LO1 Audio Product Comparison

In this Blog post I will be comparing:
1. The "MediaGuardian" podcast
2. The "Stuff you should know" podcast,
3. The "Kitchen Cabinet" podcast,
4. "The Twits" audiobook
5. The "Daily Bacon" podcast.

In terms of purpose, there are difference and similarities. The purpose of the MediaGuardian podcast is mainly to entertain people through its comedy, focus on media products only made to entertain. This is because they crack jokes on various media topics with laughter in place. The purpose of the Daily Bacon podcast is the same as Media Guardian but with less of a focus on comedy. It's still included through some funny moments in conversation but comedy isn't the main focus since they actually discuss the topics with their opinions rather than make jokes about them. The Kitchen Cabinet's purpose is to entertain and inform food lovers of certain methods and recipes to cook, alongside interest them with the topics of discussion as shown in each episode. The purpose of Stuff you should know is to educate people on various topics and questions which could range from unimportant things to more vital things that people... should know. Each episode of Stuff you should know has a topic to it meaning every episode has the purpose of explaining something, yet each Daily Bacon, Kitchen Cabinet and MediaGuardian covers multiple things showing the two have contrasting purposes. However all of these podcasts have comedy aspects (though MediaGuardian a lot more), and both have some off topic discussions at the beginning, none are really strictly produced. As for the Twits audiobook the purpose is to make the Twits book (which was made to entertain a broad range of people by being simplistic enough for children to enjoy) into an audio product so those who wouldn't like to read it themselves could find enjoyment out of it thanks to the easy to follow voice of the narrator.

When it comes to Form and Style none of these audio products are too formal. Stuff you should know is focused on more relevant and arguably intelligent subjects like how X-Rays work but the people in that aren't afraid to have a conversation now and again or crack a joke about a certain topic, just staying on topic is the main point. MediaGuardian is an entertainment podcast by soul so jokes are a plenty and the vast majority of the whole podcast is in conversation such as a joke about a celebrity. The Daily Bacon is very conversational as the chemistry between hosts is a very big aspect of it with jokes and quirky conversations being made now and again like when talking to Dynamo as he does tricks. The Kitchen Cabinet is probably the most formal of the podcasts but it still is slightly informal in tone, casual laughter in discussions does occur like laughter over a funny mistake while cooking. The Twits as a book is a child friendly comedy book which carries on over to the audiobook. The book is read without going off topic but does have expression in characters voices with the voices to be faithful to the book's characters like when Mrs Twit speaks the narrator puts on an impression of her.

As for content, the products are very different. MediaGuardian is obviously about the media so there will be some news on current media events, impressions on various TV programmes and movies alongside possible interviews on actors in those said visual audio products, alongside various other things breaking from the formula as they can due to the informal tone. Stuff you should know has one topic per episode based around how a certain question or so like "how do stem cells work?". As I said informal conversations come up in the start of episodes but they are by far not the driving force. The Twits audiobook is simply a reading of The Twits by Roald Dahl so there isn't much to say about it. Daily Bacon includes TV highlights, special guest interviews and off topic discussions revolved around modern culture and news in a light-hearted way

The meaning for Stuff You Should Know is simple. It's a podcast that tells the audience stuff they should know. This means it is to engage the listener with interesting topics like "How Sushi works" but is relatable thanks to the two hosts having small conversations like any person would, making it more engaging than just googling these questions. MediaGuardian's meaning is to show off some comedy and get people more acquainted with the media industry with the topics they discuss like the X-Factor for example. Daily Bacon's meaning is just to supply entertainment for people interested in the media with the interviews with people, news and discussion. The Twits audiobook's meaning is to provide an easier way for children to enjoy The Twits book by Roald Dahl with engagement from the voices the narrator plays and the easy to follow nature of his voice. As for The Kitchen Cabinet it is just meant to engage fans of food through its hosts people could relate to thanks to their casual way of speaking and the fact they tell some stories on food they cook which may either be encouraging to make or once again listeners could relate to it.

