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Europe Calling: The fandom embraces podcasting 🎙

08 September 2021 at 12:00 CEST
Starting your own podcast isn’t difficult and needn’t be overly complicated or expensive - all you need for a basic show is a topic (Eurovision!), recording software (often pre-installed on your smartphone), somewhere to host your episodes, and away you go!

According to the European Broadcasting Union, across Europe podcasts are listened to by one-fifth of the population – and that percentage is ever increasing. In the UK alone, the podcast is the third audio medium in terms of reach after music streaming and live radio.

So, if you’re thinking of starting your own podcast or are looking for new things to listen to, Eurovision.tv caught up with 4 fan podcasts to talk about their love for the format.

‘Podcasts are such a great format for Eurovision fans because you can listen to an episode whenever you have time and wherever in the world you are’ – Emil Löfström from the Eurovision Legends show considers what sparked his passion for chatting about the Contest:

‘As a 5 year old, I couldn’t stop dancing to Yugoslavia’s 1991 entry Brazil – and now I’ve recorded podcast episodes with more than 100 artists, composers, hosts and other important people from the Contest’s history!’

It’s exactly that need to communicate a passion for the Contest that has inspired so many different podcasters, no matter where they are in the world.

Take, for example, Samantha Ross from the 12 Points From Americapod, who set up her show from a town nearly 7,000kms from the edge of Europe. Samatha explains how broadcasting helped to build friendships and a sense of community:

‘While a lot of my European and Australian friends have memories of watching the Contest on TV as kids, I couldn’t really watch the show until my early twenties, and even that was through a somewhat iffy, internet connection.

I created my own podcast with friends here in my home state of Minnesota. Derek, Danny, Erik and I are, at the end of the day, just four friends who enjoy making fun of ourselves just as much as we like Eurovision. Especially through the pandemic, when we had to transition from in-person podcast recording to meeting via Zoom, being able to connect with each other was such a comfort.’

These are sentiments echoed by GJ Kooijman, one of the hosts of the popular Dutch-language podcast Ding-A-Dong:

‘Every year is vastly different and brings along a new set of artists and fun. You learn so many new things about cultures while also getting to dive deeper into the differences of national selections and music scenes.’

GJ’s co-host, Marco, feels the ability to explore and dissect niche topics is what makes their show so enjoyable:

‘Podcasting is such a great format, because it allows for discussion, random sidetracks and occasional deep dives. Especially for the two of us who vastly disagree in musical and fashion taste; we get to try and convince each other on why certain songs are great.’

One of the long-running Eurovision Song Contest themed podcasts is ESC Insight, which Ewan Spence has been show-running in one format or another since the 2008 Contest in Serbia.

‘The great strength of any podcast is how personal and intimate it can be. I’d expect most podcasts to be listened to on headphones, through a smartphone, when a listener wants to escape into their passion with others who are just as passionate.

Podcasts can capture magic. And Eurovision magic can be found when your bus back to the Euroclub is caught in an hour-long traffic jam in Copenhagen. There’s only one thing you can do. Crack open the microphone and record the podcast right there with as many people as possible. You wouldn’t be able to do that with any other broadcast medium.’

Have you recorded a podcast or do you have a favourite show we’ve not mentioned? Let us know via the official Eurovision Song Contest Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook channels.