What is?
Coverville’s podcast is usually published two to three times a week and is based on a variety of cover songs (reinterpreted versions of songs previously recorded by another artist). The program usually begins with a short introduction and an overview of the topic of the day. . The songs are then played with some details about the song and the artist, as well as some fascinating bits of trivia interspersed in between. The shows are generally about 35 minutes long and feature about half a dozen different songs. Information about the source performing artist and album is provided, along with information about the artist being covered.
While the concept of a cover show might seem littered with second-rate songs and almost unbearable covers of good songs, you couldn’t be more wrong. Cover versions on the show could stand on their own as songs and feature diverse and interesting interpretations. For example, a jazzy version of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” or a smooth acoustic version of Sir Mix A Lot’s “Baby Got Back” are both unexpectedly entertaining.
The show also mixes things up from time to time by having “cover story” shows that feature covers that were all originally by the same artist. For example, a show that exclusively features covers of Pink Floyd songs. There are also occasional Originalville shows featuring the little-known originals of songs whose versions became famous. Coverville began simply in September 2004 as the hobby of tireless host Brian Ibbott and eventually grew to an audience of around 25,000 dedicated listeners per show.
And?
Originally, Ibbott saw endorsements as a way to offset his operating costs, and was sponsored by a few other podcasting-related sites, such as ipodder. After all, since Coverville is a music show, that means licensing, buying cds and mp3s, etc. Not to mention, while more listeners is great, it also means more bandwidth, which in turn means more money. Also, since the Top 100 on iTunes is compiled by ranking the number of subscriptions over the past week, it’s often dominated by the biggest names. These shows are often something that usually originated from another medium and have been repurposed for use in a podcast. Take, for example, the Ricky Gervais podcast based on the antics of the popular comedian, or the popular LOST podcast that revolves around the events of the show. Not only is it already a hugely popular TV show, but it is financially backed by ABC networks. So what’s an independent podcast to do?
Now what?
Coverville still has several podcasting-related sponsors, as well as some smaller sites, and the larger retailers may not be far behind (Coverville was sponsored by Tower Records over the summer). However, while the larger retailers remain an anomaly in the world of podcasting, more and more have started to appear. Also, by joining an ad network (Coverville has joined the Backbeat Media Podcast Network) they can offer a larger and therefore more attractive audience to current and potential advertisers. Coverville also received the People’s Choice Award for Best Music Podcast at the 2005 Podcast Awards, thanks in part to the number of avid fans the show has produced. In fact, in an industry that relies heavily on word of mouth, having an active fan base is critical. So, with more subscribers continuing to join, fans of the show excited, and high-profile sponsors joining, the future for Coverville is looking really bright.
In short, by building a loyal fan base, gaining word-of-mouth recognition, and joining other podcasts in attracting more advertisers, Coverville was able to transition from a hobby to a revenue stream.
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