This essential guide to podcast media training will help you understand that while your interview should sound conversational, you shouldn’t walk into podcasts unprepared.

Podcast interviews often look relaxed from the outside. The host chats, the guest answers and the whole thing seems effortless. But behind the scenes, that's not always the case.

With the right preparation, you can turn a nerve-racking interview into a focused, useful and genuinely engaging conversation. This guide covers the mistakes to avoid, how to prepare, how to shine on air and where to find further resources and podcast media training providers.

Skip straight to a list of podcast media training providers here.

Common mistakes podcast guests make (and how to avoid them)

Before we look at how to prepare well, it’s worth understanding the mistakes that can make a podcast interview harder for the host, the guest and the listener. Even experienced speakers can fall into common podcast interview traps, but most are easy to avoid with the right preparation.

1. Not researching the podcast and audience beforehand

You can’t give a relevant and engaging interview if you don’t know who you’re talking to. Take time to explore the podcast’s audience and topics so you can tailor your message to their interests and needs.

Without that context, you risk pitching your message at the wrong level, using examples that don’t land or covering ground the audience already knows. And instead of sounding prepared and relevant, you may come across as though you’re delivering the same talking points you would use on any other show.

The result is often an interview that feels too broad, too basic or too far removed from the audience’s real interests and concerns.

Media training tip:

Research the podcast, host, and audience demographics. Here's where Rephonic shines. Every podcast page includes extensive details and audience analysis. You'll get a fuller picture of the audience, their interests and the topics the podcast host typically covers.

2. Forgetting to tailor the message to the host’s style and listeners

A podcast interview should never feel like the same canned message dropped into a different show. If you did effectively research the podcast audience, you’ve still wasted your time if the conversation doesn’t land.

When framing your message, make sure it aligns with your core mission so your communication advances your main purpose or cause.

Media training tip:

Develop and rehearse your core message and key talking points.  Before the interview, decide what you most want listeners to understand, remember or do after hearing you speak. Then break that message into a few clear talking points and memorable soundbites you can return to naturally throughout the conversation, without sounding scripted.

Read this article to see how understanding the audience helps you frame your message appropriately.

3. Poor vocal delivery and technical issues

Podcast interviews are a conversation between a host and guest with the audience a 'fly on the wall' that gets to listen in.

People just don't want to listen to bad audio or watch a poor video. Fuzzy sound, poor lighting, bad internet connection, stumbling speech—these are all issues that can create a bad experience for you, the audience and the host.

At best, these issues distract listeners from what you’re saying, even when your ideas are strong. At worst, people will turn off the episode and leave a scathing review. Ratings go down and the podcast might lose fans.

The screenshot below shows the Feedback section that you'll find on Rephonic for every podcast. It finds common review themes and you'll be surprised how often poor audio quality is mentioned. As a guest you have a responsibility to make sure your setup is as professional as possible.

Media training tip:

Consider your technical setup: Poor sound quality or flat delivery can distract listeners from what you’re saying, even when your ideas are strong. Before the interview, check your microphone, headphones, internet connection and recording setup, and choose a quiet space where you’re unlikely to be interrupted.

It’s also worth paying attention to your voice: learn how to slow down, vary your tone and pause between ideas so you sound confident rather than rushed. You don’t need a broadcast-quality studio, but you do need to make the experience easy for the host and pleasant for listeners.

Here's how to set up for remote podcast interviews.

4. Over-talking or rambling without clear key talking points

There's an art to conversing, answering questions and still delivering your message. But without clear talking points you can easily find yourself just talking without really knowing what you wanted to say.

Your answers will probably seem vague or repetitive and you risk over-answering the question or rambling long after the host wants to move on.

You don’t need to memorize a script, but you should know the point you’re making, why it matters and when to stop.

Media training helps you manage that message during podcast appearances so you can deliver key talking points in a concise, confident way.

Media training tip:

Practice with mock interviews:  Practicing helps you build confidence and refine your delivery. You could:

• Ask a colleague or friend to interview you as if they were a podcast host.
• Record yourself answering questions, then listen back. You'll soon notice places where you ramble, speak too fast or miss the point.
• Explain your points to someone who knows nothing about the topic to help you learn how to explain simply and clearly.
• Practice answering difficult or off-beat questions with a colleague.
• Do a mock interview using a podcast platform (e.g., Riverside or Zoom) so you can check your microphone, camera, lighting and internet connection as well as honing your delivery skills again.

