Podcasting Case Study – Coverville
What is it?
The Coverville podcast is generally released two to three times a week and is based on a variety of song covers (reinterpreted versions of songs previously recorded by another artist). The program usually begins with a short introduction and overview of the program topic for the day. . The songs are then played back with some details about the song and the artist, as well as some fascinating snippets of trivia sandwiched in between. The shows are generally about 35 minutes long and feature about half a dozen different songs. Information about the performing artist and source album is provided, along with information about the artist being covered.
While the concept of an all-cover show may seem riddled with second-rate songs and almost excruciating covers of good songs, you couldn’t be more wrong. The covers of the show could easily stand alone as songs and feature diverse and interesting performances. For example, a jazz version of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath, or a soft acoustic version of “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix A Lot, both are unexpectedly entertaining.
The show also mixes things up from time to time by having a “cover story” that shows covers that were all originally from the same artist. For example, a show that exclusively features covers of Pink Floyd songs. There are also the occasional Originalville shows featuring the little-known originals of songs whose covers became famous. Coverville simply began in September 2004 as the hobby of tireless host Brian Ibbott and eventually grew to an audience of around 25,000 dedicated listeners per show.
And that?
Ibbott originally saw endorsements as a way to offset its operating costs and was sponsored by a few other podcasting-related sites, such as ipodder. After all, since Coverville is a music program that means getting licenses, buying cds and mp3s, etc. Not to mention, while more listeners are great, it also means more bandwidth, which in turn means more money. Also, since the Top 100 on iTunes is compiled by ranking the number of subscriptions over the last week, it is often dominated by the biggest names. These shows are usually something that generally originated from another medium and has been repurposed for use in a podcast. Take, for example, the Ricky Gervais podcast based on the popular comedian’s antics, or the popular LOST podcast that revolves around the events of the show. Not only is it already a tremendously popular television show, but it is financially backed by ABC networks. So what can an independent podcast do?
Now what?
Coverville still has several sponsors related to podcasting, as well as a few smaller sites, and the larger retailers may not be far behind (Coverville was sponsored by Tower Records over the summer). The world of podcasting have started to appear more and more. Also, by joining an advertising network (Coverville has joined the Backbeat Media Podcast Network), they can offer an offer to a larger audience and therefore more attractive to current and potential advertisers. Coverville has also received the People’s Choice Award for Best Podcast Music at the 2005 Podcast Awards, which is due in part to the number of avid fans the show has produced. In fact, in an industry that relies heavily on word of mouth, having an active fan base is critical. So with more subscribers continuing to join, raving show fans, and high-profile backers joining the future of Coverville, it looks very bright.
In short, by building a loyal fan base, gaining word of mouth recognition, and joining other podcasts to attract more advertisers, Coverville was able to go from a hobby to an income medium.
Also check out our informative ITS On the Go podcast at [http://www.itsontarget.com/podcasts] for more information on creating and optimizing your own podcast.