Woohoo, what a year! 
Looking back at the work that we did this year, for both podcasting and Libsyn has been inspirational and emotional.
As much as it feels like this year’s look back might be best skipped due to the nature of 2020, at the same time, the commitment and resourcefulness that our team and the podcasting industry in general showed was full of vision and strength.
And so, here we go.
A look back at a year that was novel for all of us.
PODCASTING CONFERENCES
Let’s begin by that which was for the most part normal – podcasting conferences from January to March 2020.
We even had booths! That you could visit!
We did quite a lot in a little bit of time, having our team travel on AIRPLANES and other crazy stuff like that to big conferences with lots and lots of people. 😜
And the very last real life conference a lot of us attended Podfest Expo!
Check out this Instagram Highlight covering the event. Wow. Unreal.
VIRTUAL PODCASTING CONFERENCES
As we recognized that traveling and attending live conferences was no longer an option our team stepped into the world of virtual events!
We went all in 😅
Here are the ones that we participated in, either speaking or sponsoring:
- NAB Show Express
- We are Podcast
- Podcasting for Beginners Conference
- We are Diverse Creators Summit
- Independent Podcast Conference
- Podcast LatinFest
- Podcast Movement Virtual
- Afros & Audio
- IAB Podcast Upfront
- DC Podfest
- Content Marketing World
- Latin Podcast Awards
And the biggest virtual experience of all in 2020, the Guinness Book World record breaking Podfest Global Summit!
Chris Krimitsos created a powerful virtual experience for over 5k podcasters that was hard to beat for the rest of the year 🙏🏽 We were so honored to be a part of it.
SPANISH SPEAKING PODCASTING INITIATIVES
Libsyn’s commitment to supporting and amplifying Spanish speaking podcasters and podcasting in Spanish really ramped up!
The Spanish speaking podcasting space is not only bringing great value to the world but the podcasting industry as a whole and will continue to become a massive influence in years to come.
These initiatives and events that Libsyn was a part of were only the tip of the iceberg of what the Spanish speaking podcasting community is and is becoming. So proud to have been a part of it 🙏🏽
In addition to being able to present in Spanish not once but two times via the We Are Diverse Creators Conference and Podcast Latin Fest, we also participated in:
Sponsoring of the Edison Research Latino Podcast Listener Report
The Edison Research Team and the partners that we worked with to make this happen, delivered necessary insight about Latinx and Spanish speaking audiences in the U.S. in a way that highlighted the power of this important community in podcasting. If you have not had a chance to view the data, do so! If you do not have a Spanish speaking podcast or serve the Latinx community I promise that the findings in this survey will inform your work in podcasting.
Who Are The Latinos in Podcasting Webinar
I had the privilege of leading an insightful and wise conversation analyzing the Latino Podcast Listener Report with 2 leaders in podcasting: Juleyka Lantigua Williams and Martina Castro.
Mujer Emprende Latina Lunch & Learn
It was an amazing experience to speak to this entrepreneurial community based in Florida and introduce them to podcasting!
Libsyn en Español
Our blog has more Spanish speaking content than it has ever had, including our Start Your Podcast series (Como Empezar Tu Podcast) and Rockin’ Libsyn Podcasts en Español.
We look forward to continuing to uplift this space by providing more education and support to Spanish speaking podcasting in general.
SUPPORT + DEV RELEASES
Our Support and Dev Teams got things done!
You can see some of our releases in our What’s New blog posts.
(Hey, are you subscribed to our blog? You should be. This is one of our favorite feed readers so you can stay in the know!)
Awesome updates and releases from our Support and Developer Teams!
This was a fan favorite all the way around. Podcasters l❤️ve their audiograms.
→ New Support Widget + New Knowledge Base
One of my top pick updates! I know, why would someone get excited about support articles? Since part of my day to day is helping podcasters keep podcasting, I go into and share this knowledge base a lot. Every time, I’m floored by the depth and simplicity of these articles. Krystal, our Product Owner has done a phenomenal job.
