When to Use Live Audio Podcasts Instead of On-Demand

The last two years have seen a dramatic rise in corporate podcasting, and with it comes more choices for communications professionals. You can now deliver mobile audio as podcast shows and episodes, or you can live stream your events via podcasts. So how do you choose when to record and when to live stream? Are there certain situations that are uniquely suited for live podcasting?

As it turns out, yes, certain activities lend themselves particularly well to live podcasting. Here are just a few of them.

 

COMPANY MEETINGS

You probably already make company town hall or departmental meetings available live, but most current solutions can prove cumbersome. For example, if you are broadcasting a live video stream, this creates a bias for workers who are stationary and have the ability to sit at a desktop or laptop and watch a screen. But what about workers who are on the road and can’t easily watch a screen? Or retail employees who don’t have screens at all?

In many cases, conference calls offer a mobile substitute for video, but this is also less than ideal. On-the-go employees often can’t juggle the dial-in codes and plug-ins required to connect securely while in transit. Why not make secure live audio one-tap simple? Just open the app and listen to the all-hands meeting the same way you would listen to Spotify? Live podcasting lets you do this.

 

EXECUTIVE ADDRESSES

As with company meetings, employees want to tune in to executive addresses as they happen. But mobile employees often end up fighting with their technology in order to do so. Using live podcasts for all of your leadership communications can lower the barriers to entry and help all employees form authentic, personal connections with top management.

Plus, audio is often a more effective medium for executive addresses. CEO coach Tim Sanders noted that “People act differently when a camera is in their face. The CEOs I’ve worked with report that they’re able to be more candid with audio versus video. It changes the presentation into a conversation, and they don’t have to worry about appearance. It removes all the fear and insecurity that comes with how they appear on video. Audio is the much more casual and comfortable platform. Having executives sit down for interviews and fireside chats creates a much better experience for everyone involved.”

 

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Let’s be honest: aside from major company live events, other content might be more conveniently consumed on-demand. Listening on your own time and schedule can be hard to resist. But what about when you are trying to form a new habit related to your growth and development? Case in point, when you are trying to get back in physical shape, sometimes the best way to get started is to hire a personal trainer or make workout appointments with friends to keep you motivated and on task.

Career development can be the same way. Sure, there might be plenty of professional development content on your backlog. But if you are serious about a learning objective, you need to prioritize it and form a habit around your learning. Having a scheduled live appointment on a regular basis – weekly or monthly – can help you form the habit you need to truly increase your learning.

Live streaming podcasts have the dual benefit that subject matter experts get to connect with a motivated audience in a focused, regular way; and it gives motivated learners to the extra push they need to book the time in their calendar and participate with a community of other interested employees.

And of course, for those that miss the live event, you can always use uStudio's Instant Playback feature to distribute a recording within minutes for on-demand listening anytime.

Read more about live audio streaming or request a demo and a uStudio team member will be in touch shortly.