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Gaëtan Harris tells me what it really takes to make branded podcasts sound world‑class. From his early days in Winnipeg radio working at Power 97 with yours truly, to award‑winning work with Pacific Content, Gaëtan has built a career around creating immersive, story‑driven audio that keeps listeners coming back. We talked about the practical side of podcast sound design: choosing the right microphones, removing mouth clicks, capturing clean remote recordings with Zoom H4/H5 recorders, and using tools like Soundly, APM Music, and Blue Dot Sessions for music and sound effects. We also explore how brands can tell powerful stories without sounding like an infomercial—and why high‑quality audio is still a major differentiator in a video‑obsessed world. If you’re building a branded podcast, improving your production, or just want your show to sound more professional, this episode is packed with insights you can use right away. Listen to the full conversation above... you can also watch down below but we think the audio experience is always better. If you want to talk about podcasting and audio, reach out to him through his company Syrup Sound. Also you'll get to meet Gaëtan at the London Podcast Show next year...

Jason Rockman had spent years grinding with Slaves on Dope—a Montreal nu-metal band that never quite fit on the radio erfectly. Not grunge enough. Not polished enough. A group of musicians influenced by Faith No More and Jane's Addiction, forging their own path in a Canadian radio industry that didn't know what to do with them. They won CHOM L'Esprit in '94. They toured across Canada twelve times. And still—nothing stuck. Then their manager said: "Move to Los Angeles. That's where what you're doing is happening." Three months later, they had three record deal offers. Six months in, Sharon Osbourne wanted to sign them. They went on Ozzfest. They toured the world. In this week's Sound Off Podcast episode - Jason reflects on industry upheaval—from label mergers to Napster—and the shift toward streaming, vinyl resurgence, and merchandise revenue. He explains how radio shaped his desire to help bands, leading to a 14-year run at CHOM and later roles at CJAD and now The Beat 92.5, plus his podcast and comic‑con work. He shares candid personal moments about getting sober in 1992 and maintaining recovery while touring. Anecdotes include championing The Tea Party, producing live in-studio band sessions, and embracing new formats despite initial skepticism. The episode blends music history, radio culture, personal resilience, and pop‑culture enthusiasm, highlighting Jason’s passion for supporting artists, adapting to change, and connecting with devoted communities like Comic‑Con attendees and Bills fans.

We hear a lot these days about radio folks who've jumped ship in favor of careers in TV. Who can blame them? It usually means more prestige, a bigger audience, and probably better pay. What we don't hear about often is TV people who left for radio and podcasting- but that's exactly who Lynda Steele is. Straight out of BCIT, Lynda began her career by learning on the job at CK View Television. She transitioned from there into working at ITV in Edmonton for several years, including being present for their transition to Global News, where she anchored and co-produced the Early News and co-anchored the News Hour for several years. Unlike most TV anchors, however, her last six years with Global were spent hosting the Lynda Steele Show on CKNW Radio, until she had to step away to care for her father during the pandemic. Nowadays, Lynda has launched herself quite successfully into the podcast space with her show, Change My Mind. You can check out the latest episode below: Back on Sound Off, though, Lynda shares all the details of her journey through TV and radio: Why she made the moves she made, the experiences she's thankful (and not so thankful) for, the challenges she faced, and how she ended up in the podcast space at the end of it all. She's had quite the unique career trajectory compared to the average media personality, and her story is definitely one worth hearing. If you want to keep up with Lynda, you can find all her links here, including all of her personal social media and all of your listening options for Change My Mind.

If you've worked in radio for any length of time, you've probably heard some version of "radio needs to go digital." The funny thing is, we've been saying that for nearly 30 years. Chris Brunt from Jacobs Media, someone who's been there from the earliest days of station websites, streaming audio, social media, and now the short-form video era. What I appreciated most about our conversation is that Chris doesn't look at digital as a collection of shiny objects. He sees it as an evolution—and one radio has been navigating since the first station launched a website in the late '90s. Sometimes I forget how much audience behaviour has changed. We used to think about driving listeners to our website. Today, especially for younger audiences, everything starts with the feed. They aren't searching for radio stations. They're discovering personalities and content on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and whatever platform comes next. (The Sound Off Podcast included) That doesn't mean radio has lost. It means the distribution strategy has changed. Chris also reinforced something I've been saying for years: Be everywhere. Whether you're a podcast or a radio station, your audience expects your content to be available wherever they happen to be listening—or watching. Apps matter. YouTube matters. Social platforms matter. They're no longer optional marketing channels; they're part of the audience experience. For radio operators, we also explored what monetization looks like today. Programmatic audio has matured, YouTube can become a meaningful revenue stream over time, and local businesses are increasingly looking for trusted personalities to connect with local audiences. That creates opportunities for stations willing to think beyond traditional spot sales. One area where Chris really challenged conventional thinking was local content. Success isn't always measured by millions of views. A short video reaching 5,000 people in your community may be far more valuable than one reaching 500,000 people scattered around the world. Local personalities, local stories, local businesses, and local trust remain radio's greatest competitive advantage—if stations choose to lean into them. And finally I had to ask about podcasting, and I think his advice will resonate with broadcasters considering the space. Simply uploading yesterday's morning show isn't always enough. The strongest podcasts extend the station's personality with original content that has a longer shelf life and serves a specific audience. It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect: Chris reminded us that today's audiences don't expect television-quality production for every video. Authenticity often beats polish. That's good news for stations that have been waiting until they have the perfect cameras, studio, or workflow before getting started. Radio's future isn't about choosing between broadcast and digital. It's about understanding that your audience no longer makes that distinction. They simply expect great content to find them wherever they are. That's a challenge—but it's also one of radio's biggest opportunities. Paul Jacobs and Chris Brunt did a really good one hour session called 10 Things We Learned Helping Radio Stations Generating Digital Revenue.

