Worried Your Podcast is Boring? Here’s How to Fix That

“Don’t be boring!” is advice that content creators frequently dispense to newer creators of all kinds. The statement feels dismissive because it’s vague and lacks meaning. What are you supposed to do with this information? Rely on cartoon sound effects? Light your mic on fire? 

Let me show you some of the most prevalent barriers between a podcast and an audience’s attention. If these are left unchecked, your audience will let their mind wander, turn your podcast off, and listen to something else. We’ll discuss how audio quality, coherence, and empathy can prevent your podcast from being boring.  

What Makes a Podcast Boring? 

The opposite of “boring” isn’t necessarily “exciting,” it’s “interesting.” What makes something interesting? When your audience doesn’t have to work to understand or enjoy your podcast, they can find your show interesting. 

We asked podcast listeners what podcast annoyances most frequently deter them from listening to a show. These frequently annoying qualities cluster around delivery (mic technique and idea organization), audio editing, and tone or intention. And, as we all know, boredom is the first stage of annoyance. Let’s examine these elements that can make a podcast boring, and I’ll show you how to prevent them. 

Good Audio Invites, Bad Audio Repels. 

Have you ever heard a podcast where the speakers share a single microphone in a room with a high ceiling and hard floors? This makes the dialogue sound distant and unclear. You’ve probably heard more than one podcast recorded using video conference software instead of dedicated recording software. For efficiency, video conference software compresses the audio, making it sound shrill and tinkly. 

All of these qualities distance your audience from your ideas. When the audience has to work to pay attention and understand your show, they’ll say, “It’s boring.” If they’re being nice, that is. 

Clear, warm audio invites the audience to engage, creating a pleasant listening experience. Both reward the audience’s attention, giving them a compelling reason to return. 

Coherence vs. Meandering

Have you ever heard a podcast where participants talk about whatever comes to mind? No matter how good the audio, the audience has to work to catch the podcasters’ train of thought. Some respondents to our Discovery Survey told us that a lengthy catch-up discussion at the episode’s opening turned them off. Others said extended digressions aren’t nifty side quests; they’re obstacles between the audience and the reason they pressed play. 

Some people turn up the speed to get past the chit-chat. But a structured podcast like Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History can last for hours without the need to adjust the speed. Each episode contains a ton of information. Carlin prevents the podcast from being boring with a logical structure.

Give your ideas a framework, so the audience knows where you’re taking them. Most podcasters rely on a script, which can be anything from a word-for-word treatise to a list of bullet points. You can remember how to organize your episode so the concepts land meaningfully with a simple adage: 

1. Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em, 
2. tell ‘em, then 
3. tell ’em what you told ’em. 

Or, to be more professional: summarize, explain, and summarize again.  This shows your audience what to expect, explains the issue, and re-states your concept so it stays in their minds. Structured discussions mean more to the audience than wandering through word salad.

Showing vs. Telling, or Making a Resonant Experience

What do I mean by resonant? When sound waves bounce off a surface, they resonate. When you listen to something that evokes empathy, it’s resonant. 

It’s no accident that late-night TV has a lot of commercials for fast-food breakfast. When you see a person close their eyes and sigh with pleasure over an egg and cheese sandwich, it works on you. Now, how can you make this work for you? 

Use storytelling tools to bring your dialogue to life. When we know who’s involved, what they want, what’s in their way, and how they can eliminate that obstacle to reach their goal, we can’t help but root for them. 

Consider how your ideas are embodied. It’s one thing to say, “The beach is a nice place to visit,” and another to describe how it feels to push your feet into soft sand or let ocean waves lift and roll around your body. 

Provide ways for the audience to take action. Recipes, checklists, reading guides, and worksheets are a few ways that your audience can experience the concepts you share. Give your audience an activity, and your podcast becomes more than digital dialogue.

Evoking the audience’s personal experience isn’t limited to opinions. When you provide the audience with verifiable facts, they can research your ideas independently. In the process, they learn from you, your sources, and others. Searching for more information helps them understand the topic and feel a sense of purpose.

Not only does resonance prevent your podcast from being boring, but it also elevates your podcast as an experience.

Boring Podcasts Benefit the Podcaster. Interesting Podcasts Benefit the Audience. 

Have you ever been in a conversation with friends, and while everyone’s having fun, someone says, “We should make a podcast?” That’s when you ask the bartender for the check. While that person may mean, “I’m enjoying this conversation so much,” it doesn’t mean the general public needs or wants to know about your conversation. For people who don’t know your context and inside jokes, it would be boring. 

Boring podcasts are low-effort and feed the podcaster’s ego. Interesting podcasts spark the audience’s imagination and curiosity, which requires more effort from the podcaster. 

Creative writing experts often say, “whatever you do, don’t be boring.” Everyone likes that advice because it feels like a free license to do as one pleases. But when your work is incoherent and unpleasant, the first thing your audience will do is tune out. Before they get offended by your sloppy podcasting, they’ll say, “It’s boring.” 

To prevent your podcast from being boring, present your ideas clearly, record and edit your audio so that it sounds inviting, and present your topics constructively, with vivid detail. Not only will you keep your podcast from being boring, but you’ll also give your audience an experience they’ll want to share with others.  

To learn more about earning your audience’s attention, our IndiePod Community hosts lively discussions about all aspects of podcasting, featuring real podcasters who strive to create exciting and memorable episodes. Join us: it’s free, fun, and enlightening!