Podcast
Podmastery: podcasting insights and advice for indie creators
Hosted by The Podmaster (Neal Veglio) · EN
Are you a podcaster who's looking to improve and grow your podcast? You're in the right place. Together, we'll help you attain 'podmastery'.
I'm Neal Veglio, a veteran podcaster who first started dabbling with RSS in the early 2000s.
Podcasting is such a complex medium, with so many factors that can impact your success. It's my goal to cover all these topics with you, and help you maximise the results you're getting from your efforts.
And while my shows now enjoy thousands of listeners every single week, it wasn't always easy.
When I took a career break from radio for a few years in 2007, I had to learn how to build audience without the lift of an FM frequency.
I learned a lot from that experience.
I now help other podcasters to achieve their goals.
Each episode, I'll be offering you some insights into what I've done and what I've helped my podcasting agency clients to do with all our podcasts in the hope we can help YOU increase your podcast's chances of becoming more successful!
And ensuring you can avoid the dreaded 'podfade'!
Take one step closer to Podmastery. Click follow in your favourite podcast app, and let's grow together.
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
I Added Video to My B2B Podcast Using Apple Podcasts’ HLS — Here’s What Actually Happened
2w ago00:21:35Tap to summarizeA couple of episodes back I made the case for Apple Podcasts’ new HLS video. Then I had to go and actually do it — because the theoretical version of podcasting-about-podcasting is slightly embarrassing, and I hold myself to a better standard than the people spouting expertise about things they’ve never tried.So I enabled video for B2B Podcasting Insights, my other show, in Captivate. A real show, in a crowded market, with real numbers. This episode is the field report.In this one:What HLS video actually is — and why it isn’t the old MP4-in-the-RSS-enclosure trick that nobody could seeWhat the listener experience really looks like (spoiler: “clean” is a Michelin star in podcast infrastructure)The hosting catch — it lives or dies on who you host withThree workflow changes nobody warns you about, including the upload time and editing for two audiences at onceWhat two weeks of data actually showed — told straight, no fake growth-hack victory lapThe honest verdict: who should switch it on now, and who should waitLINKSGot something about your show bugging you at half eleven at night? Go to podmastery.co and click get in touch. Let’s sort it rather than just theorise about it.Recorded on Boomcaster — free trial + 50% off your first three months (affiliate link): podmastery.co/boomcasterAnd go follow B2B Podcasting Insights if you want more on getting the most from a B2B show: podknows.co.uk/b2bpi
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Why Your Podcast Episode Sounds Good But Feels Empty... And How To Fix That
3w ago00:11:52Tap to summarizeYour show sounds cleaner than it ever has. You've sorted the room, fixed the levels, maybe even brought in an editor. And when you listen back — nothing.No connection. No feeling. Just technically correct audio with nobody in it.Hi, I'm Neal Veglio, founder of the Podmastery community from Podknows Podcasting. And this week, I'm exploring why that hollow feeling has nothing to do with your equipment — and why the fix is simpler than you think.I share a story from my radio days about a presenter who went from compelling-but-rough to polished-and-forgettable, what broadcast training actually teaches about the difference between performing and talking, and the 30-second exercise I even use myself before every recording.If you'd like a proper look at what's sitting between your show and where you want it to be, head to podmastery.co, hit the Get In Touch page, and tell me what's going on.
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They Just Changed What a 'Play' Means In Podcasting. Did You Notice?
4w ago00:08:52Tap to summarizeSomebody just moved the goalposts on podcast metrics. And most podcasters didn’t even notice.The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting — AMP — has defined a new cross-platform standard for what counts as a ‘play.’ Spotify has already adopted it.In this episode, Neal breaks down what this actually means for indie podcasters — why your dashboard numbers are about to look fairly different, why that doesn’t mean your show is doing better, and why optimising for any play-count threshold is optimising for the wrong thing.You’ll hear:— What AMP is and why they’re trying to standardise this— What is ‘intentional consumption’ in Spotify’s words, and what that actually means— Why Apple’s definition is still extraordinary (and not in a good way)— The one metric that actually tells you if your show is working🔗 Listen to other episodes here: https://podmastery.co/📊 Free 7-day podcast makeover email course — one tip per day, no filler. Sign up at podmastery.co💡 Want to work through your specific show? podmastery.co/need-podcasting-help
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Why podcast guest cross-promotion as a growth strategy is a fairytale
May 1800:09:48Tap to summarizeEvery podcaster who's ever had a guest on has felt it. You do the edit, write the show notes, create the clips, tag them everywhere — and hear absolutely nothing back. No share. No repost. Not even a like.So is it you? Is it them? Is this just how guests are?In this episode, I'm getting into why podcast guest cross-promotion is one of the most persistent myths in indie podcasting.If you're booking guests to borrow their audience, this episode is going to save you a lot of disappointment.Free 7-day podcast makeover: head to podmastery.co and sign up — one practical tip per day, straight to your inbox.
