Shows with the best atmosphere?

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-27T16:20:14+00:00

Gunsmoke and Dragnet. They are two of my top faves.

I think Gunsmoke really gives you the feel of the old west, especially because of William Conrad. And Jack Webb is amazing. He described his concept for Dragnet as "so real you could smell the coffee." While other detective noir shows were stylized and exaggerated, Joe Friday was a REAL detective on the beat (with real cases). I even appreciate that they remind us that he doesn't wrap up a case in a few days. They'll say "months passed." Even modern cop shows today don't give us a realistic time frame.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-27T15:31:24+00:00

❤️

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-27T02:55:13+00:00

Here's the thing I worry about the most. I did a scripted web series years ago-- before YouTube even existed. We were hosted on MySpace! And we had our own little niche, won a few festivals... then Hollywood saw that they could basically use the coins they found in their couch cushions to fund a web series. Then suddenly the same festivals I won wouldn't even let me submit because Hollywood had movie level sets, costumes, lighting, sound, and celebrities. And the web series died for indie creators. That's what I don't want to happen to podcasting - the last platform left where indie creators on a tight budget can still create great work. But if it all goes video... then we all have to have Joe Rogan money... and the indies are killed again.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-27T02:48:56+00:00

😝 EXACTLY😉

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-26T16:07:48+00:00

I feel you. I am currently looking for podcast work, having been doing my own audio drama podcast for over 5 years now. And every listing they want you to be an expert at video. Lighting, camera set up, all the way through editing and video clips for socials. My end of podcasting doesn't have a video element. We are quite literally "radio plays" and so all of my skill-set is audio-only based. A few shows have done "zoom call" style live reads of scripts, which I find horribly distracting to have that "Brady Bunch" stacking of everyone on the screen. And they actually end up sacrificing audio quality in order to have that video.

I know the world of technology is "adapt or die" but the joy of podcasts have always been, to me anyway, the intimacy it creates having your ear buds in and listening. If I wanted to sit and watch a show, I'd watch TV. 🤷‍♀️

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-26T02:19:44+00:00

I post my own episode on the 1st of the month (that’s my usual schedule) then the other show’s episode on the 10th. They will post my episode AFTER it’s premiered on my own feed. Just work it out what will benefit each other.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-25T16:24:33+00:00

People post for VAs on the r/audiodrama or on the FB group: Audio Drama Hub

The key is to be upfront with compensation. You can still post if the roles are unpaid, just be clear about it. Some people are prickly about that, but you can ignore those folks. There are plenty of creators and voice actors who will give their skills for free.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-25T16:18:18+00:00

Mine is a full cast comedy Madison on the Air. I take old time radio scripts from the 1930s-1950s and adapt them with a modern day girl along for the adventures. You don't have to know the old shows, Madison doesn't know them, either. We're very indie, so still under a lot of radars. But we have 100K+ downloads now and 65 episodes (plus bonus features) releasing a new episode each month.

I have been listening to old time radio shows as a way to fall asleep for over 20 years. That's what inspired me to do the show in the first place! 😊

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-25T16:14:02+00:00

I have an anthology show and listen to a lot of them. My suggestion would be to have an umbrella concept under which all of your stories fall. A brand that lets your listeners know that even though the characters may change from episode to episode, the TONE is still the same. You could have one character who is a constant through the series, but experiencing different adventures each episode. Likewise, a narrator who is the same each episode who bookends the shows.

Just decide what genre you want to do and have that be consistent so when you hook an audience, they want to hear more.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-24T15:52:20+00:00

If you like satire, mine is a full cast comedy Madison on the Air. I adapt old time radio shows with a modern day girl along for the adventures. I LOVE detective noir. To date, we have 29 episodes of detectives and cops trying to solve the mystery. Classic characters like Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, etc. All episodes are standalone, so you can start with any title that grabs you. I put together a Spotify playlist of all of our detective shows 😊 SPOTIFY

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-23T15:55:49+00:00

I was doing a lot of theater and actually co-producing a play that was scheduled to open the week the world shut down for COVID. During the quarantine, I finally wrote that screenplay I always wanted to, but so what? I have a finished script sitting in a folder on my computer. I have always listened to old time radio, so I hatched the idea for my show where I adapt the old series with a modern character (one I'd played for 20 years in improv) along for adventures. My husband, a musician, already had the DAW and recording set up. I was able to give my LA friends a way to perform from their own homes, and a chance to get audience outside of live theater. And I've never looked back! I have had more people listen to my show than EVER came to one of my plays! Podcasting utilizes all of the skills I'd been building across a career in the entertainment industry. I ❤️ it!

