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Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 6

How do you wrap up a massive, semester-long creative project? Join Instructor Diana, alongside student hosts Shana and Alex, for the MDM class's final reflection and listening party. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the creative journey, covering everything the students learned about audience, structure, and distribution while launching their first podcasts.

The conversation explores powerful themes of accountability and class citizenship, celebrating the collective energy and responsibility the students brought to the course. It highlights the real-world utility of their projects, noting the successful strategies and cross-promotion opportunities between different student shows like Big Bets and The Client Said What. If you've ever managed a collaborative project from concept to completion, this episode offers a motivating and honest look at the moment when all the creative, technical, and marketing pieces finally come together.

Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.

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Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 5

What happens when your audience demands a language shift? Multilingual creator Winnie Liao joins host Alex to discuss the reality of launching a content project outside the default English market. Winnie shares the unexpected journey of her show, which started in Mandarin in Taiwan and quickly grew into a bilingual platform driven by listeners who wanted to learn English.

Winnie reveals the core lessons learned from her background in acting and comedy: success in podcasting requires authenticity, patience, and a willingness to be imperfect. She explains why being a "live wire" and simply being yourself on the mic is more effective than trying to adhere to a rigid structure. The conversation covers how she navigated the shift from corporate content creation to successful entrepreneurship, leveraging her show as a self-promotion tool that attracts new opportunities in Canada and beyond.

Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

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Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 4

Are you optimizing your podcast for the right platforms? Jordan Blair, Podcast Producer at Buzzsprout, breaks down the current reality of podcast growth. Jordan explains why you must stop treating platforms like TikTok or Instagram and start treating them like libraries. You will learn the single most important rule for discoverability: use keyword-rich show and episode titles for SEO, or risk not being found at all.

This episode is packed with practical tips, including how to use the Episode Consumption graph to pinpoint audience drop-off and fix consistency issues. Jordan confirms that listener support (donations and subscriptions) is the only monetization strategy that provides reliable, constant revenue, unlike volatile ad income. He also debunks the myth that asking for ratings and reviews helps your show grow. Learn the true mechanics of growth and how to avoid the "burnout" and "insecurity wall" that stops most podcasts before episode ten.

Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

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Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 3

Host Alex sits down with Javon Martin to get real about building a podcast that's actually a business in disguise. His show, "100 Ways to Make $100K," isn't just content: it's the front door to something bigger. In this conversation, Javon breaks down how he created the "Millionaire Machine," a guest booking system he developed between episodes 30 and 55 that became the engine for his entire operation.

You'll hear about the difference between planning and adapting (spoiler: you need both), why fast feedback matters more than perfection, and how connecting underprivileged youth with successful mentors became the driving force behind a scalable business model. Whether you're starting a podcast or already have one, this episode will shift how you think about content creation in the creator economy.

Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

Send a text

Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 2

What goes into creating a piece of music that defines a cultural moment? Nick Thorburn, the composer behind Serial's unforgettable theme, sits down with host Shana to tell the story. Spoiler: it all happened in a weekend, and he had no idea the show would become a global phenomenon.

Nick walks through his creative process: how he approached the project as a straightforward freelance job, why he drew inspiration from Twin Peaks, and what it means to work as a "live wire" where the unconscious mind does the heavy lifting. He also gets into the business side of things, explaining why podcasters need to stop treating music like something you slap on at the end. Sound design matters. It shapes how people experience your show.

Whether you're launching a podcast or just curious about what happens behind the scenes in audio storytelling, this episode offers a rare look at the intersection of creativity, business, and cultural impact.

Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

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Lights! Microphone! Podcast -- Episode 1

Ever wondered what goes wrong behind the scenes of a podcast? The production team from "Ctrl Alt Narrate" is here to tell you everything. Sneesha (creative lead), Alisha (logistics and marketing), and Victoria (design) join host Alex to talk about the reality of collaborative podcasting: the good, the messy, and the lessons that came from nearly derailing the whole thing.

This episode is packed with practical advice for anyone making content with a team. You'll learn why written contracts are non-negotiable (even with friends), how to avoid a post-production nightmare when syncing audio and video, and why you absolutely need a clear leader instead of running things like a college group project. The team also shares how they found their voice as hosts, evolved their brand identity, and managed the mountain of unedited episodes piling up. If you're a new podcaster, creative team member, or media student, this is required listening.

Created inside a podcasting special topics course (DG 8010: MDM Podcast Lab) within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)

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Introducing: Lights Microphone Podcast

In Fall 2025, a group of graduate students set out to learn about podcasting from the ground up and Lights Microphone Podcast is the result. Created inside a podcasting special topics course within the Master of Digital Media program at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, this six-part series explores what it really takes to start and grow a podcast.

The series features conversations with composers, producers, video podcasters, multilingual creators, and student makers — all sharing how they brought their shows to life. Part inspiration, part practical roadmap, Lights Microphone Podcast is about creative momentum, where big ideas meet bold action. The first of the 6 part series drops tomorrow.

Hosted by Alex Sein and Shana Wu

Audio Engineering by Tom Vu

Produced + Visuals by Mili Bhatt

Written content by Shrey Patel

Guest Outreach Support by Lindsay Buckingham

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
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Down the rabbit hole we go! Each conversation in this series connects in unexpected ways. Every new episode spurring a new line of inquiry, like tunnels turning off in different directions, each with an origin that’s traced back to episodes 273, 276, and 280.

This episode features net.art pioneer, Olia Lialina. She is credited with founding one of the earliest web galleries, Art Teleportacia. She is cofounder and keeper of One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age archive and a professor at Merz Akademie in Stuttgart, Germany. In this conversation, you’ll hear Olia’s origin story as a net artist, cross-pollinating film and Internet technology to tell interactive stories. You’ll hear her approach to capturing and cataloging the early web and how it’s evolved over time, including her long-standing GeoCities project. You’ll hear the surprising connections between interface design and stage design, how AI is changing the Internet and those who shape it, and how we can all reclaim our corners of the web.

I'm all about interesting projects with interesting people!
Let's Connect on the web or via Instagram. :)