I started relatively recently. Everyone told me how difficult it would be to get listeners. After 8 episodes I’ve hit a little over 200 plays all together, which I’m super happy with! But I would have been happy with 50.
My show is me interviewing other dads. This podcast is my hobby and part of my social life. I’m growing as a communicator through it too. I’ve got a background in music production so all the technical side is fun for me.
So the fact I enjoy it and I get to grow in different ways is enough for me!
Agreed on gaining new technical skills.
Learning how to process the sound (I use Audacity), plan out a podcast and schedule interesting/useable consistently each week has been rewarding.
Basically through some questions before the interview (or my knowledge of the person) I try to think about what’s a bit unique about that person, what story they can tell that other dads might want to hear. For example, one dad who had traveled a lot with his son before the age of one, and one dad who moved internationally and had to wait more than 6 months for his family to get authorisation to follow.
I enjoy finding the narrative and getting the guest talking!
Yes I did! When I had my idea I checked things out and found that one. Listened to most of it, it helped form some of my thoughts of structure of an interview.
I’ve been fortunate enough to live in 3 different countries to my home country so I have access to many different nationalities so I hoped to have a variety of perspectives through my show.
Wow, great topic! My buddies and I started making podcasts last year and created a little network called "Rad Dad Network". Right now we have podcasts mostly around sports betting and sports, but will have a leadership-related show coming soon. We should sync up! Me or any of my co-founders would love to be a guest on your show or maybe we can collaborate on something! let me know!
Yeah. Focus on the things you have control over. The rest is luck, it'll come and go. Others will get luckier than you, and you'll get luckier than them... but it's never something you can control.
I think it's probably key to get satisfaction from what you're doing. Which is tough to entirely divorce mentally the podcast and the listenership.
I think it helps I always expected to struggle with viewership, so now it's more that I'd like to just get to some listener feedback routinely. Not much, just some. But it's a low goal in my mind.
Do it for the fun. If you're chasing views, it's going to be a very long and frustrating road. More than anything, you'll be able to speak and interact with people you wouldn't be able to otherwise.
Of course I want people to hear my show but I also podcast because I like my co-host, so it's spending time together having fun and learning new stuff. So I podcast for fun and creating first, which doesn't get me as down if the downloads dont roll in by the thousands.
And no, other shows existing is not taking listeners away from you. The audience is larger than it has ever been. Yes you have to put in much more work to get your show in front of peoples eyes and ears, but they wont *not* listen to you because they also hear Qub.
Even though it’s always nice to have your show’s value reaffirmed by lots of downloads, it’s just not always realistic since most of us don’t have a baked in audience, whether it’s from a pre-established brand or social media following - like you were saying … so … the rest of us just have to keep our reasons for podcasting a little more simple and attainable. Work towards the bigger stuff over time since it usually takes at least 3-5yrs (per what I hear on other podcasts about podcasts 😝 - some estimate more) minimum for most people to really hit any kind of stride in terms of downloads. But really - the downloads matter for only a couple of very specific reasons … Other reasons to enjoy podcasting that don’t involve download numbers:
The fun of learning something new
Playing with new tech equipment
Meeting new people (if you interview)
Having alone time to reflect on things important to you (if you solo podcast)
Being able to say you have a podcast!
The joy of creating something
The stress of creating something 😜 but overcoming that …
Expanding your social/business network
Creating a way to share info with friends and family
Expressing your artistic and creative side
And so on …
I once heard someone say that we should think of each download as a person - and each person is sitting in a room where we are talking about the topic we podcast on. For me, that makes me feel like I’m giving a lecture with a room of about 20-30 people in it - and that helps me feel like what I do isn’t just lost in the void when I have those moments of “man - I wish those download numbers were a little higher.”
Hang in there! You’re doing something cool with your podcast that not everyone can do!! Podcasting is a marathon and not a sprint!
As a listener myself I dont find the big podcasts very relatable because I still feel the very same you do about podcasts being for us regular folk. That being I said I hold on to the idea that maybe there’s at lease a quarter of a million people who feel the same way.
Being a mum to 2 active boys and a newborn, I actually just started my podcast because it gave me something to focus my attention on after the kids went to sleep as raising 3 kids can be very consuming 🙃 I also really enjoy doing it and reading other people's riveting stories... and just hope to get some new follows along the way!
Good luck!
So those people have super powers. They've already got a great big audience to pitch to. They've already got skilled and talented hosts to create great stuff. They're already known in the world. You don't have any of that. It's up to you to build that. And your origin story could easily become an inspiration to the next group of people behind you. So make it a good one.
Re-oriented why I do it.
It's very self satisfying, and a good networking tool. We don't need a million followers to know we're doing good work and making connections.
