Podcast Insider

In this episode of Podcast Insider, Mike Dell, Dave Clements and MacKenzie Bennett share how they’re currently using AI in podcast production—and where they think podcasters should draw the line.

The conversation covers practical uses for AI, including creating transcripts, generating chapters, summarizing episodes, cleaning up audio, assisting with research and editing images. They also discuss why human review still matters, especially when AI-generated content can introduce errors, flatten a creator’s voice or make audiences question what they’re hearing and seeing.

The team also gets into the bigger concerns surrounding AI in creative work: voice cloning, fully AI-generated podcasts, trust, privacy and the difference between using AI to enhance your work versus using it to replace the creative process altogether. Their takeaway is less about following a strict rule and more about being intentional. AI can be a useful assistant, but creators should still review the output, maintain their own voice and consider how their audience will perceive what they publish.

The episode wraps up with a look at International Podcast Day on September 30, including its beginnings as National Podcast Day in 2014 and how it has grown into a worldwide celebration of podcasting, creators and the evolution of the medium.

In this episode:

There is not one universal answer to how much AI is too much. The better question may be whether the technology is helping you make a stronger podcast—or removing the human element that made the show worth listening to in the first place.

Learn more and find additional podcasting resources at PodcastInsider.com, and visit the Blubrry Podcasting YouTube channel for more podcasting videos.

There’s no magic number or one-size-fits-all answer. In this episode of Podcast Insider, Dave Clements, Mike Dell, and MacKenzie Bennett discuss podcast episode length, editing styles, audience expectations, and why podcasters may be better off focusing on their content instead of chasing an supposed “perfect” runtime.

The team shares their own preferences for short and long episodes and explains why the right length often comes down to a simple rule: talk for as long as you have something worthwhile to say. If a topic only needs 15 or 20 minutes, there’s no reason to stretch it to 30. Likewise, a compelling conversation may deserve considerably more time.

They also explore how much editing a podcast actually needs. Some shows benefit from detailed production, while others work well with a more natural, lightly edited approach. The key is deciding what fits your show, your available time, and what your audience expects.

The biggest takeaway: don’t let perfection keep you from publishing. Podcasting, recording, and editing all involve a learning curve. Your process can improve with every episode, and what matters most is creating something your audience wants to keep listening to.

The episode also briefly touches on Apple HLS video availability for Blubrry customers and the growing opportunities for podcasters interested in video.

Learn more and find additional podcasting resources at PodcastInsider.com, and visit the Blubrry Podcasting YouTube channel for more podcasting videos.

Podcast burnout can happen for a lot of reasons: an overly ambitious schedule, too much production work, losing interest in a topic or simply trying to fit podcasting into an already busy life.

In this episode of Podcast Insider, MacKenzie Bennett, Mike Dell and Dave Clements talk about their own experiences with podcast burnout, abandoned shows and taking breaks. They discuss why burnout doesn’t always mean it’s time to quit — sometimes it means the format, schedule or expectations around your podcast need to change.

The team also shares ways to make podcasting more sustainable, including simplifying production, building breaks into your schedule, recording episodes ahead of time and giving yourself permission to experiment with your format.

There isn’t one perfect podcast schedule or production process. The most sustainable approach is the one that allows you to keep creating without turning your podcast into something you dread.

If you’re feeling burned out, taking a break, simplifying your process or changing things up might be exactly what your show needs.

Learn more and find additional podcasting resources at PodcastInsider.com, and visit the Blubrry Podcasting YouTube channel for more podcasting videos.

In this episode of Podcast Insider, Dave Clements, MacKenzie Bennett and Mike Dell discuss the rise and influence of celebrity podcasts, why some make the transition to podcasting successfully while others struggle, and how these shows can shape expectations for new podcasters.

The conversation explores the popularity of celebrity interview shows, the teams and resources often working behind the scenes, and the advantage that comes with already having an established audience. But celebrity status doesn’t guarantee a successful show — interviewing, storytelling and creating something people want to return to still require skill.

They also look at the positive impact celebrities have had on podcasting by bringing new listeners into the medium and helping make podcasts more mainstream.

Most importantly, independent podcasters shouldn’t feel like they need to copy what celebrities are doing. Podcasting remains a place where original ideas can find an audience, and success doesn’t have to mean massive ad deals or millions of listeners.

Whether you’re inspired, annoyed or completely indifferent to celebrity podcasts, there’s one takeaway: use other shows for inspiration, but make something that’s your own.

Learn more and find additional podcasting resources at PodcastInsider.com, and visit the Blubrry Podcasting YouTube channel for more podcasting videos.

