Jamie and John are not your typical true crime podcasters. Prior to creating the podcast: True Crimecast, which has amassed over a quarter-million downloads in just over a year, the duo had very little experience in the criminal justice field. So what gives? What has shot True Crimecast to not only an impressive download count, but to ranking on ITunes as one of the world’s top podcasts in the personal journals genre? Stove Leg Media has taken a closer look at what makes this podcast, and this podcasting pair, so special.
First: what is True Crimecast? True Crimecast is a podcast brought to you by two regular guys, Jamie and John, discussing some of the most terrifying and bizarre cases that our world has ever, unfortunately, seen. The two began with the tagline: Two friends, a microphone, and a mystery. Jamie and John have stuck to their guns throughout their first year of podcasting, as they provide listeners a podcast that adds a unique perspective to the true crime genre. John and Jamie dig into new cases and revisit old ones, searching for the truth. Each episode takes on a different case and the hosts share both details and theories about what really happened. While this tagline and description of the show is accurate, it doesn’t paint the full picture as to why it stands out amongst other crime-based shows.
Obviously, content is king in the world of recording. Be it creating a feature film for the silver screen, or a small-time podcast, a creation will not pop without solid content. Most crime podcasts involve an expert, usually approaching cases in a highfalutin, even pompous manner. These podcasts are often heavily edited, with a full staff of voice actors and sound engineers. Jamie and John have taken a much more independent approach to their production process. All sound producing, writing, and editing is done in house by the True Crimecast guys. Other than the podcast intros- performed by Stove Leg’s very own Nate Metz (from Wisconsin), the duo bring an Appalachian-Style approach to each crime that they discuss. This doesn’t mean that they’re throwing in chewing tobacco and hooting and hollering about a moonshine business, but rather subtly discussing topics like the Kentucky/Tennessee rivalry in collegiate athletics, or what a field party consists of.
While their target audience consists of mainly listeners from the American Heartland, Jamie and John have amassed a following from both American coasts, and internationally. Perhaps what is most surprising, however, is that the hosts are from Southeastern Kentucky (Jamie) and Eastern Tennessee (John) and have 25% of their listenership coming from outside of the United States. Regardless of accent or background, the podcaster’s have found a way to appeal to the entire world.
A strong explanation for their success includes their handling of some of the most heinous acts committed on this earth. While some podcasts explain every gruesome rape and murder in excruciating detail, True Crimecast does not. They understand that the average listener has an imagination, and that they can infer for themselves what happened. After Jamie and John explain the gist of the parameters and history of the crime, they always ask the same question: Was justice served? Rarely is the question answered definitively, however, occasionally the duo will take a strong stance on a verdict, giving the podcast an edge that is needed to define itself to its listeners.
True Crimecast is a force in the true crime podcasting world, and with their fan support on both social media and Patreon, they do not plan on stopping any time soon. To check out True Crimecast, one of Apple’s top personal journal podcasts in 2017-2018, click on the True Crimecast logo above, search them on your favorite podcasting app, or check them out on the Stove Leg Media Podcasting page.
This is True Crimecast.