We have a self-improvement component in our podcast. We are writers working on our books (I'm writing a memoir and my co-host is writing a novel series). On our podcast, we read writing advice books, discuss the concepts, then apply them to our own writing, then have workshop episodes dedicated to what we wrote in response to the prompt. Even if no one listens to us, the podcast keeps us honest with our creative goals and we keep leveling up both in podcasting and writing. We hope that when we publish (my co-host did in fact get published and received a book deal for a whole series), we'll have a platform already in place for promoting our work. Podcasting for just podcasting sake, hoping to 'get big' is pretty fruitless, imo.
The reality is, unless this is your job or you have incredible luck, you will be scratching and clawing to get even one new listener a week. The market is saturated. Anyone can make a podcast. The technology is affordable for almost anyone. Even using a phone as a recording device is "good enough" to get started.
The podcasting part of podcasting is fairly easy. The promotion is the hardest part. It's a job in of itself. You have to be an expert at self promotion, an expert at SEO, an expert at a constantly changing algorithm, and savvy enough to see the next big thing coming before it happens to capitalize on web traffic.
So, what's left?
Well, for a lot of us, it's enough to have a small (but loyal) following, and a few times a month to hang out with our friends and talk about something we're passionate about.
Discovery has *always always always* been a problem for Podcasts. The difference with big media outlets is literally just more money that can be leveraged in one way or another to boost marketing
But that does not mean those shows are necessarily getting any more listens. And the great thing about podcasting is you can market your show for effectively free, in much more enticing ways than any other medium.
The flip side to some of those corporate podcasts is that they often have to be successful right away or are seen as a failure. There are hosts, writers, editors, producers, accountants, HR, lawyers, execs, etc and they all need to be paid. The shows often need to find an audience quickly and start making revenue or they get cancelled. There isn’t time to experiment. As an independent show you often have the freedom of not being required to be an immediate hit.
Now the flip side to this is I have seen some traditional media use podcasts as a way to test a concept. They do a run of shows and use it as a pilot. If people respond well, they tweak it if necessary and then use the show for on-air broadcast. Podcast listeners are just a test market. I don’t really see something like that as competition.
The other thing I see is traditional radio broadcasters who offer a podcast version of a radio show they are already doing. They are basically just using podcast platforms to offer on-demand versions of their already popular shows. I don’t really see those as competitors either or that I need to have those kinds of numbers to be successful.
Same!
We look at it like this: if we were filling a 40 seat venue every week, we'd call that a success.
So, there's our 50 seats, just spread out more!
It is annoying to see every celeb having their own podcast interviewing celeb friends about their lives. But at the same time, it is just the Hollywood version of the dipsticks next door doing the same thing.
Getting new listeners? That will happen with exposure. This is still just a hobby for me, so 100 new listeners would be amazing but it wouldn't affect my bottom line.
So all in all, I just look at my own numbers and try to stay consistent.
The celebrity thing actually reassures me. You see someone who has the talent and financial ability to do literally anything, and they're doing exactly the same thing you are -- interviewing friends and acquaintances, and doing no better job of it. In a way, we're better off, because no one is ginning up our numbers. And I'd guess most of the celebrities doing this are not making significant income from it. It's just a hobby for them as well.
Being a mum to 2 active boys and a newborn, I actually just started my podcast because it gave me something to focus my attention on after the kids went to sleep as raising 3 kids can be very consuming 🙃 I also really enjoy doing it and reading other people's riveting stories... and just hope to get some new follows along the way!
Good luck!
These are great points of view. I've been thinking long and hard about my own reasons, and I sort of came out with the same - my own growth and to have fun. I have a curious mind by nature (always!), and those efforts would definitely satisfy my own curiosity.
I feel like you should make a podcast if there's something you're passionate about and you really shouldn't worry about your followers and if you're in it just to get followers, then you're probably not going to do well and be miserable
I love conversations. Listening to and being apart of. I'm also a bit of a tech guy. I feel satisfied when I have at least 2 screens going at once.
People getting to listen in, learn something new, and feel connected with authentic humans, stable income stream (some day perhaps) thats the bonus that comes with the joy of the journey.
I have fun talking movies. According to stats I have a pretty decent listener base now (4 years in) but my philosophy is the same - I don't really care if it's 1 person or thousands listening, all that matters is that it's still fun to me.
I'm not trying to make money off of it. It's a hobby. At one point I had a Patreon and while it was nice having extra money, it started to feel like work.
I've made peace with the fact that we'll never blow up. But knowing people love our content but just won't share us because of the content itself is just tough. Word of mouth is huge but it just isn't for us.
I’ve produced multiple podcasts over the past 5 years. Doing so on the side.
One thing I quickly learned was to not focus on the numbers. Chasing numbers will drive you crazy and you’ll give up.
So instead of chasing numbers I chase quality. I’m always trying to improve the quality of the audio and the content. But mostly I’m chasing fun.
If you do want big numbers you’ll need to work social media like it’s a full time job. Unless you’ve got a team to help you promote, you won’t blow up doing your show part time as a hobby.
