Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: Your Podcast Consultant with Dave Jackson

Episode: Choosing Your Podcast Day: Does It Even Matter?

Release Date: April 17, 2026
Host: Dave Jackson

Episode Overview

In this concise yet insightful episode, Dave Jackson tackles a common question for aspiring and seasoned podcasters alike: Does the specific day you publish your weekly podcast really matter? Drawing on his decades of experience, Dave provides practical advice, considerations, and research to help you choose the best publishing schedule for your show—highlighting the importance of consistency over convention.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Common Strategies for Choosing a Podcast Day

Competitive Research:
- Dave suggests starting by looking at when your competitors are publishing.
  - “One strategy is to go look at all of your competition, get yourself a spreadsheet... note what day your competition releases. And then pick the day that is the least amount of podcasts.” (00:36)
- Example: If competition is spread Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, Wednesday could be your best choice for standing out.

2. Dave’s Personal View: Consistency Trumps All

Listener Habits:
- Dave notes that most people (including himself) don’t listen to podcasts the moment they drop:
  - “Almost all of the podcasts... that I listen to, are days old. I rarely listen to a show on the day that it was released.” (01:13)
- It’s not like traditional radio, where timing is crucial.
Key Takeaway:
- “What does matter in the long run is you are consistent in publishing. I've said that before. And consistent in delivering value.” (01:37)
- The best day is the one that fits your personal schedule—ensuring you can reliably deliver to your audience.

3. Industry Trends and Research

Internet Wisdom:
- Mondays are crowded due to the workplace “restart;” middle of the week is less busy.
  - “Monday is pretty busy. A lot of people, you're getting back to work. ... They say really the better time is during the middle of the week. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with Wednesday morning being one that seems to really be the default choice.” (02:15)
- Middle-of-the-week releases align with listeners settling into their routines.

4. How to Decide: Practical Tips

Life Comes First:
- “Can I publish every Wednesday? Can I publish every Thursday? Whatever day is going to work best for you, the person, not you, the show. Pick that day. That's really the key.” (01:53)
Get Ahead with Batch Recording:
- If you want to release on a specific day but your schedule doesn’t fit, record episodes in advance:
  - “Record four or five episodes ahead of time... so that you have a bunch on deck in the can, as some say.” (03:17)

5. Final Thoughts: The Nuanced Answer

While there’s logic to releasing when competitors aren’t, ultimately, it’s your consistency and audience focus that count.
“Do what works best for you and what works best for the audience. See if you can come up with a compromise. And that’s the day you pick.” (04:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Listener Behavior:
- “It's not like it's radio, where, oh my gosh, it's almost 9 o'clock, it's time for the Dave Show. No, that's just not happening.” (01:27)
On Consistency:
- “What does matter in the long run is you are consistent in publishing.” (01:37)
On Making Your Life Easier:
- “Pick that day. That's really the key.” (01:58)
On Batch Recording for Scheduling Flexibility:
- “Record four or five episodes ahead of time … you have a bunch on deck in the can, as some say.” (03:17)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:36 | How to analyze competitors’ schedule | | 01:13 | “Almost all of the podcasts … are days old.” Listener habits | | 01:27 | “It's not like it's radio, where … it's time for the Dave Show.” | | 01:37 | Emphasis on consistency | | 01:53 | “Can I publish every Wednesday? … Pick that day.” | | 02:15 | Mondays are busy; midweek release trend | | 03:17 | Batch recording for flexibility | | 04:05 | Final advice: compromise for you and your audience |

Summary Takeaways

The day you publish your podcast matters less than your ability to publish consistently and deliver quality.
Review your competition for an opening, but prioritize your personal workflow and reliability.
Middle of the week is the industry’s “sweet spot,” but only pick it if it fits your life.
Batch recording is a practical way to maintain your preferred release day.
“Do what works best for you and what works best for the audience. See if you can come up with a compromise.” (04:05)

This episode provides straightforward, actionable advice for podcasters at any stage: focus on consistency, value, and what realistically works for you and your audience, rather than chasing a “perfect” day that industry trends dictate.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:00]
A
I'm getting ready to launch a podcast, and I'm not sure what day I should publish my weekly show. Does it matter? Well, let's talk about it.
[00:11]
B
Welcome to youo Podcast Consultant. Small lessons with big Value. With more than a decade of experience and millions of downloads, this hall of fame podcaster is a featured speaker, author, and mentor to thousands. Now he wants to work with you. He's your podcast consultant, Dave Jackson.
[00:37]
A
There are a couple of ways to look at this answer, and that is, of course, when do I publish my weekly show? One strategy is to go look at all of your competition, get yourself a spreadsheet, and in that first column put the name of the show, and then the next columns are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and note what day your competition releases. And then pick the day that is the least amount of podcasts. So let's say you've got four people and one is on Monday, one is on Tuesday, one is on Thursday, one is on Friday. Well, nobody's on Wednesday, so it might make more sense for you to release on a Wednesday. My answer? I'll tell you that, and then I'll tell you what the Internet said. My answer is it doesn't really matter because almost all of the podcasts, this is a survey of one here that I listen to, are days old. I rarely listen to a show on the day that it was released. I think I have two shows that I do this with, and I listen to multiple, multiple, multiple shows. So it's not like it's radio, where, oh my gosh, it's almost 9 o', clock, it's time for the Dave Show. No, that's just not happening. And in that essence, I don't think it really matters. What does matter in the long run is you are consistent in publishing. I've said that before. And consistent in delivering value. And so what you want to look at again is your life. Can I publish every Wednesday? Can I publish every Thursday? Whatever day is going to work best for you, the person, not you, the show. Pick that day. That's really the key. Now, when I went to the Internet, it said something that I already knew, and that is that Monday is pretty busy. A lot of people, you're getting back to work. And because it's kind of seen as the beginning of the week, a lot of people publish on Monday. They say really the better time is during the middle of the week. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with Wednesday morning being one that seems to really be the default choice. And the reason for that is people are back in their work routine. They're not kind of rusty like they are on Monday. They're not kind of distracted like they are on Friday, maybe the middle of the week. But in the end, it's the day that you can do consistently. So keep that in mind. And sometimes if you're like, well, I really want to be on Wednesday, but if I was doing it based on my life, then it would be Thursday. Well, then one way to do that. If you really want to be on Wednesday or whatever day you pick, record four or five episodes ahead of time and as always, get feedback on those if you're getting ready to launch. And that way you could do it on Wednesday and then you continue to record episodes so that you have a bunch on deck in the can, as some say. In the end, I don't think it makes a ton of difference. But I like the idea of publishing on a day when other shows are not, because in theory that audience is going to be looking for something, assuming they don't have more than one podcast to listen to. So in the end, do what works best for you and what works best for the audience. See if you can come up with a compromise. And that's the day you pick. If you need more help with your podcast. I've been helping podcasters for over 20 years and I would love to see what we can do together. You know where to find me. Go out to schoolofpodcasting.com there you'll have access to courses, an amazing community, and one on one coaching with me. Go to schoolofpodcasting.com start and use the coupon code listnr when you sign up for either a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription. And that comes of course with a 30 day money back guarantee. I'm Dave Jackson. I want to be your podcast consultant. Want more podcasting tips? Join the 1700 people who read my newsletter at podcastingobservations. Com. That's podcastingobservations. Com.