The best podcasts are built around the audience. Always.

Last year, I spent a fair bit of time with an independent magazine publisher who was certain they needed a podcast. They had the name, the branding, and a full format mapped out.

Sounds like the road to success right? But they had missed one important step. They had forgotten to check in with their readers and see whether a podcast was something they wanted.

Knowing your audience before you hit go on a podcast is essential, because if a podcast is created but never heard - is it really a podcast at all? (or just a random audio file floating on the breeze....)

In this week's episode of Stop Rewind Play I talk about...

🔬 Why audience research should come before production

? What to ask (and where to ask it) to be sure a podcast is the right move

🧪 Small-scale ways to test your podcast idea without a full launch

🤔 What to do if your audience isn't on traditional podcast platforms

Suze Cooper works as a freelancer offering expert audio production, editing, and storytelling for publishers, newsrooms, and media outlets. Visit www.bigtentmedia.co.uk

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoprewindplay.substack.com