Episode 421: How to Start a Podcast and Stick With It, 8 Years Later

When I started this show 8 years ago, podcasting was still something people had to explain to their friends. Today it's mainstream. The global audience for podcasts has grown, and in the U.S. alone, more than half the population, roughly 158 million people, tune in every month. The number of shows has exploded too. There are now over 4.5 million podcasts worldwide. But here's the number that matters most for today's episode: only about 10 to 15% of those shows are still actively publishing. Nearly half of all podcasts stop at 3 episodes or fewer, and industry researchers cite a "90/90 rule." Ninety percent of shows don't make it past episode 3. Of the ones that do, 90% don't make it past episode 20. I'm at episode 421. Today I want to cover the mechanics and the meaning of podcasting, so that you can decide for yourself if this is a path worth starting or staying on. In this episode, we discuss: The mechanics of starting a podcast so that you can choose the right tech The meaning of hosting a podcast so that you can reflect on why you want to start a podcast Trends in podcasting over the past 8 years so that you can see how podcasting has changed over the years Takeaways from my time as a podcaster so that you can learn from my experience hosting a podcast Mentioned in This Episode: Download the Cookbook Author Platform Checklist