Courses, Workshops, and Seminars to Help You Level Up Your Podcast Skills
Whether you’re a veteran podcaster or brand new to audio, everyone can benefit from continuing education. Classes and workshops provide an opportunity to take a step back from the daily grind of pitching, producing, and promoting a podcast, and re-focus on the creative process.
There are many options out there, spread across multiple organizations, with more being added all the time as the podcast industry grows. The list below represents some of the major players in podcast training and includes options for a variety of budgets, time commitments, experience levels.
Always consult the program website for the latest details on timing and costs.
Long-Term Learning
These programs typically run over several months and require the most significant commitment of time and money.
Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Based at the Maine College of Art in Portland, the Salt Institute offers multi-day intensive courses on sound design, using archival audio, and more. The institute also offers a graduate certificate in documentary studies that includes a radio and podcasting track. Individual courses can be applied toward the graduate certificate, which is a great way to test the waters and see if the program is a good fit for you and your podcasting goals.
One opportunity to get your feet wet in their approach is a month-long online workshop in June about how to use storytelling techniques from fiction podcasts to create immersive experiences for listeners. Recent instructures include Nicole Hill, host of The Secret Adventures of Black People. The course costs $325.
Take this if: You are ready to make a big commitment of both time and money. These courses require at least 10 hours of work per week, including time spent on-site at the Maine College of Art campus.
Duke Center for Documentary Studies
If you’ve listened to Scene on Radio, the Center for Documentary Studies might sound familiar to you — host John Biewen is the center’s audio program director. The center offers a certificate in documentary arts, a two-year program with on-site workshops and online courses, and a final “substantial documentary” project that can be in any media form. The center’s courses are also available individually and include the basics of documentary production, and other fun options like an intro to drawing course for beginners.
Take this if: You are interested in documentary production and might want to expand beyond podcasting to film or other media.
UnionDocs
UnionDocs is a community-based center for documentary training based in Brooklyn. It aims to foster a sense of camaraderie and collaboration among participants by bringing people together to live and create in the same space.
The center recently launched Pod-Pod, which brings together six podcasters to live, work, and collaborate in Williamsburg. Pod members share feedback on each other’s work and have access to a studio and recording equipment in their space.
Keep an eye on the Pod-Pod website for information about upcoming cohorts and the application to join the program.
Take this if: You are looking for a change of scenery and the opportunity to focus on a big project with a built-in set of critical listeners.
Transom
Transom has its roots in public media, but its training programs and workshops extend far beyond that, with a central focus on the art of story development.
Like the other programs in this category, Transom offers a nine-week intensive experience at its headquarters in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The program fee is $9,000 and includes voice coaching, pitch sessions, a copy of Hindenburg software, a one-year membership in PRX, and more. The story workshop is intended for beginning producers. Students produce several short pieces and promos that lay the groundwork for longer narrative audio work.
In 2020, Transom launched a six-week remote mentorship program for intermediate producers to focus on a single feature-length story with the same level of coaching as the on-site intensive. The organization also offers a traveling version of its workshop that’s customized to the requestor’s needs.
All of Transom’s workshops are on hiatus for 2021. Email info@transom.org to be added to the organization’s mailing list for announcements about future programming.
Take this if: You want to learn from notable names in the industry and have the budget to support a truly immersive experience.
Short-Term and On-Demand Training
If you are looking to brush up on a very specific skill or can’t commit to a longer course right now, there are plenty of on-demand and short-term options that are self-paced.
SoundPath
A new venture from the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR), SoundPath offers a mix of live classes, webinars, pre-recorded video courses, and coaching from audio professionals.
SoundPath’s current offerings include webinars on translating print pieces to audio, and how to apply solutions journalism to podcast reporting. Recordings are free for AIR members. Private coaching sessions with Jeff Emtman of Here Be Monsters, Roifield Brown of How Jamaica Conquered The World, and Traci Tong of The World are $115 per hour.
Take this if: You are looking to try out a variety of learning options to see which one works best for you.
Podcasting, Seriously
Created by Lantigua Williams & Co., Podcasting, Seriously is a monthly webinar series designed to take amateur podcasters to the next level.
Unlike workshops or courses that focus solely on audio production, Podcasting, Seriously also dives into podcast marketing and monetization. Upcoming topics include understanding podcast metrics, how to conduct exceptional podcast interviews, and using sound to make a scene. Each webinar is $25, or you can purchase a three-webinar pass for $95.
Podcasting, Seriously also holds twice-weekly discussions on Clubhouse that are open to any Clubhouse user, regardless of whether you’ve taken a workshop. Discussions are held every Monday at 1 p.m. ET and Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Take this if: You want to learn how to make great audio from a diverse group of creators in an open, conversational format.
Podcast Movement University
Podcast Movement, the organization behind the podcasting industry’s largest conference, launched Podcast Movement University in 2020 as a way to connect podcasters and provide educational opportunities year-round.
Access is free to everyone. The platform includes masterclass recordings and live virtual events based around the same themes as the in-person Podcast Movement conference — creation, marketing and growth, monetization, technical skills, and more.
Podcast Movement University also includes affinity groups where podcasters can connect with one another to offer advice and share resources.Members also gain access to discounts from podcasting hosting companies and other providers.
Take this if: You are looking to dip your toe in the water with free courses and content before you enroll in paid training.
Marketing Showrunners
Podcaster and marketer Jay Acunzo offers an on-demand course called Growable Shows that’s designed to help podcasters turn a show idea into a powerful premise that will serve as the north star throughout production and promotion. The course is $499 and includes downloadable resources and a discount code for a consultation session with Acunzo.
For those who want a live experience, Acunzo also offers a cohort-based program called The Showrunner Sessions that incorporates many of the same principles as Growable Shows but in a live format that includes opportunities for feedback from Acunzo and fellow cohort participants.
Take this if: You want to hone in on the creative aspect of making a podcast, with less emphasis on editing and production.
There’s nothing like the structure of a course or a weekly event on your calendar to give you the motivation you need to start something new or refresh an existing project. Whether you’re looking to make a long-term commitment or pop into a virtual event, look for opportunities that offer a supportive community of audio professionals who want to help you succeed.
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