The Podcast Accelerator: How to Grow Your Podcast

We love podcast industry podcasts - there are a lot of them and they're run by smart, passionate people who live and breathe podcasting and who are usually industry professionals.

Sometimes though, they don't give the day-to-day enthusiast, creator or indie podcaster a platform to have their say, often taking "the view from the top" as delivered by the "podcasting professionals".

In & Around Podcasting has been designed to respec...

What does the future of podcast monetization look like?

Today I'm joined by Sam Sethi, founder of https://www.podfans.fm, a new platform embracing creator culture and a pioneer of the value for value movement within podcasting and beyond.

Fan of the show? Find it helpful?

You can become a supporter of the show via a one-off tip that I'll use to buy a beer at this link: Support The Podcast Accelerator: How to Grow Your Podcast.

Your nex...

I got into podcasting a decade ago. Since then, I've seen it change from a fledging industry with little revenue flowing through it and flourish into a genuine media industry with billions in ad revenue available every year, the teething problems of a measurement industry, and the "boom" of 2019-2021 (ish).

There are people who have been in this game longer than me, and we've all seen the industry change. I've spoken about podcastin...

You know me, I don't sugarcoat when I feel that something isn't as good as it could be. And, with the world of podcasting growing and, in particular, the choices that consumers have about the myriad shows they can listen to, it's never been more important for your show to "get things right".

But what is "right"?

Surely that's subjective?

Yes, of course, it is - but there's little doubt that best practices now exist in podcasting and ...

I'm delighted to be able to give my reaction to the Squadcast acquisition by Descript, plus I preview a little of Podcast Movement 2023 and thank Josh for his kind beer money!

Fan of the show? Find it helpful?

You can become a supporter of the show via a one-off tip that I'll use to buy a beer at this link: Support The Podcast Accelerator: How to Grow Your Podcast.

Your next steps

I teach podcasting a lot and for free. So, here's what ...

Design is everywhere. Design is every THING. You simply cannot escape it.

But, as podcasters, we fall into the same trap that so many other types of organisation fall into: commoditising design and believing it to be something that we can either skimp on, do ourselves or that doesn't matter.

All of that is simply wrong, and very seriously wrong.

We also believe that design simply means "graphic design". It doesn't. Designing every si...

When I first started my journey within the podcasting world, I was lucky enough to meet a range of people who have gone on to become genuine friends.

Amongst those is one of the finest, most revered people within our industry, Dave Jackson, a friend, mentor-from-afar and Podcast Hall of Fame inductee who continues to help podcasters around the world every single day.

On this episode, Dave and I dig deep into the last two decades of t...

In this episode, I have a deep-dive conversation with Mike Wooller, Head of Content Partnerships at Global. Mike has a wealth of experience in the industry and this episode is a must-listen for the serious indi podcast creator.

We kick things off by demystifying some of the often-used industry jargon. Mike breaks down what terms like "Spot", "Programmatic", "Direct Sell", "Host Read", "MRG", and "CPM" really mean.

Next, we're discus...

Warning! This episode contains some f-bombs and other well placed word bombs - but they’re worth it.

Threads, the brand new "chat app" and Twitter alternative from Meta, aka Facebook, aka Instagram, aka Zuckerberg, launched last week and has already amassed almost 100 million users.

Within three days, I saw a podcast "guru" claiming to know how to use Threads to grow your podcast and, sure enough, the content they published about it ...

When it comes to generating predictable revenue from a podcast, reliability in downloads is vital.

Whether that podcast is monetised via programmatic ads, directly sold host-read ads, selling merch, selling live-taping tickets, listener support via tips and memberships or a diverse combination of these and more, there are certain elements that make that show reliably profitable.

When a podcast is monetised well, it delivers repeatabl...

I frequent many podcasting communities and without a doubt, the biggest question (and the biggest question for the last decade) is "How do I grow my podcast?".

I've spoken before about why this isn't an easy task and why that might even be the wrong question to ask. The truth is that running a podcast as an independent creator is really hard, it's really time-consuming and by the time we've produced our episode, we often don't have ...

In this episode, I discuss how to build audience loyalty and drive podcast growth through exclusive content and early/premium access. Learn how to identify the types of content that resonate most with your listeners and create a compelling premium offering that sets your podcast apart.

Get practical tips on delivering high-quality, exclusive material and fostering a sense of community among your subscribers. Unlock the power of pre...

In this episode, I dive into my experience at the Podnews Live Manchester event on June 13, 2023. Held at The Lowry Theatre in Salford, Manchester, this event was an absolute success, buzzing with industry experts and enthusiasts.

An impressive lineup of speakers took to the stage, including industry stalwarts like Podnews' James Cridland & Sam Sethi, little ol' me, Crowd Network's Michael Carr, and many others. Each speaker bro...

Last week, me and the Captivate (@CaptivateAudio) team hit London for The Podcast Show (@PodcastShowLDN). We joined our fabulous Global family (@Global) as podcasting industry experts, enthusiasts and creators descended on England's capital to celebrate, learn and hypothesise about podcasting and the way that the industry has been, where it is today, and where it will be tomorrow.

In its sophomore year, The Podcast Show had a lot to...

In this episode, I'm taking you on a deep dive into YouTube's long-awaited new podcasting features that have the potential to increase and enhance the way that we, as creators, connect with our audience. Join me and special guest James Cridland, the founder and editor of Podnews, as we explore these new features and address some critical questions.

We'll begin by discussing the specifics of YouTube's new podcasting features and who ...

In this episode, I explore the power of podcast memberships and share valuable strategies for creating irresistible subscriber experiences.

Learn how to design a membership program that captivates your audience and keeps them engaged, with tips on content selection, delivery, and promotion. Discover how you can leverage the potential of memberships to boost your podcast's growth, revenue, and long-term success.

Don't miss this essen...

As I bring The Podcast Accelerator back from hiatus, I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences from over a decade in podcasting.

But, rather than just rattle through a list of things that I've seen and how the industry has developed, I thought it's be fun to bring on a podcasting talent and good friend to interview me for my own show - so, welcome to the show my interviewer, Danny Brown of Pod Chat and Captivate fame!

My intervie...

Today I'd like to run you through what's coming up on the podcast that will help you to grow your audience!

As I come out of hiatus I've planned an array of content to help with your podcast growth, monetisation and that will also give you some insights into the state of podcasting on YouTube, via community and more.

And I've got some fantastic guests lined up to help me!

Fan of the show? Find it helpful?

You can become a supporter of...

The hiatus is over!

It's been a while but I'm back to educate and (subjectively...) entertain those creators looking to build a meaningful, sustainable podcast audience.

There will be some changes so I want to spend a little time reflecting on why I took a break and talking about what's coming up, what's changing, and more about the format. Plus, I'll tell you a little about the things that I've been working on in the meantime.

Thanks...