Meet the creators
When childhood best friends Andrew Muscarella and Joe Hegyes sit down to record "Good Children," it’s always a blast. The duo takes fans on a hilarious journey through their "daffy and deranged" childhoods as closeted queer kids, diving deep into shared memories of anxiety, food courts, wigs, and their earnest attempts to do everything right.
As early adopters of video on Spotify, Joe and Andrew spent the last two and a half years not just telling their stories, but showing them to a growing community of fans.
We sat down with them to discuss their journey on Spotify. Here’s what we learned.
How video on Spotify amplified “Good Children”’s reach
For Joe and Andrew, adding video to their show was more of an instinct than a thought-out decision. They’ve always wanted to create some form of content on the internet, and putting the camera up and recording was what Joe calls an “innate choice.”
Video content aligned perfectly with “Good Children”’s style of storytelling, as they do a lot of visual gags, dress up in costume, and incorporate archival footage from their childhood—elements that are far more entertaining to watch than merely describe. Joe explains that “for new people who may have found us and just listened, it would almost be confusing to not see what's happening. And with video, we're able to show a new listener the whole thing from start to finish."
What started as an audio-only show transformed when the opportunity to add video on Spotify presented itself. The duo was quick to seize it, and fans were quick to respond. Since introducing video to their feed, Joe and Andrew’s audience grew by 20% and their Spotify following by 36%.
It would be crazy not to have video on Spotify if you’re a podcaster. It's no longer the future; it's the right now. I think every podcast either has video or is in the process of making sure they have video. And if you're not uploading when you already have the file, you're just missing an avenue of opportunity.
Andrew chalks a lot of this success up to the fact that fans are able to recognize their faces, which inevitably deepens connections. “People care about seeing you and seeing your reaction. It goes so much further,” he says. “There'll be moments when I'll be sitting on the subway across from somebody, and they're watching their phone, and they look up, and they're like, 'oh my God, I'm watching you right now."
Reflecting on the show’s success and the future of content, Joe believes that “it would be crazy not to have video on Spotify if you’re a podcaster. It's no longer the future; it's the right now. I think every podcast either has video or is in the process of making sure they have video. And if you're not uploading when you already have the file, you're just missing an avenue of opportunity."
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How Spotify for Creators helps "Good Children" connect and grow
Joe and Andrew are big fans of Spotify for Creators’ unique features, often using them to cultivate meaningful connections with their fans. Joe, for instance, is a self-proclaimed “comment fiend,” and he finds that fan engagement on Spotify is “overwhelmingly positive.”
Beyond community building, Spotify’s analytics have become a handy tool for the duo's growth strategy. "I could get lost in that data for a few days," says Joe. "It's been helpful for not just growing the podcast, but also when we're planning live shows. We're able to track and see what regions of the world people are listening to, what the age demographics are. And that helps us know geographically where our audience is, which is good when we take it beyond the podcast and to some small stages."
I think that the analytics on Spotify are so comprehensive that I could get lost in that data for a few days. It's been helpful for not just growing the podcast, but also when we're planning live shows, we're able to track and see what regions of the world people are listening to, what the age demographics are. And that helps us know geographically where our audience is, which is good when we take it beyond just actually the podcast and take it to some small stages.
Joe and Andrew also use polls to allow their fans to guide the direction of the show. Sometimes they break the mold and experiment with improv skits or introduce a new theme, and use the feature to gather direct feedback from the audience. “Hearing from our fans if they actually enjoy that episode helps us drive what the future of the podcast looks like,” Andrew explains.
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Start your video journey on Spotify
If you're hesitating to add video because you're concerned about equipment or technical know-how, take heart—even these two video veterans have kept it simple since day one. They’ve shot on their phones since the beginning, and they still do.
I think people feel they need to have the best equipment and video editing skills. But as long as you can edit a podcast, you can edit a video, and as long as you can take a picture on your phone, you can record the video.
"I think people feel they need to have the best equipment and video editing skills. But as long as you can edit a podcast, you can edit a video, and as long as you can take a picture on your phone, you can record the video," says Joe.
The message is clear: don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Whether you're using a phone or professional equipment, the most important step is getting started.
Let your fans see you. Learn more about how and why to add video on Spotify.
