Ask the Podcast Coach

Ask the Podcast Coach

Dave Jackson has been helping people launch podcasts since 2005 and every Saturday he is joined by Jim Collison to is runs the Average Guy Network. Together they have 20 years of podcasting experience and coaching.

Episodes

October 17, 2026 • 57 mins

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What do you do when your mic won’t work, a guest keeps tapping the desk, or life throws a furnace breakdown into your podcast plans? This week, Dave, Jim, and Randy share practical ways to handle live-show hiccups, explore audio tools and podcast workflows, and get real about juggling multiple shows—and knowing when it might be time to move on. Press play for useful ideas, honest stori...

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This week Dave and Jim dig into the messy, human side of podcasting — Jim debuts a brand-new recurring segment where he calls out his own mistakes from past episodes (yes, really), a listener spirals over editing software and begs for a faster workflow, and the guys argue over whether $9 a month is worth switching streaming platforms. Throw in a deep dive on why YouTube Shorts and clips migh...

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October 3, 2026 • 58 mins

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Adam Curry asked an AI agent to download the latest episode of a popular podcast and remove the ads. Eight minutes later it was done, and it turned out half the file was ads. Dave and Jim react to the clip and ask whether this is the end of podcast advertising or just the next round of an ad-blocking arms race that YouTube has already survived. Then they get practical. Why "cap it at 10%" might be...

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September 26, 2026 • 60 mins

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Dave is back from Podcast Movement in New York City with a full report on the new venue, the split business and indie days, and the $1.50 pizza. He and Jim cover a lot this week. 

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Randy Black plays a before-and-after demo of Auphonic's new Studio Voice beta that turns an echoey 8-year-old Skype call into something that sounds like it came from a treated studio. A new in...

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What do you do when YouTube dies mid-livestream, a fire alarm goes off in your office, and a guest sits frozen on screen for seven awkward minutes? Dave and Jim tackle real live-show disasters this week, plus how to embed your own live stream on your website without touching an RTMP link, why AI keeps butchering your guests' last names, and whether those "automatic clip maker" tools are actually s...

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September 5, 2026 • 57 mins

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It's Labor Day weekend, but Dave and Jim aren't taking one off from the AI rabbit hole — this episode covers everything from free (and not-so-free) transcription services to the moment ChatGPT started recommending third-party apps mid-workflow, plus a candid gut-check for the podcaster who's 89 episodes in and wondering if it's time to quit. Throw in Audacity 4's big redesign, a debate over ...

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Dave and Jim spent most of the show riffing on conferences and community, sparked by Dave's recent trip to the Empowered Podcasting Conference. He recapped the small-but-mighty vibe of the event, a "woo-woo" keynote that split the room (a good reminder that not every talk is for every audience), and reconnecting in person. We also talk about:

The new Supporter Ralph and Julia on Becoming Fi...

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August 15, 2026 • 59 mins

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Everyone wants the 10,000-download podcast, but almost nobody wants to talk about how you actually get there. In this episode of Ask the Podcast Coach, Dave Jackson and Jim Collison dig into a listener's question that stops most podcasters cold: can you really study a podcast's rise from zero to sixty the way a business school studies a company? The answer gets messy fast. Copying what worked for ...

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One way to grow your show is to make sure people like your show. So you put out a survey, but nobody provided any feedback. How do you get people to fill out your survey?

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Basedonastruestorypodcast.com - Comparing Hollywood with History
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Today we help Ralph who does a daily show that he records, and is switching to a daily show recorded live. What are the pros and cons of doing a live show? Which leads us to talking about what makes a good co-host? Should I ask my best friend to join me?

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July 25, 2026 • 59 mins

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Today Dave and Jim talk about the examples movies are providing by releasing trailers months in advance. We also talk about the loss of John C. Dvorak from the No Agenda Show.

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PodcastBranding.co - They see you before they hear you
Basedonastruestorypodcast.com - Comparing Hollywood with History?
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School of Podca...

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Today I'm joined by Jennifer Longworth from Bourbon Barrel Podcasting (she's an editor who has been doing this for 10 years). We talk about advice that people give that may not work for you. We also talk podcast events, series and more.

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Dave and Jim share their thoughts and experiences with streaming platforms like Streamyard, Ecamm, EVMux, and OBS—breaking down the pros, cons, and learning curves for podcasters of all skill levels.

The hosts dive into some great listener questions, from strategies for discovering the right audience for niche content, to tackling podcast burnout and knowing when—or if—it’s ...

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Today we talk about how your show can be in all the directories, but until you start telling everyone you know, your show isn't launched.

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PodcastBranding.co - They see you before they hear you
Basedonastruestorypodcast.com - Comparing Hollywood with History?
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School of Podcasting
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Dave Jackson and Jim Collison are back with another lively Saturday morning, ready to answer all your podcasting questions live. In this episode, the hosts dig into a range of hot topics from the evolving landscape of YouTube podcast uploads and title changes, to the pitfalls and promises of utilizing AI in your podcast workflow. You'll hear practical discussions about launching a show with or wit...

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June 20, 2026 • 60 mins

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So we are still playing with EVMux (which locked up on me 4 minutes into the show) and we explored why validation matters, the importance of understanding your tech platforms, and how to balance podcasting as a hobby versus a business. Whether you’re starting with passion or planning for profit, remember: focus on great content, know your numbers, and never stop learning from your own journe...

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June 13, 2026 • 86 mins

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I like Ecamm. When I bought it, I was will to pay for a tool that helped me make lessons for the School of Podcasting and it did live streaming with TONS of options. I now use Tella to make screenshare videos for the School of Podcasting, and I don't really need the features in Ecamm so I'm CONSIDERING moving to Evmux. The problem is I didn't practice enough so this episode is a bit rough at times...

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June 6, 2026 • 92 mins

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Today we start of talking about the new AMP measurements that were unveiled. Do we care? Will anyone implement this?

We also talk podcast monetization, and Jim has a new Coffee Pot (exciting!).

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PodcastBranding.co - They see you before they hear you
Basedonastruestorypodcast.com - Comparing Hollywood with History?
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May 30, 2026 • 93 mins

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Today Dave is join by guest co-host Marc Ronick from iRonick Media, and the founder of the Empowered Podcasting Conference. They talk about a post from Hall of Fame Podcaster and Head of Community at Captivate Elise Escobar stating that the gold rush to video may be a passing fad.

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PodcastBranding.co - They see you before they hear you
Basedonastruestorypodcast.com - Comparing Hollyw...

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May 23, 2026 • 61 mins

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Today we got a question from Kenny from the CuzWilson Show (not a typo). "I'm Kenny Wilson and my new podcast is The Cuz Wilson Show and I talk about people, places, and things named Wilson. I created a YouTube show to supplement the podcast with topic visuals and showcase personalized merch with Wilson in the graphics to support non-profits named Wilson. My concern is about AI Potslop because I h...

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