Creators from TrueFans: Showcasing Independent Podcasting

<p>Celebrating the bedrock of podcasting.</p><p>Claire chats with Liam Heffernan, the founder of the Mercury Network and the creator of Independent Podcasters Day. They discuss the challenges faced by independent creators who must juggle roles as marketers, accountants, and publicists, and how publisher networks can help level the playing field by providing enterprise-level tools and sales representation.</p><p>Liam also introduces Independent Podcasters day, a new initiative to celebrate the hard-working 'grafters' of the podcasting world.</p><p>Sam and Claire explore the Podcasting 2.0 Publisher Tag and how this feature allows creators to aggregate their shows into a single discoverable feed on TrueFans, fostering collective discoverability.</p><p>We also discuss the future of hyperlocal advertising and how a shift from 'downloads' to 'verified plays' could unlock new revenue streams for indie shows with smaller, highly engaged audiences.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Independent Podcasters Day</strong></p><p>Pledge your allegiance to <a href="https://www.independentpodcastersday.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Independent Podcasters Day</a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow @TrueFans.fm on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and/or <a href="https://www.threads.com/@truefans.fm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Threads</a>.</p><p><br></p><p>You can <strong>support the show</strong> by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen.</p><p>Leave a <strong>super comment</strong> via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app.</p><p><strong>Learn more about TrueFans</strong> features by listening to our sister show, <em>Fanzone</em>.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or <a href="https://truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></p><p>Music: How It Is from <a href="https://ketsa.uk/shop/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ketsa Music</a></p><p>Feedback: <a href="https://truefans.fm/feedback" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TrueFans Support</a></p><p>Read: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Blog</a></p><p>Recommendations: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=recommendations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Podroll</a></p>

<p>Celebrating the intersection of independent filmmaking and podcasting.</p><p>Claire chats with Phoebe Cawley from the Aesthetica Short Film Festival, which for the second year includes The Podcasting Lounge, a showcase for independent audio productions.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>The Festival</strong></p><p>Phoebe explains how a 20-year-old arts magazine evolved into a world-class film festival in York that now celebrates all forms of independent media.</p><p>Submit your podcast if it displays originality and strong perspectives across fiction, documentary, investigative, or experimental genres. Selected podcasters get access to the festival, networking opportunities, and masterclasses from industry giants.</p><p><br></p><p>Deadline: <a href="https://www.asff.co.uk/podcasts/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Submissions close on June 30th</a></p><p>The festival runs from November 4th–8th</p><p><br></p><p><strong>TrueFans Platform: Awards and Playlists</strong></p><p>Award-winning and shortlisted podcasts (including <a href="https://truefans.fm/awards/aesthetica-film-festival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">those from Aesthetica</a> 2025) have a dedicated space to be discovered on TrueFans. Winners are also highlighted with a trophy icon on their cover art, and users can listen to a curated playlist of all winning podcasts.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Securing the Future: Premium RSS</strong></p><p>Sam introduces Premium RSS (formerly Secure RSS), a solution to the security flaws found in traditional private feeds like those on Patreon or Substack, which are easily shared, allowing non-paying listeners to access premium content. TrueFans is beta testing a standard that verifies user credentials upon login, ensuring only paying fans can access the feed.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Independent Podcasters Day</strong></p><p>We touch on Liam Heffernan’s campaign to establish July 4th as <a href="https://www.independentpodcastersday.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Independent Podcasters Day</a> (or 'Independents Day') to celebrate the unique voices in the industry.</p><p><br></p><p>Follow @TrueFans.fm on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and/or <a href="https://www.threads.com/@truefans.fm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Threads</a>.</p><p><br></p><p>You can <strong>support the show</strong> by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen.</p><p>Leave a <strong>super comment</strong> via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app.</p><p><strong>Learn more about TrueFans</strong> features by listening to our sister show, <em>Fanzone</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>Listen to <a href="https://truefans.fm/from-my-yard-to-your-yard" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">From My Yard to Your Yard</a></p><p><br></p><p>Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or <a href="https://truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></p><p>Music: How It Is from <a href="https://ketsa.uk/shop/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ketsa Music</a></p><p>Feedback: <a href="https://truefans.fm/feedback" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TrueFans Support</a></p><p>Read: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Blog</a></p><p>Recommendations: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=recommendations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Podroll</a></p><p><br></p>

