The next few months are looking pretty rough for podcasting. And just about every other industry. Historically, podcasting has proven itself to be rather resilient. But there are lean times ahead. Are you prepared? Skyrocketing inflation. Rekindled assaults on personal freedoms. Even crypto is tanking. All the signs are pointing to a coming recession. How much more can podcasting take? Or to just ask the question outright: can podcasting survive the coming storm? (I’m going to torture the hell out of that metaphor…

Big tech provided podcasting’s first shot in the arm in the early days. In fact, big tech often provided the catalyst for several inflection points in podcasting’s history. But recently, the tide seems to be shifting. Big tech doesn’t care about your podcasting goals or your podcasting objectives. No, seriously. They do not. Big Tech, for the most part. doesn’t really care about podcasting. At least not the way that you and I care about podcasting. And yes, I’m lumping all big tech into this…

Everyone agrees that pre-produced, lifted-from-radio ads suck on podcasts and that host-read ads are the clear winner. But is that true for every podcast? More importantly, is it true for your podcast? I hope you won’t find this too shocking, but I’ve an opinion that runs contrary to the best practices of podcast advertising. Specifically, I think we put too much emphasis on the idea that host-read ads are the be-all end-all for podcasting.

Podcasting’s purveyors of picks and shovels — the myriad service providers that make our space an actual industry — are filled with smart people. But smarts only get you so far. What’s needed is experience. I’m making a Cardinal sin of podcasting today. I’m going to be talking to an audience other than my primary one. I follow many of the best practices I put forth on the show, so I know who I am for-the serious podcaster-and why they are here.

Fishing where the fish are is a solid strategy, so using similar podcasts to promote your podcast is obviously a good idea, right? You bet! But like any marketing effort, what you put in determines what you get out. Cross-promotion has been a part of podcasting since there were two podcasts. From promo swaps to heartfelt recommendations to episode drops, there are myriad ways podcasters can grow their show by being exposed to the audience of another podcast.

One of the ways we make podcasting better is by holding the people who work in podcasting accountable for doing better. I’m using my induction into the Podcast Hall of Fame to shine more light on that. In case you missed the memo, I was inducted into the Podcast Hall of Fame last weekend. It is quite an honor to join the ranks of the other 30-some-odd podcasters who’ve already been inducted, a good portion of which are good friends of mine. …

I give you, the serious podcaster, lots of things to think about. Not just about the future of podcasting, but how you can make podcasting better. Now I’m giving you another gift: some of your time back. This is the final episode of Season 4 of Podcast Pontifications. Yes, that’s quicker than anticipated. But don’t fret, because Season 5 of Podcast Pontifications will start on Wednesday, March 30th, 2022. And new episodes will drop every Wednesday following that!

When people complete your latest podcast episode, what do you want them to do? Reflect on your brilliance? Bask in a sense of satisfaction? Or would simply remembering what you said 5 minutes later be enough? All this week, I’ve been exploring ideas that came to me during my chat with CJ Silva of Vocalize on Monday. …

Podcasting is an audio-first medium consumed on devices that have built-in microphones. Yet the listening experience is reliant on eyes and hands. What would a voice-only listener experience look like? Recently, I talked with the CEO of Vocalize, a company that’s trying to replace vanity URLs and coupon codes from podcast advertising with memorable spoken phrases. If you missed that episode, check it out. It’s a fascinating concept. …