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School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Dave Jackson
You want to start a podcast, but you’re unsure where to start. You need advice on how to grow or monetize your show, and stop being so scared that it won’t work! I can help by showing you what mistakes NOT TO MAKE and much more. Soak in the 18+ years of podcasting experience from Podcaster Hall of Fame Inductee Dave Jackson.
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- 3 days ago35 min
How Mark Grew His Podcast 17% in Five Weeks
Stop Researching, Start Doing (This Time I Brought Receipts)Be honest: how many podcast growth videos have you watched this month, and how many of those ideas have you actually tried? I get it. I have courses I've bought and never opened. But a few weeks ago I challenged you to quit swinging for the grand slam and just make solid contact, and this time I'm back with proof. My buddy Mark actually did the work, and his downloads jumped 17% in five weeks. I also share the free, 42-second habit that's sending people to my website every week, the five-minute move that got me mentioned on another podcast without even asking, and some surprising data on what happened to shows that added video in Apple Podcasts. If you've been stuck in research mode, this is your nudge to press play and then go do something.Mark Did It: 17% Growth in Five WeeksOver the last several weeks, we've been running growth masterminds inside the School of Podcasting, talking strictly about strategies to grow your show. Plenty of people listened. Mark Lawley from Practical Prepping actually put them to work. Buzzsprout sends him a weekly download count, and over five weeks his numbers grew about 17%, with a lot of people going back into his back catalog. I'll take that all day.Find, Click, ActTo grow your reach, remember the order things happen in:They have to find you first. That means a good episode title that's a promise of what's inside, not clickbait, and show notes full of helpful words (preferably ones that came out of your mouth, not AI's). People find you through word of mouth, paid promotion, or organic search, and Google loves good words.Then they have to click. Once they land on your website, don't make them dig for episodes.Then they have to act. Tell a friend, buy your product, visit your sponsor, whatever your "why" is.My Social Media ExperimentYou can't manage what you don't track. I knew some people wouldn't want to pay for a tool (I LOVE Switchy and it's only $39 for a lifetime deal), so I used Short.io, which gives you 100 trackable links for free and takes about 42 seconds per link. I expected next to nothing from social. Instead, posting once to three times a week, I was getting around 40 clicks a week. That's roughly 160 a month and about 1,920 a year, from less than five minutes per post across Bluesky, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.Clicks aren't downloads, and nobody's told me yet that they found the show on social. But before I tried this, I had zero clicks to my website. If what you're doing now isn't growing your audience, try something. Stop waiting for the perfect opportunity while week after week goes by.Are You Afraid of Success?Sometimes it's not fear of failure holding you back. You already launched. It might be fear of success. Here's what I hear, and my answer to each:"If I get popular, people will criticize me." People in line behind you at Walmart are already judging you."Who am I to be listened to?" You've done hard things before. You have life experience worth sharing."What if I disappoint people?" You already do, on a regular basis. That's life."What if my hobby turns into a job?" It's your show. You decide."Then I'll have to monetize." No, you won't. If you don't want sponsors, don't have sponsors."What if I try everything and it still doesn't grow?" You've already started to grow. We just want to throw some gasoline on it.Other things get in the way too: perfectionism that keeps you researching forever, goals that are too vague or too big, strategies that don't fit your values (that's okay, you should have values), and plain old discomfort with being visible. I once wanted to refund a client because every option I offered got "I'm not doing that."The Five-Minute Strategy: Leave a VoicemailIf you listen to a show similar to yours, leave it a voicemail. Neal Veglio did this on the <a hre
- 1 weeks ago43 min
The Best (and Worst) Podcast Feedback We've Ever Received