5. Lack of storytelling or engaging content

While talking points (and facts) are important parts of the interview equation, on their own they're not enough.

Listeners may tune out if your interview only consists of facts and figures, because people connect better with examples, stories and actual situations. They need concrete examples that help them understand why your message matters.

Media training tip:

Prepare engaging stories and examples relevant to the podcast's theme. Make your data stick with the audience by anchoring it with real-world stories and anecdotes. If you plan to use podcast guesting as a PR strategy, develop a bank of stories to cover your messages then select the most appropriate ones for that audience.

The same story bank can also strengthen your pitch by highlighting your unique experience and knowledge when approaching podcasters, while sharing tips that add value to the conversation.

Learn more: Read this storytelling article to learn more on the benefits of storytelling in podcasts and how to choose and tell an interesting story.

6 podcast media training tips for podcast guests

Media training can help demystify media appearances, making the process accessible and building confidence for effective engagement. Podcast media training can increase authority and brand visibility by helping a client build a visible, credible online profile and positioning them as credible experts.

Training programs typically provide a mix of strategic messaging and practical performance skills. Being clear about your expertise and showing up consistently online strengthens how listeners, journalists and producers perceive you.

Podcast media training tips include the following:

1. Balance professionalism with authenticity and natural conversation style

Great podcast guests can speak clearly about their company’s message but still respond naturally to the host.

You'll want to check the company guidelines - policies, brand messaging, and legal and chat to internal comms for PR guidelines.

But natural conversation means letting some of your personality shine through. Prepare your origin story, perhaps to show your professional journey, rather than a personal background. Share real stories and examples of where your company has succeeded, or failed and learned/grown from that.

Learn more: We wrote about podcast guesting as an employee, and included real-world interview examples for you to learn from.

2. Blocking and bridging

Blocking and bridging are techniques to help you stay on track when the host asks questions that could lead you away from your message. Blocking is briefly acknowledging the question without being negative. Bridging helps you move the answer back to the message you do want to share.

For podcast guests, this doesn’t mean dodging questions. It means staying calm, answering in a way that’s fair and guiding the conversation back to your expertise, your key message or what will be most useful for the audience.

Learn more: Check out The Bridging Technique and related articles from Media First, and this PDF from UNC Health.

3. Vocal techniques

Speaking in normal conversation is one thing; conversing during podcast interviews is harder. It helps to be aware of (and practice) vocal skills like:

• Varying pitch and tone to keep your voice from sounding monotonous.
• Changing pace, speed up a little to show enthusiasm, or when a story demands it and slow down to emphasize key talking points.
• Deliberate pauses: pausing strategically gives listeners time to absorb your ideas. Pausing before answering a question gives you time to think and helps you avoid using too many filler words ("um", "you know", "like" etc.)
• Speaking clearly. Practice pronouncing important names, technical terms and brand phrases so you know you won't stumble.
• Breathing - learn breathing techniques to calm nerves and to help with clear delivery.

Learn more: Read How to Nail Soundbites for advice on choosing and delivering short, memorable statements.

4. Use subtle calls-to-action

What do you want to happen as a result of your podcast interviews?

In other words, what goals did you have for the interview? You might want:

• New community members
• Engagement
• New sign-ups to your newsletter or social media pages
• Sales
• To introduce yourself as a thought leader or show your subject matter expertise on air.

Use a call-to-action (CTA) that links to your goals but deliver it in a way that feels subtle and natural, not salesy.

Learn more: Read this article to learn how to create and deliver effective calls to action.

5. Handle unexpected questions or mistakes gracefully

Even seasoned podcast guests make mistakes - it's part of being human, after all. First, don't panic. A stumble or two can make you seem more relatable and most listeners are far more forgiving than nervous guests imagine.

If you mispronounce a word, lose your train of thought, call the host by the wrong name or can't answer a question, here are a few techniques to help.

Pause before answering. A brief pause gives you time to gather your thoughts.

Acknowledge what you can and can’t answer. If a question is outside your expertise or you don’t have the information, say so clearly. It’s better to be honest than to guess, speculate or over-promise.