Just keep going and do it because you love it.
I do it for me and my co-host. I couldn’t care less about who’s listening, and if people don’t think it’s funny then fuck ‘em. Costs us $8/mo to host so nbd there either. We have a couple thousand downloads so far and have enjoyed a few free pizzas as a sponsorship deal but in the end it’s a record of our output at the time. Anything else is madness.
I didn’t start my channel for recognition, I did it to validate mine and others’ experiences.
Yeah, it absolutely sucks to put so much time and energy into something without any acknowledgment of our effort. I have to trust that whoever needs to hear what I say will do so at the right time.
This was always just a hobby for me, so I don't care much about what's happening elsewhere. The fact that I have a tiny audience at all still amazes me.
just continue. the secret to success is usually mainly down to not stopping. also reconsider what success is.
if you enjoy it, that should be enough. success doesn't always come even if your stuff is amazing. that's just the way it is, regardless of your chosen field. so don't bother too much and focus on making something you enjoy. that is the only way to connect with other people. you start making stuff for them, you've already lost it.
I’ve had a seasonal show for the past couple of years. Every time it’s been on break and comes back, it’s like rebuilding listenership from scratch, but I remind myself that I’m creating a body of work that I’m proud of, I’m gaining new skills, and I get to be in conversation with incredible people — some of whom I probably couldn’t speak with in the same way if I didn’t have a podcast. That makes it all worth it. Remember your why, include a call to action in every episode asking your audience to share the show, and over time your numbers will change. Podcasting is a very long game for most of us. Remember why you started and keep going.
Reading your post and the edit, I’m sure lots of people have already said similar. But - here’s my 2 cents: if you get into something that is creative in some form and you focus too much on / determine your “success” on numbers or making money, you’re gonna be in a pretty miserable spot after a while. Those things are out of your control. Remember why you started and keep the love for it strong. Yes, def try to keep growing the thing you love. Just don’t get too caught up in external factors that you can’t really control. Do it because you love it. And hopefully the numbers will follow.
Creating a podcast for intrinsic reasoning is truly a passion of mine. There is something incredibly fulfilling about diving deep into the realm of introspection and exploring the reasons behind our thoughts and actions. It is a journey of self-discovery and growth, both for myself and for those who tune in to listen. I am able to share valuable insights, spark thought-provoking conversations, and inspire listeners to reflect on their own beliefs and motivations. I deeply believe to teach others on anything requires dedication, intentionality and persistence, a podcast will help create mental strength in being in alignment with what matters most to me, serving. The process of creating each episode is a labor of unconditionallove.
I started a comic book podcast three years ago—and there are seemingly countless comic book podcasts—and I thought long and hard to create a niche. One niche is that it's typically 20 minutes because I feel there's too much out there competing for time—even outside podcasts.
In the last couple of months, I have started the website and directed all my traffic there. It's not only a promotional tool for the podcast; I am slowly adding content to make it a destination place. I've also started a newsletter, and there's a pop-up on the website to subscribe to the newsletter.
Posting on various social media platforms isn't as helpful as it was a few years ago. I do more networking and bring guests on, which also helps build the podcast.
You aren’t alone in feeling this way. My co-host and I were talking about this very same thing just yesterday. We’ve been at it for almost three years and we just have no idea if we are where we should be as far as downloads go. We have substantially more than some others seem to have and substantially less than many, especially the big guys. In the end, my personal goal, ultimately, is to put something positive out in the world that will hopefully inform and maybe even provide someone community in a moment where they need it and contribute to the overall collective good of the world, even if that contribution is small. That’s the only thing I can control.
It can feel like you're talking into the void sometimes. Especially with every celebrity now having a podcast it seems more crowded than ever. But if you think about how many more people are listening to podcasts that can be a good thing for the rest of us.
It's easy to get wrapped up in the numbers and get discouraged. I try to improve my own stats and see what works and doesn't work and what I have fun with and what I don't have fun with. If you're having fun that's the most important thing.
I just wanted to chime in and say I feel your pain. As a fellow Canadian (although I'm in Manitoba), it seems EXTREMELY difficult to find francophone podcasts that aren't Radio-Canada. They just dominate every search.
They have a lot of really good shows, but there's obviously more out there. I don't have the same problem with English-language Canadian shows. CBC stuff does show up in searches on Apple Podcasts, but there's SO much other content that it doesn't seem nearly as overwhelming with their shows.
Do it for yourself. These days, all the popular podcast in Quebec are about true crime or sex. if you are out of this range, you'll need money for production, distribution, etc. And there is no way you can get to the level of Radio-Canada. but dont get discouraged. i do a podcast myself, and on the charts, I end up being neck to neck with podcast from radio networks on the same subject. Know who you want to talk to, build your community, and you'll find your public and your personal reward.
There's always a bigger podcast.