With Podcast Movement 2026 right around the corner, this week seemed like the perfect time to brush up on podcasting knowledge and learn what makes the event so special. And who better to sit down with than the President of Podcast Movement himself? This year's Podcast Movement is a big one. It'll be taking place in New York City, and Bryan and his team are making sure the event itself matches the gravitas of The Big Apple. Rather than the usual small-scale, stand-around-the-bar conferences we're all used to, they're focusing on facilitating real conversations and connections by setting up independent meetups and proper networking sessions. The talks at this year's Podcast Movement will also be free to watch online after the fact, so you can still scoop up all that juicy knowledge if you can't make it - though obviously you'll be missing out on a huge abundance of networking opportunities if you're not there in person. I really can't stress enough that this is not an event podcasters will wanna miss. But if you do miss out for whatever reason, then it's lucky for you that Bryan is also the founder of Sounds Profitable, the internet's premiere hub for podcasting education and research. What started as a simple informative newsletter has since grown into the leading trade organization in the podcast space, connecting buyers and sellers and making sure podcasters stay savvy on all the latest trends and data. If you haven't yet, definitely make sure to visit their website for tons of free research, articles, and even job postings for editors and producers. And yes, they do still have that newsletter. If the theme of Sounds Profitable is to streamline connection & knowledge sharing, then that theme is certainly being brought to Podcast Movement as well. Bryan and the rest of the folks behind the event have demonstrated a clear focus on making it easier for creators and advertisers to actually meet and do business, which is much-needed in this age of endless email chains and bottomless forums. You can learn more, grab Podcast Movement tickets, and take part in session voting here. If you'd prefer to watch the episode on video, you can do so below:

When I first started podcasting in 2016, choosing a podcast host meant comparing storage limits, download caps and monthly pricing. Today, it's about much more than that. Your hosting platform influences where your show appears, how people discover it, and the features you'll have as podcasting continues to evolve. That's why I wanted Justin Jackson, co-founder of Transistor.fm, on the show. He appeared on my other show The Podcast Superfriends back in March. Justin isn't just building podcast hosting software—he's an active podcaster himself. That perspective gives him a unique view into why certain features get built while others never make it past the drawing board. Instead of chasing every trend, he pays attention to what creators are actually trying to accomplish. For first-time podcasters, there's an important lesson here. Don't get distracted by every shiny new feature or every debate about what a podcast is supposed to be. Focus on creating something people genuinely want to hear, then choose tools that help you publish it reliably and grow over time. We also spend time discussing where podcasting is headed. Video is becoming more common, but Justin makes an important point: audio isn't disappearing. People still listen while they're driving, walking the dog, exercising or doing chores. Your audience will decide how they want to consume your show—not the industry. If you're trying to launch your first podcast, this conversation will help you understand the technology without getting lost in the jargon. More importantly, it will remind you that successful podcasts aren't built on features. They're built on useful content, consistent publishing, and a genuine understanding of the audience you're trying to serve. I also have a newsletter where I sounded off about how podcasters need to start standing up for the RSS feed and telling people about its value. Check out the episode on video if you would like. We are happy to offer the show any way you want.

The download became the proxy for everything—audience size, engagement, ad value, show success. But it was never designed to carry that weight. Dan Misener and I talked this week about why the podcasting industry is finally ready to move beyond the download. Not because the download is fake or wrong—it's a real measure of file delivery. But because it doesn't answer the questions that matter most. Did a person hit play? Did they listen long enough to hear an ad? Did they come back? Those questions require different data. Data that's been available for years from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube—but fragmented, hard to access, and often ignored in favour of the simpler, more familiar download number. What's changing now is that the platforms consuming the most podcast listening don't generate downloads at all. YouTube never did. Spotify is moving away from them with video uploads. Apple has refined automatic downloads to reduce phantom transfers. The technical infrastructure is shifting. And advertisers are demanding better verification. The result: we're entering an era where creators can finally measure what they've always cared about—real people, real listening, real engagement. That doesn't mean the download disappears. It means we stop pretending it tells the whole story. Better data doesn't just help advertisers. It helps creators understand what's working, where to invest time, and how to build deeper relationships with their audience. Transparency isn't a threat. It's an opportunity. Yes We Are On You Tube Here is the video I recorded with Dan. As promised - here is how you get your podcast on to the Bumper Dashboard. Start Here.

