Here’s a map to the traps that many podcasters tend to fall into. You’ll learn how to avoid these common podcasting mistakes – plus what to do instead to improve your podcast. 

1. Recording Before You’re Ready to Be Heard

When you first start podcasting, it’s easy to get excited and jump in too quickly.

I’ve heard people say they want to make a podcast because they “enjoy talking”. Some people will spend a lot of money on podcasting gear before they’ve thought about why they want to make a podcast. Others will hit record and talk for twenty minutes before they know who they’re talking to. 

Before you jump in two feet first, try to plan out the why, what, and who of your show. When you know your podcast’s purpose and what its unique benefit is for the audience, the audience knows what to expect. When your show satisfies the audience’s expectations, they’re more likely to come back for more and share your show with friends. Excitement is hard to sustain, and podcasting without a plan to support your effort is tiring. 

Proverbial wisdom tells us that “when you fail to prepare, you’re preparing to fail”. However, with a bit of self-awareness and forward thinking, you can create a podcast that motivates your audience to come back for more. You’ll see how that works in the next few sections.

2. Not Listening to Your Own Podcast 

If you don’t regularly listen to recent episodes of your own podcast, you won’t know what your audience experiences when listening to your show. 

Sure, you will ‘hear’ the show during the editing phase, but you won’t hear the conversation, which is different than just mouth sounds or editing mishaps.   

I’d recommend setting a standing reminder on your calendar to download an episode from the previous month of your podcast and listen to it whilst out on a walk or on your commute. 

You’ll be amazed at the things you notice when you get this “fresh ears” perspective on your show. This can be anything from annoying crutch words you need to quash to the fact that you’re never really listening to a guest’s answer and always jump ahead to the next question without picking up on an opportunity for a good follow-up angle.

3. Expecting Perfection, Quickly

Another common podcasting mistake is expecting your podcast to be perfect from the start. Perfectionism can prevent you from ever hitting publish and moving on to the next episode.

Before you start recording your episodes, take the time to familiarize yourself with the software. Let yourself play with recording and editing. Experiment with your mic technique. Make an episode zero. Play is what helps us enjoy learning how to do something new, and is an important part of the creation process.

Once you’ve gained confidence, level up and start recording the audio you want to publish. Then, you won’t be dismayed if something happens, like a power outage or a mean review. You’ll shift gears and try something different, or keep pushing through.

Your podcast doesn’t have to be perfect. What’s “pretty good” to you could be “just right” to your audience.

4. Not Having A Specific Topic

It’s amazing how many podcasts launch without a clear topic. When your show name suggests it could be about absolutely anything, it makes it a lot harder to convince anyone to listen or to come back for more.

Katie asked podcasters what the biggest threat to podcasting is, and many mentioned “raw, unedited, rambling conversation,” or a lack of “passion for a topic to motivate you to do the work.”

But, when your show has a clear purpose, and when each episode has a clear hook or thesis, that gives the audience something to hold onto.  Katie also asked podcasters about the biggest opportunity in podcasting, and Jeremy Enns of Podcast Marketing Academy said, “more indie creators need to be thinking… about the show level, the concept, the premise.”

No matter how spontaneous a podcast episode sounds, the pros have a script. That “script” could be anything from a list of bullet points to a 10,000-word screed. When you plan out episode topics and talking points ahead of time, you can sound great even when you don’t feel inspired.

Nailing down a podcast topic is something you’d ideally do in the planning stages, but if you’ve launched and your “what’s it about?” still seems a little fluffy, it’s never too late to pivot and find your niche.

5. Not Knowing Your Audience

Many podcasters, especially when they’re first starting, don’t know who their ideal audience is. They want as many people as possible to listen, so they say their podcast is for “everyone.” But this approach can dilute your content and make it for “no one”.

When you make your podcast for a specific audience, they’re more likely to keep listening and share it with their friends. They know “this podcast is for people like me.” Knowing your audience’s demographics, values, and opinions can also help you build a meaningful relationship with them.

It’s one thing to make a podcast about pro ice hockey, and another to make a podcast like Ladies Talkin’ Leafs. Not only do the hosts enjoy discussing the Toronto Maple Leafs, but their show also challenges the stigma and “gives a voice to the growing number of female hockey fans.” 

You can get to know your listeners better by running an audience survey or asking questions they can answer with a voice memo. Pay attention to what they tell you, and how they say it.

Take the extra time and make the effort to get to know who’s listening and why. Then, tailor your content accordingly.

6. Poor Mic Technique

Take time to practice good mic technique. Record yourself at different distances and with different settings until you find your Goldilocks zone (not too far, not too close, but just right). I’ve seen many podcasters get so close to the mic that it looks like they’re about to announce their engagement. When the mic is that close to your mouth, it sounds like a threatening phone call. 

Know your microphone’s polar pattern. I talked into the wrong side of a Blue Yeti for a year until I figured it out. Mouth clicks and noises, too, are a repellent rookie mistake. 

At the opposite extreme, I’ve seen ads for microphones featuring photos of people sitting in rooms with high ceilings and hard surfaces. If you can’t take reverb seriously, the audience can’t take your podcast seriously. 

The saying “practice makes perfect” is overused; better to remember that practice prevents sounding awful.

7. Aggressive Sales Tactics

No matter how frugal you are, podcasting still requires electricity. Expenses have to be paid, and monetization allows podcasters to keep podcasting.

But a common mistake in podcasting is allowing monetization to have too much control over your podcast. 

A study by Ad Results Media examined how many ads are optimal, or make listeners stop paying attention. Two is the maximum number of ads in a row that most listeners will tolerate, the study reported. It also found that ads that don’t match the audience or the content are irritating. 

Host-read ads outperform dynamic ads because they build on trust. But some podcast hosts slip sales talk into conversation, whether it’s appropriate or not. Exploiting the trust your audience invests is a big turnoff. 

Allowing a monetization scheme to take too big a portion of your episodes is a common mistake in podcasting. When your monetization scheme prevents your audience from getting value from your show, it undermines trust and distracts the audience from your podcast’s message.

In contrast, when your monetization matches what your audience needs and wants, both you and your audience benefit.

8. Long-Winded, Rambling Intros 

When podcast hosts start the show talking about what they did last weekend or the latest episode of a favorite TV show, this puts an obstacle between me and what I came to hear.

Some podcast hosts believe this humanizes them and makes them more approachable. But it’s a common podcasting mistake to have too long a warm-up before getting into the topic at hand. In short, please get to the point. 

Katie compared the intros of the top 20 podcasts, and her findings favor brevity and clarity. If you must have an opening chitchat, use chapter markers in your show notes. That way, I know I can skip the deep dive into a 2015 episode of Downton Abbey.

9. Vague Episode Titles and Descriptions 

Often, when I read descriptions of newly-launched podcasts, I find myself like Brad Pitt in the climax of the movie Seven. I feel like I’m standing alone in a desert, screaming, “What’s in the box?”

Poetically vague episode titles and descriptions are common podcasting mistakes.  Another is to tell me who made the podcast and how successful they are, rather than focusing on the content of the episode.

When your title and episode description tell listeners what to expect in the episode, not only will the right audience for your podcast press play, but they can also share your podcast with their friends more easily.

Tell me what the episode is going to cover, who’s talking, why, and what the big questions are. These steps give me just enough specificity to pique my interest.

We All Make Mistakes. This Is How We Learn.

Whenever you try something new, it’s impossible to get it right on the first try. Hopefully, this guide can help you learn from others’ common podcasting mistakes so you can avoid making them yourself.

Even the best podcasters slip on the ice once in a while. What matters is that they get up and keep walking, watching for the safe places to step. 

On the odd occasion when you don’t quite get something right, see it as an opportunity for learning and growth. You’ll always come through stronger and wiser on the other side. 

Want to launch a podcast your audience will actually care about? The Podcraft Academy gives you the tools, lessons, and guidance to do it right from day one. Mistakes will happen, but we help you avoid the ones that waste money, time, and motivation.

You’ve got great ideas and a microphone, but who exactly are you talking to? Many podcasters say their show is for “everyone.” But vague-casting doesn’t make your show universally attractive. Understanding your ideal audience makes it easier to connect with them and build a meaningful relationship. Here’s how to define your podcast avatar or ideal listener, what to do with that profile, and how that avatar can help your podcast thrive.

What’s a Podcast Avatar? 

The word may evoke images of blue, elfin creatures, but the word “avatar” comes from Hindi and means the incarnation of a deity in human form. It’s come to mean a personification of an abstract idea. What we mean when we say “audience avatar” is your podcast’s ideal listener. 

Why does this imaginary friend matter? Any podcaster can benefit from imagining their ideal listener as a real person. However, this avatar idea is most helpful for solo podcasters who feel put off by “talking to themselves” behind the mic. Name your podcast avatar to make the image more concrete. Now, you can think of yourself talking directly to “Bob”, “Helen”, or “Count Chuckles of Chortleton”.

If I asked you to imagine the ideal audience for a “kids and family podcast,” you’d probably picture two kids in the back seat of a car while an adult driver picks out a podcast. Or, if I say “True Crime podcast,” you might visualize a woman in loungewear examining documents with a magnifying glass. On the most basic level, that’s an audience avatar. 

When you understand your podcast avatar, you can determine how to reach them and what they can do for you. 

Case Study: The True Crime Audience Podcast Avatar 

Let’s use True Crime podcasts as an example, since many studies have consistently found that they attract a specific audience. I’ll show you the data, and how to make it work for you. 

Who Listens to True Crime?

Sounds Profitable’s Safe & Sound study showed that 38% of women respondents ranked True Crime as their favorite podcast category.  The Pew Research Center found that True Crime podcasts were most popular among women. So, it’s safe to say that the audience avatar for True Crime is likelier to be women (though not universally: my husband can’t get enough True Crime).

How Does This Audience Find and Consume Podcasts?

Now that we know women listen to True Crime, we can examine data about how women find and consume podcasts. For example,  the Women’s Audio Report: Women & Podcasts released by Edison Research and Sirius XM reports that: 

• 40% of respondents ranked True Crime first out of twenty-four categories (verifying what we learned from Sounds Profitable and The Pew Research Center)
• 74% of respondents find out about new podcasts from social media, and 73% find out about new shows via word of mouth 
• The majority of respondents listen to find connection, knowledge, and representation, and are highly responsive to calls to action. 

This is a superficial layer of information. I don’t want to keep you here all day. Now that we know that True Crime listeners tend to be:

• women
• finding their next podcast via social media or word of mouth
• seeking community, education, and representation
• are likely to act on podcast CTAs

What do we do with these data points about our True Crime podcast avatar?  

What Methods Are Appealing?

Our ideal listener is more likely to discover her next podcast listening experience through a social media post or word of mouth, so we know that social media posts will be more effective than purchasing a print ad, for example. Successful promotion will focus on relationship-building rather than general advertising. Cross-marketing tactics, such as trailer swaps, feed swaps, and guest appearances on other podcasts, can fit into calls to action (i.e., “if you enjoyed this show, then check out that show.”). 

This podcast avatar prefers word-of-mouth recommendations, so empower your audience to be your word-of-mouth PR team. Incentivize participation by thanking people on the air when they reach out or review. 

And, this ideal listener wants positive representation. If you don’t already have women on your True Crime show, bring them on board immediately. Get expert consultants, who happen to be women, to explain a court case or investigation. Bring in lady guests, or when you need an extra voice, choose a female-identified voice artist. 

When you know what kind of people are most likely to listen to your True Crime show, and what motivates their podcast choices, you can tailor your content and PR strategies accordingly. 

A Real-World Example

Crime Junkie’s website is chock-full of relationship-building opportunities. In the “Extras” category, information about avoiding scams, a portal to suggest a case, and a free cross-stitch pattern are just the beginning of their relationship-building paths.

How to Research Your Ideal Listener and Apply That Information to Your Podcast

Not all information about the relationship between podcasts and their audiences is as clear-cut as that of the True Crime audience. Gathering statistics about your audience can involve researching outside the podcasting realm and then analyzing how podcast listeners engage with your show’s content. 

Instead of Researching Podcast Audiences, Research What Your Audience Wants

Let’s shift from True Crime to gardening, for a moment. Home and Garden is an undervalued podcast category. You may imagine the ideal listener as an elderly lady wearing large gloves and hats, trimming rose bushes. Instead of looking up, “Who listens to garden podcasts?” look up gardeners. These are the people you want to reach. Look up industries that depend on the same information in your podcast. 

Who Else is Interested in Your Audience, and Can They Help?

Companies that manufacture and sell garden products conduct extensive research, as do universities and publications with an interest in the environment. Gardening Statistics in 2024 includes many specific findings about gardeners that defy the Miss Marple stereotype. The number of millennial and Gen Z gardeners has increased significantly in the past five years. The primary reason for the increase in gardening among these groups was related to mental health.

How Can You Put Your Podcast In Front of Your Ideal Audience?

Now that you know many new gardeners are millennials and Gen Z, look up information about podcasting for these demographics. A lot of research exists about millennial and Gen Z podcast listeners, and don’t underestimate Gen Alpha. 

What Does Your Ideal Audience Want From Your Topic?

Since you know these gardeners are also interested in mental health, plan your topics accordingly. Interview a psychologist who specializes in horticultural therapy, or a graduate student who studies the effects of agrichemicals on wellness. Your audience can listen while they pull weeds, and you may be able to secure a sponsorship with a local garden center. 

No matter what your podcast’s topic or niche is, pursue the common interest (your podcast’s topic), gather data on how people consume it, and apply that to your podcast to strengthen your relationship with your ideal listener. 

Once You Know Who to Invite, How Do You Make Your Podcast Inviting?

Here’s where you need to give your show a handle for your ideal audience to grab. Make sure they can find your show easily, provide a show that caters to their interests, and use empathy.

Include the Audience In The Description and Introduction

This could seem obvious, but for some podcasters, this is new information. You may want to include the target audience for your show in the episode description and the introduction. For example, a golf podcast for Christians could have a name like “What Would Jesus Putt?” or ask in the podcast description, “Do you love golf, but have to make sure you can get a tee time after 1 pm on Sundays so you don’t miss church?” You don’t have to follow SEO tactics dogmatically, but clarity helps.

