Further blurring the lines between radio and podcasting, Hubbard Radio has launched PodMN.
The new app will feature podcasts specifically focused on Minnesota. The app will feature content from Minnesota based radio stations, TV stations, newspapers, businesses, and universities focusing on local sports and topics such as Prince and local true crime.
Taking another page from radio, the app is also featuring contesting to drive listener engagement as rewards for listening.
Today, Hubbard Radio announced the official launch of PodMN, a new podcast app built specifically for Minnesota. The new mobile app, which soft launched in December, showcases podcasts that feature voices, topics and stories that are rooted in Minnesota.
The goal of the app is to give Minnesotans, and people who want to stay connected to Minnesota, an easy place to find local content. “In a world with 800,000 podcasts available, it’s easy to understand how local can get lost,” Hubbard Radio’s VP of Digital Strategy Jeremy Sinon said. “If your main source of discovery for podcasts is one of the big podcast apps, you would have a hard time knowing that local content even exists. We’re trying to solve that problem by giving Minnesotans an app that is dedicated to serving them audio that caters to their local interests.”
With just a few minutes spent in the app, it is evident that you are in Minnesota territory. Users will see hundreds of podcast offerings covering the Vikings, Twins, Gophers, Wild, Lynx, Loons and Wolves as well as podcasts on Prince, Minnesota True Crime stories and so much more. There are podcasts from Minnesota based radio stations, TV stations, newspapers, businesses, universities and beyond.
The new app is also aimed at making locally produced audio more discoverable and more profitable for its creators. Users will find hundreds of podcasts from independent local content creators like PodMN’s own Senior Editor Beth K. Gibbs who also produces and co-hosts the podcast Totes Recall. “It’s hard to stand out in the podcasting world if you’re not already a household name,” Gibbs said. “PodMN creates an excellent opportunity to shine a light on independent Minnesota podcasters who might not be getting the attention they should be getting.”
PodMN will also offer local rewards for listening to podcasts on the app. “PodMN users will have the chance to win several prizes offered up every week,” Hubbard Radio’s VP/Minnesota Regional Manager Dan Seeman said. “This gives us the ability to not only incentivize listeners to listen local, but gives our great local partners ways to participate and put their product in front of local consumers.”
While Minnesotans continue to stay distanced for the time being, PodMN hopes to keep Minnesotans connected to the stories and people all around them. PodMN is available to download in the Apple and Google Play stores. More information can be found at http://www.podmn.com.
