Media Roundtable

Independent creators have to find a way to succeed, often without a network to support them and a safety net to fall back on.. In fact, 80% of the ORBIT top 15 performing podcasts are indies. But what does it take to win on their own… and is it worth it?Find out in an all-new Media Roundtable: Special Edition.Direct from Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) takes the stage with three of the hardest-working, most successful independent podcasters: Hala Taha (CEO & Founder, YAP Media, Host,Young and Profiting) and Brett and Jordy Meiselas (Co-founders, MeidasTouch Network, Hosts,The MeidasTouch Podcast).The panelists get real about the joys and struggles of podcasting without a net. Join them as they talk: Audience Trust, Loving Crunches, True Partnerships, and more. Let’s dig in.“ The pro [of being independent] is that you have complete autonomy over your content and everything that happens, whether it's a success or a failure, falls on you. The con is the same exact thing.”-Brett Meiselas (Co-founder, MeidasTouch Network, Host, The MeidasTouch Podcast)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Killer Mike Didn’t Choose Independence by Accident. Here’s What Marketers Should Hear.On a new Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) sits down with Grammy-winning rapper, independent artist, activist, and host of Conversate with Killer Mike, Michael Render, better known as Killer Mike.Mike’s story isn’t the typical “indie creator” narrative. He was raised in an intentionally self-sufficient Black community in Atlanta, mentored by organizers connected to Dr. King, and introduced to leadership before most people are introduced to responsibility. Independence, for him, isn’t a tactic. It’s a philosophy.When he showed up to host our Indie PaC Awards at Podcast Movement Evolutions during SXSW, he didn't show up for a check. He showed up because he believes in what independent media is building. That distinction matters.“We don’t have to have guests. We’re just conversation-driven.”– Killer MikeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How does an audiophile thrive in the era of YouTube? How can two circles solve everything? Find out in the first video podcast of Ad Infinitum, featuring the legendary sonic sage Dallas Taylor!That’s right, the world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back, now in video! Today, we present to you Ad Infinitum Season 4, Episode 1: "Two Circles: Dallas Taylor on Podcasting, YouTube, and Creative Identity."Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes award-winning sonic guide Dallas Taylor (Host, Twenty Thousand Hertz, and Founder, Defacto Sound) to Headgum Studios for a creative masterclass about achieving great work time and time again. Stew and Dallas talk: Why the Audience Comes Last, Two Circles, Going Off the Rails, and more. Let’s dig in…“ I've always been a sound designer. I've been somebody who wanted to craft and create and celebrate sound, then I use the tools around me  to, to tell everybody about how cool this is. I don't really have any emotional or identity in the tools. That's why I don't say I'm a podcaster.” -Dallas Taylor (Host, Twenty Thousand Hertz, founder Defacto Sound)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podcasts begin with a dream and a mic. But to reach the world, they often benefit from having someone in their corner like this week’s guest.On a new Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts indie creator advocate Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn, founder of Megaphone). Libsyn is the founding sponsor of our Indie PaC Awards, which is an extension of their 20+ years of support for independent creators.Join Dan and Brendan as they cover: Indie Wins, Definitions, The Creator’s Voice, and more. Let’s dig in." For us, it's: how do we think about bringing revenue to [creators] and helping them fuel their dreams on the business side?” -Brendan Monaghan (CEO, Libsyn)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

B2B marketers don’t have the luxury of building brands or boosting ROI. You need to do both. So how do you do it? You listen to this week’s special guest.Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts veteran CMO Laura Goldberg (CMO, Auctane, Stamps.com, ShipStation). Laura’s been everywhere from the NFL, where she learned brand-building, to CMO roles at podcast mainstays like LegalZoom and Constant Contact.Join Dan and Laura as they cover: The Numbers, B2B Storytime, The Arms Race, and more. Let’s dig in." I want you to feel great about our brands, and that you trust them, but I also want you to transact.”-Laura Goldberg (CMO, Auctane, Stamps.com, ShipStation)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dan announces the Indie PaC Awards, the first-ever awards ceremony exclusively for independent podcasters and creators, happening March 15th at SXSW in Austin.The ceremony will be hosted by Killer Mike, the Grammy-winning artist, entrepreneur, and advocate for creator ownership who has built his career on the same principles of independence the awards celebrate. Nominees include Steven Bartlett, Theo Von, Tim Ferriss, Lex Fridman, Kill Tony, Philip DeFranco, and dozens more.The episode makes the case for why independent creators are the backbone of this medium, why they consistently outperform corporate shows in Oxford Road's ORBIT data, and why, on America's 250th birthday, the most American thing happening in media is independent podcasting.The Indie PaC Awards are presented by Oxford Road with Libsyn as the founding sponsor.Full nominee list and event details at IndiePac.