🎤 Time to Quit Your Podcast? (Issue 235)

Prologue

Can You Make a Podcast for No Money?

Years ago, I knew a guy who tried to save a few bucks by pressing his album without paying the extra $50 for shrinkwrap.

His kid worked at Blockbuster and his plan was to shrinkwrap all 1100 CDs at that Blockbuster, since they had a shrinkwrap machine.

Lots of labor, but "free" for him ...

Another friend of ours said, "That shows he doesn't really believe in his product."

Maybe.

Regardless, you've going to have an easier time creating your podcast if you're willing to spend a few bucks. But that doesn't mean there aren't some great cheap/free options in podcasting.

One just had its 25th birthday. Details below ...

What's your favorite cheap/free podcasting resource? Let me know via Bluesky ...

Steal This Idea

Time to Quit Your Podcast?

People don’t quit jobs (or podcasts) suddenly.

Some interesting thoughts on what a slow exit really looks like ...

The real resignation starts in the mind.
Silence is the first sign of quitting.
You stop sharing new ideas
You do only what’s required, nothing more
You show up late, leave early
You no longer defend your work
You mentally disconnect

If you’ve caught yourself going silent, recycling old ideas, dialing it in, or just not feeling the spark when the mic goes live, it’s worth asking if it's time to quit your podcast.

Only you know the answer. But before you fade out completely, take an honest look at your passion, your purpose, and your community. Are you still showing up for them (and for yourself)?

If not, maybe it’s time to hit pause, regroup, or even sign off for good. Your listeners will thank you for making the choice that’s right for both of you.

Podcasting News

Introducing plays on Spotify

Pushback from podcasters caused Spotify to rethink its "play" strategy.

An update ...

Play counts will be presented to Spotify users as incremental milestone markers once an episode reaches 50k plays. Until an episode reaches 50k plays, no markers, including play counts, will be visible on the episode.

Once 50K plays are reached, the plays indicator on your episode will automatically be updated to the next milestone: 50K, 100K, and so on, as the episode continues to grow.

What do you think? Reach out to me via Bluesky ...

Podcast Production

Audacity Turns 25 Years Old!

The very first public version of Audacity was released in May 2000, Audacity 0.8.

Audacity 0.8 was very different to what we have today: It couldn’t record, it couldn’t use plugins, and it could only export as WAV, AIFF, SF and AU.

Without Audacity, podcasting would look very different. It's downloaded over 100,000 times each week and has made recording accessible and affordable for millions of people.

I have used it for over 20 years and it's still my main recording software. Every episode of Build a Big Podcast is made on Audacity.

Podcast Humor

A "Trick" for Your Remote Interviews

This will help you to make sure guests show up when and where they're supposed to ...

As soon as a guest books with you, give them an iCal link with the session time and link.
Send the session time and link the morning of the session.

People don't put things in their calendars, they lose (or accidentally delete) emails, they get time zones mixed up, etc.

Make it easy (and obvious) for people to connect with you.

Classifieds

Riverside - Remote Recording Studio

Riverside records high-quality audio (and video) directly from your browser. No special equipment is needed and connecting with your guest is as simple as sending a web link!

You can try Riverside free (no credit card is needed) and, if you like it, save 15% on any paid plan by using the coupon code BIGPODCAST.

The Wrap Up

More Help for Your Podcast ...

If you want the shortcut to building a podcast people care about, here’s how Big Podcast can help you …

Free of charge ...

Big Podcast Extra – Short emails to help you build an audience, attract clients, and make money via podcasting
Build a Big Podcast – The Marketing Podcast for Podcasters
Podcast Growth Toolkit – The "Swiss Army Knife" of podcasting ...

For budgets under $750 …

Big Podcast AMP (Audio Monetization Program) – Personalized coaching for indie podcasters to help you grow your podcast audience and build your authority, brand, and reputation

For budgets of $3000 or more …

We offer a range of podcasting services including:

Full-service podcast production and marketing
Podcast and radio hosting
Podcast launch and development services