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

Episode 824 - These 2 Things Could Help Your Podcast and You Should Do These At The End Of Every Month End of month podcast hosting tips to maximize upload limits and grow your audience Podcast hosting limits reset every month and many creators leave paid minutes on the table. This show notes overview shares two practical podcast growth strategies you can use before the calendar flips. Use every minute you pay for and breathe new life into old episodes so new listeners discover your best content Use every minute of your paid hosting plan Paid hosts like Buzzsprout and Captivate set monthly upload caps. Unused minutes vanish at month end. Spotify for Creators offers unlimited uploads at no cost, which changes the math for some shows. The habit that saves money starts with a simple audit. Check your dashboard near month end. Note remaining hours or file size. Then act. Open your episode library and add a sortable length column. Filter for episodes that fit your remaining cap. Upload them as draft or placeholder files with no publish date. This consumes the allowance you already paid for. You keep the value. You avoid wasting twelve hours in a month like September when no new episodes went live. Short bonus episodes work when only a few minutes remain. Thank your audience. Share a resource. Shout out another podcaster. Do something useful with the time. You paid for it. Claim it. Need a visual walkthrough of your specific host? Book a session at How To Podcast dot CA and review your upload settings, limits, and workflow together. Refresh old episodes by updating the publish date Evergreen content can stall in the back catalog. Listeners rarely scroll years deep. Change the episode date to yesterday to surface it among recent releases. Before you edit, paste the original publish date into the show notes so you can restore it later. Label it clearly as the original post date. This keeps your record honest and reversible. Why yesterday and not today or tomorrow? Tomorrow flags as a scheduled new episode and misleads apps. Yesterday places the episode high in the recent list without claiming it as brand new. Apps show it near the top. New subscribers see it alongside current releases. Odd episode numbers appear among recent titles and curiosity drives clicks. Pick episodes that match current interest. Check YouTube analytics for your channel and note which videos and topics trend now. Match those themes to older episodes. Move a small batch forward for a month or two. Watch listens. When engagement fades, return them to their original date and rotate in a new set. This tactic grows depth of connection. It increases total listens and time spent with your catalog. That builds a stronger audience than chasing raw download counts alone. See this in action on Living The Next Chapter dot com. Sort by most recent and you will spot high episode numbers next to much older numbers. Those are refreshed episodes placed to earn another run. Audit your hosting dashboard before month end and upload draft files to consume unused minutes. Then pick a handful of evergreen episodes, add the original date to the show notes, and republish them with yesterday’s date to surface them for new listeners. Repeat each month to maximize your podcast hosting limits and extend the life of your catalog. Tomorrow is International Podcast Day on September 30. Mark your calendar now so it does not sneak up next year. Celebrate by applying one of these tactics and sharing your win with your community. ___ Helping Podcasters Everyday ⁠https://howtopodcast.ca/⁠ We would love to hear from you - here is our listener survey! ⁠https://forms.gle/GbrFv9DGszV8N4PW6

BONUS Rewind - Listener Message from Eric Seemann - Co-Host of the REAL Siblings, It Ain't Easy Podcast A Speak Pipe Message came in today from Eric - Co-Host of the Real Siblings, It Ain't Easy Podcast! So, I thought I would create an episode featuring Eric's Message and a short clip from their podcast! Donna Reed and Eric Seemann are both professional Realtors®. Donna lives and works in Tucson Arizona with Keller Williams Southern Arizona while Eric lives and works in San Antonio Texas with Keller Williams Heritage. They are also siblings, and they grew up in a small Northwest Ohio village of Lindsey. Their idyllic small-town childhood laid the foundation for what would become the structure of their lives and careers in real estate. We hope you will join us as we reminisce, reflect, and correlate how our childhood and life in rural Ohio still impacts our dealings with our clients today.https://pod.link/1630791289 If you want your podcast mentioned here on The How to Podcast Series, send me a Speak Pipe Message and remember to shout out your show so that we can share it with the How to Podcast Family! Head over to https://howtopodcast.ca/

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 players Sessions 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 matters Two 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 Lie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7olCIlIOO2I&t=4s WTF 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 Epidemic https://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