Bridge back to what’s useful for the audience. If the question takes you off track, answer briefly where appropriate, then steer the conversation back to your key message or the part of the topic that will help listeners most.

Recover and move on. Correct yourself simply, take a breath, laugh or apologize if that's appropriate and continue.

6. Listen to the conversation

If you're new to podcast guesting, the advice to listen might sound obvious. But guests (and hosts) are sometimes so focused on what they want to say that they forget to listen to what's actually being said.

Prepare using all the techniques above. Then you'll be able to respond to questions appropriately, ask follow-ups of your own, recognize and laugh at jokes, tell stories for that audience, and have a deeper, richer conversation that delivers value for you, the host and the audience.

Podcast media training providers

Podcast media training providers range from corporate workshops for executive teams to affordable online courses for individual guests, so the right choice depends on your budget, location, experience level, and whether you are invested in broad media training or podcast-specific coaching. Being invested in your media training journey—through time, effort, or resources—can significantly enhance your ability to engage with podcasters and prepare for podcast interviews.

Do an online search for providers in your area or check out some of the following media training organizations.

Based in the US, UK, Australia or New Zealand these options range from one-person operations to large, established brands, and each course is run by people with many years of speaking and media experience.

1. Throughline Media training: US-based, custom in-person and live online workshops aimed at executives and spokespeople.
2. Harrow Communications: media training for CEOs, entrepreneurs and authors. Based in California, USA. Offers a free initial 15-minute consultation.
3. Stephanie Weaver: media training, particularly focused on Tedx. Offers a free 30-minute video consultation.
4. Media Training Worldwide: US-based. Includes many online courses in crisis communication, media training and public speaking.
5. Spokesperson Media: Based in Australia. Conduct workshops in major Australian cities aimed at corporate executives and spokespeople.
6. Easily Said: Based in New Zealand. Jason Gunn offers in-person workshops and an online course teaching participants how to speak confidently and personably on camera.
7. Higginson: Offers in-person training for teams, held at London Broadcast Studios in the UK.
8. Media Training Ltd: UK-based, offers a one-day, in-person or live online media training course for 1-6 people (online) or up to 10 people at their London studio.
9. Impact Institute: Based in Australia, with workshops for 1-4 people. Training includes message crafting, interview tactics such as bridging and hooks, live journalist interviews, video review and feedback.
10. The Media Coach: Aimed at CEO and C-suite executives. They offer workshops in UK, Spain and Italy, and on Zoom.

Final thoughts

Are you thinking about being a podcast guest? Are you worried, excited or nervous about how your interview will go?

You can prepare for your interview to make the whole event less stressful and more pleasant.

Remember to:

• Research the podcast and its audience using Rephonic.
• Prepare your talking points and stories.
• Practice your delivery during mock interviews and prepare for unexpected questions.
• Listen actively, and pause before you reply.
• Breathe.
• Smile.

Before your interview, you can practice informally using the suggestions in this article, listen to podcasts or watch videos on the subject, or look for more formal media training in your area or online.

Looking to use Rephonic as your podcast search engine and research partner? Sign up for your 7-day free trial.

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

How to Use Podcasts for Link Building [Full Guide]

Quality backlinks should be a vital part of your SEO strategy, and in our opinion, building links via podcast guesting is a highly underrated tactic.

How to Spy on a Competitor’s Podcast Guesting Strategy

In this article, we break down why piecing together their competitor’s podcast guesting strategy matters and how to use Rephonic to get a clear view of what’s happening behind the scenes.

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Rephonic is the best way to find podcasts to be a guest on, offering opportunities for guests to reach audiences around the world through the power of podcasting. Just ask Julie Fry, founder of podcast guest booking agency, Your Expert Guest.

Using Rephonic to find and pitch relevant podcasts has helped Julie’s team achieve up to 70% acceptance rates and sliced two-thirds off their podcast guest research time, streamlining the process of finding guest opportunities in the podcasting world.

"To find a pitch list of 50 shows for a client with Rephonic…we can do it in a third of that time."
Julie Fry

Key Takeaways

1. 140k podcasts are active and accepting guests.
2. You can use Rephonic's search tool and filters to quickly narrow down your search.
3. You can view Rephonic's podcast data to decide if a show is a good fit.

