Kids Listen logo
If you've read this site over the past two or three months, you'll note that I've devoted no small amount of attention to podcasts created specifically with kids in mind. From charts to reviews to bemoaning the poor state of discovery for kids podcasts, I've written about this comparatively new art form. I've even attempted to provide a relatively comprehensive list of podcasts for kids.
The thing that struck me most forcefully while I immersed myself more deeply in the field was its similarity to independent (especially non-folk) kids music of ten or maybe fifteen years ago -- it's populated by a small group of talented creators who may feel isolated, face challenges in getting their work out in front of the broader world, and deal with the attitude of "they make podcasts for kids?" on a daily basis.
So that's why I'm very glad to be part of the founding membership for Kids Listen, an advocacy organization for kids' podcasts, which launched this morning. You can read the entire announcement, but the goal is to build community amongst producers, advocate for growth of medium itself, and help develop standards and ethics for an audience for whom those standards and ethics are particularly important.
On top of that, the list of founding members are a starter pack of kids podcasts worth your family's time. They include popular podcasts Brains On, Ear Snacks, Tumble, Sparkle Stories, Book Club for Kids, Story Pirates, and The Show About Science. And it includes me, who's spent much of the past fifteen years advocating for high-quality audio entertainment for kids and families. (And who's also attempted a podcast or three in my time.)
You as a parent or interested family member probably won't be that interested in the formation of an industry group other than having a vague hope that it's successful in its goals and there are even more podcasts created specifically for kids and families. But I do hope you'll be interested in taking a minute (literally, like, a minute) to fill out this survey on your family's podcasting habits. It would be tremendously helpful in giving the group some idea of who's listening and how.
And if you're a musician -- don't worry, I'll continue to write reviews, post videos, and conduct interviews in the kids music field. But I hope you'll think about whether podcasting might be yet another way to share your creative output with the world...
