Out with the Old, In with the New: Big Changes Coming to Independent Creator Podcast

Hello everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? Not too long, really, but just enough to make the heart grow fonder. And yes, as the title suggests, we're making some major changes to the show going forward.

The Show Must Go On

First things first: the Independent Creator Podcast is not stopping. I know it's been a couple of weeks without new episodes, and that's completely on me. I've been thinking about different ways to improve the show, and I've decided it's time to shake things up.

What's Changing?

New Episode Structure

The biggest change you'll notice is how we handle the live streams. No more 10-15 minute housekeeping pre-show segments. When the stream starts, you get a five-minute countdown, and then we dive straight into the episode. This means the actual content begins within five minutes of going live.

But here's the exciting part: I'm bringing the audience into the episode itself. Instead of saving chat questions for after the recording, I'll be integrating your comments, questions, and insights directly into the show. Why keep the audience out when you have such great contributions to make?

From Weekly to Bi-Weekly

We're shifting from weekly episodes to every two weeks. I know that's 52 weeks in a year, and honestly, that's a lot of content to maintain consistently. The alternative platform space doesn't always have the rapid news cycle of YouTube or Twitch, so spacing things out makes more sense.

This change gives me time to collect better stories, discover new developments in platforms like Owncast, Mastodon, Blue Sky, and Gilded, and maintain the quality you expect without burning through all my episode ideas in two or three months.

Streamlined Production

Episodes will run about an hour, maybe a bit more or less depending on the flow. There won't be separate after-show segments since I'm integrating audience interaction throughout. This makes my editing process much simpler and gets episodes to you faster.

The new schedule: live stream on Tuesday nights, then the audio version drops on Wednesday across all podcast platforms.

Expanding the Content Universe

While I'm scaling down the podcast frequency, I'm scaling up in other areas. I'll be creating more dedicated tutorial and setup videos that won't be part of the main podcast. Think detailed walkthroughs for setting up support bots in Guilded, Owncast configurations, or exploring forum software like Invision Community.

Speaking of forums, there's big news: SMF is actively starting development on version 3.0. For anyone who's been in the forum-building space, this is huge. I want to bring more of my experience with platforms like Invision Community and Xenforo into the mix.

Where to Find Everything

I'm excited to announce that Indie Creator Hub has been invited to join the TilVids ecosystem on PeerTube. TilVids is a collection of content creators who do edutainment-style content, which fits perfectly with our approach of combining tutorials with community interaction.

Our community forum at indiecreator.community continues to grow. I'm still deciding whether to keep it as a separate entity or move it under the Indie Creator Hub domain. The forum covers independent content creation and indie game development, and I'd love to see you there.

Future Plans: Interviews and More

I'm also looking at incorporating interview-style episodes with people from the independent and alternative platform space. These won't be every episode, but special events where we can dive deep into their experiences and projects.

The logistics can be tricky with different time zones, so I'm planning pre-recorded interviews that will play during regular episodes. It's all about working with people's schedules while maintaining the show's flow.

Social Media Changes

On the social front, I've completely left X (formerly Twitter). You can find me on Mastodon, Blue Sky, and Threads now. Mastodon and Blue Sky get most of my attention, while Threads is more for occasional fun posts. If you need a Blue Sky invite, I usually have a few available.

Why These Changes?

This is all part of the natural evolution of any creative project. I'm sure if you look at successful podcasts today compared to their early episodes, they're completely different shows. Nothing stays static, and that's the beauty of independent creation.

The key is having fun with what you're doing. If you're not enjoying your creative work, people can tell. Right now, we're still in phase A of this project, experimenting with what works and what doesn't. And that's exactly where we should be.

Looking Ahead

These changes take effect starting with episode 11. Episode 12 will be in two weeks, following our new bi-weekly schedule. I might need to adjust around the holidays, but that's part of being flexible as an independent creator.

The goal remains the same: providing informative, engaging content about alternative platforms and independent creation. Whether it's exploring new features in Owncast, diving into forum software, or discovering the next great alternative to mainstream platforms, we'll continue this journey together.

Join the Community

If you're interested in connecting with other independent creators and indie game developers, definitely check out thisindiecreator.com. It's where our community lives, and unlike Discord, everything there is searchable and contributes to the broader conversation.

You can catch the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes drop every other Wednesday, with live streams on Tuesday nights at 9:30 PM Eastern.

Thanks for sticking with us through these changes. I think you're going to love where we're headed. See you in two weeks for our next episode, and remember to own your content and explore those alternative platforms.

The independent creator journey continues, and it's going to be a great ride.

The Independent Creator