Find relevant podcasts faster—from 140k active shows

Rephonic's database lists well over three million podcasts and counting. Of those, 140k are active shows that accept guests.

There are alternative ways to find podcasts as a potential guest, but most of them take hours and won't reveal all the possibilities. Manual searching, for example, takes a ton of time and effort. Matchmaking platforms will be faster but often have just a fraction of all the possible shows.

This article shows you how to cut through the chaos and find podcasts to be a guest on the smart way, with Rephonic.

8 steps to find podcasts to be a guest on

1. Use Rephonic: Take advantage of our free 7-day trial.
2. Search for a topic or keyword: Use industry-relevant search terms, or start by choosing from a list of popular topics.
3. Apply filters: Begin with the active and guests filters, then add demographic filters to find podcasts with your target audience.
4. View podcast data: Rephonic's data sections go deep—find detailed profiles, read public reviews, see podcast sponsors, previous guests and much more.
5. Add to a campaign: Create a campaign containing likely podcasts.
6. Select an email sequence: Use our pitch templates or create a pitch from scratch and save it as your own personalized template.
7. Review and send: Send your pitch from your own email address without leaving Rephonic.

How to use Rephonic to find podcasts looking for guests

Rephonic provides advanced search filters so users can quickly isolate active, interview-based shows.

Before discovering Rephonic, Your Expert Guest's matchmakers spent "hours and hours" combing through Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Listen Notes to find podcast guest appearances.

It was a lot of doing searches, comparing data, creating a database...the best analogy for what we did is Frankenstein—like we 'Frankensteined' these tools together and made it work.

Now the team uses Rephonic as the easiest way to find podcasts to be a guest on. It takes them a third of the time to find great match results and clients' acceptance rates are soaring as a result.

Do you want similar results? This is how to find and message good fit podcasts.

Search for your topic or keyword

Imagine an experienced educator, with a side-hustle business teaching elementary school teachers how to work smarter using AI. How can they use Rephonic to find podcasts to be a guest on?

Start on the home page and enter relevant search terms in the Topics search bar to discover podcasts that align with your expertise.

• Know the podcast name already? Switch to Title mode.
• Searching for particular podcast hosts? Try Podcasts by publisher mode.

Using a broad search term, like ‘elementary education’ will generate many, many podcasts (in this case, 10K+.) But many of the podcast listeners won’t be interested in our teacher’s products so they’ll need to filter the search.

Apply filters, including Rephonic's guest filter

Set the parameters as wide or narrow as you like.

You can:

• Use numerical filters when you're seeking podcasts within a certain number range. For example, set listener numbers to 0-5000, if you want to target smaller niche podcasts. Or perhaps you want social proof so you turn social reach numbers up to 300k-500k+.
• Narrow your search by filtering for certain jobs or educational levels.
• Find your ideal audience by selecting demographic filters like age range, country, gender, income range and education levels.
• Always select the Guests  and Active filters because pitching to dormant or host-only shows wastes your time and theirs.

View podcast data

Rephonic conveniently categorizes podcast data into six sections. Dig into the data to find podcasts looking for guests and those most likely to welcome your guest pitch.

Overview page

Here's where you find the general data including:

• How long the podcast's been active and how many episode they've recorded in that time
• Listener numbers estimated per episode and monthly
• Social reach and YouTube stats
• Related podcasts

Check the Related section for other podcasts with similar audiences—an excellent way to find podcasts that didn't show up in your initial search.

Audience page

Podcast interviews work best when your message truly connects with the host and their audience.

So the audience page helps you see how closely the podcast's listeners match your ideal audience by showing information on all the search bar's demographic filters.

People and Sponsors

You can learn a lot by noting who has guested on a show—their role in your industry and the topics they discussed. That can highlight topics the host hasn't covered yet, or perhaps your background offers a perspective they haven’t featured before. Either way, you have the chance to pitch something fresh.

The sponsor page lets you see which brands advertise with the podcast while the people page shows:

• Each guest's name and industry role
• A link to their episode
• The episode's focus and relevance—i.e., why listeners would find them an interesting guest.

Feedback and Charts

Use Rephonic’s Feedback and Charts sections to see what listeners are saying about the show and its guests. Are they interesting? Entertaining? Helpful?

