The true cost of quality storytelling.

In this episode, Claire chats with Fariba Nawa, the award-winning investigative journalist behind the On Spec podcast.

Fariba trains journalists worldwide to tell the stories they are personally connected to through sound, ultimately producing documentary journalism that rivals that of major broadcasters.

Since launching in 2019 with Kickstarter funding, On Spec has evolved through six seasons, each with a distinct theme, including disinformation, how borders define us, and a two-year investigation into Iran's targeting of dissidents abroad. The On Spec production process involves extensive collaboration with local journalists, providing them professional development while ensuring stories maintain deep personal connections to the communities they portray.

Meanwhile, the podcasting landscape continues to evolve toward more direct creator support. TrueFans features make it easy for listeners to financially support creators with one-off or continued payments, and offer creators options to divide those payments among their contributors with payment splits – allowing teams like On Spec's to automatically divide listener contribution among hosts, producers, and contributors.

Plus, as the industry debates moving content behind paywalls, what does this mean for accessibility, discovery and sustainability?

This episode discusses:

• Funding options for podcasters: from grants and individual donors to listener support
• TrueFans will soon launch as a native iOS and Android app
• How to use payment splits to automatically divide listener payments among team members
• What do paywalls mean for advertisers, and does secure RSS offer a more favourable option for independent creators?
• Spotify now supports transcripts from the Podcasting 2.0 standard
• Who Claire met and which indie podcasts won at the International Women's Podcast Awards
• How TrueFans showcases independent creators on the app's home page

Discover how TrueFans can help your independent podcast thrive through improved discovery, direct monetization, and enhanced listener engagement.

And if you'd like to chat with us about your independent podcast or music, send a comment or super comment in TrueFans to any Creators episode by clicking on the speech bubble icon or on the comments tab.

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The lived experience of independent podcasters is one of both liberating freedom and unique challenges. How can the TrueFans listening platform address those challenges and help indie creators keep creating?

Through an interview with Joana PR Neves, host of Exhibitionistas podcast, and conversations between Sam and Claire, this episode of Creators discusses:

• The power of podcasting to give voice to independent creators who might otherwise go unheard
• How asking for financial support for your podcast can meet listener resistance
• TrueFans features that help creators earn directly from listeners through streaming payments
• The challenges of describing visual experiences in an audio format
• How chapters and image attachments can enhance the listener experience
• Recent research that shows that audio-first platforms still dominate despite YouTube's growing presence
• How to claim your show and start earning on TrueFans
• The independent podcasts shortlisted for the International Women's Podcast Awards
• The incredible diversity of content being shared by independent podcasts
• An indie podcast wins at the True Crime Awards

Discover how TrueFans can help your independent podcast thrive through improved discovery, direct monetization, and enhanced listener engagement.

And if you'd like to chat with us about your independent podcast or music, send a comment or super comment in TrueFans to any Creators episode by clicking on the speech bubble icon or on the comments tab.

Listen to Exhibitionistas here.

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Claire and Sam announce a brief hiatus until June 16th, sharing podcast recommendations and answering listener questions about the TrueFans platform to tide listeners over during the break.

• Claire recommends "Conning the Con" by Sarah Ferris, a true crime podcast about a family turning the tables on a con man

• Sam suggests "The Snap," featuring two Nashville artists navigating Bitcoin and value for value to monetize their music

• Sam explains how to add TrueFans to your phone's home screen using the browser's "share" function

• We reiterate that streaming sats to unclaimed shows is worthwhile as funds are held until creators claim their profiles

• We hear what our listeners have been telling us this week

• As usual we invite independent podcasters to be featured on the show by sending comments through TrueFans.

Want to support the show or get featured? Simply leave a comment or super comment through TrueFans, and join this growing community of forward-thinking creators and their supporters.

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Introducing "Creators" - a podcast built specifically for independent content makers looking to break through the noise. Hosted by independent podcaster Claire Waite Brown and TrueFans CEO Sam Sethi, this podcast tackles the three essential challenges every creator faces: discovery, interactivity, and monetisation.

The launch episode establishes the show's format by featuring Claire's own podcast "Creativity Found" as the inaugural "Podcast of the Week." With nearly five years and over 120 episodes under her belt, Claire shares candid insights about her podcasting journey. Her refreshingly honest advice to "don't listen to other people's advice" cuts through the noise of podcasting conventional wisdom, emphasizing that creators should find their own sustainable rhythm rather than following rigid formulas about consistency or metrics.

Beyond showcasing independent podcasts, "Creators" also introduces a "Music of the Week" segment featuring Joe Martin's track "Can't Promise You the World." This highlights TrueFans' commitment to supporting independent musicians alongside podcasters, providing exposure through both the show and the platform's carousel features.

What truly sets this podcast apart is its focus on direct creator monetisation through value-for-value payments. The hosts explain "programmable money" – an innovative approach allowing automatic splitting of micropayments between hosts, guests, and featured creators. This wallet-to-wallet system eliminates the need for traditional advertising models or third-party sponsors, putting power back in the hands of both creators and audiences.

Whether you're a podcaster, musician, or any type of independent creator looking to build meaningful connections with your audience, "Creators" offers both practical advice and potential pathways to discovery and sustainable monetisation. Subscribe now and join a community that believes in the power of direct creator-to-audience relationships.

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Clare Waite Brown and Sam Sethi kick off their brand-new podcast "Creators" with a deep dive into the evolving landscape of creator monetization. The groundbreaking news? TrueFans has just launched a much-requested feature allowing creators to withdraw micropayments directly to their bank accounts through Stripe integration. Gone are the days when fan appreciation was merely symbolic – now creators can convert those tiny payments into real, spendable currency.

The hosts explore the fascinating mechanics behind Creator Wallets, revealing multiple withdrawal options including transfers to other Lightning wallets (like Fountain or Podverse) or direct conversion to traditional currencies. Perhaps most intriguing is the strategic option to recirculate these funds as marketing investments, enabling podcasters to incentivize listeners to engage with specific content. This creates a virtuous cycle where value flows continuously between creators and audiences.

Meanwhile, the wider digital economy appears to be catching up, with X (formerly Twitter) announcing its own micropayment partnership with Visa. Sam highlights how this mainstream adoption could educate hundreds of millions of users about digital microtransactions, potentially transforming how we think about rewarding creators across platforms.

The episode also spotlights independent creators, featuring UK indie rock band Two Weeks in Nashville, and extends an invitation to independent podcasters seeking greater visibility to submit their shows for potential featuring in the future.

Ready to join the creator economy revolution? Support this show with micropayments directly from your TrueFans wallet, leave feedback through SuperComments, or connect with the hosts on social media. The future of creator monetization is here – and it's powered by passionate fans making tiny payments that add up to sustainable creative careers.

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Creators is a new weekly podcast from TrueFans. Each week, we will showcase an independent podcast creator and an independent music artist.

We will also discuss a new TrueFans feature as well as look at what's going on more widely in the podcast world aka the podosphere.

We are keen to hear from independent creators who would like to be featured on the show. You can get in touch with us by leaving a comment or super comment in TrueFans and we will review and choose shows to feature on the live episodes.

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