The How To Podcast Series - Podcast Co-Hosts, Practical Podcasting Tips, and Podcast Community

Episode 823 - Reflections on Podcast Movement New York from Someone That Didn't Attend the Event Podcast Movement 2026 recap for creators who stayed home Podcast Movement wrapped in New York City last week and the organizers have been uploading workshops and talks to YouTube. This show notes piece gives you a high level overview of the event from a non attendee perspective, highlights sessions worth watching, and offers a clear key takeaway you can use to grow your show and strengthen your podcast community What the recordings reveal about the conference The uploaded sessions show a strong business and advertising lean. Advertisers were in the room and many panels centered on monetization and brand deals. Some presenters struggled with live audio. Plosives, harsh levels, and mic technique issues stood out in a crowd that prides itself on sound quality. The unedited nature of the stage talks also exposed how much podcasters rely on post production to sound polished. Industry bias toward large shows was hard to miss. One comment framed mid tier podcasts as around two hundred thousand downloads, which sets a high bar for the middle of the market. Big networks like NPR and CBC had a visible presence. Independent creators can still find value in the content, yet the framing often favors established playersSessions worth your time Gordon Firemark ran a fast legal game show called Two Truths and a Lie that busted common myths around podcast law, copyright, trademarks, and contracts. The format kept things moving and gave practical guidance, especially for US based creators. His resources and website offer free tools that help podcasters operate more professionally. Arielle Nissenblatt co led a rapid fire growth session with Lauren Passell that delivered quick marketing and PR tips with timed rebuttals. The energy was high and the advice leaned practical. Video came up often across the event. Some speakers pushed hard for video, others took a middle road, and a few argued you can skip it. The debate itself is useful context as you decide what fits your show.A panel on the loneliness epidemic connected podcasting to real human need. Listeners face isolation and audio companionship can fill gaps during chores, commutes, and work. The discussion explored how shows build community and give people a sense of connection with hosts they have never met in person. Several other talks focused on community building strategies and why a dedicated audience mattersTwo keynote names to watch for are Tom Webster and James Cridland. Their research and commentary carry weight in the space. More keynotes may appear on the channel in the coming days, so check back if you want the full picture. Use the recordings as a curated learning path. Start with the legal myths session, then the rapid fire growth tips, then the loneliness and community panel. Take notes on ideas you can apply this week. You do not need to watch everything to benefit. All links to the workshops and talks mentioned here appear in the show notes so you can press play and learn at your own pace The Podcast Law Game Show: Two Truths and a Liehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7olCIlIOO2I&t=4sWTF is a Podcast in 2026?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxp4FTHKXns&t=1s Alone Together: How Podcasters Can Build Community and Combat the Loneliness Epidemichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HNyFMhtLkM Stop Chasing Downloads. Start Building a Community - Lou Mongello https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHnepAuWVdc&t=1069s How To Keep Listeners From Just "Clauding" Your Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZETIsSzGsA https://podcastmovement.com/ Podcast Movement has been hosting the most respected and attended conferences for podcasters and industry professionals for over a decade, and you’re invited to be a part of the growing movement.____ https://howtopodcast.ca/ We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey! https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 822 - Your Podcast Does Not Need To Sound Like Everyone Else - What a Lighthouse and a Podcast Have in Common Your Podcast Does Not Need To Sound Like Everyone Else Most podcasters chase the same tools, titles, and trends, then wonder why they blend into the noise. This episode argues that your strongest advantage is not another hack. It is your personality, your point of view, and your willingness to be recognizably you. That is how you become a lighthouse instead of one more boat in a crowded harbour The Lighthouse Metaphor for Podcasting A lighthouse does not chase every ship. It does not move to every port or change its color to match the latest trend. It stays put, shines consistently, and lets the right people find it. Your podcast can work the same way. You do not need to be louder than every other show. You need to be clear, consistent, and recognizable so the people who need your message can spot you in the fog. Why Copying Keeps You Invisible The episode calls out a common pattern. Some creators sell fast-track courses, hand out templates and scripts, and encourage students to recycle that content on their own shows. The result is a fleet of carbon copies. Same hooks, same episode titles, same interview questions, same AI workflows. When every decision comes from outside you, your show becomes predictable. Listeners can swap you for another boat without losing anything. Short sentence. That hurts growth. Your Unique Voice Is the Real Asset Tools make production possible. Personality makes it memorable. Your lived experience, your humor, your values, your stories, your way of explaining complex ideas in simple terms. These are the things listeners attach to. You can borrow a strategy. You cannot borrow