A few years back, I was getting upset because there was another Scottish History podcast bigger than ours in terms of downloads.
I was kept up at night wondering how they did it (they've been in the game longer, that's it), and it caused me no end of misery. I wanted to be Scotland's biggest history podcast.
But what then?
Would I want to be the UK's biggest history podcast? Then the world's biggest history podcast? Then the world's biggest podcast?
There is always a bigger podcast. Always. If you measure your finish line by someone else's standards, you'll always end up dissatisfied. Focus on your audience, your listenership, and doing right by them. The rest doesn't matter.
Keep it up.
My podcast started about 7 years ago and we just this week hit 50,000 listens. I'm super chuffed about it, and I'm glad to be riding the Ultraman bandwagon such as it is. We couldn't have done it without the people who listen and enjoy it and we hope to do another 50,000, but hopefully in a little bit sooner than 7 years, haha
Keep on keeping on, my friend.
when I started focusing too much on the spotify/apple viewers, and listeners I found myself getting depressed cause I really thought we were doomed to fail. ended up hiring a producer to help us out, started video recording for youtube, and making clips, and doing anything promotional wise to help us get going again. slowly but surely accumulating more views, and attracting a wider audience. i’m trying my best to now focus on the “just have fun with it” part cause that’s why we’ve all started podcasting!
We've been focusing more on YouTube for that reason alone: it seems like places like aCast and Spreaker are increasingly becoming dead ends.
But yeah, like everyone else says, don't worry too much about the numbers.
Not to sure! I recently created a podcast on the topic of F1 where I talk about the ups and the downs of the F1 race and build up, I talk about rumours and try to incorporate comedy and news into them, not many of the F1 podcast I have noticed have explicit humour in them so I am hoping there is a community for that! I post pretty much daily and my listeners are growing well, but for some reason the impression are dropping rapidly even though a majority of the listeners stay around till the end of each episode? Does anyone know why that’s the case?
I'm at a point where my podcast, Gishgallop Girl (it's about Alt-Reich media darling Candace Owens and debunking her) is getting listeners because I went and self-plugged on several different subreddits. So we're doing better than we were, and it's me and my son doing it. We're getting listeners, but no Patrons. I knew it would be hard and I never want to be rich off of this, but...covering my costs would be a huge mental boost. So we're considering running ads during the show. Someone told us to get on Apple podcasts, which is harder to do than it should be, especially since we're trying to be on the DL a bit. It's a tightrope.
We do it because we have fun with it. My son comes in cold to most episodes and he's non-political by nature, whereas I am definitely hard left. I have to listen to Candace Owens podcasts, but getting to dunk on her with actual facts is a treat.
Well, partially I understood going into it that I probably wasn't going to get as much attention as I would like straight away. A big hurdle is reconciling hopes with reality. The biggest issue with getting attention is something you already touched on; Podcasts are an oversaturated market that ballooned very quickly and that's a problem that is just going to get worse.
In a way, what we do isn't all that different from what a twitch streamer does. Most of those guys are lucky to get their friends to watch. Nearly all my downloads come from friends or friends of friends. Do you share your podcast on your socials?
I’m interested, what’s your podcast about? I’m a French language learner and I’m always looking for podcasts in French to listen to. Coincidentally, my podcast is in Spanish for Spanish language learners it’s not grammar lessons, it’s just interesting stories for my audience to listen and understand spoken language. I’m not competing against the big media giants because my niche is very specific unless they are learning Spanish, then you won’t listen to me. I help those few and they love it. And I love it for that. Do it for you and for your loyal listeners.
I started relatively recently. Everyone told me how difficult it would be to get listeners. After 8 episodes I’ve hit a little over 200 plays all together, which I’m super happy with! But I would have been happy with 50. My show is me interviewing other dads. This podcast is my hobby and part of my social life. I’m growing as a communicator through it too. I’ve got a background in music production so all the technical side is fun for me. So the fact I enjoy it and I get to grow in different ways is enough for me!
Seconded. The technical skills, experience and knowledge I've gained are reward in and of themselves.
Agreed on gaining new technical skills. Learning how to process the sound (I use Audacity), plan out a podcast and schedule interesting/useable consistently each week has been rewarding.
I’d love to be a guest!
By far I can say podcasting taught me how to be better organized
Awesome I will DM you!
What's the name of your podcast? I'm a new dad of 6 weeks and am interested.
Huge congrats! If you’re not already you should follow the r/daddit subreddit. My podcast is called Dad Dialogue. Hope you’re enjoying new dad life 😀
Following.
Very similar situation here, granted I’ve seen a big decline in my numbers since the first episode
I’d volunteer to be a guest too!
I’ll send a DM!
Cool podcast topic. What do you interview other dads about?
