Independent podcast company Acast has launched an exclusive podcast mixtape that’s available through a one-time payment to raise money for mental health charities.
The 10-episode collection, titled The Mindful Mixtape, was created in partnership with suicide support service Suicide&Co in the UK and online mental health service Turn2Me in Ireland. The collection can be purchased through a donation of £1 to £5 excluding taxes through the company's subscription platform Acast+, with proceeds going directly to the charities minus the third-party transaction fee.
“One-time payments via Acast+ can open up so many possibilities for podcasters. Whether it’s setting up a funding goal, or as a donation tool for a charity - subscriptions and one-time payments can diversify revenue streams and audiences,” said Acast senior product manager Yasmin Bassi. “The Acast Mindful Mixtape is a fantastic example of podcasting for good, and the power of podcasts as a donation tool."
“Proceeds from the download in the UK will go directly to Suicide&Co. Suicide&Co is a support service for individuals bereaved by suicide and opens up the conversation around suicide related-grief. They strongly believe in the power of conversation and use a variety of initiatives to spark conversations and encourage open dialogues around bereavement from suicide and mental health, more generally.”
A number of premium podcasters from the Acast Creator Network across the UK and Ireland have participated in the initiative by submitting episodes that are exclusive to the mixtape. This includes episodes from The Therapy Couch, Katherine Ryan: Telling Everybody Everything, This Paranormal Life, Dope Black Dads, The Women's Podcast, Nothing is Real, and Catch Up with Louise McSharry.
“As someone with a busy family and multiple projects on at once, protecting my mental health and mindfulness is incredibly important,” said Crouch. “Hopefully, listeners can find some solace and common ground with the episodes on this mixtape, all while supporting some great causes.”
Acast has launched a similar initiative in the past with its annual podcast mashup collection in partnership with Comic Relief to raise money for Red Nose Day. The initiative includes a collection of bonus crossover episodes from top podcasts within the network like Off Menu with James Acaster and Ed Gamble and Films To Buried With.
