On Saturday the 15th, three finalists from our national call out will meet at the ICA to pitch their podcasts to our judges. The audience will learn about the pitch process, and maybe win some Focusrite gear in a raffle. The winner will get a pilot contract worth $10,000. Yo. This is going to be a party.
PITCH PARTY
Do you have a great idea for a podcast? Pitch it to the RESONATE Podcast Festival!
RESONATE, in collaboration with VPM, invites established and aspiring podcasters to pitch their best idea for a chance to receive funding and production support to produce a pilot episode of their show. Submissions should not have been previously published and should feature content in one or more of these genres: Arts & Culture, History, Science, News, or Education.
Three finalists will be selected to present a live pitch at the RESONATE Podcast Festival Pitch Party in front of a panel of judges and a live audience for a chance to win the top prize — a $10,000 production contract to create a pilot episode of their podcast with VPM.
All finalists will receive free passes to the 2022 RESONATE Podcast Festival and will have the opportunity to work alongside producers from VPM to hone their pitches prior to their presentation at the RESONATE Pitch Party. Finalists must attend the RESONATE Podcast Festival and participate in the Pitch Party to win.
Submissions must include:
Brief overview of your concept
Detailed summary of the podcast including a description or outline of a sample episode
Podcast format
Production team, including potential host(s)
Target audiences
Reasons why you believe the podcast should be produced
Audio trailer no more than 3 minutes in length
The RESONATE Pitch Party contest applications are now closed.
ABOUT VPM
As Virginia’s home for public media, VPM connects nearly 2 million people across Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley to insightful programming in arts and culture, history, science, news and education. In addition to its award-winning podcasts and acclaimed documentaries, VPM produces compelling original content across platforms for local audiences and national distribution. VPM’s programming is designed to reflect the diverse communities that they serve. VPM is a proud sponsor of RESONATE Podcast Festival and the VPM + ICA Community Media Center. Listen to VPM podcasts.
DETAILS
Eligible pitches must align with one of VPM’s primary content genres. To be considered, your podcast idea must not have been previously published. Submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Clarity: Features a focused, compelling vision that would grab a listener’s attention
Originality: Offers an entirely original concept or presents subject matter in a unique way
Reach: Has the potential to attract and retain a broad audience
Sustainability: Offers a clear production model and ability to stay fresh over time
Impact: Encourages engagement beyond the listening experience
Timeline
July 26: Call for submissions
August 23: Submissions close
September 14: Finalists notified
September 26 - October 7: Virtual mentoring of finalists
October 15: Live Pitch Party! Three finalists will live-pitch in front of a panel of judges and a live audience at the RESONATE Podcast Festival. Grand prize winner will be announced during the event.
Eligibility
The podcast competition is open to United States residents 18 years of age and older who are able to attend the 2022 RESONATE Podcast Festival in Richmond, VA, and who are NOT current employees of VPM Media Corporation or the Institute for Contemporary Arts, their immediate family members or anyone living in their household. Eligible contributors may submit individually or as a group. Prior experience with audio production is not required but is recommended.
Selection Process
A committee of VPM and ICA staff members will choose three finalists from the qualifying submissions to advance to the live pitch competition at the RESONATE Podcast Festival on October 15, 2022. Finalists will be notified via email on or around September 14, 2022 and will have 48 hours to confirm their participation in the live competition before their invitation is nullified and an offer is made to an alternate. The grand prize winner and runners-up will be selected at the live event by a panel of judges.
Prizes
Each finalist will receive complimentary admission to the 2022 RESONATE Podcast Festival on October 14-15, 2022. Finalists will also receive virtual mentoring (over email, Zoom, etc.), in which professional producers will help hone pitches in preparation for the live event. The grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 production contract to create a pilot episode of their podcast with VPM.