Can You Help? (3mins)
3 minutes of your time...
Drowned in Sound has been a little quiet for a few weeks and I wanted to take a moment to explain why.
In short, I have been writing a lot but not hitting publish. I've been recording podcasts but not releasing them. This is partly because I've second guessing myself, burnt out from doing too much, and feeling as out of focus as the photo above.
I need your help to find some clarity, so I have created this 3-minute survey:
Please note: You can remain anonymous, but if you include your email in one of the text boxes, I'll choose some people at random and send out some thank-you prizes, including records and books.
I'm trying to better understand what this newsletter is (and isn't), and what you want, need, value, or would like. I'm also really keen to create a list of guests you'd love to hear on the pod, how and when you like to consume longer form audio, as well as get some of your music recommendations.
The response so far has been fascinating. I had no idea so many of you have been reading for so long, but it's lovely to welcome so many new readers and listeners.
Why Run A Survey?
Our community is still really busy online and the newsletter + podcast approach is clearly resonating deeply with many of you. However, despite a few big traffic moments, things are growing slower than anticipated, which means less impact for the artists and ideas being platformed.
Just recently someone said to me "it's a shame DiS isn't still going..." and you can imagine how that feels, given that I put 15-20 hours into DiS every week, alongside managing artists and doing consultancy work.
I'm well aware that this disconnect is a symptom of our times, with big whales swallowing up the world's attention, while those pesky algorithms that control what we see increasingly favours 'entertaining' or 'edgy' content to keep people scrolling.
I mean, who wants to listen to a podcast about how to be a successful DIY band or the importance of youth clubs or how to save music journalism, when the world's economy is crumbling and fascism is on the rise?!
Well, I do. So I started one.
To me, making space to escape our toxic timelines and illuminating pathways to help us make sense of the world, work together to build communities and to figure out how to resist seems more urgent than ever.
This means, how I frame to you - and to myself! - what the purpose of DiS is and isn't, could probably be better.
I'm aware things could be improved, so I've spent a fair bit of time working with a couple of mentors on messaging and have received great advice from savvy friends... and yet I am sitting here on a bank holiday with a podcast or three to finish off and a pile of videos to learn how to edit.
Additionally, I have seven half-finished newsletters, unsure if they're what you want, and will be dripping them out over the coming days, so it'll be a test to see whether more than one newsletter a week is too much.
Anyway, if you've read this far, over to you...
If you don't have 3 minutes right now, please pop a reminder in your diary for the weekend or next week.
I've found a useful way to use Siri/Alexa/Google, or whichever device you have, is to talk to it as if it's Diane in Twin Peaks (I should rename mine Diane...)
TL;DR?
This survey is a chance to hear from you, to help me take stock and deliver more of what you like, need or maybe didn't know you needed.
If you're enjoying DiS in 2025 and would like to support my journalism in this newsletter and on our podcast, you can to do so by either upgrading your newsletter subscription or by contributing a tip.