Podcast intros are way too long, and audiences are increasingly frustrated.

In podcasting’s early days, there was something quaint and even charming about show starts with hosts and guests rambling about their pets, dinner, clothes, and which microphone they were using. Today, most listeners are past that. Sadly, too many podcasters are not.

It is not uncommon for three or four minutes to pass before a podcast’s actual content begins.

It’s become increasingly evident that audiences make content decisions fast. Often, they are ruthless about it. Think about your habits. Within seconds of flipping on a streaming or television show, you know whether you are engaged. If not, you are likely to use the remote as a weapon and move along. The internet equivalent is scrolling and clicking. How many YouTube videos have you judged in mere seconds?

Podcast subscriptions are a hot topic with A LOT of speculation about what may happen. The reality is, it’s far too early to know how successful podcasts by subscription will be. The variables are considerable. Podcasts are abundant and free, thus asking people to pay ...

Last week’s announcement about Apple Podcasts subscriptions has everyone in the industry talking. Let’s break down what’s happening and answer some questions about what it means for listeners. Who is subscription podcasting for? There is one essential factor ...

Last week we demystified the commonly held belief that podcasters are fighting for share of ear in a sea of two million shows and that advertisers must sift through them all to find the right fit. The big headline? A remarkable 44% of podcasts have produced three or ...

Today’s post breaks down the numbers of how many podcasts you’re actually up against. It seems everyone has a podcast. Or do they? Recently Apple Podcasts rolled over the two million podcast title mark. Extraordinary, right? Daunting, even. But the “box ...

Everyday my inbox is loaded with numbers. Some are ephemeral, others seismic, but with so many numbers coming at us, it can be numbing. Here are a few that caught my eye and make a difference. 26% The number of podcasts in Apple Podcasts that have produced only one ...

With the upcoming release of Apple’s IOS 14.5, as noted in today’s Podnews.net, Apple joins other major apps using the term “follow” instead of the confusing and loaded word, “subscribe.” As we wrote about two years ago, “subscribe” is a bad word for ...

There is an odd notion among some in the industry that podcasts must run long, be unedited, and natural. Many say it’s part of the charm and authenticity of the medium. It is free-flowing and an antidote to our over-produced culture. I will be brief. That’s ...

Just a reminder that little stays the same (other than Tom Brady, apparently). Brady won his first Super Bowl in 2002. The iPod was just a year old, George W. Bush was President and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone topped the box office. U2 played halftime (sorry, ...

A few years ago, just about anyone could launch a podcast on just about any topic and be pretty confident there were only a handful of shows on the subject. If you wanted to start a podcast about a niche topic such as knitting or poker, there were few, if any. A show ...