A listener once told me they hoped I'd quit teaching altogether. Another told me, in the nicest way possible, that the curmudgeon was showing up a little too early these days. Only one of those helped my show. This month's Question of the Month was all about feedback: what's the most constructive feedback you've ever received, and what's the most destructive? A few listeners sent in their answers, I share mine, and to prove how much feedback matters, I dig up some embarrassing basement recordings from a much younger Dave Jackson. Let's get into it.Why Aren't You Getting Feedback?It honestly boggles my mind how many podcasters never ask for feedback and then wonder why their show isn't growing. Think of it like making someone a sandwich. You can ask, "I've got baloney, smoked turkey, or salami. Which do you want?" and make something they'll actually eat. Or you can hand everyone salami and say "tell your friends," while half of them are quietly thinking, "I hate salami."Ralph Estep Jr.: "Go Hire a Speaking Coach"Ralph, the content creator's accountant, says the best feedback he ever got was to hire a speaking coach. People (me included) told him he sounded robotic on his show, nothing like the Ralph you meet on a Zoom call or in person. He found a coach, and it changed the way he does everything. On the other side, he's had people tell him they hope he gets hit by a bus or struck by lightning over his religious views. He's not taking that advice. His point: when you get feedback, consider who it's coming from and whether it makes sense to act on it.York Campbell: The Name Was the ProblemYork's show used to be called Poetic Earthlings, and people kept assuming it was about poetry. It's actually short sci-fi stories: time travel, alien worlds, hyperdimensional creatures, and a few conspiracy theories. A fellow podcaster suggested Welcome to Earth Stories, and once he made the change, the attention and downloads followed. As York put it, sometimes you fall in love with a clever name because of what it means to you, and never stop to ask whether anyone else will understand it.Timothy Kimo Brien: "You Called My Baby Ugly"Tim submitted his old show, KDOI Podcasting (Kimo's Den of Iniquity), to the Podcast Rodeo Show. I said it sounded like a radio station, and the full name sounded like... something else entirely. Tim was not a happy camper. Later, sitting at a podcast conference and hearing someone talk about making your show's title clear, he asked himself what his show actually does: it's about creating art. Hello, Create Art Podcast. He's gone from roughly 200–300 downloads a month to between 1,000 and 1,500. He says it's not necessarily because of the name change. I say probably. Either way, it helped him focus on what the show is really about.My Best Feedback: The Curmudgeon Is ShowingBefore Podfest even started, my buddy Steve Stewart asked me to lunch and asked if I was open to notes. I grew up professionally with "constant improvement" on the walls of my first job, so of course I was. He told me the curmudgeon was coming out a little quicker than it used to. That was gold, because it was something I could control and fix. And it came from someone whose opinion I value, someone who'll tell me when something's good and when it isn't. Knowledge is only power when you act on it.My First Bad Review (and What Good Feedback Looks Like)In 2010, five years into podcasting, I got my first negative review: basically "not good, not enough thought, it's a commercial for bad services." It knocked me back on my heels, but there was nothing I could fix, because it never said why. (This is why I now say you're not a real podcaster until you get a one-star review.)Compare that to a 2017 review from a listener who wanted to hear the show but said the mix had a hiss or too much treble. That's great feedback. It's specific, and I could have adjusted it (I was using the Electro-Voice RE320 back then and liked my S's and T's crisp). The only problem is he should have sent it to me directly.A few things to keep in mind:The person might be having a bad day. After decades in customer support, I've seen people apologize later once they calmed down.Ask yourself: do they have a point? If so, can you fix it?Make it easy f
- 2 weeks ago48 min
Podcast Movement 2026 Reflections and Behind the Scenes of Two Other Events
Podcast Movement 2026 Reflections + Lessons from Two People Who Run Podcast EventsI just got back from Podcast Movement, and a lot of you have been asking whether it was still worth going now that it's under new ownership, in a new location, with a whole new format. Short answer: I'm definitely going back.In this episode I walk through what changed, what I loved, what I'd tweak, and what Tom Webster's data says about where podcasting really stands. Then I sit down with two guys who have actually done it, Marc Ronick of Empowered Podcasting and Dr. Brad Miller of Pod Indy, to get the behind-the-scenes story of running a podcast event. If you've ever had that little voice in your head saying "maybe I should start my own meetup or conference," this one is for you.Podcast Movement 2026: Was It Worth It?I went down the list, old Podcast Movement versus new.The hotel and the cost. It used to be at Gaylord hotels, which run $1,000 a night, where the burgers are $30 apiece and you never leave the building. This year was BYOH: bring your