someone else’s soul. AI can draft scripts. It cannot replicate the way you think, feel, and show up on the mic. Practical Steps to Stand Out Use this section as a checklist to add yourself back into your process. Write a one sentence belief statement about your podcast and read it before you record. Make an only I can say this list. What stories, opinions, or experiences belong only to you. Add a recurring personal element that is uniquely yours. A signature segment, a running joke, a ritual. Audit your last five episodes. Ask, could another podcaster in my niche have made this exact episode. Treat AI and templates as assistants, not replacements. Edit every output until it sounds like you. Choose your ideal listener before you choose a trend. Ask, will this encourage, challenge, or entertain the people I serve. A Gentle Reality Check Authenticity is not a magic trick that guarantees viral success. It gives you something more sustainable. A show you can keep making without burning out. A message competitors cannot easily copy. An audience that trusts you because you are real. A smaller, engaged group who cares about your work beats a large crowd of random clicks. Your most valuable asset is you. Learn from the best. Use the tools. Then ask one question before you publish. Does this sound like me or does it sound like everyone else. If you answer that honestly and lean into your unique voice, you stop competing as another boat and start serving as a lighthouse. Clear. Consistent. Recognizable. Trusted ____

Episode 821 - If I Hosted A Podcast Conference - My Conference Would Rival Those Other Conferences In This WayLocation and Vibe The setting matters. Picture Niagara Falls. Close to the US border. Easy for Americans and Canadians to reach. Hotels, food, and activities within walking distance. A partner who isn’t into podcasting still has plenty to do. The conference name leans into the location: Fall for Podcasting Weekend. No suits. This isn’t a marketing conference with podcasting tacked on. It’s a podcasting conference, period. Casual dress. Warm tone. Encouraging energy. The promise is simple: leave with more confidence, a clearer plan, and real friends in podcasting. Single Track, One Room One track. Everyone in the same room for every talk. No splintered sessions pulling people in different directions. This keeps the group together and builds a shared experience. It also means less content overall, but more time to talk to each other between sessions. Workshops run half the typical length. A thirty or forty minute talk followed by thirty or forty minutes of hallway time. People complain they never get enough time to connect at big events. This flips the script. Less talking at people. More talking with people. Networking That Works for Introverts Color coded lanyards solve the awkward approach problem. Yellow means “I want to be a guest.” Red means “I’m looking for guests.” Green could mean “I’m starting a show.” Blue could mean “I have a show and want to talk about it.” Instant conversation starters. No small talk needed. Just purpose driven connection. An app with QR codes helps people share their shows with one click. Free Wi-Fi throughout. A wall of podcast artwork where every attendee’s show is displayed. Take a photo pointing to your show. Your podcast becomes part of the event branding, not an afterthought. No Big Names, No Intimidation No celebrity podcasters with million download shows. No CBC, CNN, or BBC level productions presented as the ideal. Those setups dishearten the average creator working with a fifty dollar mic in a basement. The speakers here are active podcasters doing the work. People you can actually relate to Presenters don’t fill the entire session slot. Time stays reserved for audience questions. An open mic at the end of each talk. Mandatory rule: if you have a show, state your podcast name before asking your question. Display that name and a QR code on screen so the room can find and support your show while you engage. Practical Topics, Real Budgets Sessions focus on what works for everyday creators. You don’t need permission to be a podcaster. Podcasting after work without burning out. Good enough audio on a small budget. Simple show structures for solo, co-hosted, interview, and narrative formats. Video podcasting for people who hate being on camera. Discoverability without burnout covering titles, descriptions, show notes, and SEO. Repurposing one episode into a month of content. Asking for reviews without feeling awkward. Monetization gets a realistic treatment. How to make your first dollar without quitting your day job. Local grants. Nonprofit angles for community shows. Nothing pie in the sky. Everything has an easy button for immediate implementation. The best podcast conference isn’t about big names or fancy production. It’s about creating space for real connection among everyday creators. A single track event with color coded lanyards, hallway networking time, and a pitch fest funded by vendors puts the focus where it belongs: on the podcasters in the room. Build for community, not for industry. Your people will show up. ____ Helping Podcasters Everyday! https://howtopodcast.ca/ We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey! https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 820 - Podcast Spotlight - The Creator's Log with host Krloz Ruben - A Challenge for You To Do The Same on Your Show Recording from the backyard Dave hosts this episode of The How To Podcast Series from his backyard in Ontario, Canada. Two back to back floods destroyed his home and podcast studio in August, so he records under a tree to keep his 365 episode streak alive. He wants listeners to hear planes, dogs, and neighbors because perfection should never stop you from publishing. You can start with what you have, where you are Spotlight on The Creators Log Dave shines a