A lively “Show and Tell” episode of Podcast Super Friends, five podcast producers from across North America—Catherine O’Brien, Johnny Podcasts, Matt Cundill, Jon Gay (Jag), and David Yas—gather to share their latest insights, tools, and strategies for podcasting success.

The group kicks off with a roundtable on podcasting hardware, comparing microphones like the Shure SM7B and the RØDECaster Duo, and offering practical advice for both new and seasoned podcasters.

The conversation shifts to the power of AI in podcast production, with detailed discussions on using ChatGPT and Descript for editing, show notes, and creative brainstorming. The hosts share their favorite AI-driven workflows, tips for interview prep, and the importance of human review in the editing process.

Monetization is also on the agenda, as Matt explains how RedCircle’s programmatic ads can generate passive income, even for shows not hosted on their platform.

Johnny and Jag had a few helpful plugins for those who want to go beyond Adobe Enhance.

Check out:

DXRevive

Waves AQ

Izotope RX11

Chapters

(0:00) – Introduction & Host Roundtable

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Arielle Nissenblatt, founder of Earbuds Podcast Collective, discussed her journey from Squad Cast and Descript to her current role at Autoly, where she manages the Pinwheel project. She emphasized the importance of newsletters, recommending tools like Substack, Beehive, and MailChimp for email capture and engagement. Arielle highlighted the value of community feedback and collaboration, suggesting podcasters integrate marketing into their content. She also explored the use of AI for organizing tasks and analyzing data, and stressed the need for podcasters to balance creativity with effective marketing strategies.

Resources mentioned:

You heard the name Lauren Passell and her newsletter Podcast Marketing Magic is stellar. Also if you are looking for Promo and Guest swaps - this free service is very helpful.

Sign up for Arielle's Earbuds Collective Newsletter.

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What is a podcast in 2025? We called in Rob Greenlee to provide insights into the evolving landscape of podcasting, focusing on the rise of video podcasting. He discusses how platforms like YouTube and Spotify are reshaping the industry, challenging traditional RSS-based distribution. We tried to land on the definition of a podcast, emphasizing content over distribution method.

⁠A full transcription of the episode is available on our website.⁠

Check out more from the Superfriends below:

Johnny Peterson - ⁠⁠Johnny Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.johnnypodcasts.com⁠⁠

Catherine O’Brien -⁠⁠ Branch Out Programs ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.branchoutprograms.com/⁠⁠ 

Jon Gay: Jag in Detroit ⁠⁠https://www.jagindetroit.com⁠⁠

David Yas: Pod 617 -⁠⁠ The Boston Podcast Network⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.pod617.com/⁠⁠

Matt Cundill - ⁠⁠The Sound Off Media Company⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://soundoff.network⁠⁠ 

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The Podcast Super Friends discussed the importance of and evaluating podcasts. We focused on technical quality, content, and promotion.

Johnny got us started with microphones, managing echo, and maintaining consistent loudness levels (LUFS -15). For video, using high-quality cameras and proper lighting was emphasized.

Jag shifted us over to content, stressing the importance of engaging introductions, avoiding overly long episodes, and asking hard questions respectfully. The friends were complimentary of Valerie Geller's recent appearacne on the Sound Off Podcast with Matt Cundill, where she spoke about her book and offered up OODLES of excellent podcast related tactcis on creative content. YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT HERE.

Matt is all about the packaging of a show; including the artwork, metadata and how you show looks and appears in places like Apple, Spotify and Amazon.

Catherine got us going on promotion strategies like sharing episode links, using visual cues on YouTube, and leveraging guest networks. The conversation also touched on the importance of making podcasts about the audience and being involved in relevant communities. Catherine also suggests using those subtle warm calls to engage existing customers or fans when promoting a podcast, especially for branded podcasts with built-in audiences.

We missed David Yas on the show today but Johnny managed to promote his show called Past 10's Top 10 Time Machine.

We are 5 Podcast Producers who make podcasts for People and Companies. Reach out to any one of us if you would like a show.

Johnny Peterson - Johnny Podcasts https://www.johnnypodcasts.com

Catherine O’Brien - Branch Out Programs  https://www.branchoutprograms.com/ 

Jon Gay: Jag in Detroit https://www.jagindetroit.com

David Yas: Pod 617 - The Boston Podcast Network https://www.pod617.com/

Matt Cundill - The Sound Off Media Company https://soundoff.network

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The SuperFriends dissect Edison Research's 2025 Infinite Dial, The Amplii Media and Coleman Insights' State of Video Podcasting study, and Jacobs Media's Tech Survey, revealing key insights into podcast consumption trends. The group explores the rising popularity of video podcasts, the dominance of platforms like YouTube and Spotify, and the evolving media landscape.

Discover how Gen Z consumes content, why metadata matters, and the challenges podcasters face when transitioning to video. With candid discussions about social media, podcast discovery, and the intersection of radio and podcasting, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the current state of podcasting. Whether you're a content creator or podcast enthusiast, this conversation provides valuable insights into the medium's future.