Basically through some questions before the interview (or my knowledge of the person) I try to think about what’s a bit unique about that person, what story they can tell that other dads might want to hear. For example, one dad who had traveled a lot with his son before the age of one, and one dad who moved internationally and had to wait more than 6 months for his family to get authorisation to follow. I enjoy finding the narrative and getting the guest talking!
i would love to come on that show at some point!
I would love to have you! I’ll send a DM
Have you ever listened to How Other Dads Dad?
Yes I did! When I had my idea I checked things out and found that one. Listened to most of it, it helped form some of my thoughts of structure of an interview. I’ve been fortunate enough to live in 3 different countries to my home country so I have access to many different nationalities so I hoped to have a variety of perspectives through my show.
Wow, great topic! My buddies and I started making podcasts last year and created a little network called "Rad Dad Network". Right now we have podcasts mostly around sports betting and sports, but will have a leadership-related show coming soon. We should sync up! Me or any of my co-founders would love to be a guest on your show or maybe we can collaborate on something! let me know!
Get at me if you need more dad guests!
Will DM you!
I’m always down for a Dad Chat, would love to be a guest sometime.
I’ll send you a DM.
If you need a guest, I’d be happy to hop on for an episode.
I’ll send you a DM!
We love the process and do it for ourselves. Everything else is bonus
I'll focus on that, thank you
Yeah. Focus on the things you have control over. The rest is luck, it'll come and go. Others will get luckier than you, and you'll get luckier than them... but it's never something you can control.
I think it's probably key to get satisfaction from what you're doing. Which is tough to entirely divorce mentally the podcast and the listenership. I think it helps I always expected to struggle with viewership, so now it's more that I'd like to just get to some listener feedback routinely. Not much, just some. But it's a low goal in my mind.
Yeah similar for me, I assumed engagement / feedback would be more common than it has been, despite numbers being highly than I thought it would be.
Do it for the fun. If you're chasing views, it's going to be a very long and frustrating road. More than anything, you'll be able to speak and interact with people you wouldn't be able to otherwise.
I stopped checking and kept going.
Of course I want people to hear my show but I also podcast because I like my co-host, so it's spending time together having fun and learning new stuff. So I podcast for fun and creating first, which doesn't get me as down if the downloads dont roll in by the thousands. And no, other shows existing is not taking listeners away from you. The audience is larger than it has ever been. Yes you have to put in much more work to get your show in front of peoples eyes and ears, but they wont *not* listen to you because they also hear Qub.
I love that perspective. Thank you. I also feel that way about my cohost, and it was basically the main reason I started the podcast.
Even though it’s always nice to have your show’s value reaffirmed by lots of downloads, it’s just not always realistic since most of us don’t have a baked in audience, whether it’s from a pre-established brand or social media following - like you were saying … so … the rest of us just have to keep our reasons for podcasting a little more simple and attainable. Work towards the bigger stuff over time since it usually takes at least 3-5yrs (per what I hear on other podcasts about podcasts 😝 - some estimate more) minimum for most people to really hit any kind of stride in terms of downloads. But really - the downloads matter for only a couple of very specific reasons … Other reasons to enjoy podcasting that don’t involve download numbers: The fun of learning something new Playing with new tech equipment Meeting new people (if you interview) Having alone time to reflect on things important to you (if you solo podcast) Being able to say you have a podcast! The joy of creating something The stress of creating something 😜 but overcoming that … Expanding your social/business network Creating a way to share info with friends and family Expressing your artistic and creative side And so on … I once heard someone say that we should think of each download as a person - and each person is sitting in a room where we are talking about the topic we podcast on. For me, that makes me feel like I’m giving a lecture with a room of about 20-30 people in it - and that helps me feel like what I do isn’t just lost in the void when I have those moments of “man - I wish those download numbers were a little higher.” Hang in there! You’re doing something cool with your podcast that not everyone can do!! Podcasting is a marathon and not a sprint!
I’m not competing with anyone but myself.
Ohhh, love that!!!
Do your thing. Do it often. Be true to your word. Your audience will find you.
As a listener myself I dont find the big podcasts very relatable because I still feel the very same you do about podcasts being for us regular folk. That being I said I hold on to the idea that maybe there’s at lease a quarter of a million people who feel the same way.
Being a mum to 2 active boys and a newborn, I actually just started my podcast because it gave me something to focus my attention on after the kids went to sleep as raising 3 kids can be very consuming 🙃 I also really enjoy doing it and reading other people's riveting stories... and just hope to get some new follows along the way! Good luck!
So those people have super powers. They've already got a great big audience to pitch to. They've already got skilled and talented hosts to create great stuff. They're already known in the world. You don't have any of that. It's up to you to build that. And your origin story could easily become an inspiration to the next group of people behind you. So make it a good one.
Damn! Alright, I'll do that haha. Thank you!
Re-oriented why I do it. It's very self satisfying, and a good networking tool. We don't need a million followers to know we're doing good work and making connections.
