Make Money Podcasting

Day 30, on International Podcast Day. There was a stumble in the middle, but what's a podcast without a couple of stumbles? I cooked this series up seven days into September, and it made me think hard about my podcast journey. Here I run back through the lessons: start sloppy, know and serve your audience, learn from others the way I learned from ShopTalk Show, don't forget your mission statement, and remember that gear isn't the barrier anymore. I'm recording this in a Portsmouth hotel room with a Hollyland Lark L2. Above everything else, podcasting is about authenticity. From October 1 to 7 I'll do a behind-the-scenes series on how this went, including the final numbers. Resources & Links Mentioned: ShopTalk Show, Hollyland Lark L2 Creator Camp in Portsmouth, NH Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Most podcast ad money goes to the biggest shows, and the big companies that bought networks aren't seeing the returns they wanted. So I think podcasting goes the way blogs and YouTube did: go niche and serve a specific audience, because a thousand super fans beat a million followers. If you niche down, you'll have a smaller show, and that's okay. I'm not saying a small show is better than a big one, but it's better than the pursuit of a big one, which for most of us isn't worth the effort. Stay small, help the people you help best, and make money through dynamic ads, your own products and services, or a sponsor who fits your audience really well. Resources & Links My main podcast, The Streamlined Solopreneur: streamlined.fm Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

YouTube is going to keep being a big part of podcasting, and a lot of what Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the hosts have changed recently is a response to it. The most interesting part for me is discoverability. Other platforms are only dabbling in algorithmic recommendations, while YouTube is very good at serving up something it thinks you'll like, and we've never had that in podcasting. With YouTube now letting channels classify content as a show, I think podcasting becomes its own pillar of their strategy, and a real boon for podcasters who are struggling to get found. Resources & Links My main podcast, The Streamlined Solopreneur: streamlined.fm Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Dynamic ads are going to be a bigger part of podcasting, the same way they were for YouTube. I explain what they are, how you can mix programmatic ads with your own recorded spots, and why the technology could also enable dynamic content, like platform-specific calls to action, an idea I first heard from Tom Webster of Sounds Profitable. Full disclosure: I'm the evangelist for RSS.com, which hosts this show and has dynamic ads on its paid plans. I share my real numbers too: 770 downloads in the last 30 days, about 4,059 all time, and $7.08 in ad revenue this month. Not a lot, but it's money I made on episodes I was going to make anyway. Resources & Links Tom Webster, Sounds Profitable Send me feedback: streamlinedfeedback.com Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Yesterday was the rah-rah version; this is the practical side of what will always work in podcasting. Have a mission statement: I help these people with this problem by this solution, and every episode moves toward it. When I've forgotten my mission, that's when I've seen downloads dip. Sound decent, but you don't need to sound like you're in a recording booth, because people are going to want authentic as more and more feels inauthentic. And use your show not to get big and chase ad money, but to help people who have a problem. That can make a successful show, even if it isn't the biggest one. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

First, a confession: I miscounted which episode I left off on before a week of travel, so this one is late and recorded in a hotel room in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where I'm speaking at Creator Camp. It's okay to miss a day. That kicks off the last stretch of the series, on the future of podcasting, and my opening point is that it won't look that different from today or from podcasting's past. The important parts remain: serve an audience, and make it as easy as possible for them to listen wherever they want. I also get into whether a YouTube-only show counts as a podcast, and why I wouldn't tell someone they don't have one just because they lack an RSS feed. Resources & Links Creator Camp in Portsmouth, NH Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Every monetization path is hard, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something or got lucky. YouTube's threshold is a real climb. Memberships and affiliates both want an audience you probably don't have yet — and I've grown wary of affiliate links anyway, because in a trust economy the question "is he only recommending this because he gets paid" costs more than the commission is worth. Sponsorship is possible with a small, engaged audience, but it takes real cold outreach. The fastest path I've actually watched work is using the show to get clients: one of mine, a Florida law firm serving first responders, launched in December, published every other week, and was getting cases by August. Not a big show. A very clear one. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

