School of Podcasting, Ep. 973: Podcasting Gone Wrong – The Ultimate Pet Peeves List!

Podcast: School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast
Host: Dave Jackson
Air date: March 3, 2025
Episode theme: Dave crowdsources podcast listeners’ and editors’ biggest pet peeves, breaking down what turns people off in the podcast listening experience—so you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Episode Overview

This lively episode is dedicated to helping podcasters grow their shows—by stopping behaviors that annoy listeners and drive them away! Podcaster Hall-of-Famer Dave Jackson shares a curated list of listeners’ biggest pet peeves, featuring real voicemails from podcast hosts and editors. The message is clear: sometimes, the best way to grow is to quit being annoying.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Filler Words, Especially “And So…” [01:54]

• Steve Stewart (podcast editor and educator): As an editor, Steve is increasingly sensitive to filler words like "and so." They dilute impact and should be edited out.
  • Quote: “I’ve been removing it because it takes away from the impactfulness of what they’re trying to say.” – Steve Stewart [02:10]
• Listener Introduction Contradictions:
  • Steve points out the “we talked before hitting record” comment, which alienates listeners who weren’t included in the off-air story.
  • Solution: Either don’t mention pre-record chats, or if you must, cut redundant introductions and jump into the story.
  • Quote: “Everybody knows you’re happy to have someone on the show… jump right into a story, which would be excellent.” – Steve Stewart [03:25]

2. Taking Too Long to Get to the Point [05:03]

• Mark Lawley (Practical Prepping Podcast): Annoyance with lengthy intros and banter that delay the main topic—especially egregious was one show taking 17 minutes to get on-topic.
  • Quote: “Normally, I’ll give a podcast about three minutes to get to the topic, then I’ll go on to something else.” – Mark Lawley [05:36]
• Host Response: Dave admits he skips to the “good part” on shows like Conan O’Brien’s—chitchat isn’t always bad but must fit the tone.

3. Commercials – Too Many and Poorly Timed [06:35, 14:21, 17:49]

• Kim Newlove (Pharmacist’s Voice Podcast): Hates excessive and jarringly placed commercials, especially when they interrupt gripping content with totally unrelated ads.
  • Quote: “I’m about to hear about some sort of oncology breakthrough… but no, I have to listen to a mattress commercial.” – Kim Newlove [06:44]
• Todd the Gator (Guardian Downcast): Finds mid-sentence ads, especially those with different volume, jarring and says they erode podcasting’s unique charm, offering little financial reward.
  • Quote: “Out of nowhere I get an ad that is twice the volume about some product that has nothing to do with the podcast.” – Todd the Gator [15:21]

4. Inconsistent or Bad Audio Quality [07:37, 19:15]

• Kim Newlove: Volume differences between hosts and guests force listeners to “ride the volume knob” and lead to quick tune-out.
  • “That’s a deal breaker for me. You got about 30 seconds. When that’s happening, I am turning it off.” – Kim Newlove [08:51]
• Zoe Richardson (Backlook Cinema): Poor audio—like sharing one mic, huge volume discrepancy, or garbled sound—breaks the listening experience.
  • Quote: “If I can’t understand what a person is saying… then I’ll skip it. I’ll tune it out, I’ll turn it off… I want to just be able to sit back and listen. I don’t want to have to fight to understand.” – Zoe Richardson [20:05]
• Dave’s Tip: Use tools like Auphonic to auto-level audio and create a seamless listening environment.

5. Unhelpful Opening Clips [09:18]

• Kim Newlove: Out-of-context teaser clips at the start of an episode are more confusing than enticing.
  • “Those clips at the beginning do not serve me as an audience member.” – Kim Newlove [09:26]
• Host Advice: Instead of a “hook” clip, use a brief intro stating who the guest is and what listeners will learn—faster and more effective.

6. Missing Show Notes & Links [09:40, 24:57]

• Kim Newlove & Dave Jackson: Frustration when links, book mentions, or resources from the episode aren’t in the show notes.
  • “If it’s not in the show notes, that’s frustrating… and it wastes my time.” – Kim Newlove [10:10]
  • Dave admits guilt here and notes AI tools (e.g., Captivate) can help automate noting shared URLs for show notes.

7. Sound Effects Overload [10:35]

• Kim Newlove: Avoid the temptation to overuse sound effects, especially when you get new gear.

