Kai-Uwe about Podcasting

Audio content is becoming increasingly popular. The current trend is for so-called micropodcasts, which are no longer than a quarter of an hour. They get to the heart of topics in a short and crisp manner. Just like the new news podcast from Börsenblatt.

In "Die Nachlese. Das Buchbranchen-Update", the editorial team of our trade magazine summarizes and classifies the key news from the previous week every Monday morning at 05:00 AM. Episode two has just been published.

Our colleague Kai-Uwe is the man behind the compact format. We asked him how the news for listening is created and what is important when podcasting.

• Why did the editorial team decide to offer this additional service?
  
  Börsenblatt is a strong brand that has so far relied primarily on a print magazine and a very traditional online presence. We wanted to add another dimension to this. And news for the book industry as a weekly update to listen to had not existed before. The time was ripe. The podcast is a contemporary format that brings Börsenblatt to life in a different form. After the disappearance of the Buchreport and the printed book market, it was also important for us to set an example for specialist information in our industry.
  
  
• Which news items make it into the podcast and how do you prepare them for the format?
  
  Every month, we publish several hundred news items at Börsenblatt - from short reports to interviews and features. For the podcast, we filter this flood according to the highest relevance in the context of the respective week and rewrite the news. Because when writing texts for speaking, short sentences and pointed statements are important. You can't babble on. This step is actually by far the most time-consuming in the entire production process. But it's the only way we can keep our promise: We summarize what is important in the book industry.
  
  
• What is your biggest challenge when it comes to audio content?
  
  Not the technology, as you might think. We have already gained experience with “Kinderbuchpraxis”, which started three years ago as a private initiative. We have now published 83 episodes on children's and young adult books. The biggest challenge with the podcast “Die Nachlese” is the weekly publication date. It's a tough deadline that demands a lot of commitment.
  
  
• Which podcast trend do you think will go through the roof in 2025?
  
  Basically, to stand out positively from the flood of podcasts, you need damn good shows, special voices and professional production. The big platforms are still trying to push video podcasts. Personally, I take a critical view of this trend and don't believe that every podcast should be planned as a moving image format. However, it is clear that the quality standards for podcasts will continue to rise, partly because the use of artificial intelligence makes many things easier - from copywriting and AI-generated voices to post-production.
  
  
• What is your personal favorite podcast?
  
  I'm always discovering new gems. I love listening to “Die Bücher unserer Zukunft” by and with Anne Friebel and Annika Bach and “Frauenfragen” with Mari Lang. So cheeky, so much humor - wonderful!
  
  

PS: With "Die Nachlese. Das Buchbranchen-Update", the Börsenblatt team is supplementing its newsletter service, which includes analyses and insights as well as the latest news. 👉 www.boersenblatt.net/newsletter

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