In this episode of Podcast Insider, Dave Clements, MacKenzie Bennett and Mike Dell discuss the rise and influence of celebrity podcasts, why some make the transition to podcasting successfully while others struggle, and how these shows can shape expectations for new podcasters.

The conversation explores the popularity of celebrity interview shows, the teams and resources often working behind the scenes, and the advantage that comes with already having an established audience. But celebrity status doesn’t guarantee a successful show — interviewing, storytelling and creating something people want to return to still require skill.

They also look at the positive impact celebrities have had on podcasting by bringing new listeners into the medium and helping make podcasts more mainstream.

Most importantly, independent podcasters shouldn’t feel like they need to copy what celebrities are doing. Podcasting remains a place where original ideas can find an audience, and success doesn’t have to mean massive ad deals or millions of listeners.

Whether you’re inspired, annoyed or completely indifferent to celebrity podcasts, there’s one takeaway: use other shows for inspiration, but make something that’s your own.

Learn more and find additional podcasting resources at PodcastInsider.com, and visit the Blubrry Podcasting YouTube channel for more podcasting videos.

Podcast consumption looks different for everyone—and it continues to change as audio, video and short-form content become more connected.

In this episode of Podcast Insider, Mike Dell, Dave Clements and MacKenzie Bennett share how they discover and consume podcasts. MacKenzie primarily listens through Apple Podcasts but often discovers new shows through social media. Dave has shifted from traditional podcast apps toward YouTube and audiobooks, while Mike maintains organized podcast playlists but also consumes much of his long-form content through YouTube.

The conversation explores how video can help podcasters become more discoverable, even when their audience ultimately prefers to listen. The team also discusses the value of short promotional clips, simple video workflows and experimenting with different formats without turning podcast production into a full-time job.

One key takeaway: podcasters should think like consumers. Experiment with audio, video and short-form content, pay attention to how your audience responds and focus your effort on the formats that work best for your show.

How do you consume podcasts? Do you listen through a podcast app, watch on YouTube or discover shows through TikTok, Instagram or another platform? Let us know.

Learn more and find additional podcasting resources at PodcastInsider.com, and visit the Blubrry Podcasting YouTube channel for more podcasting videos.

In this episode of Podcast Insider, Mike Dell is joined by Brenden Mulligan, founder of Podpage, to talk about Blubrry’s new Podpage integration and why having a dedicated podcast website still matters.

Blubrry hosting customers now have access to a free Podpage-powered podcast website, giving podcasters an easier way to create a professional home for their show without having to build or maintain a website from scratch.

Mike and Brenden discuss how the partnership came together, what happens to existing Blubrry podcast landing pages, and how podcasters can customize or upgrade their new sites.

They also dive into the bigger role podcast websites play in discoverability — from traditional SEO to the growing influence of AI search tools — and why having a clear, authoritative home for your podcast can help audiences and search platforms better understand your show.

One of the biggest themes of the conversation is simple: your podcast should have a place online that you control.

Podcast apps, directories, YouTube and other platforms are important for distribution, but your own website gives listeners a reliable place to find your episodes, learn more about your show and connect with you.

For Blubrry hosting customers, that process is now much easier. Your Podpage-powered site is automatically connected to your podcast, and podcasters who want additional design and website features can claim their site and explore more customization options.

To view or manage your podcast website, log in to your Blubrry Dashboard, go to Manage Show and look for Landing Page.

Whether you prefer a simple podcast website that works automatically or need a more customized web presence, the goal is the same: make it easy for people — and increasingly, search engines and AI tools — to find accurate information about your podcast.

Subscribe to Podcast Insider for more conversations about podcast hosting, publishing, technology, audience growth and the tools shaping the future of podcasting.

Hey everyone — quick update before we jump into today’s episode.

We’re currently taking a short break from recording new episodes of Podcast Insider as we spend some time reworking the show behind the scenes. We’re looking at everything from format to content to make sure we’re bringing you the most helpful and relevant podcasting insights possible.

We’ll be back with brand new episodes in May.

In the meantime, we’re revisiting some of our past episodes that are still incredibly relevant — like this one.

Thanks for sticking with us, and we’ll see you soon with what’s next for Podcast Insider.

Change can be scary — especially when your podcast format is “working well enough.” But doing the exact same thing every week can lead to burnout, stale content, and flat growth. In this episode of Podcast Insider, Mike and Dave dig into how to experiment with your show format without confusing your audience, tanking downloads, or losing the core of what makes your show work.

Whether you’re thinking about shorter episodes, new segments, rotating co-hosts, or even a full refresh down the road, this conversation walks through how to test changes in a thoughtful, data-informed way over time.

If your show is “fine,” it can be tempting to leave it alone forever. But small experiments can:

Common worries podcasters have:

Breaking down the difference between:

💡 Blubrry helps: Use your Blubrry stats to compare performance before and after changes—episode downloads, trends over a few weeks, and listener behavior over time.