Media Guardian is a comedy and entertainment podcast. This is clear thanks to the jokes people say followed by other people's laughter, and that it's entertainment due to the lack of heavy information and the informal style. How Stuff Works is an education podcast as the focus is to inform and all episodes are dedicated to one particular topic exclusively. The Kitchen Cabinet podcast is a food discussion, advice and sometimes comedy series which is known because of advice given, topics discussed and the laughter of jokes people make when recording. The Twits audiobook is comedy which appeals to young children thanks to some of the immature humour and exaggerated voices made for the childish dialogue. Daily Bacon is media focussed entertainment through the interviews and topics discussed but it also has light comedy through the conversations.

The target audience for Stuff You Should know is for curious people about certain topics and how things work. Why it is for the curious is because these topics aren't going to help people too greatly in things such as A Levels, GCSEs, and other courses that may exist, rather they have general knowledge that may interest people. I imagine the age demographic being between 15 to 35 or so due to the language used, the topics they discuss may already be known for people over 35 while it's hard to convince a typical person under 15 to listen to an educational podcast. The Twits Audiobook on the other hand appeals more for children than any other demographic thanks to the childish humour which uses things like "worm spaghetti" appealing more for children with its overall disgusting nature, and the exaggerated voices by the narrator. This means I feel the target audience would fit for the age demographic of around 5 to 10 years old. Older people may enjoy The Twits as well but generally this is a very child friendly book. Daily Bacon appeals to those who are invested in the media quite a bit but is mainly focused on the really popular TV programmes and films. This includes things like ITV's programming which generally appeals to an incredibly large amount of people, and the jokes and comedic conversations made aren't too deep so while they aren't necessarily childish, it makes the podcast friendly to both adults and children - generally the broad age range between 10 to 50. MediaGuardian is less child friendly than the Daily Bacon as while it doesn't have anything inappropriate for children their vocabulary and topics of discussion won't appeal to children as much as Daily Bacon so the age range is what would probably be the less broad 15 to 50. The Kitchen Cabinet appeals to adults a lot more than Teenagers and children. This is because children generally for the most part don't cook so they are out of the equation, and most teenagers tend not to as well. However this is perfect for adults who are interested in food as they would be more interested in certain methods, topics and recipes.

One thing that is funny about MediaGuardian is that the frequency of episodes released is actually very much like the podcast - informal. There is no consistency to how these episodes are released at all, which could be difficult for people who are fans. Really the podcast is more of a thing that's made when the hosts want to make it. Stuff you should know differs from this as while it is still not consistent, episode releases can vary from 2 to 6 days to show they have something making them have to release episodes frequently, unlike MediaGuardian where episodes can be a month away at times. Daily Bacon is released consistently daily aside from Fridays and weekends so there is always plenty of content provided for fans. The Kitchen Cabinet is released consistently as well but is weekly since the media would provide plenty for Daily Bacon to talk about, while food wouldn't provide as much for The Kitchen Cabinet. As for the Twits Audiobook it has one release for the one book it is reading.

Stuff You Should know doesn't have too high microphone quality which implies that it's not recorded in a studio making the podcast seem slightly independently produced. However this podcast is a part of HowStuffWorks.com which is a fairly known website so microphone quality could improve. This podcast is available in iTunes and their official site for both downloading and streaming. MediaGuardian on the other hand is recorded in front of a live audience to show it's popularity, with high sound quality. When episodes are recorded they are uploaded to the MediaGuardian website for streaming online, MP3 download for portable use and it's available on iTunes for instant download and streaming to apple devices. The Kitchen Cabinet podcast is produced in front of a live audience around different areas in the country and then is uploaded to BBC's official website for Streaming and downloading, alongside the fact it is available on iTunes, Yahoo and even Zune. Some episodes of The Daily Bacon are recorded in live areas like the Edinburgh Fringe, but for the most part episodes are recorded in a Studio and posted online on the BBC podcasts site, where episodes are available for 30 days until they are deleted where they can be both streamed, downloaded or to be available on iTunes. As for the Twits Audiobook this is available on YouTube and Audible with high microphone quality and seamless editing showing this was most likely produced in some kind of studio of sorts.


'In this Blog post' - Could use a different opening?
HEADINGS
Paragraphs are well set out however.

(y) Good Job (clap)
-Karma