← The How To Podcast Series - Podcast Co-Hosts, Practical Podcast Tips, and Podcast Community
The How To Podcast Series - Podcast Co-Hosts, Practical Podcast Tips, and Podcast Community
E650 - The PodMatch Monthly April Report - State of Podcasting and Trends to Watch
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Okay, we're rolling. Hey, welcome back to the how to Podcast series. Is Dave with you? We're doing well. We are looking at the most recent version of podmatch.com report. It's a monthly report for all of us podcasting. It's completely free. You don't have to pay to be a part of podmatch, but you should, you really should think about being part of PodMatch. Just sliding in that subliminal way to you, I'm like, maybe you should. But yeah, Pod Match has a great report every month, and it kind of gives you a kind of like a health checkup on podcasting. It's really good. They pull from a variety of different sources and they present it in a great way, which is awesome. And I would encourage you every month, the beginning of the month, grab a coffee. You can fill up my coffee cup over@buymeacoffee.com and I love. My coffee's cold. And maybe we can sit together and virtually look at these reports. I'd love to spend some time with you. Howtopodcast.com as my calendar link. We can grab a virtual coffee and look at the numbers together. Why do this alone? You shouldn't do this alone. You should never podcast alone. So we do that. We cure that at how to Podcast Ca. Go check a look. Take a look. Check a look. Go check a look. That sounds good. Go take a look. Wow. I do need coffee. At the report for this month. I'm recording this in April 2026. So this report's going to change over time. You're going to listen to this later. I know, but at least it's a snapshot in time and you can compare what you're seeing on your screen to what's going on in April 2026. And I hope, I anticipate it's going to be better. It's going to be better. Better and better as podcasting continues to grow. And great tools like PodMatch create the environment for us to learn, to grow, to get better at podcasting, to connect with great guests, to. To do all the things that podmatch supplies for us. I'm a big fan. Alex has been on the show. He's a great person to connect with. If you have a podcast that does interviews, reach out to Alex. I know he loves talking to podcasters and have some time with him. You will. You will walk away from any interaction with Alex Sanflippo as you'll be a better person as a result of it. So selfishly, if you Want to grow? Spend time with Alex Sanfilippo. If you get to see him at any podcasting conference or event, make sure you go look for him. He's like the nicest dressed guy in the room, just so you know, easy to pick out. Definitely one of the nicest people you'll ever talk to. And my fanboy moment is over in 3, 2, 1. Okay, let's talk about the report for April 2026. I'm excited to see what we're going to learn from Alex's report and lots of stuff to dive into. Are you ready? If this was an AI podcast, we would say delve, but let's say dive just so we know this is a human generated podcast, everyone. Here we go. Jump in. So we're looking at the April 2026 stats to show you exactly where the independent podcasting world stands right now and the big picture, the reality check you're going to see on this report. First, let's talk about the buzz where search interest for podcast is slightly down at this point and the opportunity is actually on an all time high in podcasting now. Why is this? Because listenership is exploding. We're looking at over 619 million podcast listeners projected for 2026. But here's the kicker. While listeners are growing, the number of active shows is staying steady. Out of 3 million total podcasts, about 13.7% are actually active. That's not a big number, by the way. I'm trying my best with this show. Every day a podcast episode, I'm doing well, I can, I'm doing, and I'm paddling as much as I can to keep this going. Please keep your show active be help us grow that 13.7% active podcast number. Wow. If you are still hitting publish, you are already beating the majority of the field in podcasting. So congratulations. That's the big picture. Number two, the 100 episode podcast Gauntlet. If you feel like quitting your podcast, you're not alone. Approximately 431 podcasters quit every single day. That's not good, people. That's not good. Quit your show. Like just completely pack up, walk away and just leave it abandoned on the side of the road. Oh, wow, the milestone math. About 7.6% of podcasters ever make it to the 100 episode mark. Wow. 7. Wow. 7.6. And the reward? That's 7% of actively established podcasters. They command 95% of the total industry listenership. The industry's average of pod fading, pod quitting. I like to call it quiet quitting in podcasting is about just 46 days. However, the data actually shows that creators using tools like PodMatch stay active for an average of 316 days. That's 588% longer than the average. The 100 episode