own hotel. I stayed two nights at a Holiday Inn Express for $400 a night. Still pricey, but nowhere near the Gaylord. Tickets were also much cheaper because they weren't paying for that hotel arrangement. Point to the new Podcast Movement.The venue. Picture a small theater (think House of Blues) that had a baby with a cruise ship: three floors, and you can look down at the main stage from the top. The rooms were narrower, so the back row was farther from the stage than I was used to. I also learned I need new glasses, because the giant screen was split in two and I couldn't read the slides. Sessions ran with silent-disco-style headphones: turn the dial to yellow or green and you hear that stage. The strange part is that people talk while someone is presenting a few feet away. It went against everything in my body, but it works, and I could network the whole time. My one suggestion: turn on the house lights during networking breaks. When you have 40 minutes to meet people and can't see who's in the room, it's a problem (unless it's Rob Greenley, who is six foot six inches).Networking and the parties. PodPage hosted a small meetup, and I walked over to the Buzzsprout meetup too. Both were places where you could actually talk, with no blaring music. I've talked to Dan Franks, who helps plan Podcast Movement, and he says they tell every sponsor that people want to talk, not have their ears bleed. Nice to see it work.New York City. I'll miss Dallas and Chicago, but it's supposedly staying in New York to make it easier for international attendees. The food was a win, and I never felt unsafe walking around Hell's Kitchen. I ate at Cubbies and at McGee's, which I didn't realize until halfway through is tied to How I Met Your Mother.A smarter schedule. Monday and Tuesday were geared toward the business and advertising side, and Thursday and Friday were for indie podcasters. That means indie folks can save on the hotel bill.The talks are going online. They're putting the presentations on the Podcast Movement YouTube channel for free. I'm looking forward to catching the ones I missed, including Lou Mangiello and Rob Walch's talk about video.What I Learned from Tom WebsterIf you only see one talk at a conference, make it Tom Webster's. Here's what stuck with me:Podcasting has gone flat. It used to grow at least 3 to 5% a year, occasionally 7%. This past year it barely moved. It's still growing, but by a very small amount.Where people listen. In a survey of roughly 5,000 podcast consumers, the top three places were YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix. Not Apple, Pocket Casts, or Overcast.Where I disagree. YouTube and Spotify are open to anyone, so I get why people call them podcasts. Netflix isn't open. They have to choose you, and there's no RSS feed. For me, a podcast is an RSS feed with audio or video in it.Tom's Walmart analogy. Look at the CD section: a tiny collection of only the biggest hits (Back in Black, Rumors), nothing like a dedicated record store. His suggestion was that we should promote podcast-specific apps. My favorite is Pocket Casts: it plays audio and video, it has bookmarks (that's how I grab the clips I play on the show), and it has a web version.Podcast Standards Project: PodRoll Is ComingI sat in on my first Podcast Standards Project meeting. PodRoll, from the Podcasting 2.0 spec, is the modern version of a blogroll: a list of shows you personally recommend, living in your feed. Because feeds are public, anyone can see who's recommended most. That's human recommendations, not an algorithm you try to trick. Ask your media host i
- 3 weeks ago33 min
Attention vs. Connection
A few years ago I accidentally hit a guy on the golf course. I'm not proud of it — although it did bank in almost perfectly off his calf on its way toward the hole. But the swing that caused it taught me something I haven't stopped thinking about: my brother told me to quit trying to kill the ball and just make good contact. Looking at podcasting, it turns into the best explanation I've found for why so many podcasts stop growing.If you've ever chased a bigger download number, wondered why nobody signs up for the thing you're selling despite having a decent audience, or just felt like you're doing everything and getting nowhere, keep listening — because the fix isn't a bigger swing.It's Not About a Big Audience. It's About the Right One.I talk to podcasters constantly who are chasing the same fantasy: flip a switch, get 10,000 downloads overnight. I get it — I've wanted that too. But it doesn't exist unless you've got a massive budget, and even then it doesn't always work.Quick, honest question: who won American Idol season six? They had a million people watching. Doesn't mean you remember them, and it doesn't mean they connected.Here's the math that changed how I think about this: if you ran your show as a $30-a-month membership, you'd only need one person willing to pay to break