Learn how to grow your podcast, find quality equipment on a budget, and make your show truly matter in this episode of Build a Big Podcast! Main Objectives of this Episode Growing your podcast audience Making a podcast that sponsors are interested in Creating a podcast that people will miss if it's gone Topics Covered in This Episode Building a Successful Podcast Importance of perception in life and podcasting Example of the podcast "20VC" and its growth journey Realistic expectations about the time it takes to succeed in podcasting David's first radio experience and its evolution Coming soon ... 30-day Solo Podcast Challenge to improve hosting skills Big Podcast AMP (Audio Monetization Program) The $99 Miracle Reduction in costs for quality podcasting equipment Example of Shure SM 57 and SM 58 microphones Cost comparison of recording equipment over the years What's your "$99 miracle" story? Exclusive Podcast Deals Historical example of exclusive deals in media ... MTV and Friday Night Videos Potential pitfalls and benefits of exclusive deals David's personal experience with CBS offer Joe Rogan's Spotify exclusive deal and its evolution 70,000,000 Listeners Can't Be Wrong Marketing vs. product quality The importance of editing and making content look effortless Example of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and the extensive effort put into the final product Reference to an NPR-style narrative piece David is working on Free Productivity App: Twos Features and benefits Collaboration capabilities Comparisons to other productivity apps like Things and Marvin Free Sound Effects: Audio Website for high-quality, free sound effects Encouragement to utilize sound effects to enhance podcast production A Light-hearted Joke Instagram model and soldier on Call of Duty joke Analogy about the importance of real-world experience and engagement with the audience Episode Timestamps 03:21 Success in podcasting: patience, persistence, daily effort 06:44 Radio career shifted from promotion to hosting 11:51 Audacity helps remove tape hiss 15:08 Exclusive deals risk isolating broad audiences 19:15 Podcast creation: Editing is the real work 23:05 Instagram model vs Call of Duty soldier 25:59 Grow your podcast audience and monetize effectively 27:20 Grateful The Newsletter for Podcasters Big Podcast Insider - Weekly Podcasting Newsletter ​ This episode of Build a Big Podcast is brought to you by Riverside ...​ Riverside is online recording software that makes it easy for podcasters to record studio-quality interviews from anywhere. Try it free and, if you like it, get 15% off any membership plan when you use the code BIGPODCAST.​​ About this episode of Build a Big Podcast:​ This is the audio companion to Issue 196 of Big Podcast Insider. If you're interested in more info on what I talk about on this episode and also links, that's where to go. On this episode, I dive into where the money is made in podcasting. how to get more reviews (and subscribers) for your podcast, podcast hosting, and more. ​ Big Podcast Insider is a weekly newsletter on podcasting. If you like the content of this episode, you can subscribe here – it's free and you can unsubscribe at any time with a single click.​ Want more help growing your podcast audience? Big Podcast Extra - Podcasting Tips Big Podcast AMP (Audio Monetization Program)