What Would Your Audience Buy?

Your audience avatar’s education and income level help you plan monetization schemes. The podcast merchandise you sell can validate how your audience avatar views itself. A show for beer drinkers may be more interested in drinkware than t-shirts, but knowing your podcast avatar can tell you whether to sell crystal stout snifters or crocheted can cozies. 

How Does Your Audience Play?

When I first started podcasting, my friends who showed the most enthusiasm for my podcast were people who read a lot of graphic novels and played tabletop roleplaying games. I printed stickers with the podcast logo on them and dropped them off at comic book and game shops to give away to customers. I can’t track that PR campaign’s effectiveness, but it didn’t hurt, either. 

How Does Your Audience Work?

Put yourself in their shoes while planning your podcast format and structure. Busy real estate agents may prefer shorter episodes or segmented shows that they can pick up and put down between client meetings. Long-haul truckers might enjoy longer episodes.

Bring Your Podcast Avatar With You.

Take time to write down:  

• who your podcast is for, 
• what you know about that audience, and 
• how your podcast can meet your audience on their terms. 

Stick this piece of paper on your podcast workstation, and keep it visible while you record. When you have your ideal listener in mind while working on your podcast, you’re more likely to work in a way that strengthens your relationship with that audience. 

Podcast Avatar Sounds Alien, But Shouldn’t Be.

When I research information, I often second-guess my citations, which slows me down. One day, I decided that one of my ideal listeners is Gladys, a woman who cares so much about research accuracy that she will fight me to prove any argument I make. Now, when I second-guess myself, I think of Gladys (who looks an awful lot like my aunt Janet), and I thank her for her dedication. 

Count Chuckles of Chortleton doesn’t mind how tight my citations are. He listens to my podcast to fall asleep.

Ultimately, your audience avatar or ideal listener loves your podcast’s topic as much as you do. It may seem that you don’t have to define your ideal audience because they’re someone who’s just like you. But no two people are alike. The more information you have about who your audience avatar is, the easier it is to reach, reward, and encourage them to share your show. The compassion you carry for your audience will show through in your podcast. 

Need some help fleshing out your podcast avatar? Try the Alitu Showplanner. It’s free to use, needs no login, and generates assets including a trailer script, episode ideas, and unique angles for your show.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to make a podcast and help it succeed in the quickest, most pain-free way possible.

Here’s the stages we’ll cover. How to start a podcast in 10 simple steps:

1. Develop a Growth-Ready Podcast Plan
2. Define your Show Structure & Format
3. Establish your Podcast’s Brand
4. Set up your Podcasting Equipment
5. Pick your Recording & Editing Tools
6. Present & Record your 1st Episode
7. Edit Your Podcast Episode (Learn how!)
8. Set up your Podcast Hosting
9. Submit to Key Podcast Directories
10. Create a Starter Launch Plan

Click a step to jump straight there. Otherwise… there are no shortcuts to success in life. Except here! Three extra tools to help:

• Want help planning it out? Try our AI-powered assistant
• Want a free email course to guide you through?
• Wondering why you should start a podcast for your business?

1. Your PATH: a Podcast Framework for Success

Right, let’s create this show! First is the idea behind it, and the strategy. What does it look (sound…?) like?

I’ve developed a framework for this: PATH.

This framework leads to a podcast plan that stands a great chance of producing compelling content and consistent growth:

Purpose: why am I doing it?
Audience: who am I talking to?
Topic: what am I talking about?
Hallmark: why should they listen?

So, let’s dig into how to set up a podcast and create a fully-fledged podcast strategy for your show.

Want some extra help with this? Here’s a tool which asks the right questions, and uses AI to help you formulate that plan: The Interactive Podcast Launch Planner.

Purpose: Why Are You Making a Podcast?

So, firstly, why do you want to make a podcast? This gives purpose to everything else, and keeps you motivated long term.

But the thing is, there are actually two layers to your purpose.

Your Functional Purpose

What do you want to achieve? Here are some of the most common:

Marketing: Personal or Business Branding
Grow authority and trust. Be more personal than blogging, more evergreen than social media. Offer great, valuable content to customers. Nurture brand superfans.

Creative Outlet: Make something Cool!
Make a show around your passion, from True Crime, to vegan baking, to audio fiction. Create something you’re proud of!

Build Community: Connect with Like-Minded People
Podcasting is a great way to bring people together around a common passion. Build that audience and attract them into a space where you can turn it into a 2-way conversation.

Education: Teach my expertise
Teach what you know, or educate by example and help your audience to elevate their own skills.

Entertainment: Help people have fun!
Comedy shows, quizzes: some great podcasts have no other aim than to entertain their audience, and grow great fans as a result.

Your Personal Purpose

But there’s something deeper here. What makes YOU need to create this? What’s your drive to share this content?

This is the reason you’ll still be doing this in 5 years, even though it’s hard. When the downloads are slow, when you’re tired, when life gets busy – this is what keeps you going.

Maybe you went through a huge personal challenge, but you found a way through and want to help others avoid that pain. Maybe you’re head over heels in love with a sport, a hobby or a skill and you just have so much to teach. Maybe you have a story that changed your life and you can’t NOT share it.

Your functional purpose is the ideal goal that you’d like to achieve with your show. But your personal purpose is why it’s worthwhile, whether you hit that goal or not.

Your Tasks

Grab a pen and paper, and write this down:

Pick a functional purpose: what do you want to achieve with this show?
Dig into your personal purpose: what makes you NEED to share this? Why will you still be doing this in 5 years when it’s hard?
(Optional) deeper dive into your podcast purpose and “WHY”

Alrighty, our WHY is in place! Let’s get into HOW we’ll do it.

Watch a Full Guide to the PATH Framework:

Audience: Who is your Podcast For?

Unless you know exactly who you’re making your show for, you’ve got no chance of growing an audience.

A lot of smart people talk about creating an “ideal listener” for your show, sometimes called a podcast listener persona or avatar. It’s a great idea. Who exactly is it that’ll love your content?

But here’s where most people stop too early. They describe their listener, figure out what they’re interested in, and move on.

The magic happens when you dig deeper.

From the Surface to Down Deep

Your audience has surface-level interests or problems. But underneath? There’s always something deeper. A pain, a fear, a desire, a need that makes your show impossible to resist.

Some examples:

Surface: “I want to learn about marketing”
Deep: “I’m drowning in contradictory marketing advice. I feel paralyzed. I need someone to just tell me what to focus on RIGHT NOW for my stage of business.”

Surface: “I want entertainment on my commute”
Deep: “I feel disconnected from joy. Everything feels heavy. I need someone to make me laugh and remind me life can be light.”

Surface: “I’m interested in true crime”
Deep: “I feel powerless and confused by evil in the world. I want to understand human psychology and feel part of solving mysteries.”

Surface: “I want to grow my business”
Deep: “I feel like I’m working myself to death and have nothing to show for it. I’m scared I’ve wasted years on the wrong path.”

When you find that deep pain, everything else becomes clearer. Your topic becomes more specific. Your content becomes magnetic. Your show becomes unmissable.

That listener persona is something to keep in mind every time you plan an episode: “Would John, our listener persona, like this? Is this focused on solving his deep problem?”

This all helps to keep your show focused and on track, both of which make for more engaging episode content.

And for growth, that listener persona drives every decision. The name, the description, the messages you put out on social media, the trailers you create. They’re all designed to solve that deep need for that specific listener.

Your Tasks

Describe your ideal listener in a sentence
What’s their surface-level interest or problem?
What’s the deeper pain, fear, desire, or need underneath that? (Dig until you can’t go deeper)
(Optional) Create an in-depth listener avatar

Topic: What am I Talking About?

So, what’s the show about?

Well, your audience above is telling you! Your topic isn’t just what you talk about. It’s the solution to that deep problem you just discovered.

When you truly understand your audience’s deep pain, your topic becomes clear.

It’s not just “a marketing podcast” – it’s “no-BS marketing prioritization for overwhelmed founders.” It’s not just “entertainment” – it’s “your daily dose of joy when everything feels heavy.”

The Transformation

Every podcast – whether it’s educational, entertainment, news, or interview-based – delivers a transformation:

Educational podcasts: Practical transformation
“I don’t know how to X” → “I can confidently do X”

Entertainment podcasts: Emotional transformation
“I feel stressed and isolated” → “I feel lighter and part of something fun”

News podcasts: Knowledge transformation
“I’m overwhelmed by information” → “I understand what matters and why”

Interview podcasts: Perspective transformation
“I’m stuck in my own thinking” → “I see new possibilities and approaches”

The transformation might happen in 20 minutes, or over 20 episodes. But it’s real, and it’s valuable.

Your Tasks

What specific solution does your podcast provide to that deep problem?
What transformation does your listener experience?
Who are you, on this show?

Get specific on the who. This won’t cover everything about who you are. We contain multitudes, after all! But, when it comes to this show, who are you?

Hallmark: Why Should They Listen to YOUR Show?

We now know who you want to reach, what deep problem they have, and what transformation you deliver.

Here’s the beautiful part: when you’ve done the work above, your hallmark often emerges naturally. The depth of the problem forces you to be specific in the solution. And THAT creates uniqueness.

But let’s make it crystal clear. What makes YOUR delivery of this solution unmistakably yours?

Here are some of the most common hallmarks:

• Tight Niche: Solve a specific problem for a specific person.
  The more specific the problem, the more specific your solution becomes.
• Personal Angle: Your unique take on an existing topic.
  Your background, experience, or perspective that nobody else has.
• Podcast Format: Create a unique format for your niche.
  Daily vs weekly, super short vs long-form, specific segment structure, interactive elements.
• Production Quality: Extra time & effort on audio polish.
  Cinematic sound design, expert editing, professional production values.
• Outcome: Create a unique outcome that’s appealing.
  What specific result or feeling do listeners walk away with every time?

This step is all about figuring out why your show is adding something new to the topic.

Then, any time you tell someone about it, it becomes really easy to tell anyone why they need to listen to your show.

And, not only have you given them a reason to listen, but you’ve also given them a reason to come back for more, and tell their friends about it!

Your Tasks

Write down what makes YOUR version of this solution unmistakably yours

Need more help on this, as well as a bunch more examples? Here’s an article: How to Make a Podcast More Unique

Some Podcast Plan Examples

Let’s lay out some examples of a nicely defined PATH, so we can see how it works.

The Health & Fitness Show

Purpose

• Functional: Podcasting for my Business (grow my personal training client base)
• Personal: I wasted years hating my body and believing I was too far gone to change. Nobody should feel that hopeless about their health.

Audience

• Who: People in their 30s-40s who are significantly overweight and have tried and failed multiple diets
• Surface problem: “I want to lose weight and get fit”
• Deep pain: “I feel like I’ve already failed so many times that I’m broken. I’m embarrassed to even try anymore. I need someone who gets it and can show me a path that actually works for people like me.”

Topic

• Solution: Realistic fitness transformation for people who think they’re too far gone
• Transformation: From “I’m broken and it’s hopeless” → “I’m taking small actions that are actually working”

Hallmark

• I’m a personal trainer who used to be 80 pounds overweight. I found CrossFit and transformed my life, but more importantly, I learned how to modify everything for people starting from zero.
• Format: Every episode includes one SHORT HIIT workout (under 10 minutes) that I know overweight people can actually complete, with modifications demonstrated.
• I share my own struggles and failures openly – this isn’t motivational BS, it’s real talk from someone who’s been there.

The Pop Culture Podcast

Purpose

• Functional: Podcasting about my Hobby (creative outlet and connect with fellow fans)
• Personal: I grew up loving these films but always felt like the “old guy” in online communities. I want to create a space where older fans like me feel at home.

Audience

• Who: Zombie fiction fans in their 40s-60s
• Surface problem: “I love zombie films and want to talk about them”
• Deep pain: “All the zombie content online is aimed at 20-somethings who only know The Walking Dead. I want to geek out about the classics with people who remember seeing them in theaters. I want to feel like there’s a community for fans my age.”

Topic

• Solution: Zombie film analysis that honors the classics and connects generations of fans
• Transformation: From “I’m too old for this fandom” → “There’s a whole community of us, and our perspective matters”

Hallmark

• Target: Fans 40+ who remember the genre’s golden age
• Niche: Zombie films specifically (not all post-apocalyptic, not all horror)
• Angle: I bridge classic films (Romero, ’28 Days Later’) with modern takes, showing how they connect
• Each episode: I invite a guest from a different generation to create intergenerational dialogue

Notice how in each example, the deep problem naturally led to a specific solution, which made the hallmark clearer? That’s the PATH framework working as it should.

When you know WHY you’re doing it, WHO you’re serving at the deepest level, and WHAT transformation you’re delivering, the HOW (your hallmark) becomes much more obvious.

FAQ: Do I Need an Audience to Start a Podcast?

Absolutely not!

Everyone starts with zero at some point. So, if this is your first content rodeo, podcasting is a great place to start. It’s actually a great place to experiment, to try new things, to test out topics and find your voice.

Once you’ve found that groove, you can expand into other mediums, too.

If you DO already have an audience, even a small one, what then? This could be anything from a business or brand to a musician, former athlete, or author.

Whatever the medium (social media, YouTube, blog), it’s a great kernel for your show’s fanbase.

During the planning stages, you may opt to survey your audience. Here, you can ask them things like “What’s your biggest pain point?” and “What are you struggling with right now?”. This could help you shape your content, going forward.

You might even choose to find out a bit more about them. This could be anything from demographics and location, to what other podcasts (if any) they enjoy listening to.

FAQ: How Many People Consume Podcasts in 2025?

There’s no point doing all the hard work to create content in a medium nobody pays attention to. Fortunately, podcasting is not that medium.

To give you some perspective, 85% of people in the US are familiar with the concept of podcasting, with 55% consuming one each month, and 40% catching up with their favourite shows weekly. These are all stats from the Infinite Dial Report 2025.

So rest assured, your audience is out there. We just need to lay the groundwork to go out there and hook them with your brilliant content.

