Buzzsprout Gets A Dark Side

Can AI find your podcast? We’re digging into answer engine optimization (AEO), how it overlaps with podcast SEO, and whether making a few changes to an episode can help it show up in AI recommendations.Jordan put it to the test with a Happy to Help episode that wasn’t appearing in her searches. After updating the title, description, transcript, and chapters, she tried again and the results surprised us! Sure, one experiment isn’t a magic formula, but it gives us some practical ideas to try improving discovery without re-recording anything.We cover how to:Test your podcast using questions a potential listener would actually ask.Make episode titles and chapter names more specific.Use the “bite, snack, meal” approach to make information more digestible.Clean up transcript errors and make it clear who’s speaking.Help people find the full episode when they discover a clip.Plus, we talk about Dial Flipper, a podcast discovery app that feels like flipping through radio stations, explain why your listener location stats might look off, and discuss whether podcast app ads are worth the money.Try this with one of your episodes and send us Fan Mail with what you find. We’re curious to see whether your results surprise you, too!Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

Have a podcast idea you keep putting off because you haven’t found the perfect name or figured out the artwork? We talk about getting past those first hurdles with Buzzsprout’s new Podcast Starter Kit, which turns a few answers about your idea into name suggestions, a description, cover art, and categories.Try the Starter Kit and send us Fan Mail with what you come up with. We want to hear about your next podcast!Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

This week, we’re sorting through the mess of podcast metrics across YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts to figure out what those numbers actually tell you about your audience.We discuss why combining stats from different platforms can be misleading, how Buzzsprout counts video downloads, and why a video play doesn’t necessarily mean someone is watching. Plus, we share where to look for more useful feedback, from listener retention graphs to messages from actual humans.Also in this episode:• Buzzsprout’s new mobile soundbites with editable captions and customizable achievement sharing• How to find the hidden Buzzsprout logo Easter egg• Listener tips for finding podcast guests and a father-daughter Columbo podcast that made our dayContact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

We finally roll out Buzzsprout dark mode and explain why it took years, why it turned into a full week of work, and what surprised us most about designing a “calm” interface. Then we tease a hidden Easter egg, share a few careful hints, and dare you to find it before everyone else does!Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

This week, we’re digging into a bunch of new Buzzsprout updates, including a redesigned Episodes page, podcast app previews, transcript autocorrect with easier editing, and a completely rebuilt embed player.Then in Fan Mail, we talk about podcast guesting as a growth strategy, the possibility of a Buzzsprout conference, and why podcasts might actually be pretty good at changing our minds.Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

What happens when teens can’t use social media? They turn podcast comments into group chats. Jordan shares how Spotify became an unexpected gathering place for kids. Plus, a recording glitch leads to a new sync fix in Session, and we debate whether timestamped comments could make podcast conversations more useful.Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

We're back from Podcast Movement in New York with thoughts on its new format, the talks we loved, and why some of our favorite moments happened outside the conference. We talk about what independent podcasters need from these events and what we'd do differently if Buzzsprout were to host one.We also go behind the scenes of an industry effort to tackle bot traffic. With AI bots impersonating podcast apps and video files driving up hosting costs, we discuss how verifying apps could help protect real listeners, improve podcast stats, and keep hosting affordable.Plus, Ira Glass's keynote gets us talking about what audio does especially well: helping us listen longer, judge less quickly, and connect with people we might otherwise dismiss.Watch Podcast Movement sessions and keynotes on YouTube (still updating as of publish date)Things That Podcasts Do Better, Ira GlassWhat 42,000 Consumers Told Us About Podcasting, Tom WebsterSend us Fan Mail: Has a podcast ever changed your mind about a person or an idea? Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

We stop trusting browser-based remote recorders and explain why reliability matters more than features when you only get one shot at a great conversation. Kevin shares the Mac-only (for now) native app we’ve been building at Buzzsprout and how we pair it with Zoom or Google Meet while it records clean, local files. Send us a Fan Mail message if you want to test it out!Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

Your next conference talk is probably hiding in your podcast transcripts. As we get ready for Podcast Movement in New York, we walk through how Jordan used our Buzzcast archives and ChatGPT to develop a session pitch that got accepted (even when she barely had time to apply).We share the prompts used to uncover the strongest topics, find stories long forgotten, and shape those ideas into a focused, 20-minute talk. We also try the process with three listeners’ podcasts to show how it can work beyond podcasting conferences. Want help finding a talk idea in your own episodes? Send us Fan Mail with a link to your podcast, and we’ll help you brainstorm!Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!

Your podcast can’t grow if listeners can’t find it! It's surprising how many of us never submit our shows to a directory and how many established podcasts are still missing from at least one listening app.We're talking about Buzzsprout’s latest improvements, including one-click submission to 16 podcast directories, smarter reminders for unfinished distribution steps, video players on Buzzsprout websites, faster and more searchable transcript pages, and new customization options for embedded players.These improvements help us reach more listeners by making it easier for people to find and listen to our shows wherever they already spend time.So whether you're launching a new podcast or have been publishing for years, it might be time for to check our directories page and make sure your shows are truly available everywhere!Contact BuzzcastSend us Fan MailTweet us at @buzzcastpodcast, @albanbrooke, @kfinn, and @JordanPodsThanks for listening and Keep Podcasting!