Voice Acting As A Profession Is So Funny Because You'll See Someone Being Like "voice Actors Need To

Inspired by @fyeahaudiodrama's do you love the color of the audio drama?, I have finally reorganised the contents my podcatcher:

PSA for podcast and audio drama creators:

If you publish a new episode of your show and it never shows up on Spotify, *do not panic*.

If you're using any kind of background music, it might've gotten flagged by their copyrighted content scanner. If it has, they do not notify you directly about it. Instead, they will notify your podcast hosting platform (i.e. Buzzsprout, Acast, Podbean, etc.)

If your new episode doesn't show up on Spotify within an hour or two (as it normally does), here's what you should do:

Create a video of your podcast and upload it privately to YouTube.

Check the 'Restrictions' column of the Content page in YouTube Studio. If the video you uploaded has 'Copyright' in this column, something was flagged and this is the problem. (In my experience, YouTube and Spotify's scanners are aligned).

Hover over where it says 'Copyright' and click the 'See Details' button. This will tell you what got flagged.

Confirm whether this content was legitimately flagged or not. If it was (meaning you can't prove that you have rights to use the music), it's time to replace the track and reupload your episode. (You'll still want to do the following steps after you do that). If wasn't, it's time to document why the flagging was in error. In Metropolis' case, we use a lot of pre-1924 music that is in the public domain per Title II of the US Music Modernization Act of 2018. But rights holders are notorious for not removing things that have aged into the public domain from their claims list. That means we have clear rights to use the music (as does anybody: again, public domain!), but we still have to go through the appeals process.

Contact your hosting provider to get the notice email from Spotify Content Protection. You need to ask their support team if they've received an email for your show from Spotify with a Subject line of "Possibly Infringing - Notification Warning - Claim xxx - ref:_xxx". It usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour for them to receive that notification from when the episode was uploaded. Within the email, there's a unique link to appeal the decision. Note that you only get five days to appeal - procrastination is definitely not your friend here!

Use the Appeal Link from the Email to file an Appeal Notice If you click the link, it will take you to a form to appeal the decision not to post the episode. This is where you need to present your case by either that you've replaced the music in question, or that you have a right to use it. If it's the latter - make sure you present the case as thoroughly and completely as possible (with links and references). (You'll also want to confirm that the track that YouTube spotted is the one that Spotify flagged.)

From my experience, Spotify will usually respond 24-36 hours.

If you took the right steps, it'll usually be a short note that they've published the episode and you're in the clear.

Cheers, and happy creating!

Please put some eyes on this and spread it as wide as you can.

Our composer for Re: Dracula, Travis Reeves, is currently fighting aggressive brain cancer. If you have some spare funds to send his way for treatment, please do.

From his aunt: "It appears Travis' best option is to explore cutting edge treatments in specialty facilities for which healthcare coverage doesn't apply. We're racing to raise as much funds as possible to ensure all option doors can be opened."

gofundme.com

Donate to Supporting Hope and Treatment Access for Travis, organized by Lisa Vallero Butterfield

Dear kind-hearted loved ones, colleagues + supporters, I’… Lisa Vallero Butterfield needs your support for Supporting Hope and Treatment

Looking for Black Nonbinary/Genderqueer VA!

The Mechadova Engine, an upcoming steampunk sci-fi audio drama, is currently casting a main character.

Details in the document below.

Google Docs

The Mechadova Engine - Tinker Casting Call

The Mechadova Engine - Tinker Casting Call DEADLINE: January 20th 2025 About the project Log has spent their entire life, as far as they

*grabbing a new audio drama podcast in my teeth and shaking it like a dog with a squeaky toy*

The Glasshouse by Iness Rychlik

Aka, Something I would expect to see in the Gospel of Haven.

My feeds are just mood boards and references for podcasts that I love now.

New Episode!!!! Dead West, Part 3 is live!

Auggie confronts Conrad. Louis struggles with being a spirit. Conrad meets Mrs Davis who isn't who she appears to be. Oh and Mr Davis? We meet him too. In a manner of speakin' ================================================ LISTEN HERE: SPOTIFY APPLE WEB RSS ================================================ I do this show as a way to stay creative and stay ahead of corporate burn out. Wholly something mine. So, for those of you who have checked it out, thank you! I hope you enjoy the story so far and stick around for the ride. Be sure to send it along to a friend as well!

Excited to announce that our next Tales from the Dead West episode is going to be written by the amazing @lawofnamesmedia! Be on the look out here and on their pages for casting calls, live dates, and more!

The Lost Pardner By Charles Clark Jr.

Religious influences on popular culture have tried to outright erase the existence and impact that queer folks have had on western culture and the perception of the Wild West, but poems such as this are a lovely insight into the real Wild West. I often think about the countless perspectives from the Wild West that were buried, burned, and forgotten in one of the brutal and beautiful periods in American History.