gauntlet. Where are you on this number? Episode 5, are you episode 650 like this episode? Where are you at on the scale? I'd love to know how to podcast. Ca. Leave me a Speak Pipe message. Tell me where are you at? What episode number did you just record this week? I'd love to hear and tell me about your show as well so I can promote you here on the podcast. Where are you at with that 100 episode number? Are you in that 7.6%? Let's get you up there. Let's get to get you creating more episodes, reaching more people. People want to hear from you. What about our benchmarking for our downloads? This is where everybody freaks out. Everybody. Oh my downloads. Here we go. First, stop complaint comparing yourself to Joe Rogan. Please just, just stop. Stop comparing yourself to Mel Robbins and the Theo Vaughn and la la la la la. Here's what the real world of independent podcasting, not those big shows. No, no. The real you and me, the majority of podcasters, we're not the minority. You might feel like that at some podcast conferences, but we are the majority of podcasters and independent podcasting. This is what week what the stats show for weekly downloads in the first seven days. Okay. To be in the top 50% of podcasting, you need 28 downloads. That's it. 28 downloads put you in the top 50% for the first seven days. Oh, that's great. And that's for a single episode. So if you are getting 28 downloads within 7 days of release on an episode, you're in the top 50%. Congratulations, well done. Good on you. And if you want to be in the top 10%, you have 423 downloads in seven days. That seems like a big number, but you can work your way up there. You can. And if you want to be in the top 1%, not the top 1% you see on listed notes, that's a, that's a whole different story. If you want to hear, if you want to be in the top 1% based on what we're seeing here on Pod Match, right. You want to have 4802downloads listens in 7 days for a single episode. Now I can tell you people that are are sharing listen note stats saying they're in the top 1%. They're not getting 4802 downloads in seven days for a single episode. I can pretty well guarantee that. So when everybody says they're the best, is everyone the best? Really? Is it really? Really? Can everyone be the best? No. No. Not everybody anyways. So these are real numbers. So if you're hitting more than 30 downloads in your first week, you are officially performing above the industry median. So congratulations. What about productivity and monetization? The report for April highlights a massive efficiency gap. The average independent host spends about 22 hours a month on production for a weekly show, and those using streamlined systems to have cut that down to nine hours, reclaiming three hours of their own life per episode. And as for money, most independent shows are averaging about $5.63 every month in ad revenue. $5.63? Really? You're going to freak out about $5.63. But I made money. Yeah. What are you going to buy with that? Really? It's a hobby for most, but the ones treating it like a business and using the right hosting providers are seeing significantly higher returns. Remember, we are not the minority of podcasters. We are the majority of podcasters. Get that straight. Because when you hear all these numbers passed around and I've got 100,000 downloads and I made $3 million in 45 seconds, you're like, really? Really? So keep it in mind. The bottom line in this report that I love from Alex. Here's what they say as I read through this. This is my. This is what I'm getting. Don't fly blind. The podcasting industry report is. Is updated monthly to give you the data that you need to stay engaged and informed. It's the ultimate health check for your show. So the next steps, I would love for you to go through this and look at the numbers and do a comparison to your own show, understanding where you fit into this world. I think it's really important for us to. To have a concept of where we could go in our show and where maybe some of the things we're missing. I think it's really important because Pod Match is all about connecting hosts and guests and guests and hosts. They have this beta. Would they say beta? We say beta where I am. Anyways. This podcast guesting health beta. I'll say it my way, where they talk about how many people are looking to be a guest and how many podcasts are seeking guests. And for April, the number of podcast seeking guests versus guest seeking podcasts. The number of podcast seeking guests, 4.8 million. And the number of Guests seeking to be on podcasts. 