Lab Overview & Structure

This fascinating programme will provide participants with the knowledge, resources, and mentor support for developing their project both creatively—through story development and sound editing workshops—and strategically, with discussions on industry landscape, pitching, marketing, and releasing their project in today’s audio landscape.

In this course, participants will learn the basics of audio storytelling, the art of creating and producing distinctive audio podcasts. They will gain hands-on experience recording and editing with direction from industry experts. Participants will leave with an enriched understanding of the global podcasting landscape and its key players. They will receive invaluable tips on tools, funding models, audience development, distribution, and gain insights on how they will measure their success.

Dates: 12 – 17 October 2021
Hours: Daily session of 4 hours (4 to 8 PM Doha time)
Language: English
Lab Fee: 1,100 QAR
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Group Size: 6 projects will be selected with a maximum of two attendees per project
Deadline: 3rd October

Lab Objectives

Participants will learn:

• About the main global players in the podcast industry
  • Platforms like Apple, YouTube, Spotify, Google Podcast etc.
    • Their strengths and weaknesses for creators (especially metrics)
    • Their significance and role in the industry
  • International podcast networks like Deezer, Kerning Cultures, Sowt, etc.
  • All other podcasts.
• To define their audience and podcast with a purpose
• To write scripts, map narrative arcs, and generate immersive stories for audio
• Planning, team roles, and workflow mapping
• How to choose (and use) the right equipment for their podcast
• Beginner sound editing
• To record interviews and edit them
  • Interview prep
  • How to get great tape in your interview
  • The ethics of editing quotes
• How to brand and market their podcasts
• Business models
• Options for distributing their podcast
• How to pitch their podcast to the industry.

No previous podcasting or audio editing experience is required, and participants should arrive with some ideas about the type of podcast they would like to make.

The Lab is open to serialized and story-driven audio project. Fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid style projects are eligible, and projects can be either short-form or long-form series.

Course Overview

Day One: Foundations

• Introductions
  • All participants: ideally, 6 teams maximum w/ two people per team able to join.
  • Lab producer: Alexandra Blair
    Lead lab mentor: Stephanie Kuo, Senior Manager of training at PRX
• Introduction to the Podcasting Landscape & Lingo
• MENA Podcasting Overview + Q&A

Day Two: North Star

• Defining Your Audience
• Identifying “top down” trends in your space
• Guest: Global/Local trends in audio

Day Three: Storytelling

• Audio Storytelling
• Mapping a Narrative Arc
• Guest: Audio storytelling

Day Four: Production

• Equipment, Interview & Recording
• Software & Editing

Day Five: Making it Work

• Workflow Mapping
• Money, Audience Development, and Measuring Success
• Guest: Business development for audio projects in MENA

Day Six: Talking About Your Project

• Facing the Industry
• Marketing and branding
• Guest: marketing for audio