Get The Survey's at each of the company's website, linked above.

A full transcription of the episode is available on our website.

Check out more from the Superfriends below:

Johnny Peterson - ⁠Johnny Podcasts⁠ ⁠https://www.johnnypodcasts.com⁠

Catherine O’Brien -⁠ Branch Out Programs ⁠ ⁠https://www.branchoutprograms.com/⁠ 

Jon Gay: Jag in Detroit ⁠https://www.jagindetroit.com⁠

David Yas: Pod 617 -⁠ The Boston Podcast Network⁠ ⁠https://www.pod617.com/⁠

Matt Cundill - ⁠The Sound Off Media Company⁠ ⁠https://soundoff.network⁠ 

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The podcast Super Friends discussed various insights and challenges in the podcasting industry. David Yas shared some stats from a recent stdy from Podmatch.

Johnny Podcasts highlighted the smoke and mirrors of creating AI agents for efficient podcast production.

Catherine O'Brien emphasized the value of email for direct audience engagement with what she learned from the latest Sounds Profitable piece along with Jar Audio.

The group also discussed the challenges of copyright issues on platforms like Spotify and the potential of Pocket Casts' web player for better listener access.

A Transcript and video of this episode can be found on our network page.

Check out more from the Superfriends below:

Johnny - Straight Up Podcasts

David - Boston Podcast Network

Jon - JAG In Detroit Podcasts

Catherine - Branch Out Programs

Matt - The Soundoff Podcast Network

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With David and Johnny away this week... something a little different this time around. Danny Brown is the Head of Podcaster Support & Experience at Captivate Audio. He joins as a guest Super Friend to share what he knows.

The friends discuss the state of podcasting, including the use of live streaming platforms like Boomcaster, Descript and Riverside, and the challenges of adapting to new technologies like Spotify's video push. They also explore the importance of community management and the value of offering multiple monetization options, such as one-off tips and memberships. The Friends highlight the need for podcast hosting compaies to cater to specific audience segments effectively and the potential impact of platform-specific features on content creators. Finally, they touched on the importance of consistent content and the role of events in fostering community and education.

Connect with Danny Brown's podcasts and everything else Danny.

In and Around Podcasting

5 Random Questions

One Minute Podcast Tips

A Transcript and video of this episode can be found on our network page.

Check out more from the Superfriends below:

Johnny - Straight Up Podcasts

David - Boston Podcast Network

Jon - JAG In Detroit Podcasts

Catherine - Branch Out Programs

Matt- The Soundoff Podcast Network

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The Podcast Superfriends bring in 2025 with an episode all about sounding better in 2025! Matt's idea for sounding better was thought to be about the hardware and the tools, but sounding great on a podcast is so much more. It's about how you organize your content, prepare for the show and all those little extras that David Yas always brings... sound effects.

Catherine O'Brien springs a round of "What's Worse" on the Superfriends... as they try to figure out which bad sounding podcast habits are worse.

Check out more from the Superfriends below:

Johnny - Straight Up Podcasts

David - Boston Podcast Network

Jon - JAG In Detroit Podcasts

Catherine - Branch Out Programs

Matt- The Soundoff Podcast Network

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The podcast discussion covered various predictions for 2025 in the podcasting industry. Key points included the impact of politicians using podcasts to connect with voters, with mixed opinions on their effectiveness. The decline of mainstream media and the rise of local podcasts were debated, with a consensus that local podcasts are gaining traction. The conversation also touched on the integration of AI in podcasting, with concerns about authenticity and human connection. Subscription models and contextual targeting in advertising were discussed, highlighting the potential for personalized content and the challenge of subscription fatigue. The group also explored the future of local radio and the importance of human insight in content creation.

A Transcript and video of this episode can be found on our network page.

Check out more from the Superfriends below:

Johnny - Straight Up Podcasts

David - Boston Podcast Network

Jon - JAG In Detroit Podcasts

Catherine - Branch Out Programs

Matt- The Soundoff Podcast Network

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say Happy Halloween! David Yas highlighted the Descript app's features, including its stock sounds and multi-track exporting. Matt Cundill introduced Descript Rooms, a new beta tool for remote recording. Johnny Podcasts emphasized the importance of pre-recording checklists and suggested internal episodes during guest booking challenges. Catherine O'Brien noted the mainstreaming of podcasts in elections, citing unexpected guest appearances. Matt Cundill discussed alternatives to Chartable for download tracking, with Op3 and Podder App as top recommendations. Finally, they shared their Halloween plans and encouraged listeners to follow the podcast on various platforms.

Dan Misener wrote a nice piece about alternatives to Chartable.

A Transcript and video of this episode can be found on our network page.

Check out more from the Superfriends below:

Johnny - Straight Up Podcasts

David - Boston Podcast Network

Jon - JAG In Detroit Podcasts

Catherine - Branch Out Programs

Matt- The Soundoff Podcast Network

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