even (assuming you're spending $30/month). But not just any listener does that — it has to be someone connected to you. So the real target was never more downloads. It's finding roughly 500 right-fit people who trust you. Downloads don't join a membership.Connected people do.What a Musician Taught Me About ConnectionI study podcasters, but I also study musicians, authors, and YouTubers, because we're all in the same business — entertaining people with our art. One of my favorite channels right now is Mary Spender's. She's a musician, not a podcaster, but what she said recently hit me right in the chest:"We've spent years treating streaming numbers as though they measure fandom, but perhaps they often measure familiarity instead. Millions of streams doesn't necessarily become hundreds of people willing to leave the house on a Wednesday evening. Maybe we've become incredibly good at measuring attention, but forgotten how to measure connection."Swap "streams" for "downloads" and "tickets" for "memberships," and she's describing exactly what's happening in podcasting. Mary lost £12,000 on her last tour. Instead of giving up, she changed her approach: "Not to chase the biggest room, to chase the right room. Not to impress the most people, to matter to the people who choose to be there." Knowledge is knowing that. Wisdom is acting on it — and she is, booking her own shows again, more intentionally this time (And enjoying it more).How to Actually Get in Front of the Right PeopleWe've been brainstorming growth ideas in the School of Podcasting community, and the point was never to do all of them — it's to pick one, test it, and measure it. A few examples:Guesting on other podcasts that share your audience — less friction, since that audience already knows how to listen to a podcast.Podcast swaps, shout-outs, or a 30-second promo trade.Speaking engagements or workshops.Writing for a publication your audience already reads.Your own blog and SEO — no, it's not dead.Partnerships that go beyond sponsorship, where you actually help each other promote.Word of mouth — which drives roughly 70% of podcast growth, and yet almost nobody deliberately asks for it. Ask your audience, specifically and simply, to share the show with one friend.Local, unglamorous options: I used to slip a business card into a book on the page matching my age, in a genre my audience would read. Free. Slow. It worked, a little at a time.None of these flip a switch. They're singles, not grand slams. You build an audience one person at a time.Would you spend 5 minutes to get 36 people to your site each week?How I Found Out What's Actually Working: Click TrackersHere's the part that surprised me. I started putting a click tracker (I use Switchy) on every link I post — social, LinkedIn, wherever. Takes about 41 seconds per link. What I found: my email list outperformed every social platform by double digits, while everything else stayed in single digits. One email drove 36 clicks in a week — times four weeks, that's potentially 144 people who might actually listen, follow, or tell a friend. And it cost me less than five minutes.Would you spend 5 minutes a week to get 36 people to your site each week? Again, this is not the 10,000 switch. It's one</
- Sep 7, 202644 min
Intuition Over Imitation: Lessons from the Empowered Podcasting Conference
What I Learned (and Relearned) at Empowered Podcasting ConferenceI got triggered at a podcasting conference last week, and honestly? I almost jumped out of my chair. Someone in the room said something that stopped me cold, and it's become one of the biggest lessons I'm bringing back to you this week — along with a story about a $230 million quarterback who won't take feedback, why "cheating off the smart kid" with AI is quietly ruining your podcast, and the subscription I found on my own bank statement that I'd been paying for and not even using. This episode is a mashup of my talk at Empowered Podcasting Conference 3 in Charlotte and everything I picked up just from being in the room. Let's get into it.It's Your Show. Own It.This is the one that made me want to stand up. Someone in a session said, "Well, I can't ask my guest to keep their answers short." Yes, you can. It's your show. If you're doing interviews, you're the goalie — it's your job to keep anything that doesn't serve your audience out of the episode. And if a guest rambles, that's usually on the host, not the guest. Give your guest a target before you hit record: who you're talking to, and whether you want short, medium, or long answers. A guest who doesn't get a target from the host should ask for one. Own your show. Set the boundaries. Your audience is who you're protecting.What Actually Makes Content RemarkableMy talk was about what makes a podcast good, and I focused on what makes any content remarkable. I walked through a few movies to prove it:Saving Private Ryan — that D-Day opening wasn't new information (we all knew WWII