Streamlined Podcaster: Tips to Help Solopreneurs Improve Their Podcast Systems

Hot take: If you're not wearing headphones while podcasting in 2025, you're doing it wrong. I don't care how good Riverside's echo cancellation is or what magic AI audio cleanup you're using - I will literally refuse to record with guests who won't wear headphones.In this episode, I explain why "fixing it in post" with apps like Descript and Adobe Podcast AI is actually making your audio WORSE, not better. I've been on shows where my studio-quality audio gets destroyed by automated filters that were never needed in the first place.The truth is, these AI audio tools make assumptions about your recording environment and apply blanket fixes that can create weird artifacts, dropped sounds, and unpredictable results. When you wear headphones, you get clean, "unopinionated" audio that gives you or your editor full control over the final sound.🎙️ What you'll learn:Why automated audio cleanup often makes good audio worseThe difference between surgical editing vs. sledgehammer approachesHow echo cancellation can hurt when it's not neededMy hardware setup for clean audio (without over-processing)The guest who got floored when I cancelled our interview🎧 Are you team headphones or team "the software will fix it"? Let me know at streamlinedfeedback.com!

Have you ever been invited on a podcast only for it to be turned into a sales call? Yeah, me too. And it's getting worse.In this episode, I break down the sneaky tactics some "podcasters" use to get you on what they claim is an interview, but is really just a thinly veiled attempt to pitch you their services. From deleting your episode when you refuse to buy, to publishing 5 episodes a day with bathroom-quality audio, these red flags are easier to spot once you know what to look for.I'll share real examples from my own experience (including the guy who pitched me SEO services right after asking "did you have fun today?") and give you the exact questions I ask to weed out these fake opportunities before wasting your time.🎯 Major red flags covered:Repeatedly mentioning "no cost" to be on the showSuper vague topics like "the future of [your name]"Publishing 3-5 interviews daily with multiple hostsTarget audience that matches their ideal customer profile💡 Bonus tips from the community:What Krystal and Jeff noticed about fake showsHow to respond without missing real opportunitiesWhy "thousands of downloads" doesn't mean what they think it meansSee the LinkedIn post🤔 Ever been bamboozled by a fake podcast invite? Share your story at streamlinedfeedback.com!

Remember Van Halen's famous "no brown M&Ms" rider clause? It wasn't because they were divas - it was a genius test to make sure venues actually read their contract. I've borrowed this concept to create my own screening system for podcast guest pitches.With 4-8 pitches hitting my inbox daily (and most being AI-generated garbage), I needed a better way to separate serious guests from spray-and-pray agencies. In this episode, I share the exact screening question I use that instantly reveals whether someone actually researched my show or just copy-pasted a ChatGPT template.I'll also share some real examples of terrible pitches I've received (spoiler: one agency sent me the SAME pitch twice for different shows), plus the simple criteria that save me hours each week in pitch evaluation.What you'll learn:Why Van Halen's M&Ms clause was brilliant (and life-saving)My specific screening question that AI can't fakeReal examples of hilariously bad AI-generated pitchesThe exact criteria I give to agencies to stop wasting my timeHow this system helped me find amazing guests like Jackie Schiff and Elizabeth HowellRead the full articleWhat's your "Brown M&Ms test"? Share it at streamlinedfeedback.com

Remember the alien in Men in Black asking for "sugar in water"? That's exactly what AI-generated podcast pitches sound like - almost human, but missing something fundamentally authentic.As someone who receives dozens of guest pitches, I'm seeing a disturbing trend: more people are using ChatGPT to write their outreach, and it's backfiring spectacularly. From generic "hope this email finds you well" openings to completely irrelevant topic suggestions, AI pitches are easier to spot (and delete) than ever.In this episode, I break down why AI pitches fail so badly, share some cringe-worthy real examples I've received, and give you a proven template for crafting pitches that actually get responses. Plus, I'll tell you about the one pitch that was so good it led to an amazing interview.What you'll learn:Why "recently discovered your podcast" is the new spam signalThe ChatGPT summary that made me laugh (and cry)My 4-step framework for pitches that actually workRead the full article Have pitch horror stories to share? Send them to streamlinedfeedback.com