2. Define Your Show Structure & Format

Now that we know what kind of show we’re creating, it’s time to figure out how it looks! (or sounds…?). So, when looking at how to start a podcast, what are the most common questions about how it’s delivered?

What Podcast Format Should I Choose?

The format you choose is really personal and depends on who’s involved. It’s totally up to you!

So, what are the common types of podcast show formats?

The Solo Podcast

Also known as the monologue. You record (sing along!) “all-by-my-seeeeelfff!”

Pros

• Don’t rely on anyone else
• No scheduling conflicts
• Building a reputation individually as the authority
• You call the shots on sponsorship and monetization
• No need to split the profits with anyone.

Cons

• Intimidating to record alone for the beginner podcaster
• Takes practice to avoid a monotone sound
• Can be less engaging than a conversation

The Co-Hosted Podcast

Presenting alongside a friend or colleague.

Pros

• Avoids the ‘mic fright’ of recording alone
• Good co-hosts create great chemistry and engaging content
• Builds long-term loyalty with two or more hosts
• Can set up a regular recording time to reduce scheduling admin

Cons

• Needs careful agreement over ownership and responsibility
• Need to split earnings
• Have to manage two people’s schedules

The Interview Podcast

‘Borrowing’ the expertise or entertainment value of others.

Pros

• Talk to your heroes, or other really interesting people
• Bring in different points of view & varied expertise
• Grow your network
• Some growth benefits if they share the episode

Cons

• Interviewing is a real skill: it’s hard to do a great interview
• Need to constantly find and approach potential guests
• Booking logistics, and scheduling interviews
• Builds less loyalty since it’s a new person every week
• And less spotlight on building your brand

Other Formats

Finally, there are a bunch of other formats that aren’t so commonly used but might well suit you.

For example, you’ve got:

• Roundtable – One regular host and several guests discussing one specific topic (e.g. The Game Design Roundtable).
• Documentary – A narrator walks you through a range of interviews, conversations and on-location clips to paint a picture (e.g. Startup)
• Docu-Drama – A mix between drama and documentary. Offering learning and info, but in an entertaining way (e.g. Hostile Worlds).

How Long Should a Podcast Episode Be?

This always depends on your content, but here are some stats on average podcast episode length:

Don’t worry too much about these figures, though. Ultimately, your episode lengths should be decided by two things.

1. Your content
2. Your audience

If you have 50 minutes of valuable, relevant content, why chop it down to 20? Or likewise, if you’ve said everything you have to say in 10 minutes, why pad it out to 30? If you do go super-long on an interview, just cut it down into two episodes!

Finally, length can actually be a ‘unique’ factor, as I mentioned earlier. Short and snappy 4-minute episodes could suit a certain type of listener, or huge 3-hour in-depth interviews might suit another. Think about whether length might be a deliberate, unique choice for you.

How Often Should I Release New Episodes?

So, how often should you podcast? Here’s the answer:

So, if you can only manage once a month, that’s fine. If you can manage every two weeks, even better. If you can manage weekly, that’s great.

You can still have a big impact with a fortnightly or monthly show, but people often plan their lives around what day of the week their favourite shows drop.

That said, sticking to a deadline just for the sake of it is pointless. You’ll have a bigger impact if you put out one excellent episode a month instead of a very average episode every week.

Should I Make a Daily Podcast?

These are hard! They tend to be short, sharp, “one quick tip” style, running Monday through Friday.

Becoming part of your listener’s daily routine can be powerful, but it’s a huge amount of work to create.

With my daily show, Pocket-Sized Podcasting, I batch all of the work. Scripting, recording, editing, production, and publishing an entire week takes about 3 hours. That’s one way to make it sustainable!

Should I Podcast In Seasons?

A “season” is a series of episodes all around one topic or theme.

Our fitness podcaster, for example, might do an entire season on upper body strength, whilst our zombie podcaster could do one on post-apocalyptic video games.

There are a bunch of benefits:

• Addictive to listeners because episodes are related
• Your back catalogue is more organised
• Repurposing is really easy: turn one season into a course
• Work towards a goal (end of season), then take a break!
• Good excuse to text new formats & approaches each season

But do you lose listeners during the break? In my experience, no!

Just communicate well. Tell them when you’ll return.

And in any case, they’re subscribed, so next time you release an episode, it’ll just pop up in their app!

How to Create Great Episode Titles

This is the final thing around formatting, and a really important one to be found in search. Choosing good descriptive episode titles is vital!

Here are two mistakes I see all the time!

Episode numbers or unknown names just get in the way of the ‘hook’. Because the goal of your title is one thing, and one thing only: give them a reason to listen that they just can’t ignore!

• What’s the real meat of the episode?
• If there’s one key takeaway or solution here, what is it?

This is a big clue as to what your episode title should be.

Our WHISPER TITLES Framework won’t only help you come up with killer titles, it’ll give you infinite new content ideas too:

• W – “What” or “Why” Titles (e.g. “Why You’re Always Tired”)
• H – “How to” Titles (e.g. “How to Launch a Business with No Money”)
• I – “Insider” Titles (e.g. “Inside Apple’s Secret Process”)
• S – “Secrets” Titles (e.g. “The Secret to Lasting Happiness”)
• P – “Problem-Solution” Titles (e.g. “Feeling Stuck? Do This”)
• E – “Emotion-Driven” Titles (e.g. “The Truth About Burnout”)
• R – “Results-Oriented” Titles (e.g. “Get Fit in 30 Days”)
• T – Trending & Timely Titles (e.g. “AI Just Changed Everything”)
• I – Intrigue & Mystery Titles (e.g. “This One App Changes Everything”)
• T – “Top List” Titles (e.g. “7 Habits of Successful People”)
• L – “Life-Changing” Titles (e.g. “The Power of Saying No”)
• E – Expert or Contrarian Takes (e.g. “Everything You Know is Wrong About…”)

Video or Audio? Or Both?!

It’s funny; in the early days, it was solely about audio podcasts, but these days, it all kind of blends together.

It’s possible to record a video podcast in great quality, using a lot of the call recording platforms you’ll read about in Step 5. But it does introduce a whole lot of extra factors that can make things more difficult.

Here’s my take:

1. Don’t believe the hype; you don’t NEED to do a video podcast. Audio podcasts are still vastly more popular, and extremely powerful. There’s also more time available in the day for folks to listen than there is to watch.
2. Video (good video, at least) is far harder to create and edit. It can also make people more self-conscious, reducing the quality of the content.

So, normally, I’d recommend starting with audio only and adding video podcasting at a later date if your audience shows a desire for it!

This post contains affiliate links to products and services that we recommend, at no extra cost to you.

3. Establish Your Podcast’s Brand

In the world of podcasting, our brand is in all three realms:

Let’s get that sorted before we get into making the thing!

How Do I Choose a Good Podcast Name?

No “how to start a podcast” guide is complete without answering this most common of questions: What the flip do I call the thing?

 Generate a Podcast Name With the Alitu Showplanner

There are three main camps for choosing a podcast title and naming your show.

Option 1: The Clever Name

You might think of a really clever name for your show. But remember that people need to be able to find it when they’re searching for information about your topic. If you have a clever/catchy name for your show, try incorporating a description into the title. There’s no point putting out great content if nobody can find it.

For example, one of my old shows was called Path of Most Resistance. It probably falls into the ‘clever name’ category, even though I’m not that clever… So, to give a bit of description, I also used the tagline: The Uncommon Leader’s Guide.

Here are a few shows that do this well. They’re creative, but are still reasonably clear. Note, though, you’re probably still not 100% sure what they’re about. That’s the downside of this approach!

Beyond the Bump
Behind the Bastards
Should you Really Eat That?

Option 2: The Descriptive Name

The searchable (but some might say boring) choice is to simply call your podcast what your target audience is searching for. If our personal trainer called her show The Fitness Podcast, then there’s absolutely no doubt as to what it’s about. Look at these great examples:

The Australian Finance Podcast (Topic & audience)
The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast (Topic & format)

It works really well for search and for recognition, but some people feel it can be a little… well… boring!

But, consider this: is attracting a zillion new listeners boring?! It is NOT. Simplicity and clarity are the best ways to do that!

It’s totally fine to add a few words to the topic name to build some character, but make sure the main keyword is fully mentioned in the final podcast name. Look at these examples; all really clear but still a little bit of personality and wordplay:

Diary of a CEO
The Rest is Politics
How Other Dads Dad

Option 3: Using Your Own Name

This is pretty much a no-no unless you’ve already got an audience. If someone started The Mike Smith Show and it was about rock climbing, people would just think, “Who is Mike Smith?” and move on to the next podcast. Again, you can incorporate this into your show’s name along with something descriptive (‘Rock Climbing, with Mike Smith’). But avoid naming the show after you without any other details.

The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The Lise & Sarah Show
Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting

Finding Music for Your Podcast

There’s no rule to say your show must have music, but many podcasters include a theme to add a bit of polish.

You might have seen TV shows with a minute or more of intro music, but don’t copy this in your podcast. I’d say keep it shorter than 10 seconds, and fade into your voice from there.

If you go beyond 10 to 15 seconds, you’re going to train your audience to hit the skip button.

Here are two great options for finding podcast-safe music:

• Subscription music sites: like Shutterstock or AudioHero
  Pay Monthly to use all of their music or FX
• Podcast Production Tools: like Alitu
  Music library included inside the recording & editing tool

If you want to see some more options (including some possible no-cost options if you’re wondering how to start a podcast for free), here’s all the music you can legally use on your podcast.

How to Create Your Podcast Cover Art

Sadly, first impressions are still everything! Attractive cover art is vital to stand out against thousands of others in apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Here are some podcast artwork recommendations:

• 1400px x 1400px minimum size
• jpeg or png in format
• Keep text short & large, so it shows up on small thumbnails
• Keep the artwork simple and bold, to stand out

You can create decent cover art for free on Canva. They even have podcast logo templates on there. Or, you might want to hire a freelancer on a platform like Fiverr if you’d like someone to do it for you.

Cover art (sometimes called a podcast logo) is a bit like choosing a podcast name in many ways. You’re trying to find that balance between descriptiveness, cleverness, and quirkiness, all in one static image. And it all still needs to work well when viewed as a thumbnail on a phone screen.

4. Set Up Your Podcasting Equipment

Once you’ve done the groundwork and planned out your show, it’s time to get to work recording your first episode.

How to Choose Your Audio Equipment

This is where it’s really, really easy to overcomplicate things. Instead, let’s keep it simple, because the bare minimum you need to podcast is a recording device and the internet!

Smartphone recordings can actually be just fine to start out (hold it to your face like you’re doing a call, and hit record!). But, using an external USB microphone is a wise, low-cost upgrade that won’t complicate things.

Top USB Microphones

• Samson Q2U / ATR2100: two near-identical podcast microphones, both sub-$100 and great quality.
• Rode Podcaster: great podcast mic, significant upgrade, around $150

Microphone Stands

The Samson comes with a small mic stand, but a nice upgrade is a boom arm mic stand, to give you a bit more flexibility.

• Rode PSA-1 Mic Stand: rock solid and decent value at $80.
• Neewer Boom Arm: Budget choice. Bit rickety, but does the job!

Portable Setup for In-Person Interviews

If you want to stick with smartphone recording, the kit has come on leaps and bounds these past few years.

The best option out there right now is the Rode Wireless Micro. This gives you two little mics that attach to your clothing, letting you record guests or co-hosts straight into your phone.

• Rode Wireless Micro Review
• BOYA Mini – a great alternative to the Wireless Micro

If you get serious about in-person recordings, consider the:

• Zoom PodTrak P4.

The P4 is a dedicated podcast recorder that lets you record four participants locally, as well as remote guests, both on the phone and online. It’s a fantastic all-rounder piece of podcast equipment.

Other Gear

• Good Headphones: Highly recommended for recording
• The Logitech C920 Webcam
• Podcast Mixers and Interfaces

For a full guide to all the gear options we recommend, go here:

Complete Guide to Podcast Equipment

5. Pick your Recording & Editing Tools

Nice work, you’ve plugged in your USB microphone or your audio interface! But how do you capture a podcast recording? How do you edit the audio file? Including audio recording, removing mistakes and background noise reduction, it’s time to pick your podcast software.

The good news is that there are plenty of great packages that do both recording AND editing. Let’s take a look.

Online Call Recording Software

Whether you have a co-host in another country or regular interviewees from all around the world, it isn’t difficult to create a podcast recording with them.

1. Alitu

Alitu includes both solo and call recording. Calls are recorded as “double enders”, meaning they won’t be disrupted by sketchy WiFi connections, either. Alitu also includes AI audio cleanup (noise reduction, levelling, etc.) and is tied directly to Alitu’s editing tools, making it a complete package.

2. Zoom

I mean, everyone knows Zoom now, right? So, super easy to share and use. Also free for up to 45 minutes. The quality is… fine… but isn’t A+.

3. Riverside

Riverside offers a range of features related to video recording and repurposing, including improving editing features, video clipping and its own streaming platform.

4. Squadcast

Another double-ender recorder, Squadcast captures great-quality audio and video.

For full details, read: Best Call Recording Platforms

Audio Editing Tools (+ Solo Recording!)

These are our picks for podcast editing software, but bear in mind they all offer solo recording, too, for those all-important podcast intros, adverts or solo episodes.

1. Audacity

Audacity is a good quality, free-of-charge audio editing package. It’s a bit old and clunky, but it’s free, and does a good job! It’s a fully featured digital audio workstation, so there’s a bit of a learning curve, but most of the features you need as a podcaster are quick to learn.

It includes everything you’d expect in a digital audio workstation (DAW), including multitrack editing and a range of manual audio cleanup tools, so you can get your audio quality up to par.

2. Alitu

Mentioned in the call recording section, Alitu is also designed to be the easiest audio editing experience on the market, tailored specifically for podcasters. It has everything else you need to run your show, too, like podcast hosting.

This web app automates the audio cleanup, volume levelling, and EQ for optimum audio quality. Its editing tools are simple, and you can even chop out audio by deleting text in Alitu’s auto-generated transcripts!