was brutal), it was a new way of presenting it. People talked about it because nobody had seen it shown like that.The Sixth Sense — a tiny budget that beat big blockbusters like The Lone Ranger because of one twist: we don't find out Bruce Willis's character is dead until the end. People walked out of the theater and called a friend to say "you have to see this." That's the goal — content remarkable enough that it spreads on word of mouth alone.Gone with the Wind — a 1939 movie with an actual intermission, and people still talk about the burning of Atlanta (a real fire on the studio backlot, no CGI) and that last line — "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" — which had audiences clutching their pearls. Again, something people had not seen before.Star Wars — I saw it eleven times as a kid, and even when half the theater had already seen it multiple times, everybody still cheered when the Death Star blew up. That's not just about the special effects. That's about how it made people feel.A podcast episode is content plus delivery — and delivery is you: your attitude, your confidence, your life skills. My rule of thumb for what makes a good episode: laugh, cry, think, groan, educate, or entertain. Save them time or save them money. Try to hit more than one of those in every episode.The Most Underrated Skill in Podcasting: ListeningEveryone assumes the top skill is a great voice or being funny. It's not. It's your ability to listen — to your audience, and to feedback.Case in point: The Cleveland Brown's quarterback, the one we paid $230 million despite a stack of off-field allegations. He's not good at his job. When fans booed him, his response was basically "you guys don't like me" — not "I need to get better," not "tell me more." He made it personal instead of taking it as information. I hear the same thing constantly from podcasters. I'll offer to help someone grow their show, ask which episode they want me to listen to, and they'll say "oh, it's not the content." If you're not willing to actually hear feedback, don't be surprised when your show doesn't grow.The AI Shortcut That's Quietly Killing Your VoiceThis is the one I need you to sit with. There's a real strategy going around called the outlier strategy: if you and a competitor share an audience, and one of their episodes way outperforms their normal numbers, you make your own version of that topic. Legitimate strategy.Here's where it goes sideways — people are grabbing the transcript of that outlier video, feeding it to AI, and saying "rewrite this in my voice." And the whole reason they're doing a podcast in the first place is to be seen as a thought leader — using someone else's thoughts.It might work about 80% of the time (I'm making that number up), and that missing 20% is the part that's actually, uniquely you. Mark Maron said it best: "You're not thinking your own thoughts. You're a hack with an excuse for why you're failing."I'm not anti-AI — I use it to organize my o
- Aug 31, 202639 min
12 Business Lessons Podcasters Can Learn From Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, at age 80. While most tributes are focused on the music, this episode looks at something else entirely: Dolly Parton the businesswoman and entertainer. She sang at the Grand Ole Opry at 13 and was still building her empire seven decades later, which is rare in an industry where most acts have a five-to-ten-year run. As we like to say around here, success leaves clues, and Dolly left a lot of them. Below are 12 lessons pulled from her career, each one translated into something a podcaster can actually use.Take Advantage of Opportunities When They Show UpIn the late 1960s, a teenage Dolly landed a spot on the syndicated Porter Wagoner Show, earning $60,000 a year — by her own account, more money than she'd ever seen. She could have stayed comfortable as Porter's sidekick. Instead, she used the platform to build her name, and when she'd gotten what she needed from it, she left in 1974 to build something that was actually hers. Wagoner threatened to have her dropped from her label and later sued her; she ended up paying roughly $1 million to settle it, and the relationship took years to repair before the two eventually reconciled (American Songwriter, Cheat Sheet).Why it matters for your podcast: your show builds relationships, those relationships create opportunities, and taking advantage of those opportunities (a guest slot, a speaking gig, a collaboration) is what grows your audience — which creates more relationships. It's a loop, and it only works if you actually act when the opportunity shows up.Build a Podcast Brand People Instantly RecognizeYou knew Dolly when you saw her. Her wig, the rhinestones, the exaggerated glamour, her boobs, wasn't an accident. She said she based it on the town's "tramp."Dolly's response: I wanted to look like her. I thought she was beautiful. Her best line, "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap" says