My month at Podstarter - Nathan Stone

I didn’t think a business like Podstarter existed. That’s not to say I thought that you couldn’t make money from podcasting, or that professional podcasting was an alien concept to me; rather I had no idea how a company focused on taking podcasts from concept to fully realized shows would operate. I could have conceded such a company existing in New York or Los Angeles, but certainly not in Halifax Nova Scotia. I was even more certain that such a business couldn’t exist within a ten-minute walk from my apartment. 

I’ve been a podcaster for several years. I’ve been a podcast listener for even longer. There are stories, shows, and conversations that simply work best as podcasts. I love that anyone with an interesting idea and a microphone can find an audience. The world of podcasting is so rich and varied that an opportunity to immerse myself in a professional podcasting was too good to miss.

The impressive assortment of recording gear was the first thing that caught my eye as I arrived at Podstarter for my internship interview. The setup was like a modernized version of the recording booths that I use in my Radio / Television / Journalism program at the Nova Scotia Community College. The exposed brick, wood floors, and large timber supports provided a contrast to the sleek electronics throughout the Podstarter offices. It was an inviting place to work. I had only basic idea of what type of work I would be doing there. During the interview I was promised a variety of tasks encompassing the whole podcast production process. That was exactly what I received.

From my first day I felt like I was part of the production process. Beyond the typical day one orientation, I was invited to sit in on a recording session for the Canadian Love Map podcast. It was a great way to become acquainted with a podcast that I would be working on throughout my internship. On this podcast I would be responsible for finding potential guests and doing an initial outreach to see if they would be interested in coming on the show. It was a great use of the journalism skills I had developed in college. 

Finding Canadian Love Map leads was only the tip of the iceberg. Over the following days I got to mix podcast episodes, design graphics and audio clips for social media, and create a user guide for remote recordings. I also had the opportunity to attend production meetings and see first-hand the process of planning a podcast’s direction. The most exciting opportunity was getting involved in a podcast still in the earliest concept stages. From initial meeting and production notes, I made a creative brief for the client that outlined our ideas and goals for the show. Making a coherent plan out of a pile of loose ideas was challenging, but fun. It was very satisfying to present the brief to the client.  

The internship has been an incredible learning opportunity. Some of the most valuable lessons have been on the day-to-day process of podcast production, and the effort and attention to detail that makes a professional podcast. I’ve found it particularly rewarding learning how the business side of Podstarter operates. Fortunately, at the time of writing, I am only halfway through my four-week internship. I still have another busy couple of weeks to take in as much as I can. I’m excited to use the lessons I’ve learned at Podstarter in my final year of college and beyond.

Since the internship finished, Nathan has joined the team as a Junior Producer during his summer break from NSCC.