Buzzcast Keeping The Indie Spirit Alive As Podcasting Grows
Sep 25, 2026
Fresh from Podcast Movement, the team reflects on the conference’s new format, the value of informal indie connections, and what a truly creator-focused gathering could look like. They explore industry efforts to verify podcast apps, combat bot traffic, and improve download data. Ira Glass’s keynote sparks a discussion about audio’s intimacy, empathy, and power to soften snap judgments.
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The Best Conference Moments Happened Offsite
- Alban Brooke found the conference’s most meaningful connections outside its official programming.
- A casual bar gathering with industry peers and a Buzzsprout meetup attracted local podcasters who had skipped the expensive conference entirely.
Build Smaller Conferences For Indie Creators
- Design creator events around independent podcasters instead of forcing them into programming built for executives and top creators.
- Consider intimate, focused formats lasting one or two days, such as a one-day podcast camp or a dedicated indie conference.
Indie Podcasting May Need Labor Of Love Events
- Independent podcasting is culturally valuable but commercially underserved because many creators podcast alongside a day job rather than chasing large advertising deals.
- A conference for them may need to operate as a labor of love rather than a profit center.