The episode builder is a simple drag-and-drop interface for adding music, sponsor segments, etc. Then, you can directly publish via Alitu’s own hosting so your show is pushed out to places like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other listening apps.

If you’ve never worked with audio before and find the very thought intimidating, then Alitu was made for you. If you want to see how it works, check out my guide on making a podcast with Alitu.

3. Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is a great Pro-level production tool, ideally suited to full audio engineers. Great workflow and feature-rich, but a steep learning curve. It’s available through a paid subscription.

Here, you can compare Adobe Audition vs. Audacity.

4. GarageBand

For what it’s worth, if you’re a Mac user, you will probably have GarageBand installed by default on your machine. This is popular audio software with podcasters, too, although recent versions have really cut down the features it offers. These days, I’d recommend that even Mac users get hold of Audacity as a free alternative.

What about the Computer?

The humble laptop fits nicely between the bulky desktop (don’t you ever try to move me, ever!) and the dainty mobile phone (take me everywhere you go, and please, doomscroll me to your heart’s content). So, if you’re looking for a new one:

What’s the best laptop for podcasting?

What’s the best computer for podcasting?

Or, even easier, you can start a Podcast with a mobile phone.

6. Present & Record Your 1st Episode

Time to get this thing down on tape. Or… the 21st-century equivalent, anyway! Let’s cover presentation skills and recording that audio.

How to Script Your Podcast

Finally, we’re ready to hit ‘Record’! But what will you say? That’s where podcast scripting comes in. Here’s two tips:

Word-for-word scripts give you confidence & cover the details, but they’re time-consuming to write & hard to read naturally.
Create a bullet-point outline to guide you, but one that keeps you flexible and conversational when recording.

The intimate nature of podcasting is far more suited to a conversation rather than a sermon. Feel free to use more detailed scripts in the early days, but try to work towards more flexible, natural outlines over time.

Read more on scripting, with examples

How to Talk Into a Mic

This is hard when you start out, no question. Especially if you’re doing a solo show! Here’s some advice:

• Put a photo or teddy (?!) on a chair behind the mic, to have a ‘person’ to talk to.
• Imagine your audience avatar in your head: speak to them.
• Take confidence in the fact that you have a message to share, and there are people who want to hear it!

Once you’ve got the confidence to begin, it’s time for technique! Our mic technique for podcasters guide covers everything you need.

7. Editing Your Podcast

Gear: check!

Software: check!

Irrational hatred of your own recorded voice: check!

But you’ve recorded it anyway. Strong move. Now, how do we polish it up nice, so it can be catapulted out into the world?

This is where you take your podcast recording, edit out mistakes, stitch together audio clips, add music or FX, and make sure it all sounds great with EQ, levelling, compression, and more. Let’s look at how it all works.

How Much Editing Do I Need to Do?

From awkward pauses to uhms and ahs, there are no shortage of things you could edit out in the post-production phase.

If you want a starter guide on what type of editing to do, check out my article on the MEE Podcast Production process. This keeps editing simple, sustainable, and consistent.

Here’s the rundown, though. For your first ten episodes, keep it really, really simple.

Here’s a minimum podcast editing plan:

• Trim the start & end
• Volume Levelling (video guide here)
• Publish!

Here’s a more polished podcast editing workflow:

• Trim the start & End
• Remove mistakes (with a click edit)
• Volume Levelling (video guide here)
• Noise reduction
• Add music
• Publish!

It’s possible to do a lot more, but honestly, the improvement to time ratio just doesn’t provide enough value in many cases.

You could learn EQ and Compression for example to really polish up your voice. But, this is well worth outsourcing, either to software, or to a freelancer (below).

Outsourcing: The Hands-Free Option

For some, if you have the budget, it’s better to hire in help for this!

You’ll find podcast editors for all budgets and requirements over at our Podcast Production Directory.

What File Type Should I Use for Podcasting?

The most common format for uploading a podcast episode is an MP3 file. That’s why so many people ask us how to convert from wav to mp3…!

Not all MP3 files are created equal, though. If you’re exporting yourself, here’s what to go for:

• Bitrate? Choose 96kbps for spoken-word audio
• Constant (CBR) Vs Variable (VBR) bitrate? Choose CBR
• Mono or stereo? Go mono, unless you’ve got loads of music and sound effects
• Sample rate? Opt for 44100Hz

If this seems like the sort of stuff that melts your brain, remember that podcast-maker tool Alitu does this all for you automatically!

8. Set up Your Podcast Hosting

When it comes to getting your podcast out there for everyone to hear, you’ll need a podcast hosting platform, sometimes called a media host.

A podcast host is where you store your audio files, set up your episodes, and publish them to the world. No need to upload anything to the directories, like Apple Podcasts or Spotify. They read the episodes right from your podcast host through your RSS feed (more on submitting to directories in the next step!)

I use a few different podcast hosting providers, and you can read what I think of them in that dedicated roundup. But here’s the TLDR;

• Alitu: Hosting tied in with call recording, audio editing & audio cleanup, plus podcast analytics, transcriptions, podcast distribution and more.
• RSS.com: Superb value-for-money service, fully localized in three languages (English, Spanish, and Italian), which includes customer support. Use promo code THEPODCASTHOST to get free months.
• Captivate: Growth-focused podcast hosting, with tools like media kit generation, dynamic ad insertion, multiple podcasts, podcast distribution and excellent podcast analytics
• Castos: a host focused on private podcasting & linked with a strong production service

Your Podcast Website: Publish Your Shownotes & Player

What about a website for your pod? You’ll want one place for people to read more about your show, access the show notes, signup for your newsletter, and a lot more. There are a few options for this:

1. A Podcast Host Website: Most podcast hosts offer a free website to work as a home base. They’re free and easy, and perfect for hobby shows. But, they can be restrictive.
2. Your existing brand website: Add a ‘podcast section’ and start publishing a page for every episode there (Read: how to install podcasting tools on your website)
3. Podpage: This is a dedicated tool to set up a podcast site in minutes, and includes blogging, growth tools, newsletters and more. Great option for a flexible, powerful site.
4. WordPress: Set up a new WordPress site, dedicated to your podcast. Super flexible, as powerful as it gets, but a little more work to build and maintain (read: podcast websites guide)

For 2 to 4, you’ll add your audio content to your shownotes pages by embedding your podcast player in your blog posts, straight from your host. This is really easy, generally just a cut and paste!

9. Submitting to Podcast Directories

Once you’ve created your show inside your podcast host of choice, you can then submit it to a podcast directory. These are the podcast platforms that handle your podcast distribution, and where listeners can discover, subscribe to, and download your show.

Any good host will have a decent set of auto-submission or guided-submission tools, making it easy to get your show into Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other popular spots. It’s also a good idea to publish your show to YouTube, even if you don’t currently record video.

You need to have at least one published episode in order to submit your show to some key directories. It’s a good idea to create a short teaser, podcast trailer, or episode zero early on in your podcasting journey. This way, you can ensure you’re being listed on all popular platforms in time for you dropping your first “proper” episode.

Once your podcast is out there, the way podcast listings work varies from platform to platform. For example, Apple Podcast search will favour shows with high numbers of all-time followers. That means that established shows can have the upper hand when it comes to discovery, so take on board my podcast naming advice from earlier in this guide.

Next Step How to Submit to Podcast Directories

10. Set Your Launch & Growth Plan

Once you’ve set up your podcast launch, that’s when you’ll move on to thinking about podcast promotion, building your listener base, and maybe even earning a crust from your show.

Get Your First 100 Listeners (and Beyond)

When it comes to podcast promotion, growth and visibility, I work with the SCALE Framework:

• S – Syndication
• C – Communities & Collaboration
• A – Advertising (Paid Promotion)
• L – Live & In-Person
• E – Email & Engagement

I break the SCALE Framework down for you in our Ultimate Podcast Marketing & Promotion Guide. And here are a few more options for you to bookmark and check out.

• The Podcast Host Planner (Physical Notebook)
• Podcast Growth Mastery (Video Course)
• Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience (Book)

Try at least a few of these in the first few months, and you’ve every chance of reaching far more of your target audience.

A Caution on Podcast Download Numbers

Podcast hosting services give you download stats, which help you gauge how your show is doing. You can also get some platform-specific data from the likes of Spotify, Apple Podcasts Connect, and YouTube.

Download stats can become an obsession, especially when comparing yourself to any popular podcast. But there are so many variables when it comes to what are “good” download numbers. You might be surprised to learn that many successful podcasters thrive with “only” a few hundred downloads per episode.

So don’t compare yourself with others. Just try to improve every week.

Podcast Monetization (Earning a shilling!)

If you put the work in, stick at it, and consistently deliver great content for your audience, then you’ll eventually be in a position to think about monetizing your podcast. Here are a couple of resources to get you up and running:

• Our Ultimate Guide on How to Monetize a Podcast
• Affiliate Marketing for New Podcasters

Want to Watch a Full Guide on Making a Pod?

Need More Personal Help in Starting?

The Podcraft Academy is our coaching, support & community space, designed to help you take action and grow this show of yours! Including:

• Live regular Q&As with our team
• Launch & Growth Frameworks to follow
• Time-saving checklists & templates
• In-depth courses on editing, presentation skills, workflow & more
• Community motivation, conversations & support

We’d love to see you there!

Sign up for the Academy here

About the Author

If you’re asking – “Who’s this guy? How does he know what he’s talking about?” – then that’s totally fair

I’m Colin Gray, and I started out in podcasting around 2008. I remember the day I walked into my boss’ office at a Uni in Edinburgh, Scotland, and she said: “What’s this Podcasting thing? Could we use that to teach our students?”

I had no idea! My job at the time was to teach lecturers how to teach better with technology, though, and I’m a bit (a lot…?) of a geek, so I jumped into the world of mics, audio cleanup & speaking… and I never looked back!

In the years following, I left the Uni to go full-time on this. I inhaled everything podcasting, learning anything I could, and turned that knowledge into this website you’re reading right now. In 2015, I started working with Matthew McLean, a veteran audio drama producer, after a chance meeting in Birmingham. Together, we built this site to 2 million+ views a year. We started Podcraft, and grew it to a top 1% podcast. We reach tens of thousands of podcasters through our newsletter every week. I’ve spoken on stages around the world, and we’ve helped start thousands of podcasts over the years.

All this to say: I really love this medium. It changed my life, and I’ve seen it change hundreds of others. We’ve been in this a long time, but we’re still learning. Every day. All of that learning goes into the writing we publish here on The Podcast Host, aimed at helping you do the same.

So, if you’re up for it, read on and let’s get that fantastic voice of yours out into the world

How to Start a Podcast: Raring to Go?

Phew. That’s it. We’re done!

Don’t forget to bookmark my post here, so you can pop back every time you move on a step.

Good luck with the show, and I can’t wait to see your voice out in the world

And with well over two and a half million shows in Apple Podcasts, you have to give people a reason to listen.

So, how do you make YOUR podcast unique?

• What You Think Is Unique Might Not Be
• How-to #1: The Format Unique features, length, frequency and hosts
• How-to #2: The Topic Personal angle, niche, and more
• How-to #3: The Outcome Case studies: Today, Explained and Podcraft
• How-to #4: Production Quality Editing, atmosphere, and raising the bar for quality
• How-to #5: YOU! Personality, psychographics, and the comparison trap

Taking on a new podcast, as a listener, is a commitment. Don’t underestimate that. It’s giving up 20 minutes of your time, at a minimum, to find out: is this any good? Is this going to make my life better?

Dramatic? Yea. But true? Undoubtedly.

They want a problem solved. Anything from the deep three – health, wealth and happiness – to the surface one – fighting boredom. They pick their problem, and they search for a topic based on that. So, when they find your category, the question becomes: “Why should I listen to this particular show, and not one of the other squillion shows on video games?”

That’s where your uniqueness comes in.

It’s what makes you stand out from the crowd. It’s what attracts listeners to you like a moth to the flame.

But do you know what your uniqueness is? Or your unique selling proposition, as some call it? That’s what we’re here for.

How to Make Your Podcast Unique

What follows is a breakdown of all the ways that I’ve seen people find their uniqueness. Some are unique to podcasting, while others apply to the broader aspects of content creation or marketing a business. Either way, if you can find one or two elements here that you can apply to your podcast, you’re well on your way to having a great answer to the question.

Our goal today is that, next time someone asks, “Ooh, why should I listen to your show?” – you’ll be able to say, with confidence, “Now, let me tell you!”

First, What You Think is Unique Might NOT Be Unique!

There’s one trap that a lot of podcasters fall into. They pick a uniqueness that is anything but. Sounds silly, yeah? But you see it all the time on the high street.

• “We’re the bank that gives great customer service.”
• “We’re the window cleaners that make your windows shine!”
• “We’re the restaurant that gives you great value.”

Good aspirations, sure. But not unique. Every competitor out there will claim the same thing.

Name me a bank that will say, “Nah, we don’t bother with good customer service.”

Show me a window cleaner who WON’T claim to give you shiny windows.

Find a restaurant that doesn’t claim to offer good value. Even top-of-range establishments will say their food, the experience, is worth it.

Here’s the test: can you think of a competitor who would say this? “Nope, we don’t do that.”

Your USP can rarely be quality, value, or entertainment. They’re a given in most environments.

You need something else. Something that not everyone wants to do.

For example:

• The bank that offers live chat customer service
• The window cleaner who ALSO makes your car windows shine
• The restaurant that offers the cheapest prices in town on Graham Cracker Mozzarella Sticks.

How to Make Your Podcast Unique #1 – The Format

Podcast format is the most functional way to be unique. Find a format others haven’t tried, and you start generating interest immediately.

What does that mean? It means NOT following everyone else’s example, running a stock-standard interview show where you “chat about life with an expert” for 30 minutes every week.

There are a few ways to do this.

Break it Up With Unique Features

Andrew and Pete’s podcast is a great example of this. They do things differently in so many ways, but one is in the repeating features they run every week, many of which are really unique.

