The results are in! Thanks to those of you who participated in the Artist Soapbox podcast poll in October. This was a four question anonymous poll designed to guide podcast-planning for 2018. The results were certainly helpful, and I included the them below for the curious.

Question 4 (about funding via Patreon) elicited the most complicated and varied responses. This is no surprise and has led to some interesting conversations as we continue to wrestle with funding models and perceptions around art and money.

If you have any feedback or would like to answer the questions (non-anonymously), then please reach out via artistsoapbox@gmail.com. Stay tuned for future polls (polls are fun!). And thank you again for participating in this conversation, for supporting artists in the Triangle, and for supporting Artist Soapbox. You are appreciated.

Question 1: Which podcast guests interest you most?

• Performing Artists: 55.8%
• Visual Artists: 2.3%
• Literary Artists: 14%
• People who support artists (administrators, consultants): 9.3%
• Other: 18.6% (Note: almost all of the Other category was answered with “All Artists”)

Question 2: You like a podcast that….

• Makes you laugh: 7%
• Teaches you something: 37.2%
• Has good stories: 32.6%
• Challenges you: 2.3%
• Other: 20.9% (Note: almost all of the Other category was answered with “All of the above”)

Question 3: You’d listen to a podcast if…

• The guest is someone you know: 34.9%
• The guest is someone you don’t know: 2.3%
• N/A – you don’t listen to podcasts: 7%
• The podcast is about the arts: 37.2%
• Other: 18.6% (Note: these answers were divided between “if it has strong content” and “if someone recommended it to me”)

Question 4: What would it take to get you to support Artist Soapbox on Patreon?

• Make more episodes, then I’ll consider it: 20.9%
• Ask me, personally: 14%
• There’s nothing you could do to get me to support this podcast financially: 9.3%
• Give better rewards: 2.3%
• Have me or someone I know as a guest: 2.3%
• Other: 51.2% (Note: 1/3 of the Other answers were, “I already do!” The other answers varied so much, that I thought it would be helpful to paste some of the comments below.)

A sampling of Other answers to Question 4:

“Keep asking – be persistent. I know it feels weird, but we are so used to being bugged a lot for stuff like this – I think it also shows you are serious if you keep posting/emailing. It might also help to have a newsletter or some written version of your podcasts? Personally it’s hard for me to have time to listen to a podcast, but I might find the time if there was a bit of it written out in a newsletter.”

“This is tricky. I don’t generally like Patreon, but I’m very comfortable with buying tickets to shows, or books, even well in advance. I feel much more comfortable with one time purchases and donations and very uncomfortable with automated ongoing donations. Maybe if I were in a different financial situation I might feel differently.”

“I’m interested in learning about your long-term vision for this podcast. There are lots of artists in the Triangle, but I don’t want to hear 50 Triangle actors talk about acting, necessarily.”

“I don’t think Patreon is an effective way to fund arts and culture. I am more inclined to give to specific projects.”

“Demonstrate a substantial listener base (500-1000 downloads per episode or so)”

“Already a patron just on the strength of Tamara’s concept, connections and creativity.”

“I’d have to have some disposable income. Even just a little.”

“Have me or someone I know on as a guest.”

“For me to not be lazy.”

“Planning on it, just haven’t yet.”

“Nothing to do with you. Mostly to do with our budget.”

“Didn’t know about the Patreon, but now I do!”

“I already do! It helps to tell me about the costs of making the podcast and the artist time required, because that’s work that should be paid for.”