In December of 2016, I created a Google Doc titled “Podcast Network??” with more than 100 ideas for what to name this future podcast company. It took seven months to choose a name. The winner came from my favorite line of my favorite poem: “I am large, I contain multitudes.”

In its first year, Multitude was a collective of four independently owned and operated podcasts that helped one another grow. We recommended one another’s shows to our own listeners, shared tips (and mistakes) on making money, pitched joint panels to conferences and festivals, and supported each other behind the scenes. All six hosts had other jobs competing for our attention as we struggled to pay our bills and make our shows without burning out. We believed in one another, and in our ability to achieve more together than we could on our own.

Slowly, it started to work.

Our shows grew faster than before. Our budgets started stabilizing as we figured out how to get advertisers. Podcast professionals started to notice our work and invite us to events. Other shows, companies, and radio stations asked if they could hire us to help them make and grow great podcasts.

Something about this experiment of ours was working. The train was picking up speed. And I knew that this mix of luck, hard work, and good timing wouldn’t come again; I had to devote myself fully to Multitude, or else I’d lose the chance forever.

So, with the encouragement of the other hosts, I wrote a business plan, built a budget, filed the paperwork to create a real company, and resigned from my day job. I made an important edit to our website, describing Multitude as a “podcast collective and consultancy.” With so much more time to devote to the company, I could do all of the things I’d dreamed about: build long-term relationships with advertisers, create marketing plans for our shows, write more resources for fellow podcasters, pitch useful sessions to podcast conferences, and help other shows grow as a paid consultant.

If being a collective was phase one and adding a consultancy was phase two, today Multitude enters Phase Three as a full-service podcast studio and office.

We are so excited to announce our new headquarters in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Our 700-square-foot space in the historic Greenpoint Pencilworks will serve as an office, professional-grade studio, and live show venue—and not just for us! We are committed to providing affordable, high-quality studio and event space to podcasters in New York City. Look out for announcements on events, workshops, live shows, and subsidized studio rentals later this summer.

Our team has also tripled in size! Two of my longtime collaborators and co-hosts are joining me to work at Multitude full-time, putting their talents to use for our clients and helping the collective flourish.

Brandon Grugle is our new Head of Production. He joins us from Marvel Entertainment, where he launched and oversaw podcast strategy across the company. Eric Silver, our Head of Creative, promoted the work of independent podcasters at Sirius XM prior to joining Multitude.

Brandon and Eric will work on client projects and consulting jobs, as well as helping me serve our member shows through ad sales, live show and conference booking, and production support. We are fortunate to work every day to elevate the work of our fellow Multitude hosts Eric Schneider, Julia Schifini, and Mike Schubert.

We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on! Multitude has new podcasts in development, more resources to share with our community, exciting client projects in production, and nation-wide events planned throughout the year.

Multitude is first and foremost a community of people celebrating our favorite topics in an enthusiastic, nuanced, and welcoming way. We love podcasting because of the huge, vibrant, diverse community of listeners and creators making meaning together every day. It’s an honor to count ourselves among you. We will keep making you proud.

-Amanda

CEO, Multitude