106,911 wow. And the average podcast a guest appears on per month in the industry. One podcast per month for a guest through Pod Match 6. So guests who use Pod Match get featured on 560% more podcasts. Tada. So if you're looking for guests, you'll want to be a guest. Pod Match is your place to go. And to that end, here's a little ad for Pod Match that I just made up on the spot. Here you go. Are your interviews like me? You know, you get a guest on your show and they don't know anything about your podcast and you don't know anything about them. And you try, you try so hard to make the podcast sound great. And you know, there's no, there's no passion in the conversation. If you want to fix that, use podmatch.com it is what I use for my podcasts. It is a great way to connect with people. It's a great way to find the best people for your next episode. And I believe every podcaster should be on Pod Match. Go check out podmatch.com back to the show. Episode 310 of the how to Podcast series featured the Alex Sanfilippo. It was a great conversation. I'd love to have him back again. Alex, let's do this again. And we just talked about Pod Match. We talked about podcasting in general. And there's another podcast that I'd love for you to listen to. We've talked about it. Here is called Monetize this with my good online podcasting buddy, Dave Beckmeier. Because you can always need in your life one more Dave. Dave Beckmeier has a great show. Go check it out. Dave had Alex on his show and it was. It was good. Dave's podcast is meant to be light, satirical, poking fun at the guru culture and podcasting. And he had Alex on, and it was interesting. Yeah, you gotta go check it out. I have a link for you in the show notes. There's a little taste of that episode. It was spectacular. Here's Alex on Dave's show, Monetize this. And they're talking about podcast conferences and something that happened when YouTube was talking about video podcasts. And here's what Alex felt like doing when he heard what was said. Here's the. Here's the comment. Here's a little clip. So by this point, Alex is building tools for podcasters, talking to thousands of hosts and sitting right in the middle of the industry, which means he's also sitting right in the middle of something else. Podcast gurus, courses, strategies, and a constant stream of predictions about what podcasters should be doing next, including one in particular that comes up a lot.
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It was when YouTube first came on the scene of podcasting. They brought in a YouTube executive and from stage, he said, if your podcast isn't on YouTube, your podcast won't be relevant within the next year. And I wanted. It took everything in me not to walk on stage and grab another microphone or just yell and be like, that is not true. You know, like. And let me show you the real data, not YouTube's data. Because what people don't know is when YouTube first started, like air quotes podcasting, they counted every single YouTube channel as a podcast. And so they had really great data on how billions of people were listening every day. I'm like, well, obviously, because you just converted your whole platform and said, well, now we're podcasting.
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There's nothing wrong with YouTube. There is something wrong with fear marketing. Dave's show is really, really fun to listen to. Definitely go check out monetize this link in the show notes. Everything else we have in links in the show notes. You know how we do this. You're a podcaster or you're going to be. So make sure you have your links in your show notes. Don't forget. So that's a little taste of that show and Alex. And again, episode 310, you can go back and listen to that one and check out Alex on this very show. Really enjoy not only what Alex does for podcasters, for Pod Match and through the report and through everything he builds for podcasters, but just him as a person, how he shows up in this world. Just outstanding person. If you catch him on any podcast, listen to the first few minutes of the episode and hear the amount of time and love that Alex puts into preparing to be a guest on that show. And you'll find a common denominator across all of his appearances. I'd love for you to find out what that is. Identify it, what do you think it is? Reach out to me at howtopodcast ca, leave a speak bite message and go, I think Alex Sanfilippo's superpower is. And fill in the blank. I'd love to hear what you think. I'll share it with Alex too. So I know what. I know what I think it is. I'd love to hear what you think it is as well. If you think that podcasting is overcrowded, if you think that it's no room for you. If you think that nobody cares what you have to say, remember, there's only a tiny percentage of active podcasters right now. And even though the number seems big as far as what's out there, it isn't. And there's room for you, and we need you. And without you, podcasting won't be good. It won't be as good as it can be. Because your voice, your message, your connection with the world, how you build community, how you create content, what you have to say and why you have to say it is the most important part. So leverage the tools that are out there. Definitely. Make sure you check out the podmatch.com report every month, make put it in your calendar, remind yourself to go there again, grab a cup of coffee and sit and read through this amazing information that Alex and his team provides to