For example, on their last series, they ran a feature called ‘Tool Don’t Drool’. The idea is that the guest has to share one of their favourite tools. Same old, same old, you think. At first… Then you realise that the guest has to do it with a mouthful of water! Kinda crazy, and definitely not for everyone, but it suits Andrew and Pete’s style perfectly. And most importantly, it’s really unique. It teaches the listener something – the tool – while also providing a bit of a laugh, and something really memorable.

So, standard interview, to begin, but a segment format, and unique approaches to each segment to turn that into something different.

Of course, it’s possible to go too far with this and turn yourself into a show of gimmicks, but even simple features can work really well. For example, a listener call-in section can be enough to stand out if you make it a regular feature, or a “weekly tool tip” without the water, but with your own particular take on it. Your listeners will remember you because of the useful, memorable features you run, and they’ll come back for more.

Length

This is a simple one, but it works! Try a different length.

So many shows are 20 to 30 minutes long, and even more hover close to the hour mark. Do you know why? It’s for the same reason meetings are always 30 or 60 minutes long… That’s the way our tech works! Book a calendar slot, and it shows up 30 or 60 minutes by default! It’s not because that’s a good length for a show – it’s just a default.

Many shows are doing really well right now by exploring the ‘short form’. Daily news podcasts, or ‘short, sharp tips’. It stands out because people can get a quick hit of info or entertainment.

Super long shows stand out for the same reason – they’re a bit different.

People listen to Dan Carlin on Hardcore History because he goes in-depth for hours. Tim Ferriss, too – one of his biggest unique hooks is going into the most minute detail on his show, delving into a person’s approach to life – again, for hours.

If most folks in your niche are doing 30-minute interviews, try 10-minute tidbits. You’ll be unique.

Frequency

Episode release frequency is a hard one to stand out on alone. There are only so many different release schedules you can follow, and there are already plenty of daily, bi-weekly, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, and on…

But… it has worked in the past, it’ll work again, and it can be a strong combining factor with another USP. For example, do a short-length daily show covering one quick tip on your topic. Or, do a monthly show that goes four hours with a group of experts and comes out with a series of actions you can take over four weeks to make a change in your life.

Frequency might not be as powerful a USP as it once was, but it can be a multiplier when combined with other unique factors.

Hosts

This can make a big difference because so many shows today run with the same host every week, talking to a different guest.

Instead, try two hosts and one guest. It brings in a whole new dynamic. Look at 3 Marketers Walk Into a Bar. Rob and Kennedy bring the banter and feed off each other, while getting the most from the guest.

If you can get both hosts in the same location, recording locally, that can be another unique element. The quality shifts massively when you’re in a room together, rather than an online call.

Finally, go bigger!

Get three or more people on. It requires a lot more management, and it needs a good lead host to facilitate. But a group conversation can bring in so much value and be so much more entertaining.

One of my earliest podcast loves, Movies You Should See, nailed this. They had five or six regular hosts, running three or four of them on any given episode, and all recording in the same room. The chemistry was amazing and entirely different from every other movie show out there featuring a couple of people stuttering their way through a bad Skype call.

How to Make Your Podcast Unique #2 – The Topic

Next, we’ve got your topic. Get the topic right, and it can be enough, on its own, to propel a podcast to success.

The biggest mistake people make is going too broad. I’m afraid that a general ‘health and fitness’ show is going to be a pretty hard sell. Instead, you need to speak to a much smaller audience.

Don’t worry, there’s nothing to stop you from broadening out later – seasons-based podcasting is ideal for that – but you’ll grow your first few thousand listeners much, much easier if you target them specifically, so they know, at first sight, the show speaks directly to them.

There are two aspects to this.

Personal Angle

You can go broad in topic, but narrow your audience by the angle you take on it. An ‘angle’ is a particular viewpoint that you take on a topic, how you think about it or how you relate to it.

It’s important to know exactly who your ideal listener is before thinking this through. It’s their situation, their way of thinking, and their problems that all power the angle you should take. We go deeper into this in our guide to creating your podcast avatar.

So, what kind of angle could we put on Health and Fitness, for example?

Well, say you’re a new parent, and you figured out how to keep going to the gym, and how to stay healthy during that crazy first year. Your angle is your situation: being a new parent. Health and Fitness for new parents. Or even more specific: health and fitness for new mums.

Taking an angle on a topic means that you can still cover the whole subject – you just relate it to a particular situation.

The possibilities to make your podcast unique are endless here:

• Politics for Schoolkids
• Mountain Biking for Retirees
• Comedy for Buddhists

Choose your wide topic, and think about what angle you can put on it. There’s your uniqueness.

Niche

Whereas an angle lets you talk about a whole topic from a particular point of view, a niche instead narrows down what parts of the topic you cover. It just means going deeper and deeper, more and more specific, until you have a really tight niche that a very specific audience group (that ideal listener or avatar I mentioned earlier) strongly identifies with.

It tends to be that the tighter the niche, the smaller the audience, but the easier it is to persuade them to listen because it’s so clear how relevant the topic is to them.

Taking health and fitness again, a niche of that might be CrossFit. It’s a segment of health and fitness, all on its own, and there’s an army of CrossFit fanatics that wouldn’t give two hoots about a general health and fitness show but would run a 500m, 50kg farmer’s carry to listen to your CrossFit podcast.

Again, some examples related to the ones above:

• Welsh Socialist Politics – choosing a country and a segment of politics only
• The Mountain Biking Gear Review Show – talking about just one aspect of biking: equipment
• The Clean Startup Comedy Show – funny stories about startups you can listen to with your kids in the car

“But I Don’t Want to Limit My Audience!”

I know, I know, but don’t worry. I would argue it’s almost impossible to go too niche. With a worldwide audience, you’ll always find a decent group of people who love the same specific subject you do.

Remember, again, that it’s possible to branch out later, once you’ve got that initial audience. Once you have their trust, they’ll follow you to related topics, and you’ll be able to attract a new group of listeners in the process.

Seasons are your friend here. Do season one on “Nintendo Video Games from the 90s”. That’ll attract a really particular audience. But then season two could be “Sega Games in the 90s.” Those original listeners will still be interested, even if it’s not their platform, and you’ll attract a whole new hardcore Sega audience too.

In the end, 200 episodes in, you might be running a show about general video games with a million listeners, but it starts with those hardcore, specific listeners who grow to know you, like you, trust you, and follow you on the journey.

How to Make Your Podcast Unique #3 – The Outcome

For me, the outcome of your show is a great place to stand out and differentiate. And it’s one which is rarely used.

The outcome is what your listeners get from the show. It’s the change in your listener as a result of listening.

In some cases, this falls into the ‘NOT unique’ category we talked about earlier. For example, in a comedy show: the outcome is less boredom, more fun. But you won’t find many comedy shows that DON’T claim that.

A unique outcome, though, is very possible.

Case Study: Today, Explained

Take Today Explained, as an example.

Today Explained is a news show, so it’s in a busy, busy niche. But its USP is the outcome – it’ll help you understand just one thing in today’s news.

For some news shows, the outcome is that you’ll be up to date on the headlines. You’ll know a little bit about a LOT of news.

But, for Today Explained, the outcome is that they’ll explain, to the complete novice, just one thing. They’ll go from first principles, assuming no prior knowledge, and they’ll explain it all. The outcome is that geopolitically challenged people like me can talk about current affairs without looking like a complete idiot.

Notice there’s a niche here, too – a niche audience of news novices. Another show might aim at news experts, going super deep on one topic but starting at a much higher level and covering more detail. That’s how USP elements can combine to create a really unique show.

Case Study: Podcraft

Effective outcome USPs can often include actions.

On Podcraft, I see outcome as one of our USPs. Each season, we cover one topic in-depth, and the outcome is that you’ll understand that topic and be told the exact next steps to take to put it all into action. The ‘next steps’ are the key outcome – you’ll have solid, concrete actions to DO.

For example, Season 2: Podcast Equipment. At the end of episode one, you’ll know exactly what microphone to buy. Episode two, you’ll know whether to get a mixer or not. At the end of the season, the outcome is that you have a shopping list and setup instructions for your podcasting gear.

To create a good outcome USP, paint a really strong picture of how your listener will change as a result of listening and how you’ll get them there. This needs specifics and might well tie into another of the categories here. It can be really powerful if you can pull it off. People are often looking for transformation!

How to Make Your Podcast Unique #4 – Production Quality

This is an area where time spent and skills learned can make a big difference.

The majority of podcasts have always been relatively low-production hobby shows. It makes sense – the medium grew up around the ‘friends in their basement’ conversations, which are great to listen to, entertaining as hell, but low on quality control and high on ramble. Same with the rise of the interview show – 45 minutes to an hour is the standard, a dodgy remote call is the default, and the average approach is to fire out the interview unedited, mainly because… well, who has time to edit!?

So, if you put the time in and raise the quality, you can create something a league above the average.

My favourite example here is How I Built This with Guy Raz. On the face of it, it’s just an interview show, but two of the many ways it stands out fall right into the production quality category.

Take Time to Edit

Firstly, these interviews are edited down to the highlights, and Guy provides a voice-over narrative to bridge those entertaining bits and move things along briskly. There’s no fat, no rambling. It’s all quality because their team selects what makes it into the show. I don’t know the numbers, but I’d wager Guy spends at least twice as long talking to his guests as the eventual show length, and it wouldn’t surprise me to hear it’s even more!

One simple approach is to take an interview, pull out three or four of the strongest sections, and cut them into a highlight reel of five to 10 minutes each. You can add a short intro to link them together if you like, but it is not essential. Often, trimming an interview in half will double its impact, and that can be your USP.

If audio editing feels intimidating or you just want to save time, be sure to check out Alitu. Our Podcast Maker tool makes it simple to record, edit, and publish your show, with features like auto-generated transcripts, text-based editing, automatic cleanup, volume levelling, filler word removal, and direct publishing to Apple, Spotify, and other major apps. You can test it out for free and see for yourself how much it’ll streamline your workflow.

Add Some Atmosphere

While you’re weighing up the production side of things, why not add a little music? Some effects. Just a little atmosphere. It’s not a huge job to select a bit of royalty-free music, drop it into your session, and swell it up underneath a particularly dramatic or thought-provoking part of the interview. It adds drama, highlights a part of the story, and brings a whole bunch of polish to your show, as well as a uniqueness in your niche.

Raise the Quality Bar

A final place How I Built This stands out is in recording quality. Whether they are or not, Guy and his guest sound like they’re in the same great-sounding room, on top-quality recording equipment. This means the audio is flawless in the first place.

It also means that the conversation just flows, like any natural chat. You’ve all heard the stuttering remote call exchange of doom, where a 1-second lag means the chat never quite gets into the groove. They’re talking over each other, stopping, starting; it’s just not great. It’s standard, but still not great.

So, if you can get in a room with someone and bring some decent mics, you’re unique in a significant way. And people will listen and return for that polish.

That said, you don’t need to be in the same room to record great-sounding podcasts these days. Check out our roundup of the best remote recording tools to make you and your guest sound like you’re in the studio together – even if you’re thousands of miles apart.

How to Make Your Podcast Unique #5 – YOU!

I just want to say something quickly about YOU.

Yes, YOU are unique, and your own personality is a big part of the show. But it’s dangerous to think of this as the only USP you have.

There are a lot of people in the world who are funny, quirky, entertaining, educational, inspiring, motivational, and more. For sure, you are the only YOU out there, and you’ll win listeners because of that. But it’s hard to engineer it, and it’s also really hard to put that across in a description or the show concept.

A big part of your USP is convincing someone in just a few sentences why they should listen to your show amongst the thousands of others out there.

Your background and experience might be a factor in that – that’s what makes your angle, above. But it’s hard to do that initial convincing through personality alone. The listener has to… well…. listen, before they get it!

Cement the “YOU” through Psychographics

One way to put some meat on the bones of “personality”, though, is by thinking Psychographics rather than demographics. This is delving into how your audience thinks, rather than what they are. That can tie back into your ‘angle’, above, or it can turn your own personality into a USP in certain cases. For more info, take a look at that article and see if you can nail down your perfect listener’s thought process!

In many cases, though, it’s a good idea to save your personality for retention – bringing people back again and again. If you have an easy-to-describe USP made up from some of the other elements we’ve talked about here, then the personality is all about keeping them around.

But… Joe Rogan is Popular & He Talks About Anything

After all this, I know what you’re thinking – Joe Rogan does unedited interviews with ANYONE about ANYTHING! He basically breaks every rule here.

But, the thing is, there are always breakout shows that don’t fit the mould. Often it’s just the personality, or the following they had before they started podcasting. And the trouble is, that’s horribly hard to replicate. Try releasing your own show of the type Rogan does, and let me know how that goes for you.

Instead, if you put the work into figuring out a USP, combining a few of the elements above, then you’ll have such a strong pitch for your show. Whenever someone asks, “What’s your podcast about?” you’ll know exactly what to say. And afterwards, they’ll know exactly why they should listen. That then goes into your title, your description and your promotions all around the web.

With that behind you, you stand a much better chance of growing your audience. From there, you can move on to the next step in ‘selling’ your show: your podcast value proposition.

Ready to Test Your Podcast USP?

Now that you’ve got a decent idea of how to make your podcast unique, let’s put it to the test.

The Alitu Showplanner is a free tool that’ll generate your podcast launch kit in minutes. Just answer some questions on what you’d like to podcast about, and it’ll fire out suggestions for descriptions, episode titles, formats, audience profiles, and it’ll even generate a draft podcast trailer script for you, too.

Then, once you’re ready to start creating, Alitu has everything you need to record, edit, and publish your show – all under one roof. Try it out free for 7 days and see for yourself!

Sometimes hosts ramble to seem approachable. But when a podcast episode lacks a hook or thesis statement, the audience doesn’t know why they’re paying attention to your show.

When the discourse wanders, the listeners get confused (or worse, bored), and they stop paying attention. Next thing you know, you feel as though you’re talking to the void. Neither you nor your audience can enjoy that for long. 

You can avoid this trap easily with a dose of clarity. Let me show you why every episode needs a clear, compelling hook or thesis statement, and how to create and use one effectively. Then, I’ll give you a checklist so you can make absolutely sure your podcast episode’s hook is worth your audience’s time and attention. 