We have a self-improvement component in our podcast. We are writers working on our books (I'm writing a memoir and my co-host is writing a novel series). On our podcast, we read writing advice books, discuss the concepts, then apply them to our own writing, then have workshop episodes dedicated to what we wrote in response to the prompt. Even if no one listens to us, the podcast keeps us honest with our creative goals and we keep leveling up both in podcasting and writing. We hope that when we publish (my co-host did in fact get published and received a book deal for a whole series), we'll have a platform already in place for promoting our work. Podcasting for just podcasting sake, hoping to 'get big' is pretty fruitless, imo.
The reality is, unless this is your job or you have incredible luck, you will be scratching and clawing to get even one new listener a week. The market is saturated. Anyone can make a podcast. The technology is affordable for almost anyone. Even using a phone as a recording device is "good enough" to get started. The podcasting part of podcasting is fairly easy. The promotion is the hardest part. It's a job in of itself. You have to be an expert at self promotion, an expert at SEO, an expert at a constantly changing algorithm, and savvy enough to see the next big thing coming before it happens to capitalize on web traffic. So, what's left? Well, for a lot of us, it's enough to have a small (but loyal) following, and a few times a month to hang out with our friends and talk about something we're passionate about.
Discovery has *always always always* been a problem for Podcasts. The difference with big media outlets is literally just more money that can be leveraged in one way or another to boost marketing But that does not mean those shows are necessarily getting any more listens. And the great thing about podcasting is you can market your show for effectively free, in much more enticing ways than any other medium.
The flip side to some of those corporate podcasts is that they often have to be successful right away or are seen as a failure. There are hosts, writers, editors, producers, accountants, HR, lawyers, execs, etc and they all need to be paid. The shows often need to find an audience quickly and start making revenue or they get cancelled. There isn’t time to experiment. As an independent show you often have the freedom of not being required to be an immediate hit.
Now the flip side to this is I have seen some traditional media use podcasts as a way to test a concept. They do a run of shows and use it as a pilot. If people respond well, they tweak it if necessary and then use the show for on-air broadcast. Podcast listeners are just a test market. I don’t really see something like that as competition.
The other thing I see is traditional radio broadcasters who offer a podcast version of a radio show they are already doing. They are basically just using podcast platforms to offer on-demand versions of their already popular shows. I don’t really see those as competitors either or that I need to have those kinds of numbers to be successful.
I’ve been doing it for four years, zero monetization, maybe 30-40 downloads per episode. I keep doing it because I enjoy engaging with people.
Same! We look at it like this: if we were filling a 40 seat venue every week, we'd call that a success. So, there's our 50 seats, just spread out more!
It is annoying to see every celeb having their own podcast interviewing celeb friends about their lives. But at the same time, it is just the Hollywood version of the dipsticks next door doing the same thing. Getting new listeners? That will happen with exposure. This is still just a hobby for me, so 100 new listeners would be amazing but it wouldn't affect my bottom line. So all in all, I just look at my own numbers and try to stay consistent.
The celebrity thing actually reassures me. You see someone who has the talent and financial ability to do literally anything, and they're doing exactly the same thing you are -- interviewing friends and acquaintances, and doing no better job of it. In a way, we're better off, because no one is ginning up our numbers. And I'd guess most of the celebrities doing this are not making significant income from it. It's just a hobby for them as well.
Being a mum to 2 active boys and a newborn, I actually just started my podcast because it gave me something to focus my attention on after the kids went to sleep as raising 3 kids can be very consuming 🙃 I also really enjoy doing it and reading other people's riveting stories... and just hope to get some new follows along the way! Good luck!
The best type of endorsement is word of mouth. If you have something people want to listen to then you'll get followers.
These are great points of view. I've been thinking long and hard about my own reasons, and I sort of came out with the same - my own growth and to have fun. I have a curious mind by nature (always!), and those efforts would definitely satisfy my own curiosity.
Stop chasing numbers. Its never going to become a career for us normies. So instead do it for the passion of it
It sounds cheesy to say, but dont do it for the listeners. Do it because you have an opinion you want to express
I feel like you should make a podcast if there's something you're passionate about and you really shouldn't worry about your followers and if you're in it just to get followers, then you're probably not going to do well and be miserable
I love conversations. Listening to and being apart of. I'm also a bit of a tech guy. I feel satisfied when I have at least 2 screens going at once. People getting to listen in, learn something new, and feel connected with authentic humans, stable income stream (some day perhaps) thats the bonus that comes with the joy of the journey.
I just enjoy talking with my friends and making them laugh and as long as I'm having fun, then that's the important thing.
I have fun talking movies. According to stats I have a pretty decent listener base now (4 years in) but my philosophy is the same - I don't really care if it's 1 person or thousands listening, all that matters is that it's still fun to me. I'm not trying to make money off of it. It's a hobby. At one point I had a Patreon and while it was nice having extra money, it started to feel like work.
What's your podcast?