8. Irrelevant Tangents & Drifting from Main Topic [22:51]

• York (Welcome to Earth Stories): Annoyed when podcasts stray far from their advertised subject, e.g., tech shows spiraling into unrelated politics.
  • “If I’m going to listen to a technology show, it has to be about the technology.” – York [23:12]
  • Memorable analogy: “I like Celine Dion and also I like hip hop music, but I don’t want Celine Dion’s next album to be a hip hop album.” – York [24:03]

Timestamped Highlights & Notable Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Summary | |-----------|----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:10 | Steve Stewart | “I’ve been removing it [‘and so’] because it takes away from the impactfulness of what they’re trying to say.” | | 03:25 | Steve Stewart | “Jump right into a story, which would be excellent.” | | 05:36 | Mark Lawley | “I’ll give a podcast about three minutes to get to the topic, then I’ll go on to something else.” | | 06:44 | Kim Newlove | “I’m about to hear about some sort of oncology breakthrough… but no, I have to listen to a mattress commercial.” | | 08:51 | Kim Newlove | “That’s a deal breaker for me. You got about 30 seconds… then I am turning it off.” | | 09:26 | Kim Newlove | “Those [beginning] clips do not serve me as an audience member.” | | 10:10 | Kim Newlove | “If it’s not in the show notes, that’s frustrating… and it wastes my time.” | | 12:20 | Dave Jackson | “If it’s a book… and you go to the show notes and you’re like, oh, you gotta be kidding me.” | | 15:21 | Todd the Gator | “Out of nowhere I get an ad that is twice the volume about some product that has nothing to do with the podcast.” | | 20:05 | Zoe Richardson | “If I can’t understand what a person is saying… then I’ll skip it… I want to just be able to sit back and listen.” | | 24:03 | York | “I like Celine Dion and also I like hip hop music, but I don’t want Celine Dion’s next album to be a hip hop album.” |

Dave’s Reflections & Recurring Themes

• Pet peeves don’t change year to year: The same mistakes are called out every year—demonstrating how universal and persistent they are.
• Don’t alienate your audience: Listeners quickly lose patience; if frustrated, they will move on and may not return.
• It’s the little things that make a difference: Commercial overload, bad audio, missing notes, and rambling can negate all your hard work in seconds.
• Monetization warning: Dave and contributors agree—getting pennies per ad isn’t worth annoying your audience.
  • Quote: “Those four minutes of ads brought you in two cents. You annoyed me for two cents.” – Dave Jackson [25:07]
• Transparency and learning: Dave acknowledges his own slip-ups with show notes, pointing to automation and improved practices.
• Audio quality is non-negotiable: Even a great show can lose listeners if sound is subpar.

Memorable Moments

• York’s Celine Dion analogy on podcast subject consistency [24:03].
• Dave’s comedic riff about doing interviews “from the bathroom inside a fishbowl while I fry bacon.” [21:53]
• Kim’s frustration with out-of-context hooks and “show notes blanks.”
• Todd’s call for host-read ads to be naturally integrated and for podcasters to respect their audience’s time.

Community Segment & Listener Engagement

• Next month’s question (from Todd the Gator at 31:34): “How long did it take you to create your podcast from just an idea in your head to actually taking action and executing your podcast plan?” Plus: “How long did it take your podcast to find its audience or community?”
• Instructions: Answer at schoolofpodcasting.com/question by the deadline.

Host’s Closing Reflections

• News and Podcasting Trends:
  • Dave touches on debates about video versus audio podcasts, clarifying technical definitions and cautioning against platforms dominating podcasting.
  • He underscores the need for clarity, skepticism about stats, and understanding what truly defines a podcast.
• Personal Note:
  • Tribute to late friend Neil Galarte, highlighting the long-lasting legacy audio and video can provide.

Takeaways & Action Items for Podcasters

• Jump right to valuable content: Keep intros and banter minimal.
• Enforce audio quality: Use leveling tools, don’t mix mics or allow poor guest audio.
• Control commercials: Keep them relevant, short, and not disruptive.
• Maintain show notes: Include every resource, book, or website mentioned.
• Stay on topic: Deliver what you promise in your episode title.
• Limit sound effects and avoid over-production tools.
• Respect the audience’s time and attention—or risk losing them for good.

Find resources and show links at: schoolofpodcasting.com/973

Closing Wisdom:
“Tomorrow is not guaranteed. So be nice to each other, be respectful to each other… a little patience… wouldn’t hurt every now and then.” – Dave Jackson [29:46]