You can spot key themes at a glance and follow the link to full listener reviews from the Feedback page, while Charts shows the podcast's ranking on the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Add podcasts to a campaign

Keep all your podcast opportunities organized with Rephonic’s Campaigns feature. You can:

• See all the campaign’s podcast titles and essential details at a glance
• Click a link to see the page data
• Note where they are in the pitching process (warm, cold, pitched, booked etc.)
• Share the campaign with your team or export it to your own computer
• Easily add more podcasts
• Track your next steps for each podcast opportunity using shared notes

If regular podcast guesting is part of your strategy, create a Saved Search by hitting “save” when you have searched for a keyword and applied the filters. Your saved search automatically updates as podcasts meet the search criteria, so you can return to it anytime — saving you hours of repeat research.

Be the best podcast guest

Great podcast guests don’t just show up and hope for the best. There’s a lot you can do before, during and after a podcast interview to make sure you’re the most memorable guest they’ve ever had. Fortunately, the Rephonic blog is packed with helpful articles to get you interview-ready.

1. If you’re doing remote interviews, start by prepping your recording space and equipment. Record in a quiet place with a stable internet connection.
2. Prepare for a vetting interview with the host to ensure a good fit and explore topics you might discuss.
3. Decide which stories and anecdotes would work best for this topic and podcast audience and practice telling them. Make sure your voice is clear and engaging so hosts can hear your personality shine through.
4. Prepare some soundbites—super useful for you and your host on social media.
5. Decide on a relevant call to action.
6. Engage in pre-show and post-show chat and conversation with the host to build rapport, make friends, and foster ongoing talk beyond the recording.
7. Promote your interview before and after it goes live to gain the benefits of more exposure, networking and credibility.
8. Lead with value and provide advice to listeners during your appearance.

Measure the impact and success of your podcast guesting campaigns—you need to know what’s working and what to change up.

Final thoughts

Why Rephonic is the best way to find podcasts to be a guest on.

The best podcast guest appearances start with the right fit — and that starts with Rephonic. It’s hands-down the best way to find podcasts to be a guest on, especially when you want to save time and pitch shows that actually make sense for your message.

If you're looking to get on podcasts as a guest, try Rephonic free for 7 days and see how much easier podcast outreach can be.

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with four years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

How to Choose Podcasts with High Sales Potential for Podcast Guesting

Podcast guesting builds brand awareness—but not every show will bring in customers. This article shows you how to find podcasts with real sales potential, so your time behind the mic pays off.

How to Write a Podcast Outreach Email With AI (And What to Avoid)

Can AI help you write an effective podcast outreach email? Yes, but it won't give you a winning email at your first attempt. Be smart and use AI for research first. Here's how you do it.

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Getting podcast contact information is a vital part of the outreach process for any PR or ad campaign. However, most PR and marketing professionals don't have time to search Google manually.

More often than not, a podcast contact database such as Rephonic will help save you a lot of time and frustration. In this article, we explore how you might currently be searching for contact info — and how to find the same information much faster with Rephonic.

How to find podcast contact information

There are a few ways to find the right email address and contact a podcast host. The easiest and fastest way is to use Rephonic, but you can also do it by searching on Google.

1. Make a podcast email list the old-fashioned way

It used to be time-consuming and somewhat frustrating trying to find a contact address and build a podcast email list for outreach.

Here's how it used to go:

1. Search for relevant podcasts on Google or in the podcast apps.
2. Find the website link in the podcast show notes.
3. Search the website or trawl through the social media pages for a contact address.
4. Repeat the process.

2. Search Rephonic's contact directory

Rephonic has all the online tools you need to make that valuable first contact with podcast hosts.

When you're ready to contact a podcast host as a guest, sponsor or partner, here's how to find their email address:

1. Search for the podcast using Rephonic's search tool
2. Tap on the podcast name
3. Hit the Contact Button in the top right corner of the podcast page. You'll be able to see all the podcast's contact information, including email address, web pages and social media accounts.
4. Verify the email address

Using an established industry database like Rephonic is the fastest way to access verified contacts, show metrics, and audience demographics.

3. Get researchers to find alternative contacts

Sourcing the best contacts across our database of more than three million podcasts is complex, and sometimes the automatic system can't find good information for a particular show. But, if your chosen podcast's info doesn't show a contact address, don't panic.