What Is a Podcast Hook or “Thesis Statement”, Really?

“Hook” may sound like clickbait, and “thesis statement” may sound dry and academic. To keep it simple, what I mean is an idea, summed up in one sentence, telling your listener, “Here’s what this episode is really about.”

Whether you choose to express the hook or thesis explicitly depends on what kind of show you want to produce.  You can introduce your hook to the audience and then review what you’ve covered at the end.  Or, you can use it subtextually, like a compass. Whatever you choose, your hook is the glue that holds your episode together. 

A hook makes all aspects of your podcast workflow much easier. It’s like the power line on mass transit, guiding your episode to the destination. 

Why Does The Hook Matter? 

A clear hook, or thesis, makes nearly every aspect of your podcast easier. It can: 

• Help you stay on track while hosting
• Simplify editing 
• Streamline episode descriptions and social media posts 
• Give your audience a specific idea to remember and share
• Turn your podcast episodes into intentionally rewarding experiences, rather than background noise. 

The best part is that a hook costs nothing, and weaving it into your podcast is simple. Next, I’ll show you how to make this part of your podcast workflow. 

How to Craft a Podcast Hook or Thesis

The simplicity of making a podcast hook is probably why people don’t think of using it. 

First, start with your topic. What idea are you sharing in your podcast episode? 

Next, ask yourself, “What am I trying to communicate in this episode?” 

Then, shape it into a logical argument. This argument should be presented in a single, clear sentence. 

For example, let’s say you have a tennis podcast, and you interview a professional tennis player. You could chat about anything, or you can focus on one unique aspect: what’s the best tennis serve and why? 

I don’t know much about tennis. But if your podcast told me, “three reasons why the twist serve is the sweetest swing in tennis,” you’d pique my interest. That’s clear, specific, and memorable. 

How to Use the Hook or Thesis Throughout Your Episode

Like I said earlier, you can make your hook clear as a bell from intro to outro, or you can use it as a guiding principle. It depends on the kind of episode you want to make.  As an example, let’s say that your episode’s hook is “the twist serve is the best swing in tennis.” 

Using Your Hook as a Signpost

You can say it out loud, using that hook as a signpost, in

• Your episode’s introduction: “Today, we’ll learn about the twist serve, and three reasons why it’s every tennis pro’s secret weapon. With me today is our special guest…”
• The episode’s outro, to summarize and recap: “So, now we know that the twist serve is what makes tennis champions, because…”
• Your episode’s mid-roll: “We’ll explain more reasons why the twist serve is the home run of tennis, after this word from our sponsors.” 
• The episode’s description or title. “Let’s Do The Twist: Three Reasons to Master This Tennis Serve” 

Your audience knows exactly why this episode’s information is valuable and what they can do with it. 

Your Hook as a Guiding Principle

We all want our podcasts to sound natural and conversational.

Good news: you don’t have to state your hook or thesis explicitly. 

The most well-known “talk-about-whatever” podcasts thrive on seeming spontaneous, yet remain dedicated to a central topic.

My Brother, My Brother and Me, for example, appears to be spontaneous banter among the McElroy brothers. But, it’s an advice show, and each episode description teases the talking points.

In another example, The Read, hosts Kid Fury and Crissle West signpost their episode’s sections, with names like Kid Fury’s Sports Shorts or Listener Letters. 

You can write your hook at the top of your podcast script or talking points. Use it like a compass. If the conversation strays too far from the hook for too long, you can bring the discussion back on track.  

At the end, recap your discussion, featuring the thesis argument or hook. This reminds the audience what they’ve learned from you and why they’ve listened. The audience feels rewarded, since it confirms what they’ve learned from the episode’s question and answer. Include why your hook matters. 

Again, your conversation doesn’t have to be a university lecture, but your hook gives you and the audience a point of focus.  

Real-World Examples of Podcast Episode Hooks

Here are a couple of episodes that use hooks in different ways. One’s a short, solo episode, and the other is a longer, documentary-style piece. They’ll help you envision very different ways to use your episode hook. 

Pocket-Sized Podcasting

Try this episode, for example: Should I Choose a Descriptive Podcast Name? The episode runs less than a minute, comparing the pros and cons of descriptive podcast names. The thesis statement, or main argument, is that descriptive podcast names are immediately identifiable and easy to find. That’s it. That’s the hook. 

Radiolab

A more complex example is Radiolab’s recent episode, Baby Shark. The hosts discuss how annoying yet catchy the song “Baby Shark” is, as well as the intricacies of shark reproduction.

The reporter takes the audience to visit scientist Chris Lowe in Malta. Lowe nurtured a shark egg in his home, raised a baby shark, and then released it into the ocean.

Throughout the episode, the hosts and a reporter discuss how Lowe’s project elicited a strong, positive community response. Toward the end, Lowe says, 

CHRIS LOWE: So the cool thing for me is if we’ve taught people to fear sharks, we can also unteach them to fear sharks, to appreciate the animal.

By the end, on a subtextual level, the podcast episode returns to its initial idea. The discussion of the “Baby Shark” song seems irrelevant at first. However, if we can accept a song with a “weapons-grade” reputation (as the hosts described it), we can unlearn fear of sharks. That’s the hook, or the thesis.

The podcast episode description phrases the hook as a question. “Can a human raise a shark? And if so, what good is that for sharks? And for us?”

Explicit vs. Implicit Hooks

In the first example, making the thesis explicit makes sense. The episode’s a quick podcasting tip.

Radiolab promotes discovery; the show illustrates scientific study through sound. The thesis or hook is implicit in the story the episode tells. This way, the audience feels as though they discover the hook as they vividly imagine the episode’s scientific study.

If you’re just starting your first podcast, consider making your hooks as clear as street signs and map directions. Over time, as your podcast workflow becomes routine and you build an audience, you can keep your hook in the background.

Either way, write your podcast episode’s hook first. 

Validating Your Content Hook

How do you know if your podcast episode’s hook is clear and effective enough? Here’s a checklist that can help you evaluate whether or not your episode is intentional, relevant, and deserving of your audience’s attention.  

The ‘Take Five’ Content Validation Framework

1. Personal Value: Does this material genuinely matter to me, or connect to my experience?
   
2. Audience Relevance: Does this serve my listeners, meeting them where they are right now in their journey?
   
3. Clear Purpose: Can I explain why this matters in three sentences or fewer?
   
4. Unique Angle: What’s my specific perspective, experience, or take that makes this worth their time?
   
5. Audience Fit: Does this match my show’s scope and audience expectations without being too basic or too advanced?
   

When you can answer ”yes” to at least four of these five questions without hesitation, congratulations!  Your episode delivers valuable ideas; you’re not just manufacturing audible wallpaper. 

Bear in mind that you don’t have to be an expert. Instead, think of yourself as a trusted researcher, investigator, or interpreter of ideas. In our tennis example, nobody said you have to demonstrate flawless tennis serves. Instead, you’re curating information that supports your argument, so your audience better understands tennis. 

Make Every Episode Count

Many podcast descriptions claim that the host discusses whatever comes to mind, often using “pop culture” or “current events” as a catch-all phrase. Nobody wants to hear a person hit record and hope for the best. 

When your episode has a clear hook or thesis, it’s like giving the audience a gift and packaging it properly.

Audiences have choices. No matter how exciting any other aspect of your podcast is, without a clear purpose to every episode, listeners will inevitably get bored and turn their attention elsewhere.

A strong hook tells the audience, “This idea is worth your time and attention.”  

When you build your episodes purposefully, your podcast earns your audience’s attention. They’ll come back for more and tell their friends. 

The Alitu Showplanner can help you establish the details for your podcast’s mission. You’ll walk through straightforward questions and generate an action plan for your new show. All the information can help you come up with a hook or thesis that makes audiences come back for more.

Not only does your podcast title need to stand out in a crowd, but it also has to demonstrate why people should download and remember it. Podcast directories are where 50% of the respondents to our Discovery Survey reported finding new podcasts. This makes sense: the directory displays the podcast’s name and show art, and the description is only a click away. Outside of podcast directories, though, the title has to work harder. 

Your podcast name has to be accurate, intriguing, and memorable. I’ll show you why and how to craft a podcast name that can do all three. Then I’ll show you four podcast-naming tactics to help you avoid some common traps for podcasters. 

You can easily remember the three common podcast naming conventions with our MAP framework:

• Metaphor (99% Invisible, The Moth, Serial)
• Accuracy (The Property Podcast, Football Weekly, Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast)
• Personal (The Tim Ferris Show, The Joe Rogan Experience, WTF with Marc Maron)

What Podcast Naming Conventions Do The Pros Use? 

Katie analyzed what the most popular podcast names have in common, and found that:

• Accuracy: descriptive names (that say what the show does) were the most common overall (40%)
• Metaphor: creative names, clever references, or puns were second (35%), and 
• Personal: host-based names were the least common (25%). 

This varies by podcast category for myriad reasons. Check out Katie’s article for details about why different genres popularize different name styles. For now, let’s look at which approach might work best for you.

3 Podcast Naming Conventions (and Why They Work) 

To demonstrate how your podcast’s name hooks attention, let’s compare podcasts in the same category. There are dozens of video game podcasts displayed in the Apple Podcasts charts alone. These video game podcasts address various issues, employ distinct tones, and cater to different audiences. To hook the audience for your video game podcast, you could use

• an accurate description (like Games Daily, or Xbox Podcast)
• a memorable metaphor or pun, (like Get Played, or Watch Out for Fireballs)
• a personal name (such as The Jeff Gerstmann Show: A Podcast About Video Games, or The Kit & Krysta Podcast)

Let me show you how and why these strategies work (or don’t) to name your podcast. 

Accurate Podcast Descriptions Deliver the Goods Immediately. 

When you make tuna salad, you don’t open a can labeled “soup.” A good podcast title should be equally clear about what to expect. This accuracy is particularly good for shows that solve problems. Shows like Games Daily or Xbox Podcast tell you exactly what the hosts intend to give you in each episode. Descriptive titles are solidly professional, and attract an audience that wants the information your show provides. 

If you’re just starting in podcasting, or launching a show that’s outside your usual area of expertise, a descriptive title will help you gather an audience more than any other option. 

Metaphors or Puns are Memorable When Your Audience Solves The Puzzle.

When you hear a title with a metaphor or pun, you have to work a little bit to decode it in context. And when you get it, you feel a mini-reward of recognition. For example, Get Played and Watch Out for Fireballs both highlight the frustration video game players feel when they can’t quite beat a level, and the relief that comes with insider game information. Titles that incorporate metaphors or puns appeal to audiences seeking entertainment alongside their information. 

The (Insert Your Name Here) Podcast Show

The popularity of shows like The Joe Rogan Experience tempts podcasters to name their podcasts after themselves. However, celebrity isn’t the big draw that it seems to be. Our most recent Podcast Discovery Survey showed that respondents felt a podcast’s description is more convincing than whether or not they’d heard of the presenter. 

When credibility or authority is at stake, the creator’s name matters. Katie observed that the Health & Fitness and Business categories have the most podcasts named after their hosts. When you want information affecting your money or your life, you want a person’s reputation to back up that information.  

For example, Jeff Gertmann and Kit & Krysta have worked in the video game industry for years, and built a following before their current podcast. They aren’t household names, but among gamers, their reputations precede them to a niche audience. And, that niche audience is who they hope to attract. If you’re considering shelling out $70 for a AAA+ video game, you care how Kit & Krysta or Jeff Gertmann review the game. 

If your name lends credibility to your podcast’s topic, then it’s worthwhile to use it. However, if you’re new to your podcast’s topic, your name in the title won’t be as helpful. Instead, a descriptive title or a metaphor demonstrating your show’s tone will do a better job of attracting your ideal audience. 

And, if you’re unhappy with your podcast’s name, you can always rebrand to a new name in the future. 

I hope you don’t have to rename your podcast, but there’s no shame in it. Renaming moves you closer to the podcast you truly want to make. And, as podcasts evolve over time, you may find that a new name better reflects what your show does and intrigues the audience you want to cultivate. 

While we’re on the topic of fixing what doesn’t work, let’s examine four podcast-naming tactics we’ve learned the hard way. 

Four Time-Tested Principles of Podcast Names

Over the past decade, everyone here at The Podcast Host has witnessed numerous podcasts launch and grow. We’ve also seen podfade aplenty. Here are four principles to use when naming your podcast, based on what we’ve learned from the school of tough love.

1. Hollywood Uses Focus Groups, and So Can You.

You don’t need a Paramount budget, but a few smart friends. Try out your new podcast name on a couple of pals and ask what they think the podcast is about. If they answer accurately in a few seconds or less, the name’s a keeper. 

What if you get multiple answers? Ask what aspect of the name told them that it’s about the topic they mentioned. If their answer is realistic, take it seriously and rethink your title. 

2. Spelling and Pronunciation Matter. 

As voice search grows in popularity, spelling and pronunciation become more important than you’d think. Whether people search for podcasts while driving, up to their elbows in soapy dishwasher, or they’re just sick of typing, more people would rather tell Siri or Alexa to play their favorite podcast. So, make sure that your podcast’s name is spelt the way it sounds (and vice versa) to your audience. 

Take it from the woman who produced a podcast based on Norse mythology and called it Jarnsaxa Rising. Potential audience members used voice search and ended up in a section of their podcast directory that’s all about knitting socks. I love knitting socks, but the podcast had nothing to do with it. 

3. Keep It Short.

Podcast directories will cut off a podcast name that’s too long. Not only does a podcast name that’s 30 characters or fewer look better in directories, but it’s also easier to remember. You want your audience to tell their friends, so be brief. 

Some people stuff their podcast title full of keywords in the hopes of manipulating search engine optimization. But, podcast directory SEO favors your podcast’s description and individual episode titles and descriptions. Long podcast names feel redundant.

4. Check Your Work to Avoid Confusion.

When you’ve found a podcast name you want, search for the name in your favorite podcast app to check if it’s already taken. If you use the same name as another show, and it’s trademarked, you may find yourself legally actionable. 