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lost in today’s media landscape? Or are you just curious as to how the industry got here?You need to go back to Marshall McLuhan, the grandfather of media literacy, and the grandfather of this week’s special guest.On this week’s Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) and Giles Martin ( EVP, Strategy, Oxford Road) welcome the legacy media guru Andrew McLuhan (Director & Founder, The McLuhan Institute).Andrew’s work continues the legacy of his grandfather (Marshall McLuhan) and father (Eric McLuhan). The McLuhan family's work is enormously relevant to marketers: it’s all about the effect media and technology have on people. When marketers decide which channels to use and how to craft & place their messages, they would do well to draw on McLuhan’s insights.Dan, Giles, and Andrew are talking: Early Media Literacy, The Media is The Message, and Hot vs. Cool. Let’s dig in.“ Nobody loves being sold stuff, so you're already at a disadvantage. But people do love creativity. If that's not a license to have some fun, I don't know what is.”- Andrew McLuhan (Director & Founder, The McLuhan Institute)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A king who forged an empire. The birth of an upstart prince. A battle for control. It’s not the new Game of Thrones, it’s a historical dive into the rise of audio, from the early days of radio to the explosion of podcasts and beyond.The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back with a one-of-a-kind episode that will change your understanding of the medium forever. Presenting the Ad Infinitum Season 3 finale, Episode 16: "The Royal and The Regent: The Audio Monarchy.”Hosted by Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) and guided by the “esteemed bard” and guest producer Jeanna Isham (Owner, Dreamr Productions), this episode takes you on a journey back in time to explore the "Audio Monarchy."Throw out your dry history books and put on your headphones. This unusual episode explores why audio became dominant and how the kingdom can thrive moving forward. The narrative spans from early TV jingles to YouTube CTAs, anchoring itself in the Six Sonic Laws of Audio Advertising established by His Royal Highness, King Radio:AttentionTrustMemoryProximityMonetizationThe Covenant: The promise not to abuse the listener's time and to respect their loyalty.To discuss "The Covenant," "Who Owns Audio?", and "The Grateful Pod," the show has assembled true audio royalty. The Council includes:• Chancellor of the Airwaves: Kraig T. Kitchin (Senior Strategic Advisor for Oxford Road)• Royal Historian: Cynthia Meyers (Professor Emerita, College of Mount Saint Vincent)• Royal Scribes: Tom Webster (Partner, Sounds Profitable) and Paul Riismandel (President, Signal Hill Insights)• Royal Troubadours: Arielle Nissenblatt (Founder, Earbuds Podcast Collective), Dallas Taylor (host of Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast), and Shaun Michael Colón (Director, The Age of Audio)Hear ye, hear ye: This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the business of sound. Join the Royal Council of Audio and step into the context of the monarchy.“ Prince Podcasting was born on the principles of abundance, not scarcity, and focused on purposeful communication, not time sold to brands.”  – Jeanna Isham (Owner, Dreamr Productions) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When do ads build trust and when do they break it? That’s the question at the center of this week’s Media Roundtable: Industry Edition.Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) is joined by Oxford Road experts Jillian Garner (Account Manager), Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product), and Kyle Jelinek (VP of Client Services) to break down what’s actually driving performance in podcasting right now.From Podtrac’s new multi-channel ranker to Podscribe’s latest incrementality report, the team explores what matters beyond downloads. They debate long-form’s staying power, the durability of history podcasts, and what happens if ChatGPT introduces ads. Let’s dig in.“Seeing that history podcasts are as popular as they are, it's a good reminder that people aren't actually moving away from depth. They're just adding short form on top of it.- Jillian Garner (Account Manager, Oxford Road)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Imagine you’re the best at what you do… and you didn’t realize it until now.In a creator spotlight episode of Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes Gina Ryan (Host of The Anxiety Coaches Podcast).Gina’s podcast is a quiet powerhouse that ORBIT ranked #1 in our Self-Improvement list. But because brands don’t usually share results with creators, she didn’t know she was a low-key marketing superstar.Dan sat down to understand the secrets to her (formerly) secret success. They’re talking: Honest Ads, The Listening Family, and Hyper Organic Growth. Let’s dig in.“ I just talk about it as if it's still me. I don't all of a sudden switch into: ‘And now a word from our sponsor,’ and become a radio advertisement.”Gina Ryan (Host of The Anxiety Coaches Podcast)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when a podcasting powerhouse is also an elite marketer?Find out in a creator spotlight episode of Media Roundtable: Special Edition.This week, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes The Podcast Princess herself, Hala Taha (CEO & Founder, YAP Media, host of Young and Profiting). It's hard to overstate what big Hala fans we all are at Oxford Road. She’s one of the few creators who cares as much as we do about making the ads work. (Check out her Ad Infinitum episode with our very own Stew Redwine.)Hala’s delivered great reads and results for clients for years, and ORBIT has the receipts. Young and Profiting was #4 on our OG Podcast list, and it’s #2 in this month’s Self-Improvement ranking. But hearing how Hala approaches the ads, that performance is the least surprising thing. Dan and Hala put on a masterclass of creator marketing, talking: The Power of Demonstration, Letting Creators Cook, and Getting in the Weeds. Let’s dig in.“ It's not about the channel. It's not about audio, YouTube, social, it doesn't matter. What you’re picking is the creator.”- Hala Taha (CEO & Founder, YAP Media, host of Young and Profiting)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.