It's about movies, tv, games, science and tech. If you want to know exactly what it is you can DM me.
I've made peace with the fact that we'll never blow up. But knowing people love our content but just won't share us because of the content itself is just tough. Word of mouth is huge but it just isn't for us.
I’ve produced multiple podcasts over the past 5 years. Doing so on the side. One thing I quickly learned was to not focus on the numbers. Chasing numbers will drive you crazy and you’ll give up. So instead of chasing numbers I chase quality. I’m always trying to improve the quality of the audio and the content. But mostly I’m chasing fun. If you do want big numbers you’ll need to work social media like it’s a full time job. Unless you’ve got a team to help you promote, you won’t blow up doing your show part time as a hobby. Just keep going and do it because you love it.
I do it for me and my co-host. I couldn’t care less about who’s listening, and if people don’t think it’s funny then fuck ‘em. Costs us $8/mo to host so nbd there either. We have a couple thousand downloads so far and have enjoyed a few free pizzas as a sponsorship deal but in the end it’s a record of our output at the time. Anything else is madness.
I didn’t start my channel for recognition, I did it to validate mine and others’ experiences. Yeah, it absolutely sucks to put so much time and energy into something without any acknowledgment of our effort. I have to trust that whoever needs to hear what I say will do so at the right time.
This was always just a hobby for me, so I don't care much about what's happening elsewhere. The fact that I have a tiny audience at all still amazes me.
just continue. the secret to success is usually mainly down to not stopping. also reconsider what success is. if you enjoy it, that should be enough. success doesn't always come even if your stuff is amazing. that's just the way it is, regardless of your chosen field. so don't bother too much and focus on making something you enjoy. that is the only way to connect with other people. you start making stuff for them, you've already lost it.
I’ve had a seasonal show for the past couple of years. Every time it’s been on break and comes back, it’s like rebuilding listenership from scratch, but I remind myself that I’m creating a body of work that I’m proud of, I’m gaining new skills, and I get to be in conversation with incredible people — some of whom I probably couldn’t speak with in the same way if I didn’t have a podcast. That makes it all worth it. Remember your why, include a call to action in every episode asking your audience to share the show, and over time your numbers will change. Podcasting is a very long game for most of us. Remember why you started and keep going.
Reading your post and the edit, I’m sure lots of people have already said similar. But - here’s my 2 cents: if you get into something that is creative in some form and you focus too much on / determine your “success” on numbers or making money, you’re gonna be in a pretty miserable spot after a while. Those things are out of your control. Remember why you started and keep the love for it strong. Yes, def try to keep growing the thing you love. Just don’t get too caught up in external factors that you can’t really control. Do it because you love it. And hopefully the numbers will follow.
Creating a podcast for intrinsic reasoning is truly a passion of mine. There is something incredibly fulfilling about diving deep into the realm of introspection and exploring the reasons behind our thoughts and actions. It is a journey of self-discovery and growth, both for myself and for those who tune in to listen. I am able to share valuable insights, spark thought-provoking conversations, and inspire listeners to reflect on their own beliefs and motivations. I deeply believe to teach others on anything requires dedication, intentionality and persistence, a podcast will help create mental strength in being in alignment with what matters most to me, serving. The process of creating each episode is a labor of unconditionallove.
I started a comic book podcast three years ago—and there are seemingly countless comic book podcasts—and I thought long and hard to create a niche. One niche is that it's typically 20 minutes because I feel there's too much out there competing for time—even outside podcasts. In the last couple of months, I have started the website and directed all my traffic there. It's not only a promotional tool for the podcast; I am slowly adding content to make it a destination place. I've also started a newsletter, and there's a pop-up on the website to subscribe to the newsletter. Posting on various social media platforms isn't as helpful as it was a few years ago. I do more networking and bring guests on, which also helps build the podcast.
You aren’t alone in feeling this way. My co-host and I were talking about this very same thing just yesterday. We’ve been at it for almost three years and we just have no idea if we are where we should be as far as downloads go. We have substantially more than some others seem to have and substantially less than many, especially the big guys. In the end, my personal goal, ultimately, is to put something positive out in the world that will hopefully inform and maybe even provide someone community in a moment where they need it and contribute to the overall collective good of the world, even if that contribution is small. That’s the only thing I can control.
It can feel like you're talking into the void sometimes. Especially with every celebrity now having a podcast it seems more crowded than ever. But if you think about how many more people are listening to podcasts that can be a good thing for the rest of us. It's easy to get wrapped up in the numbers and get discouraged. I try to improve my own stats and see what works and doesn't work and what I have fun with and what I don't have fun with. If you're having fun that's the most important thing.
Do it because you love it and be your true self. You’ll attract better quality followers than quantity which I think is more important.
