Voices of VR Podcast

What Voices of VR Podcast does

Voices of VR Podcast is a private, listener-supported podcast operated by Draw the Skies LLC, an Oregon-incorporated single-member LLC founded by Kent Bye in May 2014. The company produces a single unified product — the Voices of VR Podcast — featuring long-form oral history interviews with pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists working in virtual reality, augmented reality, and extended reality. The podcast combines experiential journalism with philosophical analysis grounded in Process Philosophy and Peircean Semiotics, and includes on-site coverage of major XR industry events including AWE, IDFA DocLab, SXSW, Meta Connect, Venice Immersive, and Snap Lensfest. As of July 2026, the show has published 1,749 episodes, supported by a website (voicesofvr.com) hosting written summaries and citations.

The product is a digital audio/video podcast distributed across standard RSS feeds and 8+ major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, Pandora, iHeart Radio, and Stitcher. There is no proprietary technology stack beyond standard podcast production and distribution tooling. The business model is freemium: all content is freely accessible, and revenue is generated entirely through optional recurring Patreon contributions from listeners. The company employs a single full-time operator (Kent Bye as creator, host, philosopher, oral historian, and experiential journalist) with no disclosed external funding, institutional investors, or parent company.

The customer base consists of XR industry professionals, immersive artists and storytellers, and technology enthusiasts seeking in-depth coverage of VR/AR/XR developments. Marketing and audience acquisition are community-led and event-driven, relying on organic word-of-mouth within the XR community, social media (Twitter @kentbye), and visibility at major industry conferences. The company has no disclosed B2B customers, no advertising relationships, and no enterprise contracts, making Patreon the sole revenue stream.

Name

Voices of VR Podcast

Legal name

Draw the Skies LLC

Website

https://voicesofvr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Voices of VR Podcast is a listener-supported oral history podcast founded in 2014 by Kent Bye, featuring long-form interviews with XR pioneers and on-site coverage of major VR/AR industry events, distributed free across 8+ podcast platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Podcast Media

NAICS

Sound Recording Industries (5122)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Gaming Podcasts & Audio Journalism (MPAFAMAE)

Keywords

• XR industry podcast
• Immersive storytelling interviews
• Virtual reality oral history
• Experiential journalism audio
• Spatial computing content

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Patreon Listener Support: The podcast is funded through listener support via Patreon. The podcast is described as 'listener-supported' and promotes its Patreon page as the primary mechanism for financial support from the audience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Voices of VR Podcast is an ongoing oral history and experiential journalism podcast featuring in-depth interviews with pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists in the VR, AR, and XR fields. Since May 2014, host Kent Bye has produced over 1,200 episodes covering immersive storytelling, experiential design, XR ethics, AI implications, and on-site coverage of major industry events such as AWE, IDFA DocLab, SXSW, and Venice Immersive. The podcast is free to access across all major audio platforms and is sustained financially through optional Patreon listener support.

Product overview

Voices of VR Podcast is a single unified podcast product offering oral history interviews focused on VR, AR, and XR technology and storytelling. The podcast is listener-supported through Patreon and distributed across multiple platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, Pandora, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, and via RSS feed. The company is operated by Draw the Skies LLC and hosted by Kent Bye as the creator and host.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voices of VR Podcast Long-running oral history and experiential journalism podcast featuring in-depth interviews with pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists in the VR, AR, and XR fields. Episodes explore immersive storytelling, experiential design, XR ethics, AI implications, and feature on-site coverage of major industry events including AWE, IDFA DocLab, SXSW, Meta Connect, and Venice Immersive. Distributed free across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, Pandora, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, RSS feed, and email subscription, with the show sustained financially through optional Patreon listener support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1200+ podcasts produced since May 2014
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• UploadVR: UploadVR is one of the largest dedicated XR/VR news and media outlets, producing interviews, event coverage, and reviews aimed at XR professionals and enthusiasts — directly serving the same niche audience as Voices of VR.
• Road to VR: Road to VR is a long-running XR industry publication covering hardware, software, and immersive storytelling — comparable in scope to Voices of VR's focus on XR pioneers and industry coverage.
• VRFocus: VRFocus covers VR, AR, and immersive technology news, reviews, and industry interviews, directly competing for the same XR professional audience with similar editorial coverage.
• The Ghost Howls: The Ghost Howls (by Antony Vitillo) is a solo-authored XR blog and podcast focused on immersive technology reviews and interviews — closely comparable to Voices of VR as an independent, opinion-led XR media property.
• ARPost: ARPost is an XR news outlet covering AR/VR technology, immersive storytelling, and industry developments — comparable in audience and editorial scope to Voices of VR.
• XR Today: XR Today is an XR industry publication producing news and analysis on enterprise XR trends, paralleling Voices of VR's coverage of XR industry events and pioneers.
• MIXED: MIXED (formerly VRODO) is an XR news outlet covering VR, AR, and mixed reality with interviews and event coverage, directly comparable to Voices of VR's mix of journalism and in-depth interviews.
• This Week in XR: This Week in XR is a podcast and video show covering XR industry news and interviews with leading figures — a direct audio-format peer targeting the same listener demographic as Voices of VR.

Broad incumbents

• The Verge: The Verge is a broad tech and culture publication covering XR hardware, software, and immersive storytelling — comparable category but as a much larger incumbent not specialized in XR.
• Polygon: Polygon is a major gaming/tech media outlet that covers VR and interactive entertainment as part of a broader gaming content portfolio — overlapping with Voices of VR's gaming-adjacent XR coverage but at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kentbye

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Voices of VR Podcast