The Audacity to Podcast® - tips and how to start and grow profit in podcasting

By Daniel J. LewisBusiness Technology Education How To Marketing

The Audacity to Podcast® - tips and how to start and grow profit in podcasting episodes

June 18, 2025394. Fifteen Regrets from 15 Years of Professional Podcasting
As The Audacity to Podcast celebrates 15 years of professional podcasting, I invite you to take a critical look back at the biggest mistakes I've made and things I wish I did differently with my show. My hope is that this will inspire you to either fix these things early for yourself, or avoid them altogether!
Please share this episode from your podcast app or https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/15regrets
(As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases through some of these following links. But I recommend things I truly believe in, regardless of earnings.)
Hiatuses
Not building an email list sooner
• 13 Ways to Use an Email List for Your Podcast" [episode 198]: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/13-ways-to-use-an-email-list-for-your-podcast-tap198/
Not promoting my episodes via email
Pursuing the wrong business
Not creating enough training products
• SEO for Podcasters course: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/store/seo-for-podcasters/
• Zoom H6 for Podcasters course: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/store/zoom-h6-for-podcasters/
Waiting too long to register my trademark
• Gordon Firemark: https://gfiremark.com
Trying to do things cheaply
• ID3 Editor: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/id3editor
• Podgagement: https://podgagement.com/
Not publishing more through other channels, including video
• Hollyland Lark M2S microphone: https://geni.us/6oS4OH
Not reaching out to press about significant things
Accepting sponsors
Not creating value for value opportunities for you, my audience
• More about Podcasting 2.0 micropayments and value4value [episode 371]: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/are-podcasting-2-0-micropayments-worth-it/
• Support the show if The Audacity to Podcast provides value to you: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/giveback
• Get a modern Podcasting 2.0 podcast app: https://podcasting2.org/apps
Working solo for too long
• Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker: https://geni.us/rIloRAJ
• Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell: https://geni.us/yiGzM
• Podgagement (formerly "My Podcast Reviews"): https://podgagement.com/
• Entrepeneur definition on Urban Dictionary: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=entrepodneur
Using a cute and expensive domain
Getting involved with the wrong people
Not focusing more on relationships
———
Start and grow your own podcast for passion and PROFIT! Learn more and follow at https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
Supercharge your audience engagement and grow your podcast! https://podgagement.com/
FEEDBACK
Call (903) 231-2221
Email [email protected]
Send a message or voicemail through https://podcastfeedback.com/audacity
MAILING ADDRESS
The Audacity to Podcast
PO Box 739
Burlington, KY 41005
37 min
June 11, 2025393. How to Revive Your Dormant Podcast
Whether by choice or beyond your control, your podcast might have to go on a hiatus—and it could so long that the podcast seems dead! How do you come back from that and get back into your rhythm? It will take some work, but here are my recommendations (and what I'm practicing myself, too!).
Please share this episode from your podcast app or https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/revive
Review your podcasting goals (your "why")
Treat your podcast return like a launch
Use a podcast trailer to promote the return
Lower your expectations
Don't apologize or explain in your regular episodes
Make and follow a plan to keep going
———
Start and grow your own podcast for passion and PROFIT! Learn more and follow at https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
Supercharge your podcast engagement with Podgagement! https://podgagement.com/
FEEDBACK
Call (903) 231-2221
Email [email protected]
Send a voice message from https://podcastfeedback.com/audacity
MAILING ADDRESS
The Audacity to Podcast
PO Box 739
Burlington, KY 41005
18 min
May 01, 2024392. Six Cautions When Using Redirects in Podcasting (plus best practices)
Redirects come in multiple types. When misused, they can cause some major problems, as even happened to me recently. Here are some warnings to watch for whenever you use redirects.