Don’t know what this is? Read the article. Succinct and on point as to http vs https.
→ Simplified Show & Destination Configurations
One of the most dynamic functionalities of Libsyn is our powerful distribution and integration with other platforms. If you have not filled out your show settings and configured all of the Destinations that you have available to you, you’re missing out!
→ Apple Podcasts Category Update
→ Updates to 301 Redirects (and the ability to redirect Podcast Pages)
We know how important it is for podcasters to make the best choices that they can for themselves as their podcast evolves and 301 redirects are a big part of that. Now, Podcast Pages are added to the mix!
→ URL Prepends in the dashboard
Services that offer extra measurement via prepends are gaining popularity. We’ve made it easier for podcasters to use those that have been whitelisted aka have been vetted to be GDPR and CCPA compliant.
→ Bulk Update Author tag for episodes
If you’ve needed to use this …. you know the happiness it brings! It’s not something that folks need to use often at all, but man, when you need it, it’s pure magic.
→ File replacements for YouTube and Soundcloud
I can say that I’ve made mistakes when publishing an episode 😳 This is such an awesome update when I need to fix things when I’ve messed up!
LIBSYN 5 PREVIEW IS HERE!
Tun, tun, TUN!
Libsyn 5 has made its way into the world…and you can join the beta community to get a preview.
We have an impressive beta community that is helping us create the best platform we possibly can for podcasters.
Libsyn 5 is everything we’ve wanted and more.
We look forward to growing this community in a big way next year, with the hopes of co-creating Libsyn 5 with you, podcasters.
We would love for you to make libsyn with us.
If you’d like to be a part of the awesome community you can sign up for our beta here!
PODCASTING PARTNERSHIPS
The podcasting pie continues to grow.
This year we were thrilled to have been able to support 3 more destinations!
LIBSYN HOSTED WEBINARS
A New Thing! We have awesome webinars going on!
Not new:
Our ongoing Podcasting Quickstarts. They have been a great source for education for so many new podcasters, now going on four years!
New:
Partnered webinars! We’ve been thrilled to be able to partner with brands, people, and services that have something to say about podcasting that is not about podcast hosting ☺️
If you are interested in anything from marketing your podcast using audiograms, to growing your audience by optimizing search, learning about the Podcast Academy to how to make some money by selling podcast merchandise, we have you covered!
- New Ways to Promote your Podcast with Headliner
- Who are the Latinos in Podcasting?
- How to Promote Your Podcast on Instagram and Twitter in Audiograms – Headliner Integration Demo
- Creating Branded Swag Shops For Your Podcast
- A Global Conversation: The Podcast Academy
- Optimizing for Discovery – Podcast Growth Strategies That Work
Follow us on Crowdcast so you can find out the awesome podcasting content we’ll be creating next year 👊🏽
WE'RE EVOLVING AND GROWING
Lastly, this year, we celebrated our 16th birthday 🎂
President Laurie Sims is now also Chief Operating Officer.
We welcomed new team members!
⭐️ Richard Heyse, Chief Financial Officer.
⭐️ Samantha Turkovich, HR Manager
⭐️ Max Shanks, Libsyn Support
⭐️ Kali Kabutka, Marketing Coordinator
⭐️ Cori Fry Hengst, Content Specialist
In case you would like to take a peek at some Libsyn BTS (behind the scenes) this is a fabulous post that introduces you to some of our team, as well as sharing a bit about what our lives were like during the pandemic.
HERE'S TO 2021 🎊
In closing, I’ll share words from our President and COO Laurie Sims, which encapsulates 2020 and podcasting beautifully. If you would like to read her entire message sent via email to Libsyn podcasters, here you go!
It’s been an unprecedented year, but podcasters are remarkable people.
Together, we will accomplish phenomenal things, and I have never been more excited about what is ahead for our community and brand than the possibilities of 2021.
At your service and take care,
Laurie Ann Sims