light on The Creators Log, a podcast by Carlos Rubin that documents the real process of launching and growing a show from scratch. Carlos records an audio journal style podcast that walks listeners through formats, hosting platforms, solo editing, software choices, and the messy moments that come with building in public. Dave appreciates the raw, unpolished approach because it gives other creators permission to begin before they feel ready. Supporting fellow creators Dave asks his audience to support Carlos with action. He encourages five star ratings on Spotify, comments that Carlos actually replies to, and small financial support through Buy Me a Coffee. He wants the podcast community to move beyond kind words and turn encouragement into visible support that lifts another creator's analytics and momentum A challenge for your own show Dave ends with a simple challenge. Pick one podcast you admire, even a show in your niche that feels like competition. Recommend it in your next episode the way he recommends The Creators Log here. Sharing another voice does not take listeners away. It grows the whole ecosystem and invites new audiences to discover more shows. Start before you feel ready, and lift other creators while you build. Your voice matters, your story counts, and action beats perfection every time. What does it actually take to build a podcast from scratch? Here at The Creator's Log, host Krloz Ruben, will give you a behind-the-scenes, documenting what it actually takes to build a show from scratch. On your own. This isn’t theory. It’s real-time. Each episode dives into the lessons, mistakes, and decisions that come with creating. Figuring out podcast formats, choosing hosting platforms, editing solo, adapting without a co-host, recording softwares and learning how to keep going when things don’t work the first time. If you’re trying to start a podcast, build a creative project, or understand what the process really looks like behind the scenes, this is that log. No polished advice. No pretending it’s easy. Just the process, documented as it happens. https://krpodlab.com/ A storytelling podcast about the technology we remember, and the feelings we left inside it. https://artifactspodcast.com/ ____ Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

Episode 819 - November is National Podcast Post Month NaPodPoMo - A Podcaster's Challenge to Release 30 Episodes in 30 Days - Are You In? NaPodPoMo: 30 Episodes in 30 Days National Podcast Post Month, known as NaPodPoMo, invites podcasters to release one episode every day in November. This challenge builds publishing discipline, strengthens your podcast voice, and deepens listener connection through consistent daily content. Why Join the Challenge Daily publishing removes the friction of perfectionism. You learn to create without overthinking. An episode does not need to be your most polished work. It needs to exist. This mindset shift helps you move from occasional creation to routine output. Many podcasters wait for motivation. This challenge replaces motivation with momentum. Recording thirty episodes in thirty days gives you space to experiment. Try different formats. Test solo episodes, listener questions, or short voice journals. Some experiments will work. Others will not. Both outcomes teach you something valuable about your show. Your podcast voice emerges through repetition. The more you speak into the microphone, the more comfortable you become. You discover your natural rhythm, vocabulary, and storytelling style. You cannot find your voice by reading about podcasting. You find it by podcasting. Content Ideas That Work You do not need to record forty-five minute episodes daily. Short episodes work well for this challenge. A one minute episode takes almost no editing. Record a quick thought, a favorite quote, or a book recommendation. Share a song that matters to you with a link. List thirty podcasts you love. Talk about thirty Bible verses if your show is faith based. Batch recording makes this manageable. Record several episodes in one sitting. Schedule them to publish on specific dates in November. You could record an entire month of one minute episodes in thirty minutes. Two minute episodes take one hour. That single hour completes your NaPodPoMo commitment. Benefits for Your Audience Listeners love hearing from you more often. Daily episodes transform your podcast from occasional content into an appointment. Your audience knows to expect you every day in November. This consistency builds a stronger relationship between you and your listeners. Daily publishing creates more opportunities for interaction. Listeners can respond to questions, share stories, or suggest topics. Your audience moves from passive consumption to active participation. They experience your journey through the challenge. Day one feels different from day thirty. That progression becomes part of your podcast story. What You Will Learn This challenge teaches you what your podcast is really about. When you must create thirty episodes quickly, you discover whether you have enough to say. You may start November thinking your show focuses on one topic. By day thirty, you might realize another subject keeps appearing. That discovery shapes your future content strategy. The biggest lesson is simple. You do not need to be ready for thirty days. You only need to be ready for today. Show up. Press record. Publish. Come back tomorrow. That is the entire challenge. NaPodPoMo works because it forces action over perfection. Record short episodes in advance. Schedule them throughout November. Your audience will appreciate the daily connection. You will build habits that last beyond the challenge. Visit the National Podcast Post Month website for resources and community support. https://napodpomo.org/ ____ Helping Podcasters Everyday! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6