Please share this episode from your podcast app or https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/redirectcautions
“Redirects and How to Use Them in Podcasting”: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/redirects-and-how-to-use-them-in-podcasting-tap280/
Caution #1: 301 redirects are "permanent" and cached
Caution #2: Your redirect destinations might change or disappear
Contigo Ashland Chill Autospout Water Bottle with Flip Straw, Stainless Steel Thermal Drinking Bottle,Leakproof,Grey, BLue, 590 ml: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W5GRCZB?tag=theaudacitytopodcast-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Contigo Autospout Straw Ashland Chill Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, 20 oz., Monaco: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D67AB4I?tag=theaudacitytopodcast-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Caution #3: Most redirects bypass content
theaudacitytopodcast.com/captivate: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/captivate
Caution #4: You might someday rename your redirect
Why you should stop saying brand names in your podcast: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/stop-saying-brand-names-in-your-podcast-do-these-5-things-instead/
Caution #5: Correcting URLs you said in old episodes is practically impossible
Caution #6: Reusing things you redirected from is a bad idea (my 2024 redirect mistake)
Quick resources for making redirects
301 permanent versus 307/302 temporary
WordPress plugins for making redirects
Pretty Links Pro: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/prettylinkpro
Redirection: https://wordpress.org/plugins/redirection/
Other ways to make redirects
Please click here to learn more about redirects and how to use them!: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/redirects-and-how-to-use-them-in-podcasting-tap280/
Community corner
———
Start and grow your own podcast for passion and PROFIT! Learn more and follow at https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
Know, engage, and grow your audience with the power of podcast reviews! https://mypodcastreviews.com/
FEEDBACK
Call (903) 231-2221
Email [email protected]
Send a voice message from https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
MAILING ADDRESS
The Audacity to Podcast
PO Box 739
Burlington, KY 41005
36 min
April 24, 2024391. Eleven Tips for Sharing URLs in Your Podcast
There comes a point in every podcast when it's necessary to say a URL. If for nothing else, at least your podcast's own home on the Internet. (And you should have a domain for your podcast!)
Please share this episode from your podcast app or https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/sharingurls
1. Speak as few URLs as possible (per episode)
Pretty Links Pro: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/go/prettylinkpro
2. Defer to your chapters or episode notes
Check out Knick Knack News for a great example of actionable episode notes: https://knickknacknews.com/
Captivate: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/captivate
Buzzsprout: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/buzzsprout
Blubrry: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/blubrry
I'm pushing hard for Podcasting 2.0 to turn our current podcast chapters into “super chapters”: https://github.com/Podcastindex-org/podcast-namespace/discussions/469
3. Never say "https://" or "www."
4. Simplify your URLs
Remove the third-party brand name completely and make it a generic URL: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/stop-saying-brand-names-in-your-podcast-do-these-5-things-instead/
Patreon: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/patreon
5. Make friendly URLs that make sense
Episode numbers didn't actually matter: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/are-podcast-episode-numbers-really-necessary-in-podcasting-show-notes-tap175/
6. Say "slash" not "forward slash" or "backslash"
7. Slow down and speak clearly
Podcast transcripts: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/how-to-use-podcast-transcripts/
8. Clarify or avoid ambiguity
9. Be careful with top-level domains that aren't .com
That Story Show: http://thatstoryshow.com/
10. Beware case-sensitivity
11. Always test your URLs before you share them
Community corner
———
Start and grow your own podcast for passion and PROFIT! Learn more and follow at https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
Know, engage, and grow your audience with the power of podcast reviews! https://mypodcastreviews.com/
FEEDBACK
Call (903) 231-2221
Email [email protected]
Send a voice message from https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
MAILING ADDRESS
The Audacity to Podcast
PO Box 739
Burlington, KY 41005
37 min
April 17, 2024 390. Eleven Warnings about Using AI in Content-Creation (including podcasting)
AI has rapidly advanced for content creation. But should you actually trust it? With this potential comes some crucial warnings for using AI in podcasting.
52 min
April 03, 2024 389. Should Your Podcast Have Inside Jokes?
