Evergreen Podcasts is Uplifting a Diverse Portfolio of Storytellers

Podcasts as a medium for storytelling have become explosively popular over the past decade. From tech to business to true crime, the audio realm spans a variety of genres. With so much out there to choose from, it can be hard to find content that you connect with. Cleveland startup Evergreen Podcasts is making it easier to find your niche with a partner-based platform that hosts content-focused podcasts.

“Our mission is to become the largest independent podcasting company committed to storytellers around the globe,” said CEO Michael DeAloia. “We offer 192 shows, some of which are our originals and then a large set of partner podcasts with independent podcasters looking for a home. They’re producing great content with great cadence, and they need someone to support them in sales, marketing, distribution, and hosting. We’re the representatives in the marketplace for everything that they do.”

Founder Joan Andrews originated the startup’s focus on conversational, content-driven shows, with the goal of creating a modern-day gathering space for listeners. What started as a small-scale production studio has since evolved into a diverse platform with global reach. Since 2017, Evergreen has garnered 13 million downloads across its podcast offerings, and that number is growing.

“In the early days, we operated more as a local podcasting company than as a global player in this industry,” DeAloia said. “We went from 17,900 downloads to over 13 million. We’ve got shows in India, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Canada, you name it, and these partners trust our company here in Cleveland. A lot of the bigger, independent podcast companies have already been bought by large corporations, so there’s an open field for solid, independent players in this industry.”

But Evergreen doesn’t just create space for its partner shows, the startup helps them through every step of the production process, from the mechanics of their sound to reaching their target audience. Although each podcast is unique, the startup maintains standardized techniques that help each show achieve its goals.

“We try to standardize headsets, microphones and recording patterns, along with the studios,” he said. “All of our knowledge is shared with our partners, like how we record, edit, and provide music overlay and sound effects. We’ve been doing a lot more audience building using technology and digital ad platforms. With distribution and hosting, the technology is used to get you into as many spaces as possible, and 80 percent of our downloads come from Apple Podcasts and Spotify.”

Evergreen’s goal, with its far-reaching influence and innovative approach to content, is to sit at the forefront of the podcast industry. But the company is most passionate about creating a thriving culture of creativity across its platform and growing its business to empower new ideas. For DeAloia, that mission moving forward begins right here in Ohio.

“There are a lot of talented people in Ohio,” he said. “We do some production in Columbus, and we’re talking with producers out of Cincinnati to augment what we’re doing in Cleveland, so the mix of talent is really extraordinary. We were also the first podcast company to use the Ohio Film Tax Credit for audio creation, which helped us finance an entire year of production, so there’s a lot of economic benefit to being in Ohio as well.”