You can ask our team to research the best contacts for you for those cases. Just tap the Contacts button while viewing any podcast and then tap Find Contacts for Me to request the concierge service.

Our team of researchers will go out and try to find the correct contact info so that you can save time and focus on pitching. You'll get a notification when your request has been processed.

Your team gets a monthly quota of concierge credits to use as needed.

If you're pitching a lot of podcasts, this could save you many hours of manual research time every week.

How do I contact podcast hosts?

Podcast hosts generally prefer to be contacted via email, as it allows for personalized outreach and tracking of communications.

We’ve made the process of reaching out to podcasts straightforward and hassle free. Here’s how to contact podcasts using Rephonic:

1. Select the podcast contact

Choose the email address of the person (such as the host, producer, or guest booking agent) who is responsible for guest bookings or sponsorships, ensuring your pitch reaches the right individual.

2. Edit your pitch

Select your sequence and edit your pitch emails. We cater for a wide variety of purposes in our templates, e.g., pitching as a guest, pitching as a sponsor, or cross-promoting your show. You can even create your own sequence from scratch.

When editing your pitch, make sure it’s a good match for the podcast’s audience and topics—this increases your chances of a positive response and successful booking.

3. Choose your inbox

Connect your inbox if you haven't already done so (you can connect multiple inboxes), and select the inbox you'd like your pitch to be sent from.

4. Choose your sending window

Choose the days and hours when your pitches will be sent for this campaign.

That’s it! Review and send your pitch directly within Rephonic.

What else do you get from Rephonic's podcast contact directory?

Rephonic provides incredible value to anyone planning to use podcasts as a marketing tool or their public relations strategy.

• Discover three million podcasts in our database
• View listener numbers, audience demographics, social follower count, engagement rates, chart rankings and more
• View previous guest and sponsor insights
• Get email alerts when shows discuss your brand or keyword
• Build podcast contact lists for your favorite shows and export their data as a CSV
• Easily find host names, email addresses and social links
• Listen to any podcast episode straight from our platform

Final thoughts

Rephonic is the most complete podcast contact database for PR teams, marketers, and founders looking to book and promote high-impact guest appearances and ad spots. Teams use podcast databases to find podcasts that accept guests or sponsors and reach out directly, reducing time spent on unresponsive shows. Access listener numbers, contact info, audience demographics and more for over three million podcasts.

Find out more and start a free-trial today.

FAQs

How do I find a podcast host's email address quickly?

• Use Rephonic's podcast contact database
• Click Contacts when viewing a podcast page
• Use the Concierge Service if you can't find the contact info you're looking for - Rephonic's team of researchers will try to find better contacts for you.

How do I find a podcast's email quickly?

The easiest and fastest way to find a podcast's email address is with Rephonic. Rephonic provides reliable contact info for three million shows.

Can I verify a podcast's email address in Rephonic?

Yes. Just hit "Verify Email" when viewing a podcast's email address within a Rephonic campaign.

What should I do if I can't find a podcast's contact info online?

The best thing to do if you're struggling to find contact info for a podcast is to try Rephonic, a podcast contact database that offers a 7-day free trial. If you're still struggling, use Rephonic's Concierge Service. Their team of researchers will try to track down better contact info for you.

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with four years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

How to Get Booked on Podcasts: Full Podcast Guesting Guide

This in-depth guide explains what you can expect to gain from podcast interviews, how to find the right shows, pitch effectively, prep for the interview, and follow up afterward.

Monthly Podcast Appearances or Intense Bursts: Which Is Better?

Podcast sprints or a spaced approach—which guesting strategy works best? Or should you try a hybrid? We break down the pros and cons of all three.

Follow us:

Rephonic is the most complete podcast database for PR teams, marketers, and founders looking to book high-impact guest appearances and ad spots.

Rephonic provides detailed insights and supports data-driven decisions, helping users make informed choices without manual research. From a productivity standpoint, Rephonic saves significant time and effort compared to manual research. Let’s see how Rephonic makes the process of finding and getting featured on the right shows a whole lot easier.

What is Rephonic? (Quick answer)

Rephonic is a database of over three million podcasts, primarily used for podcast outreach. The search tool allows you to discover podcasts in any niche by simply entering a keyword. Apply up to 25 filters to narrow down the search results, then access comprehensive podcast data and listener data to evaluate each podcast's suitability, including metrics like listener numbers, demographics, and geographic locations.