Inside jokes can offer fun potential for your podcast, but also some potential costs. Here are some brief things for you to consider as you engage with your podcast audience.
Please share this episode from your podcast app or https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/insidejokes
Where inside jokes come from
What about the new listeners?
Turn inside jokes into swag
Community Corner
———
Start and grow your own podcast for passion and PROFIT! Learn more and follow at https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
Know, engage, and grow your audience with the power of podcast reviews! https://mypodcastreviews.com/
FEEDBACK
Call (903) 231-2221
Email [email protected]
Send a voice message from https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
MAILING ADDRESS
The Audacity to Podcast
PO Box 739
Burlington, KY 41005
9 min
March 27, 2024 388. Why You Should Put Podcasting P.R.O.F.I.T. First
Monetization is not the only profit you can get from podcasting! Here's why I think you should put P.R.O.F.I.T. first in every aspect of your podcast.
16 min
March 20, 2024387. Eight Things You Should Check in Apple Podcasts Connect
Apple provides a portal for you to submit and manage your own podcast in Apple Podcasts. It's called Podcasts Connect. Plus, countless other podcast apps and podcasting tools rely on Apple's data through their free API. Whether your podcast has been in Apple Podcasts for years, or you're just starting out, I suggest you check these 8 things right away!
Please share this episode from your podcast app or https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/checkapple
1. Check that you have agreed to Apple's terms of service
podcastsconnect.apple.com: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/
There might be additional new terms you must agree to, or you might need to provide legal or financial information: https://podcasters.apple.com/support/883-agreements
2. Check that your podcast is in your Apple Podcasts Connect account
Contact Apple through this form: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/contact-us?content_type=podcasts&topic=missing-podcast-s&locale=en
This is crucial to do with all your podcasts, especially any duplicate podcast listings you might have: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/how-to-fix-duplicate-listings-in-apple-podcasts-or-other-podcast-apps/
3. Check that your podcast information is correctly loaded in Apple Podcasts Connect
Cast Feed Validator: https://www.castfeedvalidator.com/
Podbase Podcast Validator: https://podba.se/validate/
TrueFans Podcast Validator: https://validator.truefans.fm/
4. Check the optional Apple Podcasts information fields
5. Check your Apple Podcasts distribution availability (affects other apps)
6. Switch the transcript default to use your provided transcripts
using Podcasting 2.0 transcripts: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/how-to-use-podcast-transcripts/
7. Check your Apple Podcasts ratings and reviews
There is also a “Ratings and Reviews” page that lets you see your Apple Podcasts (and only Apple Podcasts) ratings and reviews: https://podgagement.com/how-to-check-all-your-podcast-reviews-and-ratings-in-apple-podcasts/
You should use Podgagement to engage your audience and grow your podcast: https://podgagement.com/
See your ratings and reviews from Apple Podcasts: https://podgagement.com/how-to-check-all-your-podcast-reviews-and-ratings-in-apple-podcasts/
8. Check your Apple Podcasts analytics
———
Start and grow your own podcast for passion and PROFIT! Learn more and follow at https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
Know, engage, and grow your audience with the power of podcast reviews! https://mypodcastreviews.com/
FEEDBACK
Call (903) 231-2221
Email [email protected]
Send a voice message from https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
MAILING ADDRESS
The Audacity to Podcast
PO Box 739
Burlington, KY 41005
25 min
March 13, 2024386. Do IAB-Certified Stats Matter for Your Podcast?
You might have heard people talk about IAB podcast stats, measurement guidelines, compliance, and certification. Here's what all of that means, and whether it even matters!
Please share this episode from your podcast app or https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/iabstats
Who is the IAB?
