You've always said that video is optional. In 2026, is this honestly still the case?

Absolutely. Quite simply, there is way more time in the day to listen than there is to watch. Even many who "watch" podcasts are just listening away to them in the background. The option to add video won't go away, so if you're not ready for it, set a date in your calendar a year from now to re-evaluate. And if you feel the same way in a year's time, just keep on creating brilliant audio content.

How do I know if my episodes are too long?

Log in to Apple Podcasts Connect and check the average completion rates of your episodes. If you're regularly falling below 70%, that's a sign there's a mismatch between the length of your episodes and the value you're delivering.

If I get constructive feedback or suggestions from a listener, how do I know that their take mirrors my wider audience?

You're right to be cautious of this. An extremely vocal listener might sound so confident and assured that you assume your entire audience sits in the same boat. Don't disregard their feedback, but as they say in science, "more research is needed".

If they've suggested you change or remove something, ask your audience at the end of your next few episodes. For example, "I've had some feedback that my book of the week segment is a bit too long. I'd love to hear your opinion on this." - If 20 people get in touch passionately defending the book of the week segment, you'll probably want to keep it.

A longer-term and more proactive approach is to run an audience survey each year. These give listeners the opportunity and permission to tell you what they love about your show, as well as anything they'd like to hear more or less of. The data from these is gold!

⛔ Tech Getting in Your Way? 😣

Most podcasters don't start because they want to become audio engineers or spend hours editing.

We built Alitu so you could focus on your voice, your message, and your audience. Try it free for seven days, and see for yourself how quick and easy it makes everything.

Some notable features include text-based editing, automatic filler-word removal, and you'll be amazed at how it cleans up your audio and fixes the volume levels.

You can also record and publish your podcast in the Alitu interface, meaning you don't need multiple subscriptions to other platforms.

It's the ultimate all-in-one podcast platform, built for podcasters, by podcasters. And you can earn $25 for each new customer you refer to Alitu, too!

Cheers!
Matthew & Jacob