GROWTH: How To Get 50 MILLION Downloads with Gary Arndt

“If you're doing a weekly podcast, the fastest way to double your downloads… is to do two episodes a week.” – Gary Arndt

What an incredible episode this was. Gary Arndt isn’t just a successful podcaster — he’s a walking case study in consistency, discipline, and strategy. I've followed Gary for years, and to have him on Smarter Podcasting was not only a privilege, but a personal highlight.

Gary’s podcast Everything Everywhere Daily has over 50 million downloads, and unlike many shows, it’s a solo, scripted, short-form, daily podcast. No guests. No fluff. Just educational content delivered with precision. He does it all himself — and he does it every day.

As a podcaster and podcast producer, I found this conversation both inspiring and humbling. Gary breaks the rules you think you're supposed to follow — no niche, no guests, no endless chitchat — and instead builds a show he wishes someone else had made. And it works.

This is one of those episodes you'll want to listen to more than once.

Key Takeaways

• Your show needs a reason to exist: Most podcasts fail because they’re not actually compelling. 
• Forget interviews (unless you're landing A-listers): Gary chose to do a solo, scripted show because the guest-based format is oversaturated and hard to scale without big names.
• Frequency + Quality = Growth: A daily show means more discovery opportunities. More reps. More downloads. But it only works if the content is great.
• Podcast promotion works best… on podcasts: TikTok, Instagram, social media in general? Nice for awareness, but they don’t convert. Podcast listeners hang out on podcast apps — meet them there.
• Invest in your show like a real business: If you’re not putting in money or time, don’t expect big results. Growth doesn’t happen by accident — it’s intentional, strategic, and yes, expensive.
• Consistency builds audience trust: Evergreen episodes, a predictable format, and daily drops create listener habits. That’s why thousands have joined Gary’s “Completionist Club.”

Chapters and Timestamps

• 00:00 – Intro: Why Gary Arndt is a podcasting anomaly
• 03:00 – Why most interview podcasts don’t grow
• 07:50 – The secret power of daily, scripted, short-form content
• 13:40 – Gary’s take on investing in your podcast from day one
• 27:10 – Why he quit TikTok (and social media) despite viral views
• 30:30 – The best way to grow: advertise where podcast listeners already are

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