Wil Williams Writes

This Week in Podcasts is a weekly roundup of the goings-on in podcasting, from highlights to pitfalls to updates and more. Have updates or crowdfunding campaigns you want listed? Check here for directions on how to get in touch.

Highlights

99% Invisible
“362 – Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Twine”
Release date: 7/16/19
Runtime: 43 minutes
No transcript available

99% Invisible is usually a calm, intriguing podcast with moments of delight–but when it switches those ratios, the episodes are always standouts. This week, 99% Invisible looked into the strange case of the world’s largest ball–or, really, balls–of twine. An under looked roadside attraction has become not just a monument to human perseverance in the extremely dull, but also a monument to individualism, or a monument to collective efforts, or a monument to family, or, perhaps, a monument to . . . monuments.

A RadioPublic embed of the podcast’s trailer, which can also be found here

Updates

Multitude Launches New Funding Platform and Donor-Only Podcast

Multitude, the independent podcast collective behind podcasts HORSE, Spirits, Potterless, Join the Party, and Waystation has launched a new funding platform, the MultiCrew. MultiCrew operates as a sort of independently-run Patreon: Multitude offers different tiers of donation, each with different perks for the donor. Included in these perks is the new donor-only podcast, Head Heart Gut, “a weekly friendly debate show where there’s no right answer, just the best answer. Each week one of the three contestants takes an iconic set of three items from pop culture or the world we live in—think Pokemon starters, colors, and movie trilogies—and argues why their pick is the best one using seven compelling questions and scenarios in our Definitive Survey of Greatness.”

Campaigns

Fiction Podcast The Ghost in 3B Crowdfunding its Limited Run

Fiction podcast The Ghost in 3B is crowdfunding its limited-run series via IndieGogo. The campaign has a goal of $666 USD (nice) and will be running until August 16th, 2019. The podcast is “a horror-comedy podcast miniseries to release in the first three weeks of October. A sleepy apartment complex in the idyllic town of Dawn Springs has had a hard time keeping new renters since the shocking death of a tenant in 2017. Some say their spirit remains, possessing home electronics for a true 21st-century haunting. Unfortunately for the ghost, the newest tenant is aggressively tech illiterate.”

International Podcast Month Crowdfunding its 2019 Event

Annual event International Podcast Month is crowdfunding for 2019 via IndieGogo. The campaign has a flexible goal of $3500 USD and will be running until July 31st, 2019. The event hopes to “to cross-promote, celebrate each other, and share the love of podcasting with the world. In its inaugural year (2018), [International Podcast Month] crossed 10,000 Downloads and had over 70 different podcasts represented. This year [they are] aiming for larger content variety and even more representation of marginalized creators. For 2019, there will be Audio Drama/Fiction Minisodes, Creator Conversations, Non-Fiction Minisodes, RPG Actual-Play One-Shots, and the month-long blog.”

Fiction Podcast The Van Crowdfunding its First Two Seasons

Fiction podcast The Van is crowdfunding for its first two seasons via IndieGogo. The campaign has a flexible goal of $2500 USD and will be running until August 15th, 2019. The podcast is “an audio fiction series, a coming-of-age story about kids with superpowers. In a van. In the desert. It’s about poetry and emotions and finding your family.”

Fiction Podcast Fall of the House of Sunshine Crowdfunding its Third Season

Fiction podcast Fall of the House of Sunshine is crowdfunding its third season via Kickstarter. The campaign has a goal of $5000 USD and will be running until August 4th, 2019. The podcast is “a totally unique auditory roller coaster ride – a murder mystery whodunnit that quickly unravels into a lovingly crafted world of action, adventure, noir and musical comedy shenanigans. Featuring a cast of Tony- and Emmy- nominated actors and voice actors from Broadway and Prime Time television, immersive audio production, and a fully orchestrated soundtrack with over 110 musical numbers through the first two seasons, Fall of the House of Sunshine has built a singular podcast experience for your singular (doubular?) ears.”