In 2024, a judge found that “finfluencer” Canna Campbell infringed the trademark “Financial Foreplay,” registered by podcaster Rhondalynn Korolak in 2017. The judge ordered Campbell to pay AUD$114,000. 

Additionally, search on a domain name search tool like Namechk, to learn if the domain name is available. If the simplest version of your podcast name isn’t available, chances are good that someone’s already using it. 

Potential legal issues aside, having the same name as one or more other podcasts will hamper your growth, so choose one that isn’t taken. Not even by some show that podfaded in 2011.

Again, you want to stand out in a crowd, not be the crowd. 

Should I Use An AI Podcast Name Generator?

Sure, why not? But, like everything else with AI, to get a meaningful result, you need to use the right prompt and provide context. 

“Give me five names for a podcast” is too vague. Instead, try entering a prompt like:

“Give me podcast name ideas for a [publication frequency] podcast about [topic], hosted by a [role], aimed at [target audience].”

For example: “Give me podcast name ideas for a weekly podcast about golf, hosted by a retired golf pro, aimed at Buddhist golfers who love Japanese golf courses,” you could find titles such as:

• Japanese Golf Weekly for Buddhists,
• Walking the Eighteenfold Path
• The Ryokō Round

Or, if you like to get cozy with ChatGPT, you can try this:

“Hi, ChatGPT. I’m starting a podcast called [working title if you have one], and I need help coming up with a meaningful and memorable name. The show is about [topic/theme], and it’s for [target audience]. The tone is [tone: e.g., playful, serious, mysterious, academic, etc.]. I want the name to evoke [feelings, images, or values you want the audience to associate with the show]. Could you give me a list of name ideas, including a mix of literal, metaphorical, and poetic options?”

This provides ChatGPT with more information about tone, mood, and how you want your audience to feel while listening to your podcast.

And, you may get unforgettable titles like The Sound of One Club Swinging. I’m not into golf, and I’m not the target audience, but I’d tap play on that.

If you need guidance on topics, target audiences, tone, and more, The Alitu Showplanner can walk you through these steps, asking questions about various aspects of your podcast. Then, the Showplanner can generate a list of podcast names based on your preferences and priorities. 

How You Name Your Podcast is Important, but Not Earth-Shattering. 

Naming your podcast isn’t like naming a dog. You won’t have to worry about it getting lost, or some kleptomaniac insisting that the podcast only comes when called by their true name. Podcasters rebrand or create new shows throughout their career. Guy Raz has created podcasts with three different names. So has Jesse Thorn. Again, you can always rebrand.

Don’t be afraid to make bold choices when you name your podcast. You want your podcast to be a topic of conversation, but not this one: “I heard this on a really exciting podcast. You should listen. Hmm, I can’t remember what it’s called… Oh well.”

Your show name should be memorable, accurate, and personal, reflecting the credibility and creativity that support the show’s ideas. Again, The Alitu Showplanner isn’t just a podcast name generator: it can help you bring out what’s most important about your podcast, generating names that are meaningful, memorable, and timely. 

As you plan your podcast, consider the needs of neurodivergent audiences. Intentional podcast design helps neurodivergent audiences by enhancing a podcast’s clarity without sacrificing creativity or personality. In turn, you’ll open the door to podcast growth and audience engagement. 

Yes, but What Kind of Neurodivergent Audiences?

“Neurodivergent” is a very broad term. It means “having or relating to a condition that impacts the way the brain processes information.” No two diagnoses or situations are alike, and many neurodivergent people experience a combination of symptoms that vary in intensity. For this article, I’ll focus on two traits that affect neurodivergent people in the audio podcasting realm: executive dysfunction and sensory processing disorders. 

Neurodivergent audiences have as wide a spectrum of tastes, preferences, senses of humor, and so on as neurotypical audiences. By limiting the scope of our discussion to a couple of symptoms and technical solutions, there’s plenty of room for podcasters to reduce barriers and exercise their creativity without diluting their ideas. 

Executive Dysfunction, Episode Structure, and Show Notes

Executive Dysfunction symptoms include difficulty with focus, task initiation, prioritization, transitioning between tasks or states, and memory. For these individuals, a lengthy conversation between colleagues may confuse neurodivergent audiences because their brain chemistry prevents them from recalling what people were discussing ten minutes ago. If the conversation jumps from topic to topic, neurodivergent audiences may lose motivation to continue paying attention. Or, they can misinterpret the episode entirely.

To make your content resonate with people who have issues with executive function: 

• Use a consistent podcast format, so your audience knows what to expect and when to expect it. 
• Guide clear verbal transitions between segments. This can be as simple as, “and now, here’s our sports fact from history,” or “Next, we’ll talk about garden mulch.” 
• Use short segments and convey the point succinctly, or break longer topics into brief, manageable segments. 
• If you can’t make a long story short, summarize, explain, and then summarize again. Or, to paraphrase an early 20th-century cleric, “tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em, then tell ‘em, then tell ‘em what you told ‘em.” 
• Show notes with chapters or time-stamped summaries can help your audience understand where your episode leads, and revisit what they’ve heard. 

As always, transcripts help all audiences fully understand your show, not just neurodivergent audiences. Now, many podcast hosting services, such as Alitu or Buzzsprout, can transcribe your podcast and help with show notes and chapter markers.

Sensory Issues and Sound Design 

For neurodivergent audiences with sensory issues, audible stimuli can be unpleasant. This isn’t a question of volume. The type of sound, pitch, timbre, timing, or combination with other sounds can ruin your podcast for people with sensory issues. 

Neurotypical people don’t notice when or how their brain works to filter out some sounds while clarifying others. However, neurodivergent audiences’ obstacles to audio can include:

• Auditory processing disorder, which makes it harder to filter, decode, or integrate auditory information
• PTSD, which can cause trauma response to affect auditory processing
• Misphonia, a condition where certain sounds trigger an individual’s fight-or-flight response.

Additionally, abrupt changes in volume level aren’t fun for anyone, especially neurodivergent audiences. 

Why would anyone who has auditory processing issues want to pay attention to podcasts? The same reason anyone else does: the subject matter and convenience of RSS feeds.

Again, sensory processing issues vary from person to person. Someone with misphonia may enjoy multi-layered immersive audio, yet the first mouth sound induces nausea. Two neurodivergent individuals may enjoy listening to a conversation recorded in the field, but later, one of them remembers only the dialogue, while the other recalls only the bird song in the background. 

So, how can podcasters clarify their audio for neurodivergent audiences with sensory processing issues? In no particular order: 

• Keep your volume levels as consistent as possible. 
• Minimize audio layers and overlapping voices.
• Reduce mouth sounds by using proper microphone technique, practicing vocal warm-ups, drinking water, and avoiding caffeine and dairy products before and during recording sessions. 

Some podcasts with layered audio offer a second version of the same episode in the same feed, either without layered audio or with fewer layers of audio. For example, some Sleep Cove podcasts publish separate episodes with and without soothing background music. The episodes are labeled as such in the show notes and episode art. 

Supporting Content Aids Accessibility

Transcripts, clear show notes, and content warnings help the audience know what they’re getting into before they start, process the experience, and/or understand it afterwards. They won’t spoil the story or ruin a big surprise when you craft them carefully.

Here’s an example of how to prepare neurodivergent audiences for an exciting experience, without spoiling surprises. Walt Disney World strives to create magical experiences for every family, and neurodivergent audiences are no exception. Disney’s services for neurodivergent guests include a 16-page comprehensive guide to each sensory issue on every ride and attraction in the park. A guest who needs accommodation for sudden loud noises or flashing lights can check through the guide to find marks in the columns for “loud noises” or “lighting effects.” Now they’re prepared in advance for the simulated lightning and thunder on the Winnie the Pooh ride.

Far be it from me to spoil Winnie the Pooh for anyone, but you know that silly old bear always gets himself into a tight spot.

Reading guides or lists of your research sources can help your entire audience thoroughly understand the ideas presented in your podcast, not just those who are neurodivergent.

Bookend your neurodivergent audience’s advance preparation with specific ways for them to get in touch with you, so they can clearly communicate their needs. Any person who requests volume leveling or clarity isn’t trying to make more work for you; they want to understand and enjoy your show.

Why Not Structure Your Content for Neurodivergent Audiences?

By now, you’ve taken in all the strategies I’ve described and probably thought to yourself, “This doesn’t sound like a secret recipe; this sounds like clear and specific podcasting.” Sacré bleu! You have discovered the secret ingredient!

The adjustments proposed above make podcasts more accessible to any audience, not just those with neurodivergent needs.

Many neurodivergent people are undiagnosed. A 2020 study estimated that 15-20% of the global population is neurodivergent, yet some people avoid diagnosis due to stigma, obstacles to diagnostic assessments, or gender assumptions. And some people never notice their symptoms. A significant portion of your target audience might not know they would benefit from adjustments in your podcast.

Neurotypical people won’t have difficulty with your podcast or get bored when your show’s points are structured and the audio is clear. But taking these details for granted shuts the door to potential fans. Structuring your show for neurodivergent audiences opens the door to a wider audience. Plus, you set a good example for other podcasters.

In the study mentioned above, researcher Nancy Doyle provided a table of the strengths and weaknesses of different neurominorities. The strengths included hyperfocus, passion, courage, innovative thinking, detailed observation, entrepreneurialism, storytelling ability, and many more. Wouldn’t you want your audience to have these skills?

When neurodivergent people are enthusiastic about their interests, they want to share them with others. If your podcast earns the attention of neurodivergent audiences, they will share your show with the people they care about and become your cheerleaders.

Structuring and clarifying your podcast for neurodivergent audiences isn’t just common sense; it’s essential. It gives your show a handle for more people to grasp.

Want to learn more about how the small details of podcasting have a big impact? Our Indiepod Community is free to join, and chock-full of lively discussions. You can gain a deeper understanding of how people listen to podcasts and how to craft them to reach and motivate your ideal audience.

• Podcasting is long-form content. Don’t compare podcast download numbers with YouTube plays, social media “likes”, or follower counts.
• Potential audience sizes are totally dependent on show topics. There’s no single podcast download numbers gauge here.
• However, statistically, if you get over 27 downloads for a new episode in the first week of its release, you’re in the top 50% of all podcasters.
• Read on to find out more…

Download numbers are one of the most obvious metrics for measuring the success of your podcast.

Download stats are immediately accessible from the minute you launch your first episode. Watching the numbers climb can be rewarding—some might even say addictive.

But after the initial novelty has worn off, it’s natural for podcasters to begin asking the question, “Are my average podcast downloads good?”.

So, are your podcast download numbers “good”? Let’s take a look.

How Many Podcast Downloads Should I Be Getting?

In a world of YouTube views and Twitter/X followers, we’ve become accustomed to figures in the hundreds of thousands (and even millions!).

It’s important to realise, though, that these numbers are completely irrelevant to podcasting. The time and effort it takes to click ‘Follow’ on social or watch a few seconds of a YouTube video should never be compared to listening to podcast episodes.

Podcast listening is a commitment and an investment. It’s long-form content that isn’t immediately accessible via shiny sidebars and viral social media clickbait.

So, comparing your average podcast downloads to someone else’s Instagram followers is like comparing the number of rooms in your house to the number of trees in the Amazon. It’s completely irrelevant and utterly pointless.

Does it (as Usual) Depend on Your Content?

Of course it does.

Could a show about breeding Russian white dwarf hamsters realistically expect to see the same average podcast downloads as a show about Game of Thrones? Absolutely not.

Does this mean that the podcast with more downloads is the more successful one? Again, absolutely not.

If you run a podcast about a topic that was only interesting to literally ten people in the world, and you were getting seven downloads an episode, statistically, you’d be running the most popular show in history.

The big factor is the size of your potential audience. Here are a couple of things to consider.

Firstly, how many folks out there are interested enough in your topic to actually want to consume content about it?

Secondly, how many of those people are current podcast listeners?

Case Study – Board Game Design Lab

Gabe, who runs the Board Game Design Lab Podcast, shared some great words of wisdom on a recent episode of Podcraft.

“The ceiling for board game design is pretty low. It’s not like Joe Rogan; it’s not like Tim Ferriss, where the whole world is kind of potential, right? And so, you have to be more intentional about not overspending. It’s like, how many people are there? How many people are in your industry and listen to podcasts and care about what you’re doing?”

Thinking along these lines will help bring you closer to seeing what those cold hard download stats tell you. They can help you set realistic goals that don’t involve drawing comparisons with viral videos, celebrity social media accounts, and behemoth podcasts like the JRE.

Audience Quality & Engagement

An audience might seem “small” in a numerical sense. But with long-form content like podcasting, shows with smaller but more niche, hyper-targeted audiences are often considered more successful.

I’ve given this example before. If you ran a podcast about the technology needed to fly people to Mars, and your only listener was Elon Musk, would you consider this a successful show?

Granted, it’s a far-fetched example. But it’s always more about exactly who is listening rather than how many of them there are.

And, it’s about the engagement. This isn’t something that can be achieved overnight. But, if you’re creating good content, over time, you’ll begin to hear from your listeners.

This could be because you’ve asked them a question or recommended they check something out. Or it could be because you’ve talked about a subject that resonated with them so much that they felt compelled to reach out.

Measuring engagement requires a little more digging than simply staring at your download stats dashboard. But often, they can tell you a lot more about the impact your show is having.

If your podcast host provides this data, take a look at the geography of your podcast downloads. Are you suddenly getting a burst of downloads in a particular region or country? If so, you might want to check the news and find out what’s happening there. It’s all about measuring podcast engagement.

I Still Want a Gauge on Average Podcast Downloads per Episode

Buzzsprout is one of the biggest podcast-hosting platforms in the world, with well over 120,000 active shows publishing content there.

Hosting this many podcasts means Buzzsprout has plenty of useful data to analyse. This gives them an accurate picture of podcast downloads on an industry-wide level. The good news is that Buzzsprout makes their global data available to everyone on their Platform Stats page.

Here’s one of the key sections that’ll interest any podcaster.

How Many Podcast Downloads Is Good?