Once you’ve found relevant shows, you can add them to a campaign so you can easily find them later. When you’re ready to start pitching, connect your inbox and start sending emails (and managing replies) from within the platform.

Key features of Rephonic

Rephonic offers a robust suite of features designed to streamline podcast research and outreach for PR teams, marketers, and founders. With data for over three million podcasts, it is the most complete podcast database available, making it easy to find and pitch relevant podcasts.

Key features include:

• Search tool & advanced filters to quickly narrow down millions of podcasts by topic, audience size, listener demographics, and more.
• Listener numbers and demographics to help you target podcasts with the right audience for your brand or client.
• Contact details for podcasts, making outreach fast and efficient.
• Built-in pitching so you can pitch directly from your own email address without leaving Rephonic.
• Shared messaging workspace so you can collaborate on outreach with your team.

How does Rephonic work?

Rephonic lets you manage your entire podcast outreach workflow in one platform. You can find, qualify, and pitch podcasts all within one platform. Here’s how it works:

Find podcasts

Rephonic’s search tool and 25 advanced filters helps you identify relevant podcasts quickly.

You can enter a keyword and choose whether to search by topic, title, publisher, or episode. From there, apply as many filters as needed, including especially useful ones such as listener numbers, guest format, and active status.

Rephonic also offers a range of audience demographic filters, which makes it easier to narrow the search further and find stronger-fit podcasts.

Qualify podcasts

Vetting podcasts manually is time-consuming work, and the success of an appearance relies largely on how well the show’s audience matches that of the guest or sponsor. Rephonic helps you increase your ROI by providing lots of qualifying data for every show.

The information we provide includes:

• Listener numbers
• Audience demographics, e.g. gender skew, location, age group, professions, interests, income level, relationship status, parental status, education level.
• Previous guests & sponsors
• Social reach & links
• Engagement score
• Related podcasts
• Chart rankings
• Reviews & ratings

By examining a podcast's stats, you can determine if the show is worth reaching out to.

Pitch podcasts

Rephonic has a built-in pitching tool, which lets you connect your inbox and pitch podcasts from your own email address without leaving the platform.

You can also set up multi-step sequences with automated follow-ups. Every email is tracked in Rephonic, so your team can see what has already been sent, what is scheduled next, and when.

Replies no longer have to sit in one person’s inbox either. Conversations appear in a shared messaging workspace, where team members can view and reply directly.

Who is Rephonic for?

As we mentioned, Rephonic is used by PR teams, marketers and founders looking to book podcast guest appearances or ad spots.

The goal is usually to increase exposure. Some brands are aiming to generate leads or sales whereas others are establishing themselves as thought leaders. PR and marketing agencies are looking to create an impact for their clients by getting them booked on the most suitable podcasts.

How accurate is Rephonic?

We base our listener figures on hundreds of publicly available data points that we gather about podcasts from all over the web. We estimate the number of listeners per episode and per month for every podcast and believe our figures are the best in the industry, however they should be considered a ‘best guess’.

We recommend contacting the publisher for the most accurate numbers. Our estimates are best used to compare the audience size of shows so you can find the most suitable ones to reach out to.

Can I try Rephonic for free?

Absolutely! Get started with a 7-day free trial.

Rephonic offers subscription plans to fit different needs. The Light plan is $99 per user per month, ideal for individuals and small teams. The Standard plan is $149 per month, and the Business plan is $299 per team per month, ideal for large agencies and teams.

Article credits

Written by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

How to Choose Podcasts with High Sales Potential for Podcast Guesting

Podcast guesting builds brand awareness—but not every show will bring in customers. This article shows you how to find podcasts with real sales potential, so your time behind the mic pays off.

How to See How Many Listeners a Podcast Has (& More Podcast Stats)

If you're researching a particular podcast, or looking to book podcast appearances, you'll likely want to know how many people are listening to it.

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PR teams use Rephonic’s podcast search tool because, unlike consumer platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts, it is built specifically for outreach and makes it much easier to find the right podcasts to pitch.

Rephonic is the go-to tool for teams who want in-depth discovery and qualifying data and reliable contact info. And because teams can keep their outreach process on one platform, it’s easy for all members to collaborate.

