Before COVID, live podcasting had revved its engine, and more and more podcasts were hosting live events as the benefits accrued for podcasters and listeners.
"It’s the connection with the audience that is key," notes podcast consultant George Witt. "It’s about loyalty. It’s about building on a relationship that podcasters have with their listeners, or, in some cases, members."
Witt goes on to explain that podcasts do see an increase in downloads after the live shows.
"Studies show that paid subscriptions increase after live shows," Witt says.
One of the largest live podcasting events is On Air Fest.
Last week, event organizers announced the initial list of headliners, world premieres and live performances for its annual, flagship festival at Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, bringing together the creative vanguard in audio storytelling from February 23-25, 2023.
As a notable event celebrating the culture and redefining the creative possibilities of sound, On Air Fest is introducing a brand-new slate of programming that signals another rapid expansion in breadth and talent. Highlights include an immersive, walk-through podcast experience featuring ephemera from the world of My Favorite Murder, a series of "sonic dinners" pairing audio and culinary arts, and three days of on-stage talks, and live tapings from the relaunch of the Peabody Award-winning On Being with Krista Tippett, People's Party with Talib Kweli, Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, a brand new mini-series from The Heart, the latest Hot Pod Summit in collaboration with Hot Pod and The Verge, and 100+ trailblazing voices, inspired listeners and exclusive presentations to be revealed soon.
Find tickets and additional information at onairfest.com/events/brookyln-2023/home.
On Air Fest and its team of producers at work x work will begin the 2023 edition by debuting an unprecedented new way to connect with podcasts. Titled On Air: The Podcast Experience, multiple rooms at Wythe Hotel will be taken over by a collection of different shows and their creators. Drawing inspiration from open studio tours and immersive theater, each curated space "will envelop visitors in the world of a single podcast designed to spark imagination, delight and discovery."
With rooms designed by My Favorite Murder and the Exactly Right Network, On Being Project, The Heart and more to be announced in the coming weeks, On Air: The Podcast Experience will launch to On Air Fest ticket holders on February 23, before opening to the public on February 26. Find details at experiencepodcasts.com.
"Podcasting is a medium that should be unbound. The artists and storytellers defining the space are challenging conventions and reshaping our cultural landscape," says Creative Director and Founder of the festival, Scott Newman. "Interactive fan experiences have become commonplace in television and art and with On Air: The Podcast Experience we are bringing your favorite podcasts to life in a brand-new way."
"What makes podcasting as an artform singular is the connection listeners have with the shows and their creators," adds Jemma Rose Brown, Director of Programming. "With On Air: The Podcast Experience we're channeling that intimacy."
Over its past six years and counting, On Air Fest has become the "Coachella of podcast festivals" (Fast Company): the definitive destination for those who make up the collective moment in sound. Podcast powerhouses such as Audible, NPR, SiriusXM, Spotify, The New York Times and more have all convened to launch some of the biggest shows of the spring, while independent, groundbreaking musicians including Laurie Anderson, Leon Bridges and Talib Kweli have experimented with new modes of performance, and revered leaders like Ira Glass, Jad Abumrad and Terry Gross have sat side-by-side with the next generation of visionary storytellers.
The announcement of On Air Fest 2023 arrives on the heels of the latest On Air LA Annex, which took place earlier this month and featured appearances from Into It's Sam Sanders, KCRW's Anthony Valadez & Novena Carmel, Object of Sound's Hanif Abdurraqib, Song Exploder's Hrishikesh Hirway, LA Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson, comedian Lauran Lapkus and loads of other talent, along with world premieres of Pink Card from Shima Oliaee and ESPN's 30 for 30, new Audible Original Unlicensed from the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, and more. Across three days at KCRW HQ, dublab and Dynasty Typewriter, On Air celebrated the storytellers and audio scene of Southern California, before its grand return to Brooklyn.
On Air Fest 2023 - Stage Sessions
The highly-anticipated relaunch of On Being with Krista Tippett will take place at On Air Fest. The Peabody award-winning public radio show and podcast will debut its new format live on stage with a special guest.
A live taping of People's Party with Talib Kweli from Luminary and UPROXX, featuring co-host Jasmin Leigh and a special guest.
A live taping of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso from Pushkin Industries.
Audio artist Kaitlin Prest takes attendees inside her newest series Sisters, a personal documentary about love, power dynamics and all the invisible things in the air between humans, made in collaboration with her own sister, Natalie Prest. From CBC Podcasts, Mermaid Palace and Radiotopia from PRX, this performance will be presented at On Air Fest.
On Air Fest day one will be hosted by Ronald Young Jr., host of HBO Docs Club and Solvable from Pushkin Industries.
On Air Fest 2023 will kick off Thursday, Feb 23, with the invite-only Hot Pod Summit, exploring the business issues and opportunities in Podcasting, co-presented by The Verge.
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