What are IAB stats
These IAB guidelines get updated every few years. As of March 2024, the latest version is 2.2 still in proposal stage for public comment.: https://iabtechlab.com/press-releases/iab-tech-labs-podcast-technical-working-group-announces-podcast-measurement-updates-for-public-comment/
IAB "compliance" versus "certification"
You can see the list of certified podcasting companies here.: https://iabtechlab.com/compliance-programs/compliant-companies/#
Why IAB-certified podcast stats are good
But every standard will have loopholes
Some podcast networks put ads in mobile games: https://time.com/6217261/podcasters-buying-listeners-mobile-game-ads/
In my past research for testing the fastest podcast hosting: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/who-offers-the-fastest-podcast-hosting-tap335/
Why you don't actually need IAB-certified podcast stats
I've changed my mind about IAB certification
New feature: The Community Corner
Dave Jackson responded to my “mythinformation” line with a voicemail: https://castfeedback.com/6568ff490e90de09ac15f439/feedback/65e8bf6b409e6dd1d2c40a71
———
Start and grow your own podcast for passion and PROFIT! Learn more and follow at https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
Know, engage, and grow your audience with the power of podcast reviews! https://mypodcastreviews.com/
FEEDBACK
Call (903) 231-2221
Email [email protected]
Send a voice message from https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
MAILING ADDRESS
The Audacity to Podcast
PO Box 739
Burlington, KY 41005
24 min
March 06, 2024385. How to Use Podcast Transcripts
Transcripts have long been promoted as ways to make your podcast more findable and accessible. But it's only recently that podcast transcripts have become actually useful!
Although I didn't plan it this way, the timing of this episode is perfect because I just launched a new feature on Podgagement that automatically transcribes audio feedback from your audience!: https://podgagement.com/
Please share this episode from your podcast app or https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/transcripts
Don't believe the myths about podcast transcripts
Myth 1: "Transcripts are good for podcast SEO"
Myth 2: "Transcripts make your podcast accessible"
(Optional) Use transcripts with podcast-production tools
Here are my current favorite transcription-based tools to help when your episode is still in this early post-production stage right after you've record:
Descript (audio and video): https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/descript
Adobe Podcast (audio)
Adobe Premiere Pro (audio and video): https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/audition
Adobe Audition (audio transcript features coming soon)
Hindenburg (audio)
Make properly formatted podcast transcripts
Easy access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools has made creating transcripts a whole lot faster, easier, and cheaper. The editing tools I mentioned all use AI to generate their transcripts, or you could use other services, too:
Castmagic: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/castmagic
Capsho: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/capsho
Auphonic
Buzzsprout's Cohost AI addon: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/buzzsprout
Transistor's AI transcripts feature
Otter
Rev
These use OpenAI's free and open-source Whisper model.
MacWhisper Pro (macOS, free and paid versions)—this is what I used and usually get really good results from: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/macwhisper
Whisper GUI (Windows, free): https://grisk.itch.io/whisper-gui
Run Whisper from the command line (free, but super geeky): https://github.com/openai/whisper
Edit your podcast transcripts
Put the podcast transcripts in the right places
(Optional) Use your podcast transcripts for promotion
Magai: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/magai
Castmagic: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/castmagic
Capsho: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/capsho
Buzzsprout: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/buzzsprout
Descript: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/descript
Headliner: https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/headliner
Try Podgagement, now with automatic transcripts for voicemails from your audience!: https://podgagement.com/
———
Start and grow your own podcast for passion and PROFIT! Learn more and follow at https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
Know, engage, and grow your audience with the power of podcast reviews! https://mypodcastreviews.com/
FEEDBACK
Call (903) 231-2221
Email [email protected]
Send a voice message from https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/
MAILING ADDRESS
The Audacity to Podcast
PO Box 739
Burlington, KY 41005
48 min

About The Audacity to Podcast® - tips and how to start and grow profit in podcasting

From the publisher's feed

I believe podcasting is the BEST way for YOU to share a message to change the world! I give you the guts and teach you the tools to launch and improve your own podcast for passion and P.R.O.F.I.T.…