With AI-powered apps like Sonar promising to give you "just the highlights" from podcasts, and services like Blinkist condensing books into summaries, I'm asking the hard question: Are we missing the point of content consumption entirely?In this episode, I dive into why I think these summary services fundamentally misunderstand what makes content valuable. Spoiler: It's not just about the facts - it's about the personality, perspective, and promise that creators bring to their work.I share my thoughts on why most business books are fluff, why many podcasts are "meandering unstructured messes," and what separates great content (like "Sponsor Magnet" by Justin Moore and "The Rest is History" podcast) from the forgettable stuff.Read the full articleFeatured in this episode:My experience testing the Sonar appWhy Blinkist is just "listening to a book report"Examples of content that gets the balance rightThe importance of knowing exactly who you're talking toWhat's your take on AI summarization tools? Let me know at streamlinedfeedback.com

After 9 years of podcasting and approaching 500 episodes, I'm sharing my honest thoughts on whether episode numbers actually matter for most podcasts. Spoiler alert: they probably don't matter as much as you think!In this episode, I break down when episode numbers are crucial vs. when they're just technical baggage. I also share how I've been experimenting with my own show format, consolidating from 4-5 podcasts down to 3, and why I stopped saying episode numbers during recordings.Whether you're just starting your podcast or you're a seasoned host questioning your current system, this episode will help you think more strategically about episode numbering and what actually serves your audience.🔗 Mentioned in this episode:My full article on episode numbersPodviz by RSS.comThe Rest is History podcast💬 Have thoughts on episode numbers? Send them to streamlinedfeedback.comPodcast is hosted by RSS.com, where I am a content creator and evangelist.

Earlier this year, I set out to answer a simple question: can you reasonably record a podcast from your phone? As someone obsessed with gear and high-quality production, I assumed the answer would be no.But after some experimentation, I discovered that not only is it possible, but it can also be a game-changer for podcasters who want to create raw, behind-the-scenes content.Here’s how I streamlined the process into a low-effort workflow anyone can replicate.Get this and every article at https://podcastadvent.org ★ Support this podcast ★

A few months ago I launched a free private podcast called Joe’s Audio Notes. The episodes are very short (7 minutes or less), where I share my thoughts on being a solopreneur, a podcaster, a parent, and other thoughts related to being a productive member of society.I'm sharing 3 of the episodes here (which you can find in the chapter markers): Thinking About my Content StrategyHow do you pick the right idea?Battling the work hangoverIf you like it, I'd love for you to join! You can sign up for free here. (00:00) - Intro (01:22) - Thinking About my Content Strategy (07:00) - How do you pick the right idea? (12:42) - Battling the work hangover ★ Support this podcast ★

Today I'm I’m diving into a topic that helped my own show take off back in 2016—creating a great website for your podcast.I didn’t realize it at the time, but my well-built podcast website played a massive role in growing my audience. Why? Because discoverability in podcasting is tough, and having a central hub—your own website—can give you a big edge.I’ll cover exactly what every podcast website needs, from episode embeds and subscribe buttons to mailing list signups and easy navigation. And, I’ll tell you about an incredible tool called Podcastpage.io that makes building your podcast’s website a breeze, without needing to be a developer.Don’t miss this episode if you’re ready to level up your podcast’s online presence. Hit subscribe, and if you want to try Podcastpage.io, use my code JOECASEBONA for 10% off!Watch my walkthrough here: https://youtu.be/q-SZnavCNwwDemo site: https://podcast-workflows.podcastpage.io/?v=w524 ★ Support this podcast ★

Are you leaving valuable listener feedback on the table? I've been thinking about that a lot lately, so today we'll talk about how to engage your audience, gather crucial feedback, and build a thriving podcast community — while making it as easy as possible. You can send your feedback to https://podcastworkflows.com/feedbackHere are the main takeaways: Ask for Feedback Early, Regularly, and Everywhere – The importance of actively seeking listener input through multiple channels like your mailing list, social media, and during your episodes. I shared tips on making it easy for listeners to give feedback, such as incorporating listener feedback segments.Build a Community Around Your Podcast – Creating a community is crucial for getting feedback, generating content ideas, and building trust. I discussed how podcasting doesn’t have to be a lonely experience and why fostering a community can lead to better audience engagement and even monetization.Use Engagement Tools – I reviewed several tools to help facilitate listener feedback and community building, such as YouTube, Spotify, Ripple.fm, Circle, and Fan List. Each offers different features for community engagement, feedback collection, and potential monetization. (00:00) - Intro (01:28) - How to get more engagement from listeners (07:28) - Why you should build a community (13:32) - Tools for Engagement (23:32) - Wrapping Up ★ Support this podcast ★