Overthinking Your Podcast Posting Schedule - Your Podcast Consultant: Podcast Tips To Avoid Podcasting Mistakes

Summary3 min read

Episode Summary: "Overthinking Your Podcast Posting Schedule"

Podcast: Your Podcast Consultant: Podcast Tips To Avoid Podcasting Mistakes
Host: Dave Jackson
Release Date: January 23, 2026
Length: ~9 minutes

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Jackson addresses one of the most common concerns among new podcasters: when is the best time to publish a podcast episode? Drawing on insights from his time at Podfest and experience in the community, Dave tackles the tendency to overthink posting schedules and delivers practical advice on making scheduling decisions that support consistency—and sanity—over chasing elusive "best times."

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Community's Obsession with Publishing Time

Reddit Example (00:38): Dave highlights a Reddit post debating the merits of a 5:00pm release time. The podcaster wants to choose an evening slot, believing it fits their show's "creepy and unsettling" theme.
Online Advice Contradictions: The Redditor is confused by conflicting information online, fueling anxiety about the "right" time to publish.

2. The Flexibility of Podcast Consumption

Listener Habits (02:00): Dave shares that out of 30 podcasts he follows, only two are time-dependent for him, and only because they are news shows.
Key Insight: Most podcast listeners consume episodes on their own schedule. The platform's time-shifting nature means when an episode is published is far less critical than the creator might think.

"One of the biggest features of podcasting is you can publish whenever you want, and more importantly, the listener can listen whenever they want."
— Dave Jackson (02:35)

3. Personal Experience with Release Times

Example: Dave mentions ignoring a highly anticipated interview (Conan O’Brien with Matt Damon) for weeks, only listening when it suited him.

4. Strategic Scheduling—Only If You Want To

Competitive Analysis (04:10): For those wanting to be extra strategic, Dave suggests looking at shows in your niche, tracking their release days in a spreadsheet, and perhaps avoiding the most crowded day.
But...: The takeaway remains that your convenience and ability to be consistent matter most.

"The most important stat, the most important feature of this is the schedule that works for you."
— Dave Jackson (05:10)

5. Consistency > Timing

Consistency in Schedule and Quality (05:30): Dave emphasizes consistency in both when you post and what value you deliver, rather than obsessing over time slots.

"It's great that you have a consistent schedule, but you also need to be consistently remarkable with your content."
— Dave Jackson (06:08)

6. Exceptions: Time-Sensitive Shows

News or Timely Content (06:40): The only exception to the “timing doesn’t matter” mantra is news shows or time-based content, where release time could impact listenership.

7. Final Advice

Main Takeaway: Don’t obsess—choose a schedule that fits your life, stay consistent, and focus on delivering great content.
Encouragement to Seek Further Guidance (07:30): Dave reminds listeners of resources and personal support available through School of Podcasting.

Memorable Quotes

"I don't think people are sitting there waiting for your show... 99% of the podcasts out there I don't think are time dependent unless it's a new show and yours isn't. It's about creepy stuff. So don't obsess over it."
— Dave Jackson (05:50)
"Podcasting is time shifted content."
— Dave Jackson (06:22)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:38 – 02:00: Reddit question and the mythos of posting time
02:00 – 03:10: Listener behavior and why they listen when they want
04:10 – 05:00: How to analyze other shows for scheduling (if desired)
05:10 – 06:10: The importance of personal convenience and consistency
06:40 – 07:10: When timing really matters (news shows)
07:30 – 08:40: Final advice and call to action to get support

Conclusion

Dave Jackson uses this episode to dispel anxiety around podcast release timing, reminding creators that when they publish is far less important than what they publish and how reliably they do so. Unless hosting a time-sensitive news show, podcasters should focus on consistency and quality, not the clock.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:00]
A
I'm back from podfest, and there was one kind of strategy that is getting way more thought than needs to be, and that is, when do I publish?
[00:14]
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.
[00:39]
A
So I'm on Reddit and I see this question, 5:00pm posting time, yes or no? The person says, I'm planning on starting up my own podcast and I'm trying to do research to prepare, which has left me with way more questions than answers. You know, there's this thing called the school of podcasting that can help with that. Says, I've been looking into what would be a good schedule for uploads, and I decided on Thursdays. And I think for my podcast, evening uploads will make more sense, seeing how as its focus is on creepy and unsettling things, I think having it as an evening show where people listen after dark would work best. And that makes sense so far. But I'll explain something here in a sec. He says, most things I'm finding online are saying not to do this. How uncommon is evening uploads? Has anyone had any success with it, and if so, what time in the evening? Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. And I have at least 30 podcasts that I follow, and there are only two that I listen to, and it's based on their schedule and they are both new shows. I use Pocket Cast, and when those come in, I have Pocket cast, put them at the top of my list of things to listen to, and from there it doesn't matter. One of the biggest features of podcasting is you can publish whenever you want, and more importantly, the listener can listen whenever they want. I just saw where Conan o' Brien interviewed Matt Damon. I like Matt Damon, and that was probably three weeks ago and I could listen today and I'll go and check that out. So you're maybe obsessing a little bit because most people aren't sitting on their phone going, when's that episode going to drop? When's that episode going to drop? That's just not the case. And now if you want to go the extra mile, go look at other shows like yours and you will see where, if they're following best practices, they have a consistent schedule and you can open up a spreadsheet and, you know, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and put in each show and put what day they publish on and then pick the one that has the least amount of traffic because there'll be less competition. But the most important stat, the most important feature of this is the schedule that works for you. If you have things going Monday through Wednesday or maybe on the weekend or whatever it is, and it turns out that the best time for you to publish is on Tuesday, then publish on Tuesday. The amount of downloads I would think you would get. Now, this is just my opinion. I don't think people are sitting there waiting for your show. I have one show that I listen to on Fridays because they publish on Fridays and I go grocery shopping on Fridays. It just so happens that that fit my schedule. But 99% of the podcasts out there I don't think are time dependent unless it's a new show and yours isn't. It's about creepy stuff. So don't obsess over it. Find the time that works best for you and stay consistent both in schedule and in content. Because it doesn't make any sense. People go, oh, I've been publishing on Thursdays for three years now. Yeah, but is the content any good? It's great that you have a consistent schedule, but you also need to be consistently remarkable with your content. So in the end, I feel unless it's a new show or somehow time based, it really doesn't matter when you publish your episodes. Because podcasting is time shifted content. Now. That person said they had a lot of questions. If that's you, come over and join me@schoolofpodcasting.com where you get step by step tutorials, you get an amazing podcasting community, and you get five hours of one on one consulting with me every single month. Check it out. Schoolofpodcasting.com I'm Dave Jackson. I help podcasters. Been doing it for 21 years and I can't wait to see what you and I are going to do together because I want to be your podcast consultant.