Nails Mahoney will reframe how you think about talent development.We talked about what makes being a radio presenter so difficult today, and I expected him to point at consolidation, budget cuts, or programming restrictions. Instead, he said something I hadn't considered: "The radio presenters themselves. They overthink everything." He walked me through how the word "content" changed the entire industry psychology. We went from DJs and presenters to content creators overnight — with no roadmap, no training, no clear definition of what that even means. The result? Talented people second-guessing their instincts. Copying viral formats that don't fit their voice. Chasing metrics they don't understand. Nails has spent years working with presenters across multiple continents, and his approach is refreshingly direct: strip it down to three words that define you. Not three words you hope to be — three words your audience would actually use to describe you right now. Warm. Funny. Controversial. Unpredictable. Pick three. Own them. Build from there. What struck me most was his belief that fear can be useful. Not paralyzing fear, but the kind that makes you ask: if I lost this job tomorrow, what would my audience follow me for? That's the question driving his work with Radio Star, now in its ninth year. They're not just looking for presenters anymore — they're looking for ideas that could reshape how the industry thinks about content. If you're in audio (podcast or radio or streaming or whatever) and you feel stuck, Nails offers one-hour sessions with written feedback. No three-month courses. No overcomplication. Just clarity on what makes you different and how to use it. And if my conversations with some of his past clients is any indication - the best development isn't about adding more — it's about seeing what's already there.

The tension between RSS and proprietary distribution models isn't just a technical debate — it's a philosophical one about who owns the relationship with the audience. Rob Greenlee pointed out something critical in this podcast episode: large platforms have been waging a slow, deliberate campaign to disrupt RSS because it doesn't give them control. RSS allows creators to publish once and distribute everywhere. That's powerful for creators — and threatening for platforms. Apple's HLS video integration is a perfect example of this tension. It's not fully proprietary, but it's not fully open either. It creates a seamless user experience (audio in the car, video at home) while subtly shifting control toward the platform. Other platforms are watching closely. What we're seeing now is a fragmentation of the creator economy. Platforms like X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube are building siloed ecosystems that reward native content and penalize cross-posting. Algorithms downrank external links. Discovery mechanisms favor platform-specific engagement. The result: creators are being forced to choose between broad distribution and deep platform optimization. Here's what I think this means: For established creators with loyal audiences, RSS remains a hedge against platform risk. It's a way to own the relationship and maintain control over distribution. For newer creators, the economics are shifting. Building natively on one platform may be more viable than trying to be everywhere at once — especially without a team. The real risk isn't that RSS will disappear. It's that fewer creators will understand why it matters. And when the platforms inevitably change their terms, shift their algorithms, or deprioritize certain content types, the creators who never built a direct distribution channel will have no leverage. The question every creator should be asking: Do I own my audience, or does the platform? I'm also reminded of Rob's former co-host on the New Media Show, the late Todd Cochrane, who would remind listener's once a month about the dangers of building your media empire on rented ground. Speaking of Rented ground... here is this week's episode in YouTube. You will note that the episode is longer than the audio. These shows are meant to be listened to. We are only here for the discovery.

Anthony McNutt didn't sleep well the night COVID sent everyone home. He is the senior imaging producer at Stingray Radio, and found himself sitting in his apartment with a blanket draped over his head — not out of despair, but necessity. The echo in his space made voicing commercials impossible without it. But here's what he did next: he asked a simple question. "Is there any reason I can't do what I do from home?" That question turned into a trial run. The trial run turned into a permanent arrangement. And the apartment turned into a lakeside home on an island in rural Nova Scotia — an hour from anywhere, surrounded by woods and water. Now, when the pressure of producing imaging for a dozen radio brands across multiple time zones becomes too much, Anthony walks out onto his deck, casts a fishing line, and lets his mind reset. He's learned something most of us take years to figure out: you're too close to your work when you're in it. Distance — physical, mental, temporal — is where clarity lives. What started as a pandemic workaround became a masterclass in remote creative work. Anthony's day starts with morning show intros for Halifax, moves to K-Rock in Newfoundland, then shifts to promos, imaging, and voiceover sessions that stretch into the evening when Vancouver needs something turned around. He's always accessible. Always organized. Always producing. And he's doing it all from a place where the only interruption is the call of loons on the water. Sometimes the best creative decisions happen when we stop asking for permission and start asking better questions. You can watch the video but you will not hear the good stuff....