us for free, by the way. And get your own knowledge about podcasting. Definitely worth it. Thanks for being here. Thanks for being here for the entirety of this year as we're doing these daily episodes. I know, and I've heard from you. It's a lot. It's a lot of content. I'm not anticipating that you will listen to every single episode. That's a big commitment for you. But I'm just putting this out there as my challenge to myself this year, to be active, to be present, to create content. And I find that putting myself into creative space brings more creativity. Removing myself from a creative space reduces the amount of creativity that I have. So I want to play where I feel my strengths lie the best, and that's it. Being a creative spot, creative space. So I'm doing this challenge, both being online and doing something socially on social media every day, and creating episodes of this show in addition to all the other podcasts I have. It's been. It's been a big challenge. We're getting there, and there's a long way to go, but really enjoying the idea of having a daily episode of the show. Love to get your feedback. Thanks for being here. We'll talk again tomorrow. Take care. Be safe. Keep podcasting. The world needs you. Take care. So here at the out of Podcast series, we love to hear from you. You might think that we get a lot of feedback, man. We don't. We don't get a lot because people just feel like, why bother? Like, why does Dave really care what I have to say? And I do. I actually do really care what you have to say. I love your input. I love hearing from you. And we've started a survey for our Listening audience, which includes you right here, right now. And I'd love, love, love for you to head over to HowToPodcast CA and you'll see our survey right there on our website and take a few minutes, come through, answer the thoughtful questions we're asking of you to make the show better. Not just for you, but for everyone. Your feedback is really gonna help shape the show and I selfishly just want to hear from you. So if you're thinking Dave probably already knows what I think. I don't. I really don't. I'm not good at reading minds. My wife will confirm that completely. So I, I don't really know what you think of the show. I don't know if you like it, if you like how long the show is, how long the episodes are that Dave's doing. 365 episodes in a year. Oh my gosh. Like, I would love to hear from you and get your thoughts on this very show right here. So head over to HowToPodcast CA, click on our survey link. It's also in the show notes for every episode in the most recent episodes. And I'd love to hear from you. So as a listener of this hear very show, your feedback can make this show so much better. So much better. And I'm not drowning in emails and voice messages and speak pipes and buy me a coffees right now. So I'm putting the ask out to you right now as a listener of the show and you're still here that you take a moment, head over to our website, click the link in the show notes for any episode and go to our survey and let us know your thoughts about this show, how it could be better and what you love and what you're like. Dave, can you stop doing this? That would be really helpful. Thanks for being here and being part of the how to podcast family. See you over at howtopodcast ca. Talk soon. Thanks for being here. Bye. You're still here. Awesome. Okay, so this is an oldie but a goodie frequent question. It's why episode one of the how to podcast series. I know like 649 episodes ago was around your why and understanding your why. People are still coming saying, dave, where do I start? Do I buy the camera? Do I buy the mic? Do I get a website? Do I do this? What about the name of my show? Those are all important things. Most important thing is why. Just answer that question, why? Just like a little three year old will ask you why 1500 times in a row when they don't get what they want. You need to answer that question and have a very clear understanding about why you want to do this podcast. And it can be as simple as I want to just get on and leave a legacy for my family. I want to talk to my sibling in a different state, province, country. I want to create a podcast around my book to help me sell more books. I want to build my coaching program. I want to meet amazing people and have time with people I should have no time with. Whatever it is for you, what is your why? Why? And how do you tie an audience member, a listener, into that why? So figure that out. And if you need help just kind of dreaming out loud with somebody else, let's grab a virtual coffee together. And it's always on my website, howtopodcast ca. You can get my calendar link and I'd love to have time with you. And let's just talk through your why. Great. For a new podcaster or somebody starting their next show, let's talk about your why and let's do it together. You don't have to podcast alone. Reach out to me at howardpodcast ca. Well, it's not to cover your why. I think you might be surprised. Take care.