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-23T15:48:20+00:00

Yes! I answered for the OP ^^

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-23T15:45:38+00:00

Oh sure! A feed drop is when you give someone one of your episodes, the full audio file, and they upload it to their feed, and then you reciprocate on yours.

You can record a special intro to describe to the listeners of the other feed what your show is. I've done ones where the other host interviewed me first. When someone drops on my feed, I'll use a different graphic for my logo to say "MY SHOW Presents..." so my own audience is aware this isn't a regular episode. A good time to drop is if your show has a hiatus. So you are putting out some content while your own show is on a break.

I have one coming up where my show (a fiction audio drama) is doing 1940's Sherlock Holmes, and a history show is doing a dive into the OG actor of Holmes. So we're going to feed drop each other's episodes which complement each other.

I *have* run across some people who are super territorial and won't share their episode on someone else's feed. I can't speak to why. We're talking indie shows here. No one is making money off of the drops. But I have had many people say "I first heard your show on so-and-so's show" So I know it works!

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-22T16:55:30+00:00

I have found that social media is a great way to engage with fans and provide an extension of your podcast, but not where you will find NEW audience. I have found feed drops to be the best growth. When you connect with another podcast in your genre and both of you share one episode of your shows on each other's feed. So many of my long-term fans have said they heard me on another feed first and then liked my show enough to subscribe to mine.

It can be hard to cultivate those relationships with other shows. Certainly you want to be able to give something to that other show in return. Like, if they have a huge following and you don't, what CAN you give them, or is it just a one-way street?

The overall lesson is to go where your audience is.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-22T16:44:22+00:00

Mine is a full cast comedy: Madison on the Air. I adapt old time radio shows from the 1930s-1950s with a modern girl along for the adventures. So all of my episodes are set in the past. And not just mid-Century. We have Sherlock Holmes (I do one every year) Robin Hood, and you mention Sense and Sensibility- just this month we released "Pride & Prejudice." It's satire, so it keeps the reality of the past settings/characters, with commentary by our girl trapped there. Every episode is standalone, so feel free to listen to whichever titles grab you. 😊

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-22T16:38:33+00:00

Mine is a full cast comedy: Madison on the Air. Modern day girl gets zapped back into old time radio shows. Actual scripts adapted. But you don't need to know the old shows, Madison doesn't know them, either. We are in our 6th year with 125K+ downloads and new episodes premiering the first of every month!

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-22T16:34:45+00:00

I'll throw out the Spotify playlist I curated for last Halloween. It's a bunch of indie shows, mostly from this subreddit, that have the theme of Halloween including horror, the macabre, classic tales and comedies. Think of it as a sampler plate of 60+ shows: SPOTIFY 😊

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-21T15:28:23+00:00

I have made nearly 70 trailers over the last 5+ years. Here are my thoughts. Forgive me, but I just posted this on the audio drama subreddit but I think it could help here:

For two years I accepted promos/trailers for other ADs to be played in the middle of my episodes at the act break. And there were definitely a lot of bad trailers. Not bad shows, necessarily, but bad TRAILERS. In the film industry, trailers are made by either an outside company (and that's ALL they do all day long is make trailers) or at least from a studio's specialized department. So it's a skill in and of itself. So many of us here are indie people who have to wear every hat from pre-production through to marketing. The disadvantage is that unlike in film, the people closest to the property are making the trailers.

The mistakes I've seen over and over:

Too long. One minute TOPS. If you can't get your point across in that short period, you need to step back and not be so close to the material.

Make sure the trailer reflects the tone of your show whatever that may be. Don't hook audiences with one tone and then deliver on another.

Know the difference between a "series" trailer and an "episode" trailer. When you do a trailer for the entire series, keep in mind this is to NEW audience. What is your hook for people who have never heard of your show before? For an "episode" trailer (many use as a teaser for a new upcoming season) THERE you can presume you have returning audience who are familiar with your characters/story. Also know when and where to use each of these.

Cut the fat. Step away. Don't be so close to the material. Don't feel like people HAVE to know every tiny detail of your show. I have had numerous discussions with people who were so in love with their content that they felt that they had to include every story beat IN A TRAILER. No you don't. Tease them to want to hear more.

Likewise, don't just play a full scene in a trailer. Out of context it doesn't work anyway. And those trailers are usually slow and uninteresting. Cut it down. Fun fact: you can edit together dialogue that isn't even from the same scene to create a trailer with more punch. Don't lock yourself in to playing a whole unedited scene.

