Listen to the Gears: 5

A recent email told me that the Museums Association is holding a seminar on podcasting. I expect that this will be about the technicalities of recording and producing; content, delivery and publicity. Listening to so many podcasts each week I often consider the pros and cons of each. Consequently I have in my mind my ‘ideal podcast’. Perfect not in subject matter so much as usability.

There is an abundance of cultural podcasts out there, created by museums, galleries, arts organisations and individuals. What makes some stand out from the crowd is not only engaging content but also ease of use. Too often these things seem mutually exclusive. Here are some things that I’ve noted.

Tl;dl With many of the most interesting ones running close to an hour, sometimes the sheer length of podcasts is offputting. Take the chance (given previous form) or skip altogether?  A quick introduction always helps to get a feel for the content and its running order. Chicago’s Art Institute Musecast does a good one on their albeit short podcast.

Shownotes and Links Although their podcast is at times rambling, Bad at Sports has good show notes on its website which give an overview of the episode, enabling strategic fast-forwarding if short on listening time. Kansas Historical Society’s Cool Things in the Collection goes a step further with an essay on their featured object and outside links to relevant sites for further research.

Chapters I love chapters. If I’m not all that interested in a particular segment, I can jump to the next and not have to hunt around getting frustrated. It is like the difference between using cassette tapes and CDs. For such a seemingly simple function is available on very few podcasts. The National Gallery, I salute you.

Images While some cultural institutions produce video podcasts, they are in the minority. Images, like chapters are available on enhanced versions of audio podcasts, but again are seldom used. It is particularly frustrating when the recording is a commentary from a slide presentation. The National Archives, for instance could have made much more of their Summer of 69 episode had we been able to see the images of what was even billed in the RSS feed notes as an ‘illustrated talk’.

Update Regularly Please! Or if not, then say that you’re doing a limited run like the Monocle Summer Series and then having a break. Don’t just leave the listener hanging.

Presentation and Content Learning something new and unexpected is always welcome. Like dipping into a magazine, mixing up the presentation or not spending too long on each idea works well in podcasts. Arts.21: The Cultural Magazine‘s videos and Museum of Science, Boston‘s audio podcasts both have this down albeit in differering styles. Having a gimmick can also sometimes work. I’m not sure whether I’d have learned about intelligent search if it wasn’t for Tea with the Economist.

So, my perfect podcast is one which makes available a contents list, is easy to navigate, has images and notes to go with the recording, updates frequently and piques my interest in new areas. All this stuff adds value for me. Makes me subscribe to the RSS feed, recommend it to friends. Basically it makes me come back for more. Isn’t that what it is all about? What do you look for? Are cultural podcasters catering to that? If you are the person who makes your museum or gallery’s podcast, what are your views?

You can contact me at august(at)newcurator(dot)com or leave your thoughts in the comments.