"Authenticity" Is Just Lack of Effort? (And Other Hot Takes)

Whether we like it or not, potential listeners are judging our podcasts on our artwork before they've even hit play. Some even decide not to hit play, based on the artwork alone. So what can we do about it? We could start by asking Podcast Hall of Famer and EarBuds Podcast Collective founder Arielle Nissenblatt for some pointers. She's presented to rooms full of podcasters on the dos and don'ts of cover art, and she recently wrote about it, too, in her Podcast Plunge newsletter.And while she's here, how about a look at our trailers? That's another area that Arielle is passionate about (she literally runs a Podcast Trailer Podcast) and notices a lot of missed collaboration opportunities on this front. Let's see what we can do about it! Also MentionedHow to Start a Podcast in 2026Rephonic's 3D GraphPlayer FMMillion PodcastsCanva

With the right amount of background info and a good prompt, an AI tool like ChatGPT or Claude can write you a brilliant podcast description. But does outsourcing this task miss the entire point of the podcast planning process?Is cold email outreach necessary for contacting podcast guests, or is it almost always flagged as spam and ignored?Is paywalled bonus content really worth the extra time and effort?And should you avoid inviting listeners on as guests, or are they an underused source of value?On this episode, we dig into these four aspects of podcasting before deciding whether to cut or keep them.Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

Does sending over questions in advance help interview guests prepare? Or can it lead to them rehearsing their answers? Does listening at double-speed mean there's more room for your show in your listeners' lives? Or does it miss the point of podcast consumption altogether? And is the Blue Yeti the perfect podcast starter mic, or an overpriced tarpit that gets beginners stuck on their sound?In this "Cut or Keep?" episode, we'll talk through approaches, beliefs, and tools in podcasting and decide whether we think they should stay or go. Also on trial today are pre-calls before recording, dynamic ad insertion, podcast awards, cold opens, and running in-jokes.Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

"A creative assistant" is a common label many podcasters assign to LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude. There's no getting around it; these tools are incredibly powerful. But what hidden cost do we pay if we outsource cognitive practices like writing and idea development?In the fitness world, "use it or lose it" is a much-repeated phrase about muscle, and it might be time to treat our brains in the same way. LLMs can help you create more and do it faster. But if you want to create something truly valuable (and retain the ability to do so again in the future), it might be time to slow down, to worry less about quantity, and focus on quality. On this episode, we also unpacked three other 'hot takes':For podcasters, listening is a more important skill than speakingGrowth is overratedYou should NEVER interrupt your guests Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

According to a new report from Sounds Profitable, Audio Primes are podcast consumers who listen to at least 75% of their content as audio.It's easy to imagine these listeners as eccentric holdouts from a bygone age; in it since 2004, fiercely loyal to their MP3 players, and manually downloading shows on the iTunes desktop app. (Not that there is anything wrong with this, by the way!)But the data shows Audio Primes as an audience that skews younger. To add to their youthfulness, we see a group who are well-educated, high-earning, engaged, deliberate, loyal, and value word-of-mouth recommendations.On this week's episode of Podcraft, I'm joined by the report's author, Tom Webster. Tom helps us understand more about who Audio Primes are, and what this can mean for us as indie creators in our own efforts to reach them.Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

When Apple Podcasts announced vastly improved video capabilities back in February, I'll admit that my first thought was, "Will anyone care?"To my mind, if someone already watches video podcasts on YouTube, what incentive would there be to change platforms?But, I missed one crucial aspect. Delivery.On YouTube, you can hit subscribe and smash as many bells as you like; there's still no guarantee the platform will show you the new episodes of your favourite podcasts.This is the crucial difference with video on Apple Podcasts, where you can follow a show and get all new episodes sent to you as soon as they're published.For podcasters creating video, this provides a real incentive to let your YouTube viewers know there's a better place for them to keep up with you.The Big Y might be helping you get in front of potential new fans, but can you trust it to serve up your new content to them week after week?Even if the answer is "yes", it's brilliant to have other options available. And on this week's episode of Podcraft, I thoroughly enjoyed picking the brains of Buzzsprout's Alban Brooke, who really has his finger on the pulse with all of this.Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

Does agreeing too much make for boring conversations? Will your podcast fail if you don't listen to other shows? And does the definition of a podcast really matter?We tackle these hot takes and more on this week's Podcraft. It was a fun yet thought-provoking chat, and we're really enjoying the new format. Here's the full list:No one cares what microphone you ownAuthenticity is just a lack of effortYou should challenge your guests moreYou should stop worrying about trying to reach Gen ZYou need to be a podcast listener to be a good creatorIf you don't listen back to your episodes, no one else willAgreeing too much is boringThe definition of a podcast doesn't really matterPodcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

Back in November, our Independent Podcaster Report found that only 15% of creators were actively monetising their shows. Of those that did, the majority were running ads and sponsorship. If you missed it, ​the full report is here​.This week on Podcraft, we got into the thornier side of that: can ads erode audience trust? Are they an annoyance? And how many is too many?We picked apart some other claims, too: AI voices will become indistinguishable from real hostsOne viral clip can change everythingYouTube rewards podcasters more than podcast apps doIf you don't have 5+ hours a week, don't start a podcastYour podcast idea isn't uniqueIf you're not getting feedback, your podcast isn't memorablePodcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

If you build an audience on a third-party platform, it's often said that you don't "own" that audience. But does this miss the point of what an audience actually is? That's just one of the discussion points this week as we continue our 'agree or disagree?' journey through podcasting. Are Solo podcasts harder to grow than interview shows?Are interviews the laziest form of podcasting?Is owning your email list more important than growing your podcast?Will AI replace most podcast editing within 2 years?If you let AI write for you, will you lose the ability to write?Are long-form podcasts dying?Does consistency matter more than quality?If your podcast isn’t growing, is it your fault?Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

"Podcasting should never feel like hard work". It sounds nice, but is it true? If it were that easy, wouldn't everyone have a massively successful podcast?On the latest episode of Podcraft, we’re back with our “agree or disagree” format, running through a few statements and giving our take on each. Here's everything we discussed...You should plan at least 10 episodes before launchingThe narrower the niche, the betterAudiograms still work in 2026It’s okay if your first 3 episodes sound badYou might as well host on Spotify - it’s freeShort episodes perform betterWeekly publishing is unrealistic for most peoplePodcasting advice creators are part of the problemPodcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host