I used to ask what value video adds for your audience. I was wrong about that one — YouTube settled it, and people are plainly willing to watch two heads talk. So the real question is what video is worth to you, and whether that beats the added cost. The strongest argument is that YouTube is the only algorithmic discovery podcasters have; Spotify says it recommends shows, but I don't see it surfacing small ones the way a video can suddenly find its audience. The money cost has collapsed, so what's left is your time. For me that trade is worth it because I expect clients to find me there. Yours might not be. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Gear is the hardware; tools are the stack. You need a host, because a podcast is something people can get anywhere — that means an RSS feed that reaches Apple, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts and the rest, not just a YouTube upload. I recommend RSS.com, and the disclosure is that I'm their evangelist; the reason I'm comfortable doing that is the free plan, which has no cap on how much audio you upload. Record with QuickTime or Windows Recorder, edit in GarageBand or Audacity for nothing, or step up to transcript-based editing with Gling, Descript, or Riverside. All in, you can be publishing for under two hundred dollars a year.Resources & LinksDescript (affiliate link) — go.streamlined.fm/descriptRiverside (affiliate link) — joec.pro/riversideMy full tools list — streamlinedsolopreneur.com/toolsJoin my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/joinPodcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.comDisclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

There's something like ten thousand dollars of gear on my desk, and you need almost none of it. I've had the same Shure SM7B for eight or nine years because it's a workhorse, but if you're starting today the minimum viable setup is the phone you already own plus a clip-on USB-C mic — a DJI Lav or the Hollyland Lark L2, which is my everyday carry. That's fifty dollars. If you want something that looks like a podcaster's mic, the Samson Q2U is about a hundred, and the Shure MV7+ around three hundred and genuinely good in a noisy room. But you don't need it. The microphones got good enough that gear stopped being the barrier. Resources & Links Full tour of my desk and gear — casabona.org/desk Mentioned: DJI Lav, Hollyland Lark L2, Samson Q2U, Shure MV7+, Shure SM7B, Rodecaster Pro 2 Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

I recorded this straight off the back of Ops-Oh, Layla Pomper's event at ProcessDriven, where I met a lot of people who run podcasts without living inside the podcasting bubble — a useful reminder as I start looking at where the medium is now. The thing that hasn't changed, and matters more as AI slop fills the content space, is your mission statement. The exercise I always teach: my podcast helps [a specific kind of person] with [their problem] by [your solution]. Entertainment shows need one too — you're still solving something, even if the problem is just that nobody's covering the thing you love. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

I've said all series that audio quality is why my show took off. The pandemic ended that advantage. Everyone stuck at home needed to sound good, so investment poured into home recording — Elgato's gear, Rode and Shure building affordable mics for people who talk rather than sing, and remote tools like Zencastr, Riverside, and Descript getting genuinely good while Zoom fixed the problems that used to produce robot voice. Good quality went from differentiator to baseline expectation. I'm even testing Ecamm for remote guests instead of insisting on local recordings, which goes against one of my oldest habits. What's left to compete on is the content. Resources & Links Riverside (affiliate link) — joec.pro/riverside Descript (affiliate link) — go.streamlined.fm/descript Ecamm (affiliate link) — joec.pro/ecamm Also mentioned: Elgato, Rode, Shure SM7B and MV7, Zencastr, Zoom Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

When events got cancelled in 2020, companies were sitting on events, travel, and marketing budgets they didn't want to lose the following year. My pitch was straightforward: you were going to sponsor a conference, so sponsor digital content instead and keep the spend justified. It worked — ExpressVPN, Hover, and FreshBooks all came through around then, and renewals were easier than they'd ever been. I think of it in three stages: the Wild West, where I had a podcast and a smile and my network said yes; the COVID stretch, when brands had money and were testing whether podcasts worked; and everything after 2022, when the tests came back and the money concentrated at the top. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Before 2020, the objection I heard constantly from would-be podcasters was "I don't have time." Then the pandemic hit and time was suddenly the one thing everybody had, and podcasting exploded. Most of those shows podfaded, but the demand spike changed the industry around them — hosting companies accelerated their roadmaps, and hardware makers started building for people recording at home instead of assuming everyone would buy a Shure SM7B. This is anecdotal, not a study; it's just what I watched happen from inside it. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

The thing I keep landing on when I ask why my show did well is that I was stubborn about audio at a time when most shows weren't. Guests recorded their own side — I wrote instructions for QuickTime and for Windows, sent a Dropbox link so they didn't have to figure out hosting, and always kept a backup on my end. The story that proves how far I'd take it: I once interviewed Troy Dean with my headphone monitors off, and only afterward realized I'd recorded my entire side on the built-in Mac mic. There was no AI cleanup to fall back on, so I transcribed the whole conversation and re-read every one of my questions between his answers. Back then, sounding good was enough to be good. That is not true anymore, which is where the back half of this series is headed. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI. Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

The first real dip in my downloads was my own doing. I went from talking to a very specific developer niche, to business owners in that niche, to business owners generally — and the more I broadened, the more I sounded like everyone else. The clearest signal came from an episode I was sure would be huge: Peter Hollens, two million YouTube subscribers at the time, and it landed flat. His audience already knew his story, and mine weren't creators. I forgot who I was serving and left them behind with very little warning, and I don't think I ever fully recovered from it. If you take one thing from this series, take that. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

For a long time I couldn't work out why How I Built It took off, and a few people insisted I was just riding NPR's coattails. The download graph said otherwise — coattails give you spikes that fall back, and what I had was slow, sustained growth. My best answer is three things: I was genuinely curious and asked good questions, I was stubborn about audio quality at a time when most shows weren't, and I actually acted on criticism. When a listener said she wouldn't listen without transcripts, I added them and paid to have the roughly fifty-episode back catalog done too. Downloads and site traffic both went up. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

My first sponsor landed before episode one even dropped. Someone emailed asking to trade backlinks, I told them I don't do that but I did have a podcast coming — a hundred dollars for a show mention and a spot in the notes. That link from July 2016 still resolves, which makes it possibly the best ROI in podcast sponsorship history. LearnDash came next, then a much bigger deal with Pantheon, and the pitch that worked was simple: brands were paying tens of thousands to sponsor a weekend conference, so six months of a show with links that never expire was an easy comparison. None of it was a proven show. It was a proven network. Resources & Links The first episode, sponsor link still intact — streamlined.fm/001 Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

My early guest list came straight out of my own orbit — Jason Coleman first, then Rebecca Gill, Brian Krogsgard, Corey Miller, Carrie Dils — and my first big guest, Chris Coyier, said yes far earlier than I had any right to expect. Someone eventually pointed out that my roster skewed heavily male, and while I hadn't done it on purpose, I hadn't been mindful about it either; I've kept it close to an even split ever since. The other thing I decided early and still hold to: a guest owes you their time and nothing else. No required social shares, no prep homework, no strong-arming. They're doing you a favor.Resources & LinksJoin my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/joinPodcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.comDisclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

The 2016 stack, as best I remember it: Skype for the call with video on so I could read body language, Ecamm Call Recorder capturing the Skype audio, and QuickTime recording my side locally — with a guest notes page asking every guest to do the same. I edited in Audacity, later GarageBand, and my first mic was the Blue Yeti, which sounds bad mostly because people talk into the top of it instead of the front. I was going to host the files on my own site until my friend Jackie Delia talked me out of it, which is how I ended up on Libsyn. Were they the best tools? No. Were they the ones I had? Absolutely. Resources & Links Ecamm (affiliate link) — joec.pro/ecamm Also mentioned: Skype, QuickTime, Audacity, GarageBand, Blue Yeti, Libsyn Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Eric Nuzum wrote a piece arguing that podcasting's pivot to video is going to end in a charred mess of garbage fire wreckage, and I think he's mostly right — though not for the reason most people assume. This is a reaction to that article and a follow-up to last week's "is video worth it" question: video isn't a magic wand, and adding it to solve your download problem instead of your audience's problem is exactly the rushed, mistargeted move he's warning about. I get into video's three jobs, why 90% of podcast consumption is still audio, and why serving your audience has to come first. Resources & Links "Podcasting's Pivot to Video Will End Up in a Charred Mess of Garbage Fire Wreckage" by Eric Nuzum — audioinsurgent.substack.com Sounds Profitable — where I expect we'll get real data on this after Podcast Movement Nielsen — the 90%-of-consumption-is-still-audio figure Join the newsletter for solo ops and conscientious AI tips: streamlined.fm/join Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

How I Built It was a short interview show — 30 minutes at most — built on the same five questions every time, ending with "do you have any trade secrets for us?" The predictability is what made it work for the first hundred-plus episodes, the way a procedural show gives you a format you can settle into. The question that mattered most was the one about failure, because in 2016 everyone was talking about their wins and almost nobody was talking about what went wrong. I'll admit past me used "I like to be surprised along with my guests" as an excuse to skip research, and I don't agree with him anymore. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

I bought the domain howibuilt.it on my honeymoon in Italy, purely because every site I saw there had a .it address and I wanted one. The idea arrived a few weeks later: I was relaunching my online courses, having great conversations with people about how they'd built their businesses, and realized I should be recording them. How I Built It launched in July 2016 — less sloppy, better researched, and aimed squarely at independent developers who wanted to start a business, which is to say, at me. People say good ideas come back to you. I don't believe that. Write them down and revisit them. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Going on ShopTalk Show with Chris Coyier and Dave Rupert around 2013 changed how I made podcasts. They had a guest notes page explaining how to get the best possible recording, and they had guests record their side locally so the finished episode sounded like everyone was in the same room — years before Riverside, Zencastr, or SquadCast existed. That one appearance is a large part of why my next show sounded good enough to take off. Spend time in the space, take the good lessons, and apply them. Resources & Links ShopTalk Show — shoptalkshow.com Riverside (affiliate link) — joec.pro/riverside Ecamm (affiliate link) — joec.pro/ecamm Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

The TIL Podcast failed because I wasn't serving anybody. The technical barriers are gone — you can record from your phone, and RSS.com has a free hosting tier (disclosure: I'm their evangelist, and the link below is an affiliate link) — which means serving a specific audience is now the whole job. Write a mission statement, pick someone real and specific, and talk to them. You don't need millions of downloads; you need people you serve well enough that they come back and bring others. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

After ending the TIL Podcast, I rebooted it as an interview show — I'd talk to friends about their professional lives, starting with Dr. Dan Ostermeier and my brother, who worked at Disney World. It lasted two episodes, because I had no mission for it beyond wanting to make podcasting work. This was before Serial and Lore pulled podcasting into the mainstream, and I still had no reason for the show to exist. Two failed experiments with the same show taught me more than a cautious success would have. Resources & Links Ecamm (affiliate link) — joec.pro/ecamm Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

We made it about six episodes before the TIL Podcast fell to podfade. There were too many of us, we all had full-time jobs, the moderation was loose, and we never carved out a niche that would have made the show worth continuing. When our schedules shifted, we called it — and I asked everyone whether I could keep the name, which nobody minded. Know when to stop, and don't let sunk cost make the decision for you. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

After three days of talking about the TIL Podcast, I dug through the archive to find the very first thing we covered on that show: Coin, a connected card that was supposed to replace every card in your wallet. Apple Wallet and Google Wallet killed the product, but the domain is still live — now pointed at beginner crypto guides. Whoever is running it started sloppy, did their research, and iterated, which was not the tie-in I planned when I started digging. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

My podcast app of choice, Pocket Casts, supports video — and after some Reddit spelunking, it turns out it has for a long time. That sent me back to a question I keep circling: is video actually worth it for your show? I pull up the YouTube analytics for both of my podcasts, explain why a 74% jump in views hasn't moved the metric I actually care about, and lay out the two-question test I use to decide whether video earns its place in your process.Resources & LinksEnjoy Pocket Casts on the big screenRSS.com — where I host this show, and where the video support comes fromGot thoughts? Write in at streamlinedfeedback.comGet systems tips in your inbox: streamlined.fm/joinHave feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Almost nothing in podcasting is permanent. Your format, your approach, and what you cover can all change, and my early show did get better as my friends and I kept adjusting. More importantly, what I learned making it is what let me launch several successful shows later. (For anyone who hasn't heard the term: TIL stands for "today I learned.") Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

The TIL Podcast was bad, and the reason was simple: we didn't do any research. We'd find a link, hit record, and share our vague opinions on a subject none of us knew well. Research is also what tells you which questions to ask which guests — something I was noticeably bad at as a moderator. Research is easier now than it's ever been, but my rule with AI is don't trust and verify: use it to surface primary sources, then check them yourself. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

September 30th is International Podcast Day, so I'm releasing one voice note a day in the run-up to it — a tip or a reflection from about 15 years in podcasting. I'm starting with the one that made this series possible: start sloppy. My first show, the TIL Podcast, had no format, no moderation, and no editing, and I still learned more from making it than I would have from planning it. You don't need to launch perfectly. You need to launch. Resources & Links Join my newsletter for solo business owners: streamlined.fm/join Podcast hosting by RSS.com (affiliate link): rss.com Disclosure: this episode description was generated with AI.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

The real payoff for having an SOP is that you can start handing pieces of it off. I built a scheduled Claude skill that checks my Notion podcast planner for episodes marked ready to publish, pulls the video and the MacWhisper transcript out of Google Drive, writes the description and show notes, and uploads everything to RSS.com scheduled for the date I picked. It runs Wednesday overnight so I can review the episodes Thursday morning before they drop. Three things make it reliable: knowing my own process cold, giving it strict instructions for writing and link gathering, and an API that actually works.Resources & LinksGet my full podcast production SOP — streamlined.fm/sopRSS.com — the host for this show; video support and the API behind this automation (affiliate link)Claude — where the scheduled skill runsMacWhisper — watches the folder and transcribes each episode automaticallyNotion — my podcast plannerHave feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

A written SOP is the fastest way to cut down your production time without hiring anyone. I walk through how I build mine: record yourself narrating the entire process, then hand the transcript to a large language model and have it write out the steps one by one. Talking through each step also forces you to justify it, which is how I've caught steps I didn't need anymore and cut them. Once the steps exist on paper, delegating or automating them gets a lot easier.Resources & LinksGet my exact podcast production SOP — streamlined.fm/sopTella — screen recording with automatic transcripts and shareable video (affiliate link)Claude — the large language model I use to turn transcripts into SOPsEcamm Live (affiliate link)Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

Video is becoming a bigger deal in podcasting, and RSS.com just added its first video plan — but adding video doesn't have to wreck your workflow. I break down the exact process I use to produce my weekly Friday Wrap-Up in an hour or less: capturing ideas into a segmented format, writing the newsletter, recording in Ecamm, and editing in Gling. From there a Claude skill generates the episode assets and publishes straight to RSS.com through its API, so I barely touch the publishing step.Resources & LinksEcamm — recording, with dual horizontal + vertical capture and scene overlaysGling — transcript-based editor for cleanup, audio enhancement, chapters, and transcriptCanva — auto-generated custom episode artworkKit — newsletter providerClaude — generates the episode assets and handles publishingCapture — read-later app for idea captureLogic Pro — audio editing (now replaced by Gling in my workflow)RSS.com — podcast host with a video plan and public APISolopreneur Systems Starter Kit — streamlined.fm/kitSome links above are affiliate links.Have feedback? Send a voice note to the show!

"I should start a podcast" is the 2026 version of the How I Met Your Mother "we should buy a bar" running joke — it sounds easy until you actually try to ship a show every week. That's why solo podcasters need a good system that works for you So instead of just handing you a system that. you may or may not use, in this episode I walk through the ten questions you need to answer before episode ten — how you capture ideas, outline, record, store files, edit, track status, upload, write copy, stay ahead of the calendar, and promote — and share what I do on each one so you can borrow what fits. Answer these once and you'll have a setup that survives a sick week, a vacation, or a slow idea day.Show Notes3 Reasons Your Podcast Planner Is Your Most Important Podcast SystemRSS.comstreamlinedfeedback.com

Whether adding video to your podcast is actually worth it, and how I do it without doubling my workflow. The tool I keep coming back to is Ecamm — I cover why I record video even when I don't release it, how isolated tracks save me in editing, and the new dual mode that gives you vertical clips without Opus Clip.Show Notes:eCamm— code "casabona" for 15% off your first monthGlingStream Deckstreamlinedfeedback.comRSS.com

The simplest recording setup that saves solo podcasters the most time. I share my under-$500 kit — Shure MV7+ at the desk, DJI portable mic on the go, and the YoloCam S3 if you want to add video — plus why I'd skip the $1,000 RodeCaster Pro and how to use the camera you already own.Show Notes:Shure MV7+DJI portable microphonestreamlinedfeedback.comRSS.com

My accountant once turned pale white when I told him I was keeping my business records in a shoebox. Lucky for him, I was just joking.A shoebox isn't a system. I see the same thing happen with podcasters all the time. When I ask how they're keeping track of their episodes, the most common answers are "I don't" or "I use a notebook." And just like that shoebox, it works — until it really, really doesn't.If you've ever sat down on a Sunday night, realized you publish Monday morning, and had absolutely no idea what you were going to talk about, this one's for you.I'm breaking down the three reasons why a podcast planner is the most important system a solopreneur podcaster can have. If you're overwhelmed, behind, and tired of your podcast feeling like a second job, this is the episode that changes that.Grab my free Notion podcast planner template at streamlined.fm/planner — no email required.LinksFree Notion Podcast Planner Template — streamlined.fm/plannerSend Feedback — streamlinedfeedback.comNotionMake (formerly Integromat)ZapierMacWhisperClaude by Anthropic

With Pete Davidson launching a new "podcast" on Netflix that is neither distributed anywhere else, nor available in audio-only, a new debate has ignited around what even is a podcast. Some will argue that a podcast needs to at least have an audio-only version. Some will say it needs an RSS feed to qualify. But I think the answer is something else, and it has to do with engagement. As I consider my own content strategy, here's where I'm drawing the line between what goes on YouTube, and what goes on my podcast. What do you think? Let me know at https://streamlinedfeedback.comInterested in starting a podcast? Get free hosting at https://rss.com/?via=joe-newsletter

Solo podcasts are the way to go in 2026, for a lot of reasons. You control the full narrative. They are easier to produce. You can be authentic. And you can solve a very specific problem. But lots of people are uncomfortable recording solo episodes. So here are 3 tips to help you do it better. Make editing as easy as possible with the right tools and approachKnow what you're going to say by writing the question your answering, and 3 bullet points to answer that questionPicture someone whom you feel is your ideal listener. Act like you're currently talking to them. Do this, and you'll have great, helpful, focused solo episodes. What do you think? Let me know at https://streamlinedfeedback.com. Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RSS.com: https://rss.com/?via=joe-newsletter

What should podcasters focus on in 2026? And how will that affect your recording and editing process moving forward?In this episode I'll cover the 2 biggest pieces of advice I've been hearing: Be AuthenticDo a Solo ShowWhat do you think? Let me know at https://streamlinedfeedback.comCheck out RSS.com for free podcast hosting: https://rss.com/?via=joe-newsletter

RSS.com has released their Free Local and Nice podcast hosting plan, and it's a truly free plan that doesn't limit you based on uploads, hours of content, or duration of episode in feed. It's a fantastic development for people who want to start a podcast with a little bit less risk. Here's what it means for you. Learn more at https://joec.pro/rss (affiliate link) *Disclosure: I am an evangelist for RSS.com, However, they did not ask me to create this episode; I think it's a truly great think for podcasters.

The Independent Podcaster Report 2025 by The Podcast Host is out now. I break down my favorite parts, and offer strong opinions on making money, video, and AI. Unsurprisingly, many (about 30%) feel time starved and worry about burnout...but does AI help prevent that? Not necessarily. View the Report: https://alitu.com/creator/content-creation/the-independent-podcaster-report-2025/Check out RSS.com for podcast hosting: https://rss.com/?via=joe-newsletter

Something I hear far too often from podcasters is, "Well it's just a hobby, so I don't want to spend money." Imagine taking that approach with nearly any other hobby. As my friend Brian says, the only free hobbies are in nature, or at the library (and even there, you probably pay taxes to support the library). The point is, if you're even remotely serious about your podcast, you need to invest in it...even if you call it a hobby. In today's episode, I tell you why, and where to start

Sometimes the simplest ideas create the biggest impact. A voice notes podcast — literally you talking into your phone for a few minutes — can deepen relationships with your audience, build trust, and even drive sales.I first started mine as a lead magnet, but realized the off-the-cuff episodes were connecting more than the polished ones. Turns out, your audience doesn't always want perfect — they want real.In this episode, I break down why these short, raw audio episodes work so well, how to record them without overthinking, and what you actually need to launch one today (hint: just your phone and five spare minutes).TakeawaysA voice notes podcast builds stronger audience connection because it feels personal and conversational.Keep episodes short (under 10 minutes) — like a quick message from a friend.Minimal gear needed: your phone + a small mic (DJI Mic or similar).Skip heavy editing — authenticity > polish.Use your existing feed or launch a new one with clear branding and a simple promise.Treat your trailer like a movie preview — tell listeners what to expect and why it matters.Use custom artwork or a naming cue (like “[Audio Note]”) if mixing with longer episodes.LinksBuild With BeckyStreamlined SolopreneurRSS.com

I'm starting to wonder if a host/co-host format is actually the best format for a podcast. I've been listening to a lot of different podcasts lately—rewatch shows, comedy shows, tech shows—and one thing keeps standing out: good banter makes a podcast worth coming back to. But here's the catch…banter only works when it supports the mission of the show. Get it right, and you create a bond with your audience. Get it wrong, and your listeners tune out.

Ever feel like your business eats up every free moment? The truth is, you don't need Taylor Swift-level fame or Hormozi-style hype to succeed. What you actually need is space—room to create, promote, and step away without guilt.Like this episode? Subscribe to Streamlined Solopreneur too. That's why I use the GAPS framework: Gear, Automations, Playbooks, and Support. It's the system that helped me reclaim 10–12 hours a week, even during one of the busiest summers of my life. In this episode, I break down how you can use GAPS to stop fighting with your tools, cut the manual busywork, and finally get your time back. Top TakeawaysFame hacks don't apply—your focus should be on knowing your audience, creating for them, promoting, and experimenting.The biggest bottleneck isn't knowing what to do—it's finding the time to do it.Gear: Invest in reliable tools so tech doesn't slow you down.Automations: Use tools like Zapier, Riverside, and Notion to handle repetitive tasks.Playbooks: Create simple SOPs so you or anyone else can follow the same steps every time.Support: Delegate to a VA, editor, or even students—don't try to do it all yourself.Show NotesWatch on YouTubeOverwhelm QuizRiversideRSS.comTella.tvEcamm LiveZapierNotionSamson Q2U Microphone

Are you making your podcast guests do your work for you? Too many hosts fall into bad habits that frustrate guests and make their shows look unprofessional. Here are three common mistakes to avoid — and what to do instead.If you want to create a better guest experience and produce content your audience actually enjoys, this will help you cut the clutter and focus on what matters.Top TakeawaysNever auto-subscribe guests to your mailing list — it's often illegal and always disrespectful.Don't make guests write their own interview questions — that's your job as the host.Stop requiring guests to share the episode — your job is to make the content worth sharing.Your responsibility as a host is to serve your audience — not to use guests as a growth engine.Want to learn how to make real improvements to your podcast process? Take the Overwhelm Quiz at https://streamlined.fm/overwhelm Looking for great podcast hosting built for podcasters? Check out RSS.com

Many podcasters start with the hope that downloads and sponsors will magically appear — but if you want your show to make money, you need more than wishful thinking. This episode walks through the three essential “I's” to transform a podcast from a casual hobby into a revenue-generating asset: Intention (know your audience and improve quality) Investment (put resources into the right tools and talent) Iteratipon (get feedback, refine, and make your show something worth paying for).Podcast hosted by RSS.comDescription written by ChatGPT based on the transcript

Monetization is a super common problem for many podcasters. Most think they'll start a podcast, get a bunch of downloads, and sponsors will come looking for them. That is almost never the case — nor is it the case that sponsorship is the only option. And what I LOVE sponsorship. After all, I'm a sponsorship coach for my friend Justin, and RSS.com, for whom I'm the evangelist, just launched our PAID feature to make ads easier than ever. But depending on the goal of your podcast, you might seek other monetization paths. That's why I came up with the CAMPS framework: CoachingAffiliatesMembershipProductsSponsorshipListen to learn more! Read the full article here: CAMPS: Updating the Podcast Monetization FrameworkAlso check out: RSS.com to learn about PAID, our dynamic ads featureWizard's Guild for sponsorship coaching