You don’t have to flip your show upside down to “try something new.” Mike and Dave walk through small, manageable experiments you can test over a few episodes:

Structure Experiments

Length & Pacing Experiments

Format Variations

They also talk about running experiments in “seasons” or short runs so changes feel intentional, not random.

💡 Blubrry helps: Tag your episodes clearly in titles and descriptions (e.g., “Quick Tip,” “Deep Dive,” “Listener Q&A”) so you can see which experiment types attract more plays over time.

Listeners are usually more flexible than podcasters think—as long as they’re not surprised in a bad way.

Communicate changes without sounding unsure or apologetic:

The power of framing:

💡 Blubrry helps: Link to your contact page, newsletter, or survey using Quicklinks so listeners always have an easy, one-click way to respond.

Experimenting without paying attention to results is just guessing. We break down what to watch once you start testing new ideas:

Core metrics:

Engagement signals:

Patterns over time:

Don’t panic over one “weird” episode—look at patterns, not outliers.

💡 Blubrry helps: Use episode comparison tools and long-term stats trends to see how format changes affect performance across multiple episodes, not just one.

Not every experiment will be a hit—and that’s okay.

Roll it back if:

Tweak and keep testing if:

Fully commit if:

Tell listeners when something worked:

Experimenting with your format doesn’t mean starting from scratch—it means refining what already works and letting go of what doesn’t.

When you:

…you can evolve your show in a way that feels natural for both you and your listeners.

The best place for all Blubrry support is our ticket system. A ticket gives the whole team access vs. direct emails and calls. General podcasting discussion and more can be shared on the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook group.

Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider

Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call for a tech checkup with Mike ([email protected]).

Spring is a natural time to reset — and your podcast is no exception. If things have started to feel a little scattered, outdated, or harder to manage, you’re not alone. Most podcasts don’t struggle because of one major issue, but because of small things that quietly pile up over time. In this episode, we walk through how to “spring clean” your podcast — from refreshing your show details and fixing broken links to simplifying your workflow and setting yourself up for growth. These are practical, high-impact updates you can make right now to improve your listener experience, boost discoverability, and make your podcast easier (and more rewarding) to run.

Most podcasts don’t fail because of one big issue — it’s small things stacking up

Over time:

Cleaning up improves:

Older episodes still get discovered

Fix:

Consider:

Are you:

Common issues:

Solutions:

Are you still promoting:

Are you not promoting:

For the best support, please use our Blubrry ticket system so our full team can help. Join the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook Group for general podcasting discussion.

Share your feedback at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider.

Blubrry hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one tech checkup with Mike ([email protected])

Podcasting doesn’t stop at borders — and chances are, your audience doesn’t either.

In this replay of Podcast Insider, hosts Mike Dell and Dave Clements break down how podcasters can expand beyond their home country and reach listeners around the world. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow your show internationally, understand where your audience is coming from, or make your content more accessible globally — this episode is for you.

Whether you’re just getting started or already seeing downloads from other countries, going global isn’t about starting over — it’s about making smarter, more intentional decisions with the content you’re already creating.

Why your podcast likely already has a global audience

How international listeners can accelerate your growth

Simple ways to make your content more globally relevant

The role of transcripts in discoverability and accessibility

How to promote your podcast beyond your local market

Tools and strategies to understand where your listeners are tuning in from

Expanding your reach isn’t just about bigger numbers — it’s about better opportunities.

Connect with listeners from different cultures and perspectives

Open the door to international guests and collaborations

Increase your potential for sponsorships and partnerships

Build a stronger, more diverse community

Podcasting is inherently global — leaning into that can help your show grow faster and more sustainably.

You don’t need to change your show — just make it easier for more people to connect with it.

Keep language clear and avoid region-specific slang

Focus on topics that translate across cultures

Provide context when referencing local ideas or locations

Be mindful of time zones for releases and live events

Small adjustments can make a big difference in how your content resonates worldwide.

If you want a global audience, accessibility is key.

Transcripts help non-native speakers follow along

They improve SEO and discoverability

They make translation into other languages possible

Making your content easier to consume is one of the fastest ways to expand your reach internationally.

Growth doesn’t stop at publishing — it expands with how you promote.

Submit your podcast to global directories

Use region-specific hashtags and communities

Share clips or quotes that can be translated

Collaborate with creators in other countries

The more visible your show is globally, the more opportunities you create.

You don’t need a separate strategy to “go global.”

You just need to:

Understand where your audience already is

Remove friction for new listeners

Make your content accessible and relatable

Your next listener might not be in your city — or even your country. And that’s exactly where your growth can come from.