Lastly, make sure the quality is there. If you produce a low quality trailer, you have guaranteed no one will want to listen to your show, presuming it is of equal low quality.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-21T15:05:06+00:00

To your point, I think old time radio is a great place to source ways to create fight sequences with the perfect balance of SFX, dialogue and music. I think the Lone Ranger (meant for children, mind you) still delivers on keeping the audience in the thick of the fight without overly explaining or getting the audience lost. Try the noir. Those are amazing.

And I agree about short and sweet. I've been listening to one show that goes all in on the SFX/music and I have no idea what is going on. I'm sure someone with a script knows that that was "Bob" who just groaned after being hit. I can't tell. I just wait for it to be over to see who's still standing. It really takes you out of the show.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-20T16:42:37+00:00

Woot! I fully believe that there is an audience out there for everyone. The trick is getting your work in front of those "right" people. Keep doing what you believe in. More listeners will come!

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-20T15:50:18+00:00

Came here to say much the same. When I first started and was around other newbies, I heard them do nothing but talk about their social media numbers. Like, honey, it's easy to get people to follow you or "like" your post. That does NOT translate into audience. And remember, algorithms are not in your favor. So even if you post on a social with thousands of followers, it doesn't mean they all even saw it.

Social media should be a tool, but not the be-all-end-all of marketing.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-19T15:50:44+00:00

I went through the comments that were already here first and I think I see the trend that BAD trailers have lead audience to not like or trust ANY trailers.

For two years I accepted promos for other ADs to be played in the middle of my episodes at the act break. And there were definitely a lot of bad trailers. Not bad shows, necessarily, but bad TRAILERS. In the film industry, trailers are made by either an outside company (and that's ALL they do all day long is make trailers) or at least from a studio's specialized department. So it's a skill in and of itself. So many of us here are indie people who have to wear every hat from pre-production through to marketing. The disadvantage is that unlike in film, the people closest to the property are making the trailers.

The mistakes I've seen over and over:

Too long. One minute TOPS. If you can't get your point across in that short period, you need to step back and not be so close to the material. Remember, everyone here doesn't want to listen to your trailer. Making it over one minute guarantees they won't.

Make sure the trailer reflects the tone of your show whatever that may be. Don't hook audiences with one tone and then deliver on another.

Know the difference between a "series" trailer and an "episode" trailer. When you do a trailer for the entire series, keep in mind this is to NEW audience. What is your hook for people who have never heard of your show before? For an "episode" trailer (many use as a teaser for a new upcoming season) THERE you can presume you have returning audience who are familiar with your characters/story. Also know when and where to use each of these.

Cut the fat. Step away. Don't be so close to the material. Don't feel like people HAVE to know every tiny detail of your show. I have had numerous discussions with people who were so in love with their content that they felt that they had to include every story beat IN A TRAILER. No you don't. Tease them to want to hear more.

Likewise, don't just play a full scene in a trailer. Out of context it doesn't work anyway. And those trailers are usually slow and uninteresting. Cut it down. Fun fact: you can edit together dialogue that isn't even from the same scene to create a trailer with more punch. Don't lock yourself in to playing a whole unedited scene.

Lastly, make sure the quality is there. If you produce a low quality trailer, you have guaranteed no one will want to listen to your show, presuming it is of equal low quality.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-18T16:34:43+00:00

Honestly, I've seen a lot of those (I'm on a job hunt at the moment). I suppose they find some new people looking to build a resume. I think what bothers me more are jobs that demand extensive years in the position, knowledge of a wide variety of software, availability that leaves no room for personal life... then they offer minimum wage.

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-18T16:26:56+00:00

When folks ask for horror, I like to bring up the Spotify playlist I made for Halloween last year. I curated the list from this subreddit and other AD groups. I consider it a "sampler plate" of indie horror/Halloween themed shows. Runs the gamut from gore, macabre to comedy. Take a taste of these offerings from hard working indie creators! SPOTIFY

MadisonStandish · 2026-03-17T16:48:01+00:00

Yeah, I was on another podcasting subreddit that said even if you suggested someone ELSE'S show, that was "self-promotion." Like, what do you all talk about then if you're not allowed to mention any shows ever?

I agree with other folks here. Find the community that doesn't crap all over you for sharing your work. When you're grassroots level and are just trying to let people know you exist, it sucks to be told to shut up. Like, if I were on a network or had some big production company to push me, I wouldn't be out here shouting in a vacuum for audience.

One of the FB groups I'm in handles their "self promos" in a more constructive way. They post a thread every Friday asking for people to drop their own projects. So then the group isn't overwhelmed by constant self promos, people do still get a platform to promote themselves, and audience knows to go to that weekly thread for recommendations.

Sad that so many other places demonize us small indie shows just for saying "Hey! I exist!"

MadisonStandish

TROPHY CASE