SleepScape is a new sleep aid podcast from Jay Walkerden and Katie Mattin’s growing Podshape business.
“We have chosen 10 iconic places in Australia that we thought people would be interested in hearing what they sounded like,” Podshape co-founder Jay Walkerden told Mediaweek.
“Falling asleep can be such a challenge for many people.”
Walkerden noted the series launched just over a month ago and Podshape had great support from Apple and Spotify on their respective platforms.
“It’s a subscription-based series,” added Walkerden. “We offer three days for free for trialling. We are adding new titles all the time.” The monthly fee is $7.99 or that cost drops to $6.66 with an annual subscription of $79.99.
Walkerden was speaking to Mediaweek from Tasmania where he was on the road with his team preparing for new recordings. Sounds like a good series to be involved with. He was travelling next to the Whitsunday Islands.
“Other locations already live include Bondi Beach, Byron Bay, Noosa, the Blue Mountains and Sydney Harbour. Each one is recorded in full 360-degree audio. On compatible devices, you will enjoy a big, immersive listening experience as you fall asleep.” Walkerden recommends listening with AirPods in spatial audio. (Google how to turn it on!)
Podshape and subscription
Subscription podcasts are something Podshape has dabbled with for some time. “We have a True Crime weekly subscription series with a loyal bunch of fans who get our content before anyone else, with bonus content and ad-free. Subscribers to SleepScape will get an ad-free two-hour recording. There is a short 30-minute free version of the Sydney Harbour episode that is available.”
While Walkerden noted there are sleep aid podcasts around the world, he said there are not many offering sounds from the outdoors. “There actually don’t seem to be any others recorded in real-time in 360-degree audio.”
International sleep aid
Podshape is planning a UK marketing push with a second series featuring iconic British locations which will launch in July. “Then by Q1 2024 we will have a US series ready to go.”
The biggest challenge facing sound engineers has been sitting up for two hours in the middle of the night in strange places. Also finding just the right spot can take time. “We did a Barossa Valley episode and it took us three goes after challenges with the wind.”
Podshape biggest hits
In the three years Podshape has been running, Walkerden said the biggest hit has been Who Killed Bob? with over 2m downloads. “We have one out at the moment called Sting which is very popular. We have around 40 titles and we are getting great numbers across the board. It’s an exciting time to be in the business.”
From 2020: Former Nova Podcast boss Jay Walkerden launches Podshape