it all. When Barbara Walters pushed her on it in a 1970s interview, essentially implying she looked like a hillbilly, Dolly shot back that she might "kick her in the shin" and laughed the whole way through it.Why it matters for your podcast: a distinctive brand gets you noticed once. Celebrity, a striking name, a bold visual that earns the first click. What earns the return listener is the talent and substance behind it. Dolly had both, and so should your show.Own Your Audience — Don't Rent It to a PlatformDolly wrote "I Will Always Love You" in 1973 as a farewell to Porter Wagoner. When Elvis wanted to record it in 1974, his manager Colonel Tom Parker demanded the publishing rights as a condition for Elvis to record it. This was a standard (crappy) practice for an Elvis cut at the time.Dolly said no, even though it was Elvis. Nearly two decades later, Whitney Houston's version spent 14 weeks at No. 1 and sold an estimated 20 million copies. Because Dolly still owned 100% of the publishing, that single song brought her roughly $10 million in royalties in the 1990s alone, and an estimated $20 million total from the Houston version according to Forbes (American Songwriter).Why it matters for your podcast: As fellow podcaster Steve Stewart puts it, "Don't sell your audience to your sponsor, sell your sponsor on the value of your audience." The same logic applies to platforms: own your website, your domain, and your email list so no single network or app can take your audience away from you. It happens — YouTube pulled a top parenting podcast off the platform entirely (before reinstating it after public pressure). Dolly held onto her publishing because she knew the long game mattered more than a quick win. Hold onto your feed the same way. This is why an RSS feed is important. You can't be cancelled, and you can easily move to a new host if needed.Don't Take Yourself Too SeriouslyLong before a critic could land a joke, Dolly had already made it herself. On plastic surgery: "If I see something sagging, bagging, or dragging, I'm going to have it nipped, tucked, or sucked." Even the announcement of her passing carried her sense of humor forward, joking that she was finally ready to trade the
- Aug 24, 202633 min
How Many Podcast Downloads Do You Actually Need to Keep Going?
What is Your Rock Bottom Podcast Downloads Number?Everybody talks about growing their audience. Nobody talks about the number where they'd quietly give up.This month's Question of the Month flips the growth conversation on its head: what's the smallest number of downloads that would keep you making your show — and if you dropped below it, would you quit, or try to fix it? The answers from School of Podcasting listeners are surprisingly close... and my answer might not be a number at all.Also in this episode: a guest-pitch so bad it somehow involves a U-Haul dealership, and a heads-up on a booking-platform trick you'll want to know before you pitch yourself as a guest anywhere.In this episodeThis month's Question of the Month: what's your download floor?Steve Stewart says he'd think about quitting under 25 downloads an episode — but here's why he probably wouldn'tFrank Bravo is already running on "10s" of downloads, and explains why that number doesn't bother himRalph Estep Jr. went from 20 downloads to over 1,000 — but what actually keeps him going isn't the numberDave's answer: which of his 30+ podcasts he let die, which ones he kept, and why it's rarely about the download countThe 6-episode survey test — how to know if it's time to change your show or just accept where it's atScott Johnson (What Was That Like) shares the worst guest pitch he's ever receivedA warning about how some guests are gaming booking platforms like PodMatch — and how to vet who you let on your showLinks mentionedSchool of Podcasting — use code LISTENER for a discount on monthly, quarterly, or yearly plansPodPage — this episode's sponsorSteve Stewart — Podcast Editor Academy / Podcast Editors MastermindFrank Bravo — Your Tech MakeoverRalph Estep Jr. — ralphestepjr.com / new show: Becoming Financially Confident (launching Aug 31)Scott Johnson — What Was That LikeYork - Welcome to Earth StoriesPodMatchPodcastGuest.comPitch a PodcastBuilding a Better DaveMarketing MusicianWeekly Web ToolsNew To CookingThis content may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services I trust and believe will provide value to you. Thank you for your support!Mentioned in this episode:Where Will I Be?I love meeting you when I'm out at events. Here are some of my next events: Podcast Movement September 17-18 Podindy November 7th (use the coupon pacer at podindy.com)Where Will I Be?Question of the Month: Constructive and Deconstructive FeedbackThis month we are talking feefdback. What is the most constructive or deconstructive (or both) piece of feedback you've received. If you haven't asked for feedback, why not? I need your answer by September 25th (late entries won't be accepted) go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question and be sure to mention your show and your website address so I can link to it in the show notes.<a href="https://school-of-podcasting