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Apple Podcasts Video: The Benefits
May 1200:08:05Tap to summarizeIn the previous episode I explained why we need to be cautious around Apple Podcasts new video HLS streaming feature. Well, this podcast about podcasting is about balance. So now, it's important we look at all the good things about the feature.
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Apple Podcasts Video: The Painful Truth
May 500:05:14Tap to summarizeWith Apple Podcasts video now becoming a mainstream feature as the main hosting platforms roll it out, there are more and more creators leaning into creating this content.But should you be joining them?Well, before we can answer this question, we need to establish the answer to another one; do you understand the algorithmic differences surrounding video and audio?Click play.I'll explain.Companies mentioned in this episode:LinkedInYouTubeApple Podcasts
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Your podcast audience may not be what you thought it was
Apr 2100:09:57Tap to summarizeThis episode will challenge a lot of assumptions you may have about your audience. If you’ve been losing sleep over whether you need to shift all your energy into video, or feel the pressure to keep up with multi-camera setups just to stay relevant, you’re going to want to pay attention to this one.We’re sharing new research from Tom Webster and the Sounds Profitable team that uncovers who your most valuable listeners really are — and it’s not who you think.Link to report: https://soundsprofitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Audio-Primes-2026-Webinar-Version.pdf
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Is Beehiiv The Ideal New Platform For Indie Podcasters?
Apr 200:04:26Tap to summarizeBeehiiv are targeting podcasters with offers to join their new creator platform. But is this the solution podcasters have been waiting for?Link to check out their teased offer: https://www.beehiiv.com/beehiiv-for/podcasters
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Don’t Compare Your Podcast to “Diary of a CEO”. Here’s why
Mar 3000:20:29Tap to summarizeDiary of a CEO is doing something genuinely damaging to indie podcasters. Not maliciously. The damage is the business model.Hi, I'm Neal Veglio, The Podmaster.In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly why comparing your show to mega-podcasts like Diary of a CEO, High Performance Podcast, and Young and Profiting isn't just unhelpful — it's statistically irrational.Using Phil Rosenzweig's Halo Effect, Nassim Taleb's Silent Graveyard, the Columbia Music Lab experiment, and Daniel Kahneman's narrative fallacy, I'll explain the intellectual architecture behind why these shows exist, who they're actually designed to serve, and why their 'success strategies' are largely retrospective fiction.You'll hear why the gap between what these shows promise and what they can actually deliver is not a flaw — it's the product.Also in this episode:Listener email: Do you actually need a trailer episode before you launch?Experiment: Listen back to your three most downloaded episodes and steal from yourself.If you've been measuring your show against something that was never real — head to podmastery.co and click 'Get your podcasting challenge solved'.Useful links:Phil Rosenzweig's The Halo Effect summarised: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klngdRa8nOINassim Taleb's Fooled by Randomness: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fooled-Randomness-Hidden-Chance-Markets/dp/0141031484The music lab study: https://www.princeton.edu/~mjs3/salganik_dodds_watts06_full.pdf
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When Tools Make Bad Audio Sound ‘Good’, Who Loses?
Feb 300:09:39Tap to summarizeA lot of people are excited about AI tools that promise instant, studio-quality podcast audio.Record on your phone. Click a button. Sound professional.But that story deserves a closer look.Hi, I'm Neal Veglio, founder of Podknows Podcasting and the Podmastery community.In this episode of Podcasting Insights, I unpack what happens when technology starts erasing the difference between effort and outcome — and ask what podcasting quietly loses when “good sound” becomes a default instead of a craft.This isn’t an anti-AI rant.And it’s not about gatekeeping beginners.It’s about incentives.Standards.And what we’re rewarding at scale.You’ll learn:• Why AI audio tools raise standards and lower effort at the same time• How one-click fixes create a podcasting “house sound”• The difference between accessibility and erasing craft• Why effort still matters, even when listeners can’t hear it• The question creators should be asking before relying on AI cleanupLinks:Waves Voice Regen:https://www.waves.com/voice-regenI’d love YOUR feedback:https://www.podmastery.co/surveyI’ve been doing this for 20+ years and run a successful podcast marketing agency.Want me to audit your podcast?https://podmastery.co/lite
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