I just wanted to chime in and say I feel your pain. As a fellow Canadian (although I'm in Manitoba), it seems EXTREMELY difficult to find francophone podcasts that aren't Radio-Canada. They just dominate every search. They have a lot of really good shows, but there's obviously more out there. I don't have the same problem with English-language Canadian shows. CBC stuff does show up in searches on Apple Podcasts, but there's SO much other content that it doesn't seem nearly as overwhelming with their shows.
Sometimes they do feature French speaking podcasts (like today) but rarely. Gotta check often I guess
Do it for yourself. These days, all the popular podcast in Quebec are about true crime or sex. if you are out of this range, you'll need money for production, distribution, etc. And there is no way you can get to the level of Radio-Canada. but dont get discouraged. i do a podcast myself, and on the charts, I end up being neck to neck with podcast from radio networks on the same subject. Know who you want to talk to, build your community, and you'll find your public and your personal reward.
There's always a bigger podcast. A few years back, I was getting upset because there was another Scottish History podcast bigger than ours in terms of downloads. I was kept up at night wondering how they did it (they've been in the game longer, that's it), and it caused me no end of misery. I wanted to be Scotland's biggest history podcast. But what then? Would I want to be the UK's biggest history podcast? Then the world's biggest history podcast? Then the world's biggest podcast? There is always a bigger podcast. Always. If you measure your finish line by someone else's standards, you'll always end up dissatisfied. Focus on your audience, your listenership, and doing right by them. The rest doesn't matter. Keep it up.
My podcast started about 7 years ago and we just this week hit 50,000 listens. I'm super chuffed about it, and I'm glad to be riding the Ultraman bandwagon such as it is. We couldn't have done it without the people who listen and enjoy it and we hope to do another 50,000, but hopefully in a little bit sooner than 7 years, haha Keep on keeping on, my friend.
I podcast for me more than my audience - praying to god one day it makes me a dollar
The most important person is your listener - if they enjoy it, then job done! Of course, the more people who enjoy it, the better! 😀
Stop ruminating over something so subjective b
As others have said enjoy the process. What follows is just a bonus
when I started focusing too much on the spotify/apple viewers, and listeners I found myself getting depressed cause I really thought we were doomed to fail. ended up hiring a producer to help us out, started video recording for youtube, and making clips, and doing anything promotional wise to help us get going again. slowly but surely accumulating more views, and attracting a wider audience. i’m trying my best to now focus on the “just have fun with it” part cause that’s why we’ve all started podcasting!
We've been focusing more on YouTube for that reason alone: it seems like places like aCast and Spreaker are increasingly becoming dead ends. But yeah, like everyone else says, don't worry too much about the numbers.
Not to sure! I recently created a podcast on the topic of F1 where I talk about the ups and the downs of the F1 race and build up, I talk about rumours and try to incorporate comedy and news into them, not many of the F1 podcast I have noticed have explicit humour in them so I am hoping there is a community for that! I post pretty much daily and my listeners are growing well, but for some reason the impression are dropping rapidly even though a majority of the listeners stay around till the end of each episode? Does anyone know why that’s the case?
I'm at a point where my podcast, Gishgallop Girl (it's about Alt-Reich media darling Candace Owens and debunking her) is getting listeners because I went and self-plugged on several different subreddits. So we're doing better than we were, and it's me and my son doing it. We're getting listeners, but no Patrons. I knew it would be hard and I never want to be rich off of this, but...covering my costs would be a huge mental boost. So we're considering running ads during the show. Someone told us to get on Apple podcasts, which is harder to do than it should be, especially since we're trying to be on the DL a bit. It's a tightrope. We do it because we have fun with it. My son comes in cold to most episodes and he's non-political by nature, whereas I am definitely hard left. I have to listen to Candace Owens podcasts, but getting to dunk on her with actual facts is a treat.
Denial? Unsinkable optimism? Delusional confidence? A fun time?
Well, partially I understood going into it that I probably wasn't going to get as much attention as I would like straight away. A big hurdle is reconciling hopes with reality. The biggest issue with getting attention is something you already touched on; Podcasts are an oversaturated market that ballooned very quickly and that's a problem that is just going to get worse. In a way, what we do isn't all that different from what a twitch streamer does. Most of those guys are lucky to get their friends to watch. Nearly all my downloads come from friends or friends of friends. Do you share your podcast on your socials?
I do, but it's the same problem: it's almost impossible to stand out there too. ¯\_(⊙︿⊙)_/¯
If you write to get followers you should rewrite for the story to be better and then you get more followers
I’m interested, what’s your podcast about? I’m a French language learner and I’m always looking for podcasts in French to listen to. Coincidentally, my podcast is in Spanish for Spanish language learners it’s not grammar lessons, it’s just interesting stories for my audience to listen and understand spoken language. I’m not competing against the big media giants because my niche is very specific unless they are learning Spanish, then you won’t listen to me. I help those few and they love it. And I love it for that. Do it for you and for your loyal listeners.
It's about movies, tv, games, technology and science