- Aug 17, 202631 min
YouTube Just Got Harder, Spotify Still Doesn't Care
You Down With YPP?Episode Description:I break down YouTube’s latest changes to its Partner Program, including doubled watch-hour requirements and higher Shorts monetization thresholds ahead of the February 2027 deadline. I also bring in YouTube expert Adam Ivey’s take on why the real story isn’t necessarily the new criteria, and I share my own channel’s numbers so you can set realistic expectations for your own YouTube journey.Then the AI kids stop by for story time as I take a look at Spotify’s decade-long history of making big podcasting promises—and quietly failing to deliver on them. From a scrapped hosting partnership to a Creator Fund that never paid a cent, there’s plenty to unpack.Plus, Ray Ortega drops by with the shortest—and most accurate—definition of “podcast” you’ll ever hear.YouTube Partner Program (YPP) changes, effective February 1, 2027Watch-hour requirement doubles: 4,000 to 8,000 hours in the past year (new creators only; existing YPP members are grandfathered in)Shorts monetization threshold doubles: 10 million to 20 million qualified views in 90 days to get in, then a rolling 10 million views every 90 days to maintain earningsFull monetization tier: 1,000 subscribers, $100 payment thresholdLower tier (500 subscribers): unlocks YouTube Shopping (affiliate) and channel memberships, requires 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts viewsThe real story behind the changesAdam Ivy's stat: 67% of YouTube creators make less than $10,000/yearYouTube's stated pivot: broadening revenue beyond ads, with bonuses for YouTube Shopping, brand-deal incentives, and trend-based earning boostsYouTube says it expects to pay creators more in 2027 than 2026: money is shifting, not shrinkingSteve Stewart (Podcast Editor Academy): "Don't just sell your audience to sponsors, sell sponsors on how great your audience is"Is YouTube worth it? The dataSounds Profitable's Podcast Atlas (slide 23): Clips lead viewers to watch a specific episode (30% often/always, 81% at least sometimes) and to become regular listeners (33% often/always, 84% at least sometimes)Dave's real channel numbers: 3,523 subscribers, ~$2.49 per 1,000 views, one video with 115 views earned 25 centsBottom line: YouTube ad revenue is icing, not cake. Don't budget groceries on itSpotify: a bedtime story for the AI kidsMay 2015: Spotify launches podcasts through a small group of hosting "partners" (Libsyn, Blubrry), framed as a growth opportunity, not monetizationSpotify initially insists on hosting the media files itself rather than letting partners host. Partners build custom engineering to comply, then Spotify reverses course2019: Spotify buys Anchor for $150 million, turning former hosting partners into competitors overnight, with free hostingSpotify quietly submits shows to Apple Podcasts under its own account, hiding stats from creators and sparking creator frustration (often aimed at consultants, not Spotify)2020: Megaphone acquired for $235 million. 2021: Whooshkaa acquired and folded into Megaphone, then shut down2021: Betty Labs acquired, becomes Greenroom (Spotify's Clubhouse competitor)2021: "New Era of Podcast Monetization": paid subscriptions, Open Access Platform, Spotify Audience Network announcedMid-2021: Greenroom launches with a Creator Fund promised for live audio creators. Payment mechanics never disclosed2021: Music + Talk announced ("play music in your podcast"), restricted to the Spotify app, paying subscribers only, after listening to the full episodeSeptember 2021: Q&A and Polls launch, pitched as "the future of podcasting is interactive"January 2022: In-house production studio "Studio Four" shut down with layoffsApril 2022: Greenroom rebrands to Spotify Live; Creator Fund confirmed to have never launched, quietly shelvedMarch 2023: Anchor rebranded to Spotify for PodcastersApril 2023: Spotify Live shut down entirely, two years after the original Greenroom launchFebruary 2024: Music + Talk and Anchor's recording tools killed; users redirected to RiversideJuly 2024: Q&A and Polls shut down, replaced with CommentsSpotify's "
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About School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast
You want to start a podcast, but you’re unsure where to start. You need advice on how to grow or monetize your show, and stop being so scared that it won’t work! I can help by showing you what mistakes NOT TO MAKE and much more. Soak in the 18+ years of podcasting experience from Podcaster Hall of Fame Inductee Dave Jackson.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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