If your new episode gets, within seven days of its release:

• more than 27 downloads, you’re in the top 50% of podcasts.
• more than 109 downloads, you’re in the top 25% of podcasts.
• more than 454 downloads, you’re in the top 10% of podcasts.
• more than 1,048 downloads, you’re in the top 5% of podcasts.
• more than 4,269 downloads, you’re in the top 1% of podcasts.

[Updated July, 2025]

And here are some other interesting stats from this page, at the time of writing.

Podcast Downloads on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, & Google Podcasts

34.2% of listening takes place on Spotify, with 35.1% on Apple Podcasts.

Buzzsprout

Podcast Download Locations

45.5% of downloads come from the USA, with 6.1% from the UK, and 4.7% from Canada, and 4.4% from Australia. The Netherlands are in fifth place with 3.4% of the share.

Buzzsprout

Podcast Download Devices

Mobile accounts for 85.7% of all podcast downloads, with 61.2% of those coming via the Apple iPhone.

Buzzsprout

Want More Podcast Statistics?

If you’re a fan of podcast stats, then be sure to check out our podcast industry trends post. We regularly update this article with all the latest data to help you keep your finger on the pulse. You’ll find everything, from podcast listenership stats (like the most popular podcast genre) to the latest Edison research.

What About Monthly Podcast Listeners & Downloads?

Some creators might say, “Oh, I get 10,000 downloads a month, ” but that doesn’t tell you anything about their average podcast download numbers. Instead, it suggests that they’ve published a lot of episodes to date.

For example, we run a daily show called Pocket-Sized Podcasting, which has hundreds of published episodes. Subscribers get one quick ‘how-to podcast’ tip each day, from Monday through to Friday. When new listeners find the show, they tend to binge through the back catalogue. This means our total monthly downloads can get pretty high, even if the new episode downloads are in the “modest” range.

Podcast Download Stats Don’t Tell the Full Story

Just because someone (or several hundred!) people downloaded your episode, doesn’t guarantee they hit play.

Of course, you can safely assume most of them probably did. But even then, how long did they actually listen?

Download stats are one of the best podcast performance metrics that we have in our arsenal. But they’re not the best. That title goes to “listen lime”…

Unfortunately, you can’t get a complete listening time number across all the apps and places your show is consumed. There are just too many, and most of them don’t share data.

But, Apple Podcasts and Spotify do. And they make up about 70% of the overall podcast consumption pie. That gives us scope to gather up a pretty decent sample size.

In this video, you’ll learn how to quickly and easily grab your listen time data from both platforms, as well as ideas on what to do with it, and how to present it.

Combine this with your podcast download stats, and you’ll really start to build a robust picture of your show’s performance!

Podcasting Numbers: Downloads & Listens FAQ

We are often asked about podcast download numbers in our IndiePod Community. Here are a few of the most frequent questions.

Do I Need to Share My Download Numbers With Anyone?

Nope, not at all. Though you might be asked for them if you’re talking to potential sponsors about podcast ads, or, if you’re in discussions with any podcast networks. Some potential guests might even want a gauge of your numbers before agreeing to come on. If this is the case, it’s best to create a media kit where you can optimally present this data. Also, be sure to explain that audience engagement is just as (if not more) important than hard numbers. As we’ve said so many times in this guide, download numbers never tell the whole story.

Can I See How Many Downloads Other Podcasts Are Getting?

Not unless the podcast host makes their stats publically available.

That said, it might be possible to find an approximate guide using a third-party analytics tool like Podtrac. You can search for the podcast in question and see if it’s listed in their directory. If it is, you may see some basic metrics, such as the number of downloads, subscribers, and podcast audience demographics. It’s worth taking any numbers you find with a pinch of salt, though, as they may not be wholly accurate.

Do More Podcast Reviews Equate to More Downloads?

Having lots of ratings and reviews on podcast apps can make a show seem like it has a big audience. Often, this is the case, and the show has reached a critical mass of listeners leaving reviews. It isn’t a rule without exception, though. Some shows have numerically small but super engaged audiences, whilst other podcasters may actively seek out reviews using various methods. Again, this approach can give you a hint, but it’ll never tell the whole story.

Do All Successful Podcasts Have “Big” Download Numbers?

Definitely not. Some of the most successful podcasts out there have numerically small audiences because the topic is extremely niche. Niche audiences are some of the most engaged and fanatical, though. There’s nothing to say that a podcaster in a certain niche might not work full-time on their show with an audience of “only” 100 people.

Can My Hosting Provider Get Me More Downloads?

Podcast hosting platforms are not responsible for your show’s growth or download numbers. In our article on changing podcast host, we talk about how these services set you up with podcast feeds, give you the tools and report the facts, but the rest is up to you.

Podcast Downloads vs Listens: What’s the Difference?

The end result is typically the same: the audience hears your content. However, there are some subtle differences between podcast listens and podcast downloads.

A download is when the episode is—funnily enough—downloaded onto a device such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone. From a listener’s point of view, this makes it more flexible to consume because you’re no longer reliant on an internet connection.

But from a podcaster, network, or advertiser’s point of view, it makes it harder to “prove” that a listen has happened. After all, someone might download an episode but never actually hear it.

A “listen” can be playing a previously downloaded episode, or it can be someone streaming an episode via the web or a podcast listening app. This can make it easier to see that listening has actually happened. That said, it’s a mistake to try and force your audience to stream rather than download. Let folks make up their own minds about how they prefer to consume your content.

If you need to demonstrate to sponsors, advertisers, etc, that your download numbers accurately reflect your listener numbers, you can show engagement via factors and strategies such as audience surveys, and your Calls to Action.  

Summary: Average Podcast Downloads Guide

Ultimately, asking, “What’s a good number of downloads for a podcast?” is similar to asking, “How long is a piece of string?” Every case is unique, and no two podcasts are the same.

By all means, keep track of your download stats. But this isn’t going to help grow your show.

Instead, spend your time on the things that do move the needle. Here’s our pillar guide to growing an audience, which can help form the basis of a solid and effective podcast promotion plan:

Podcast Promotion: From 100 Listeners to Your Next 100K – Let’s SCALE

Read article called: Podcast Promotion: From 100 Listeners to Your Next 100K – Let’s SCALE

And finally, a few questions for you:

Based on your topic, what do you feel your podcast’s potential audience is, and how does that stack up against your existing audience numbers? How much growth do you have left on the table? And what are your next steps for reaching those new listeners?

Hop into the IndiePod Community and let us know!

When you want to cultivate an audience that cares about your podcast’s topic and supports your show, you don’t need to produce tons of content. You need to produce relevant ideas, present them skillfully, and publish on a habit-forming schedule. Let me show you why podcasters should prioritize consistency and quality over quantity to foster stronger connections with their audience.

Podcast Listeners Care About Consistency and Quality. 

When your podcast is well-crafted and you publish on a regular schedule, your show becomes a habit for your audience. If your audience knows that your latest podcast episode is worth their time and attention, and when to expect it, they’re more likely to engage.

Many times at my old data entry job, I’d start the day feeling gloomy, remember, “It’s Tuesday! New episode of The Bugle!” and brighten up.

When podcasters give their audience something to look forward to, that builds trust and keeps people coming back.

Too Much Content Adds Noise Rather Than Value. 

Extras like clips, shorts, behind-the-scenes, or minisodes can overwhelm feeds and dilute the main show’s impact. Yes, bonus content can be a valuable promotional tool. But if your feed consists of episodes with varying lengths, moods, and formats, new audiences may struggle to grasp what your podcast is really like. And, if your existing audience doesn’t know what to look forward to, they’ll take their attention elsewhere.

But, when you prioritize quality over quantity, your audience is more likely to share episodes with their friends. To reward your audience’s trust, rely on the format and style they expect. 

Time Is Scarce; Curation Beats Volume. 

Living in the 21st century means that something constantly wants to capture your attention. People are overwhelmed by a constant barrage of information wherever they go. Even garbage cans have advertising. Between work, family, social life, and sleep, it’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed. 

When people are busy and tired, a notification popping up on the nearest screen telling them to check out this video or listen to a clip isn’t fun. It’s a mosquito buzzing in your ear. Even your fans want you to prioritize quality over quantity: publishing numerous episodes constantly makes the novelty wear off.

Your audience doesn’t want more from you. They want what matters: a focused, engaging episode worth their time. And when your audio is clear, your ideas are structured and interesting, and your publishing schedule is predictable, they’re willing to wait for you to publish the next episode. 

Quality Podcasts Are Worth the Wait.

I don’t remember where I read this story, but it’s stuck with me for years.

Once, a monk invited a wealthy and powerful man to eat lunch with him. The monk worked in the kitchen as diligently as if he were preparing a sumptuous feast for a hundred guests. Meanwhile, the guest, used to getting his way, grew impatient. As his hunger grew, the guest shouted that he was starving and couldn’t wait a moment longer. The monk called out that the meal would be ready soon. Finally, after a very long wait, the monk came out carrying two steaming bowls of miso soup. He served his guest and sat down to eat.

The hungry guest spooned some of the warm, fragrant broth into his mouth. “This is the finest broth I’ve ever tasted!” he said. “What kind of soup is this?”

The monk said, “It’s just miso soup.”

Every time I have to wait patiently for anything, I think “miso soup theory,” remembering that waiting makes something good seem better.

When you load your feed with “content” for the sake of volume, that extra “stuff” clutters your brand and reputation. But when you prioritize quality over quantity and publish on a predictable schedule, your audience will come back for more. 

Much of what makes podcasting effective lies in social skills instead of technical processes. In our Indiepod Community, we discuss a wide range of topics, including building empathy and trust over time. To find out more, join our free community and introduce yourself!

Whether you’re returning from a hiatus, tweaking your format, or completely pivoting your niche, a relaunch lets you apply your improved skills exactly where you want them. Life changes, and when your podcast evolves with it, the result is a show that actually fits your current situation and energizes you to keep creating.

What Do We Mean by Re-Launching a Podcast?

Re-launching your podcast doesn’t always mean starting a new show on a new RSS feed, or stripping your podcast down and replacing every part. Re-launching your podcast can be as simple as returning after a hiatus. Maybe there’s one part of your show that needs a glow-up, such as changing the format. Podcasters who have spoken to me about re-launching tend to mention issues that fall into one or more of the following buckets:

• Their knowledge and skills have grown (Fancy that!)
• The podcast topic or niche doesn’t quite fit right
• Major life changes interrupt their podcast workflow

Let’s take a closer look at managing these bumps in the road.

Using Your Improved Podcasting Skills

In your first fifteen or fifty episodes, you’ll learn so much about podcasting that your head will spin. And, you may discover the choices you made when you started don’t feel right anymore. For example, you may want to try field recording instead of in a studio, or collaborate with an artist to make new cover art.  As your skills develop, relaunching helps you grow as a podcaster. 

Focusing Your Podcast Niche or Topic

Many podcasters launch their shows before they know specifically what the show is about or who it’s for. But when you know your podcast’s unique selling proposition, specificity attracts an engaged audience to your show.  

Maybe you thought a “friends talking about movies” or “sports fans talking about sports” podcast would be fun. Then you discover that “youth baseball coaches discussing baseball movies for parents of young baseball players” is more specific and unusual. Your podcast’s niche makes your show stand out and helps people who care about your topic find your show.

Re-launching your podcast to narrow down the USP isn’t a major renovation project. You can make a few changes to:

• your podcast description
• the new episodes’ intro script
• your new episodes’ show notes, if necessary

and keep going, with refreshed intention and perspective.

And yes, I also thought that particular hypothetical example of a niche baseball podcast couldn’t possibly exist. Why am I surprised? There’s a podcast for everything now.

Responding to Life Changes

Big life changes affect your perspective. Divorce, moving, or changing jobs can alter your feelings about your podcast. And, life changes will pull the rug out from under your time, energy, and motivation.

Whatever the reason, focus on what makes producing a podcast enjoyable and away from whatever makes your podcast workflow burdensome.

Moving is a good time to set up a new workstation. When you get a new job, your schedule changes: take time to plan your work sessions for recording or editing. Changes in your non-podcasting life can be opportunities to shed what you don’t love about your podcast.  

How to Relaunch Safely

Relaunching your podcast intentionally is like moving. You need to know where you’re going, how to get there, and who’s coming with you. 

The Destination: Your New Podcast

Take a moment to consider your podcast’s purpose and niche. Whether the change is significant or minimal, clarify the following: 

• Why you want to produce this new podcast
• Who benefits from the podcast, or your ideal audience. 

Write these down; together, these are your mission objective. Get out your magic markers and make a big, multi-colored sign for your workspace, write it in your journal, whatever makes your purpose and audience memorable and crystal clear. 

By the way, The Podcast Host Planner Journal is an excellent tool to plan your podcast’s relaunch. Just in case you need it. 

The Trip: How To Reach Your New Podcast

What do you want to do differently? Plan the tasks you need to complete for relaunch. Our guide on how to start a podcast is an excellent checklist if you need a refresher. You wouldn’t drive across the country without a map. Give yourself some guidance. 

The Company: Keep Your Audience Informed

If you’re planning to take a break, share the news with your audience. Keep it simple and concise. You don’t have to elaborate on why, how, or when. Emphasize briefly that you’re improving the podcast for them. Thank the audience for being part of your growth as a podcaster. Include a call to action to sign up for your podcast’s mailing list, so they’ll know when your podcast returns.

Don’t forget to put an email signup link in the show notes so that they can join right away. 

Then, take a break, rest, and recharge.  When you’re ready, relaunch and share your progress with your audience. 

Nobody Gets Through The Long Haul Without Refuelling 

“Should I relaunch my podcast?” is a question we get in the Indiepod community every month or so. The question always comes with sadness, but we say yes, do it. Pausing, pivoting, rebranding, or relaunching altogether is empowering, provided you do it with intention. When you relaunch with a new plan and purpose, you’ll enjoy it more, and so will your audience. 

In fact, when you join the Indiepod Community, you’ll learn from the experiences of our hundreds of members. Reading and discussing the details of podcast production will help you feel good about your show and continue making excellent episodes at your own pace.