When you think about podcasts for podcasters, your mind enters some sort of meta imploding loop impossible to break away from. Just think, it’s a podcast, hosted by a podcaster, for podcasters, discussing tips and best practices for podcasting. And on and on it goes.
That said, podcasting is similar to other jobs and hobbies in that you want to continue improving, learning from others, and ultimately creating better work your audience will enjoy. I’ve spoken to a lot of podcasters, big and small, in my time at Discover Pods and one thing links the most successful: they’re constantly listening to other podcasts and getting inspiration to make their show better.
Whether you’re a new podcasters looking for podcast hosting and podcast equipment to get started, or you’re a seasoned vet looking for a tune-up, one thing remains constant: we could all get better.
But which are the best, really? Which podcasts for podcasters is the most useful for you, at whatever stage you might be? Here’s where I come in with a handy list.
Best Getting Started With Podcasting Podcasts
Some of you may just be starting out with podcasting and unsure exactly where to begin. Don’t fret, and welcome to the fold! The podcasts in this list help hold you hand every step of the way as you begin your podcast journey. From giving you tips on how to position your podcast microphone, to understanding how the metadata in your feed matters, to making sure you have the right foundation for success, these podcasts are necessary for newbies.
One podcast in particular, StartUp, dives further into this meta vortex. StartUp was created by former This American Life producer, Alex Blumberg and season one focuses on his journey creating his own startup, which would eventually become Gimlet. The upcoming season of StartUp takes this story full circle and chronicles their acquisition by Spotify
- 1. Build a Big Podcast
- 2. Podcasting Step by Step
- 3. The Podcasters Studio
- 4. Podcasting 101
- 5. StartUp (season 1)
Best Best Practices Podcasts
So you have your podcast up and running, maybe you’ve even recorded a couple episodes. This list is for you. You know those challenges you keep running into around editing? Or how about dealing with remote co-hosts or interviews? What about best practices around pushing out new episodes? All those and more are covered by podcasts in this list. I’d like to call out She Podcasts in particular. Hosted by two industry veterans, Jessica Kupferman and Elsie Escobar, She Podcasts gives you the honest truth and insightful tips on making a better show. Though it’s intended for women — some of the episodes deal with the extra challenge of being a podcasting mom — men will still find this podcast helpful.
- 6. HowSound
- 7. Podcastification
- 8. MicScience
- 9. Podcast Me Anything
- 10. Podcast Pontifications
- 11. She Podcasts
- 12. The Audacity to Podcast
Best Growing Your Audience Podcasts
I’ve never met a podcaster who isn’t trying to grow their podcast audience. In our latest Podcast Trends Report, it was the most cited challenge, over 61% listed it as their top priority. What I’m trying to get at is, it doesn’t matter where you podcast is on the maturity scale, nobody is ever truly satisfied with their current audience size.
The podcasts on this list help you grow your audience by providing tips on your web presence, episode best practices, and good ole fashioned marketing. What I’ve come to realize is that most podcasters, while incredibly talented in other facets, don’t know the basics around marketing their podcast. Podcasts 18-21 aren’t even necessarily for podcasters, they’re just some of the best marketing podcasts out there.
- 13. The School of Podcasting
- 14. Your Podcast Consultant
- 15. The Feed
- 16. Podcasters Roundtable
- 17. Call to Action
- 18. Marketing Over Coffee
- 19. The Science of Social Media
- 20. Marketing School
- 21. Copyblogger FM
Best Podcasts To Better Understand The Industry
The podcast industry is growing and changing at a breakneck pace. Just in the last year we saw major podcast companies get shut down, get acquired, or raise millions of dollars. The titans of the industry — Apple, Google, and now Spotify — are changing their podcast requirements, recommendation engines, and user interfaces and it’s important for all podcasters to understand the industry to keep their podcast relevant.
Podnews, along with being a great daily newsletter, provides a no-fluff daily podcast with the top news. Most episodes are only a couple minutes long so you really don’t have any excuse not to tune in to stay informed.
Learn From The Best Podcasters
You know what Terry Gross, Ira Glass, Marc Maron, and Bill Simmons have in common? They’re really good at their podcasting jobs. It doesn’t matter how good you think you are, I guarantee you could learn some helpful tips from the best in the business.
Inside Podcasting, the podcast counterpart to the daily newsletter, is relatively new but was able to get some marquee guests including Leon Neyfakh, Jessi Hempel, and Ian Chillag. Apart from the recognizable names, all the guests provide true analysis and insight into what goes into making their shows and how the sausage gets made.
- 26. Inside Podcasting
- 27. The Wolf Den
- 28. Podcasting Essentials
- 29. Podcasters Group Therapy
- 30. Podcasts We Listen To
- 31. In Pod We Trust
Hopefully you find this list useful as you embark or continue your podcasting journey. Whatever old adage you want to use applies here, but creating a successful podcast requires hard work and patience. Don’t get discouraged at a slow start. Don’t get hung up on download numbers. Just continue to focus on creating the best possible show you can.
Post written by Keven Goldberg. Founder and Editor of Discover Pods. You can follow him on Twitter at @Kevin_Goldberg.
