Episode 6

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Published on:

23rd Apr 2024

Why Do Podcasters Quit by Episode 5?

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

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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
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About the Podcast

In & Around Podcasting
Highlighting Powerful Podcasting Perspectives: the inclusive podcast industry show for the day-to-day podcast enthusiast. Bringing industry insiders and real-life podcasters together to dig deep into the future of podcasting.
We love podcast industry podcasts - there are a lot of them and they're run by smart, passionate people who live and breathe podcasting and who are usually industry professionals.

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

In & Around Podcasting has been designed to respect and live alongside those shows and to be an accessible, inclusive podcast for every single podcaster; a show that allows everyone with an interest in the medium to have a fair, open and transparent view on the podcasting industry and how it affects them - this is your place to be heard.

The podcasting industry belongs to us all, not just the elite and it doesn't matter how long you've been in the industry, your voice is valuable.

Download the intro lyrics and more at https://www.inandaroundpodcasting.com.
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About your hosts

Mark Asquith

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Known as "That British Podcast Guy", Mark is one of the United Kingdom's original podcasting experts. He is Managing Director & co-founder of podcast hosting, analytics & monetisation platform Captivate.fm which was acquired by Global in 2021 and is known worldwide as an insightful, thought provoking and actionable podcast industry keynote speaker.

Mark has educated on podcasting and delivered thought leadership at events including Podcast Movement, Podfest, Harvard's "Sound Education" and many more.

His focus is on helping people to achieve their own podcasting goals and on improving the podcasting industry for the long-term.

Danny Brown

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Danny has hosted and co-hosted (and appeared on) so many podcasts, if you called him a serial podcaster you wouldn't be wrong! He's been in the podcasting space for over 10 years, and has the scars to prove it.

He's the Head of Podcaster Support and Experience at Captivate.fm, the podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetization platform for the serious indie podcaster.

He lives in beautiful Muskoka, Ontario, Canada with his wife and two kids, where he spends winters in front of a cozy fire and summers by the lake. Well, when he finds time away from podcasting, of course...