Why Do Podcasters Quit by Episode 5?

04/23/24 • 53 min

2 Listeners

Many podcasts don't make it past episode five, according to new data from the Podcast Index. In this episode, Mark, Danny, Dave Jackson, and Ashley Hamer discuss the challenges and misconceptions surrounding podcasting.

Takeaways

Many podcasts don't make it past episode five, possibly due to the rise of free podcast hosting platforms like Anchor, now Spotify for Podcasters.
The lack of immediate feedback and community engagement in podcasting can be disheartening for new podcasters.
The influx of celebrity podcasts and the perception of difficulty in getting noticed may discourage indie podcasters.
To overcome these challenges, podcasters should focus on their internal motivation, have a long list of episode topics, and plan for breaks or hiatuses.
Setting realistic expectations is crucial in podcasting, as it takes time and effort to grow an audience and make money.
Podcasting is not a quick way to make six figures, and it's important to focus on creating valuable content and building a loyal audience.

Our co-hosts this week:

Ashley Hamer

Ashley Hamer is Managing Editor at Descript, an AI-powered audio and video editor. She's also the author of the Weekly Tweak, a newsletter that helps podcasters improve their show week by week, and the creator/host of Taboo Science, a podcast that examines taboos through a scientific lens. Formerly, she was the co-creator and co-host of Curiosity Daily, a daily science podcast from Discovery. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband and toddler daughter where she plays jazz saxophone at venues around the city.

@smashleyhamer on X - Ashley on YouTube - Ashley's Website

Dave Jackson

Dave Jackson began podcasting in 2005 and launched the School of Podcasting (schoolofpodcasting.com). His School of Podcasting show has over 3.1 million downloads. He has helped hundreds of people plan, launch, and grow their podcasts. He is the author of the book Profit from your podcast and is a featured speaker at events. In 2016 Dave joined Libsyn (the largest podcast hosting company) as part of their tech support team. In 2018 he was inducted into the Academy of Podcasters Hall of Fame. His flagship show is at www.schoolofpodcast..com

@DaveJackson on X - @schoolofpodcasting on Instagram - Dave on YouTube - Dave's Website Dave's Facebook page

Links to interesting things from this episode

In & Around Podcasting is a podcast industry podcast brought to you by Mark Asquith and Danny Brown.

If you enjoy the show, we'd love for you to leave us a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! You can also drop us a tip at https://www.inandaroundpodcasting.com/support, too!

If you're an independent creator who would like to co-host with us, please let us know via Twitter and we'll get you booked!

Please tell your friends that the show is available on Spotify,

Takeaways

Many podcasts don't make it past episode five, possibly due to the rise of free podcast hosting platforms like Anchor, now Spotify for Podcasters.
The lack of immediate feedback and community engagement in podcasting can be disheartening for new podcasters.
The influx of celebrity podcasts and the perception of difficulty in getting noticed may discourage indie podcasters.
To overcome these challenges, podcasters should focus on their internal motivation, have a long list of episode topics, and plan for breaks or hiatuses.
Setting realistic expectations is crucial in podcasting, as it takes time and effort to grow an audience and make money.
Podcasting is not a quick way to make six figures, and it's important to focus on creating valuable content and building a loyal audience.

Our co-hosts this week:

Ashley Hamer

@smashleyhamer on X - Ashley on YouTube - Ashley's Website

Dave Jackson

@DaveJackson on X - @schoolofpodcasting on Instagram - Dave on YouTube - Dave's Website Dave's Facebook page

Links to interesting things from this episode

In & Around Podcasting is a podcast industry podcast brought to you by Mark Asquith and Danny Brown.

If you enjoy the show, we'd love for you to leave us a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! You can also drop us a tip at https://www.inandaroundpodcasting.com/support, too!

If you're an independent creator who would like to co-host with us, please let us know via Twitter and we'll get you booked!

Please tell your friends that the show is available on Spotify,

Previous Episode

Do Small Podcast Apps Really Have a Future?

1 Recommendations

In this episode, Danny, Sam Sethi, and Garry Aylott discuss the current state of podcasting apps and the recent closures of several apps. They explore the challenges faced by podcasting apps in terms of monetization and discoverability, and question whether this means some podcast apps have a future.

The conversation also touches on the need for apps to offer more features and interactivity to both listeners and creators, and the potential for larger apps to tap into their existing platforms and open up APIs to smaller apps, creating a more diverse and innovative ecosystem.

Takeaways

Podcasting apps face challenges in terms of monetization and discoverability.
Apps need to offer more features and interactivity to attract and retain listeners and creators.
Larger apps could tap into their existing platforms and open up APIs to smaller apps to create a more diverse and innovative ecosystem.
Education and communication are key to bridging the gap between the podcasting community and the mainstream audience. Listen to your audience and be selective about which features to use in your podcasting app.
App closures and consolidations are likely to occur in the future.
Support your favorite podcasting apps to help them stay in the game.

Links to interesting things from this episode

In & Around Podcasting is a podcast industry podcast brought to you by Mark Asquith and Danny Brown.

If you enjoy the show, we'd love for you to leave us a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! You can also drop us a tip at https://www.inandaroundpodcasting.com/support, too!

If you're an independent creator who would like to co-host with us, please let us know via Twitter and we'll get you booked!

Please tell your friends that the show is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, plus wherever else they may listen to their podcasts.

If you'd like your podcast trailer featuring in our "Wave File" segment, submit it via this quick contact form, please.

The podcast is also available at In & Around Podcasting.

Mentioned in this episode:

The #1 Place for Podcasting News - Podnews Newsletter

Podnews is our #1 place for podcasting news and is trusted by tens-of-thousands of indie creators, industry experts and curious creators every single day. Every week, James Cridland and Sam Sethi recap the week's podcasting news from the daily newsletter into an easily digestible weekly review. It's free and we highly recommend that you subscribe!

Podnews

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Next Episode

Does Podcasting Still Need the IAB? A Deep Dive with James Cridland

Spotify recently announced they've ceased their membership of the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), which has long been seen as the standard for the podcast industry when it comes to analytics and measurement.

This announcement means Spotify for Podcasters (previously Anchor), Megaphone, and Chartable are no longer IAB Certified.

With the industry looking to standardize podcast measurement for both podcasters and sponsors/ad buyers, what now for the industry, with such a big player leaving the current standard?

About our co-host,

Links to interesting things from this episode

In & Around Podcasting is a podcast industry podcast brought to you by Mark Asquith and Danny Brown.

If you enjoy the show, we'd love for you to leave us a rating or review on your favourite podcast app! You can also drop us a tip at https://www.inandaroundpodcasting.com/support, too!

If you're an independent creator who would like to co-host with us, please let us know via Twitter and we'll get you booked!

Please tell your friends that the show is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, plus wherever else they may listen to their podcasts.

If you'd like your podcast trailer featuring in our "Wave File" segment, submit it via this quick contact form, please.

The podcast is also available at In & Around Podcasting.

Mentioned in this episode:

A Breath of Fresh Air with Sandy Kaye

Join Sandy Kaye on A Breath of Fresh Air, a podcast that brings you intimate fireside chats with music legends of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Note from Mark: as a rock fan... I mean... you HAVE to check out this podcast!!

A Breath of Fresh Air

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy