Buzzcast Episode Summary

Title: "You Might Also Like:" A Look Into Feed Drops
Date: May 16, 2025
Host: Albert Brooke
Panelists: Jordan, Kevin

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Buzzcast hosts dig deep into a rising trend in podcasting: dynamic feed drops and cross-promotion, specifically the "You Might Also Like" style bonus episodes appearing in podcast feeds. The conversation is sparked by listener curiosity about the mechanics, motivations, and transparency surrounding these feed drops—are they paid advertisements, promotional swaps, or something else entirely? The team dissects real-world cases, industry practices (with a focus on Pod Roll), and ethical considerations, while sharing personal experiences and strategies for independent podcasters.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Curiosity & the Mystery "You Might Also Like" Episodes

• [00:26 - 03:03]
  • Albert receives a question from the Family History Drama podcast about receiving two episode notifications from Tom Bilyeu’s Impact Theory: one regular, one labeled "You Might Also Like: On Purpose with Jay Shetty."
  • Observations include:
    • These episodes are presented as bonus drops featuring other podcasts (e.g., Oprah, Jay Shetty) with minimal context.
    • The lack of introduction or endorsement from the host leads to confusion and feels intrusive.

“He got two notifications for this podcast, like, back to back, and one's for a normal episode, but ... another ... says, you might also like On Purpose with Jay Shetty ... labeled as this bonus episode.” —Albert [00:33]

2. Naming Conventions & User Experience

• [03:03 - 04:51]
  • Feed drops share a uniform naming: “You Might Also Like: [Other Podcast]”, usually surfacing as bonus episodes.
  • Listeners find these unfamiliar, often marking them as played to avoid them resurfacing.
  • There’s typically no explanation or personalized context, which diminishes their perceived value.

“If I click the Oprah podcast and I hit play, it goes immediately into Oprah's introduction ... there's no priming for it, Nothing. It's just there.” —Jordan [04:31]

3. Mechanics & Business Model of Pod Roll

• [06:03 - 07:08, 09:32 - 11:15]
  • Pod Roll (with a capital R) is identified as the company facilitating these dynamic feed drops, focusing on paid, scalable cross-promotion.
  • They drop full episodes from participating podcasts as "bonus" content, attaching a disclaimer and tracking downloads for payment.
  • Industry standard rates cited: $45–$55 CPM, with promo episodes dropping in and later being removed after fulfilling impression quotas.

“Pod Roll ... does dynamic feed drops ... upload an episode to them, and then they will pay podcasters to drop that episode into their feed ... they always start with, you might also like colon and they've got links ... and drop a disclaimer into the episode description.” —Albert [06:03]

4. Controversy & Ethical Considerations

• [07:08 - 09:31]
  • The team critiques the weak disclaimers—how a host can claim no endorsement for an episode dropped directly into their main feed.
  • Draw parallels to past ad missteps (e.g., Spotify inserting inappropriate ads) and question creator responsibility.
  • Consensus: If it’s in your feed, listeners will assume you’re endorsing it.

“If I'm being fed an episode from a completely different podcast, I would hope that is one that that podcast I am subscribed to is endorsing ... This just seems so weird to me. I don't really like that part of it.” —Jordan [07:35]

“You get to have it one of the two ways. Either you vet the ads and say no ... Or you take the money and you take the hit too, when there's something in there that's not appropriate and people don't like.” —Albert [09:08]

5. Tracking & Metrics

• [10:16 - 11:15]
  • Discussion of Pod Roll’s tracking methods—likely IP matching via URL prefixes on both source and target feeds to measure conversions.
  • Pod Roll episodes aren’t permanent; they disappear from feeds after meeting impression targets.

6. Feed Drops vs. Programmatic Ads – The Listener Experience

• [11:15 - 13:37]
  • Feed drops can feel like a bait-and-switch if not personalized, unlike traditional ads which are clearly demarcated and anticipated.
  • Stronger impact when the host provides an intro and context, which fosters trust and increases conversion potential.

“With a feed drop, it can feel like a bit of a bait and switch ... if the host that you already have a relationship with is there to make the intro ... you feel like, oh, I built a relationship with one podcast, they recommended another.” —Albert [12:25]

7. Independent Podcasters: DIY Approaches & Personal Experience

• [13:37 - 16:50]
  • Kevin highlights that independent podcasters can pursue feed drops manually with greater authenticity and selectivity—no need for at-scale tech or tracking.
  • Jordan shares real-world experiences with both community and paid feed drops, citing payments of $45–$55 CPM, and easily negotiated deals with intros enhancing results.

“I've done feed drops, both in a community based, ‘hey, I want to promote your show ...’ and in exchange for money. ... It does work a lot better if you recorded an intro at the beginning.” —Jordan [15:00]

8. Monetization: CPMs, Value, and Context

• [16:50 - 19:18]
  • $50 CPM sounds high, but compared to multiple ads per episode, it might not always surpass regular ad revenue if fully monetizing through multiple spots.
  • Feed drops offer simplicity: quick intros, minimal effort, good payout (e.g., "$850 for a 30-day spot").
  • But automated, impersonal drop programs make less sense for independents who can curate better partnerships themselves.

“Honestly, my thinking was if someone comes to me and they say, ‘hey, we want to put one of our episodes into your feed for 30 days, and we'll pay you $850 for it,’ I'm going, okay, sure. Like, I don't have to craft a whole episode.” —Jordan [17:49]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Discussion on the phrase "I scratch your back, you scratch mine"
  “That's never happened in real life ... Was there a time in society when that was the normal thing?” —Kevin [01:41]

• On disclaimers in feed drops:
  “If you're dropping a podcast episode into your feed, perhaps you should be endorsing it. Right. Like, this is just weird.” —Jordan [07:08]

• On automated vs. personalized feed drops:
  “When you optimize for scale, you don't optimize for performance ... The benefit that we have as smaller podcasters ... is that you can totally do this yourself ... not scalable at all. And that's great news because we can do things that the big people can't.” —Kevin [13:37]

Key Takeaways

1. Feed drops are increasingly managed at scale, marketed and tracked like ads via third-parties (notably Pod Roll), and can feel disjointed or inauthentic to listeners.
2. Disclaimers do not absolve hosts from listener perceptions—if it’s in the feed, it’s assumed endorsed.
3. Indie podcasters are encouraged to approach feed drops as partnership opportunities—manually match, endorse, and personalize for best listener experience and results.
4. Monetization is appealing, but trade-offs exist between higher CPM single drops and multi-ad episode models.
5. Listener trust is best maintained when feed drops include context and genuine introductions, rather than being treated as transactional or algorithmic insertions.

Important Timestamps

• [00:26] — Listener inquiry: "You Might Also Like" bonus episodes appear
• [03:03] — Pod Roll’s naming convention and scaling model described
• [07:08] — Panel’s reaction to disclaimers and ethics of feed drops
• [10:16] — Technical discussion: how tracking and removal works
• [12:25] — Discussion on the value of host introductions to maintain trust
• [15:00] — Jordan’s practical experience with both community and paid feed drops
• [17:49] — Monetization realities ("$850 for 30 days" example) and ease of implementation
• [19:18] — Closing remarks on control, relevance, and endorsement

This episode offers a thoughtful, pragmatic guide for podcasters at every scale, weighing the pros and cons of feed drop promotions, and champions authenticity and audience respect above all.