<p>Originally conceived as an accountability tool to force them to write, The Failing Writers Podcast has evolved into a unique creative outlet where hosts Tom and Jon 'scratch a creative itch' through sketches, songs, and 'weird stuff', alongside interviews with successful authors. In this episode the duo discuss the independent creator's journey, from the difficulty of marketing a multi-genre show to the paradox of a podcast that both inspires their writing while simultaneously eating up the very time they meant to spend writing.</p><p>The episode also delves into the technical evolution of video podcasting, the impact of Apple's proprietary APIs, and how TrueFans helps creators manage hosting costs and filter bot data for accurate human analytics.</p><p>Plus, we ask you:</p><p>Should the home screen feature show art, episode art, or allow the listener to choose their preference? Leave a comment to have your say.</p><p><br></p><p>Follow @TrueFans.fm on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and/or <a href="https://www.threads.com/@truefans.fm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Threads</a>.</p><p><br></p><p>You can <strong>support the show</strong> by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen.</p><p>Leave a <strong>super comment</strong> via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app.</p><p><strong>Learn more about TrueFans</strong> features by listening to our sister show, <em>Fanzone</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>Listen to <a href="https://truefans.fm/the-failing-writers-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Failing Writers Podcast</a></p><p><br></p><p>Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or <a href="https://truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></p><p>Music: How It Is from <a href="https://ketsa.uk/shop/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ketsa Music</a></p><p>Feedback: <a href="https://truefans.fm/feedback" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TrueFans Support</a></p><p>Read: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Blog</a></p><p>Recommendations: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=recommendations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Podroll</a></p>

<p>Community, feedback, grants and support for indie podcasters.</p><p>Remi Roy, creator of <em>The Driven Introvert Podcast </em>and founder of PodGround, shares her journey from a self-taught podcaster recording in a library to building a supportive community for independent creators. The discussion explores the common 'shouting into the void' feeling and how PodGround’s micro-grants and structured resources aim to lower the dropout rate for new shows.</p><p>Plus, Sam explains how the new TrueFans co-listen and chat feature helps break the isolation of the 'independent silo'.</p><p><br></p><p>Follow @TrueFans.fm on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and/or <a href="https://www.threads.com/@truefans.fm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Threads</a>.</p><p><br></p><p>You can <strong>support the show</strong> by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen.</p><p>Leave a <strong>super comment</strong> via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app.</p><p><strong>Learn more about TrueFans</strong> features by listening to our sister show, <em>Fanzone</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>More about <a href="https://podground.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PodGround</a></p><p>More about the <a href="https://podground.io/grant" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PodGround Creators Micro-Grant</a></p><p><br></p><p>Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or <a href="https://truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></p><p>Music: How It Is from <a href="https://ketsa.uk/shop/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ketsa Music</a></p><p>Feedback: <a href="https://truefans.fm/feedback" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TrueFans Support</a></p><p>Read: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Blog</a></p><p>Recommendations: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=recommendations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Podroll</a></p>

<p>Claire chats with Shá Sparks, host of <em>The Shá Sparks Show</em>, to discuss building a community, exploring trauma and resilience, and navigating the podcasting landscape.</p><p>Shá discusses her transition from hairstylist to podcaster and 'connector' for military and business leaders, exploring how their past struggles – the 'muck and yuck' – become their greatest strengths. The conversation highlights the concept of a 'respect economy' versus traditional entertainment models, and how indie creators build deeper connections with their listeners.</p><p>Sam explores how TrueFans provides superior metrics like listen time and consumption data, moving beyond the "auto-download" era to show real listener engagement, and we look at how creators will soon be able to use TrueFans to offer exclusive bonus content without forcing fans to use external platforms like Patreon.</p><p>Claire is officially announced as the Head of Community at TrueFans and entries are open for the Independent Podcast Awards 2026.</p><p><br></p><p>You can <strong>support the show</strong> by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen.</p><p>Leave a <strong>super comment</strong> via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app.</p><p><strong>Learn more about TrueFans</strong> features by listening to our sister show, <em>Fanzone</em>.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://truefans.fm/the-sha-sparks-show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen to The Shá Sparks Show here</a></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://independentpodcastawards.com/IPA26/en/page/awards-homepage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Enter the Independent Podcast Awards here</a></p><p><br></p><p>Find <a href="https://truefans.fm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TrueFans here</a></p><p>Music: How It Is from <a href="https://ketsa.uk/shop/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ketsa Music</a></p><p>Feedback: <a href="https://truefans.fm/feedback" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TrueFans Support</a></p><p>Read: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Blog</a></p><p>Recommendations: <a href="https://truefans.fm/creators-from-truefans?tab=recommendations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creators Podroll</a></p>