and then learn from what happens. Whether your first series is a flop, roaring success or unambiguous curio only linked in certain parts of Peru, you can always learn from your experienced and find ways to make it better. Don’t sit on your laurels or sorrows – pick yourself up and push forward. Change things that worked less well and do more of the things that were brilliant. And if it means breaking something and then rebuilding it then…why not? Talking of which, what about a French elephant based improv show? Huh? Any takers? No?
10. Enjoy it! Whatever happens, chances are this is going to be a passion project in some form. You’re creating content that’s meaningful to you and which you think should be shared. You’re doing something that, 10 or so years ago, only a small handful of Radio producers were capable of doing. So whatever happens, enjoy the process where you can. And if you enjoy it, chances are that will show in the finished product and your audience will enjoy it too.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to train seventeen Dutch Rhinos the four rules of improv.

Series 2 of The DesignSpark Podcast will feature Dr Lucy Rogers (Robot Wars) and award-winning comedians Bec Hill (Go 8-bit) & Harriet Braine (Funny Women Awards Winner 2016) exploring the comedy past, present and future of some of the hottest topics in tech.

We’d really love you to come along and support the live recordings for Series 2 – visit https://www.facebook.com/events/375866206529346/ for more details and to book your tickets!

You can also submit gags for use in the show, with every joke used earning £10. Visit www.whydidthechicken.com/productions for the writer’s brief.

Photo credit: Karla Gowlett