This article takes a closer look at Rephonic’s podcast search engine. Built for professionals doing outreach, Rephonic is designed to solve the shortcomings of traditional podcast search tools. We explore why those tools fall short for PR teams and how Rephonic helps them find relevant shows.

What is a podcast search engine?

A podcast search engine is a tool that helps you find podcasts or episodes related to a topic, keyword, person, or show name.

A podcast search engine is a tool that helps you find podcasts or episodes related to a topic, keyword, person, or show name.

Some are built for listeners who want to discover new shows or find a specific title or episode. Others are built for PR teams and marketers and function more like a podcast media database or podcast intelligence platform, helping them identify the right shows to target for guesting, sponsorships, and advertising.

What are the traditional podcast search engines?

Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts is a massive podcast directory and listening app where listeners can browse, search, follow and play episodes.

Podcast creators submit their shows to Apple Podcasts, often using their podcast’s RSS feed. Apple then pulls in the show information such as the title, artwork, description and episodes, and displays that in the Apple Podcasts app and on the web.

It acts like a search engine by helping listeners find shows by title, episode and category. Apple Podcasts includes tools like podcast charts, curated playlists and “you might also like...” Each tool helps listeners find new shows or ones similar to podcasts they already enjoy.

Spotify

Spotify is quite different. It’s a streaming platform and describes itself as a place to access music, podcasts and video content. Spotify’s search function covers podcasts, songs, artists, playlists and more.

It acts as a podcast search engine because users can search for podcasts and browse featured and recommended shows. However, they can also save the ones they like and stream or download episodes in the Spotify app.

Like Apple Podcasts, Spotify also includes podcast charts, which help users discover popular shows.

Listen Notes

Unlike Apple Podcasts or Spotify, Listen Notes is a dedicated podcast search engine, and is often referred to as 'the best podcast search engine' due to its comprehensive search capabilities. Its own home page describes it as “like Google, but for podcasts.”

Listeners can search Listen Notes for podcasts by people, topics or podcast name. There's also a button directly below the search bar that lets you toggle between two search scopes: episodes or podcasts. You can order the search by relevance or date or select "only match titles" to get an exact match.

You can also discover podcasts and some information via several Listen Notes lists including:

• Trending -  links to ten top podcasts
• Real Time - episode titles that people are listening to right now
• Explorer - enter a podcast title and receive a list of similar podcasts
• Best - select a region and subcategory to see a list of top podcasts
• Hot - based on user activities that day
• Curated - lists from online resources like articles and discussion groups
• Playlists - curated by the Listen Notes community.

PodSearch

The PodSearch home page describes this tool as “an interactive directory for podcast discovery.” PodSearch allows users to discover podcasts by their favorite topics, making it easy to browse content that matches personal interests.

Listeners can use the search engine to look for podcasts by title, publisher or keyword to bring up a results page with a list of podcast icons and links. PodSearch offers additional browsing options beyond keyword searches, such as searching by category, filtering by genre, ratings, and topics for efficient podcast discovery, or using lists such as “Top Podcasts.” PodSearch also includes a newly launched list to help listeners find brand new shows.

Open a link to bring up the podcast's PodSearch page. This gives brief information about the podcast and its host, links to social media and a discover other podcasts section.  It also includes the podcast's categories and an episode sample.

Challenges PR teams face with these platforms

The problem with each of these traditional podcast search engines is that they're built for people trying to find podcasts to listen to. Many major listening apps, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify, perform poorly for topic-based searches. They simply don't have the discovery and research tools that marketing and PR teams need to find and qualify the right podcasts for guest appearances and advertising.

Teams often start their podcast outreach efforts using these platforms. However, they quickly find themselves going around in circles, trying to get information that listener-focused search engines don't supply.

Teams end up spending hours going back and forth between traditional podcast search engines, Google and ChatGPT. Then they cobble it together in a way that Julie Fry of 'Your Expert Guest' describes as the highly inefficient "Frankenstein method" a process that "took hours of research."

Eventually, many PR and marketing teams realize they need a specialized tool that caters to the entire podcast outreach workflow.

That's when they reach for a tool like Rephonic.

The podcast outreach workflow

The podcast outreach workflow goes like this:

1. Find relevant podcasts
2. Qualify podcasts
3. Pitch podcasts
4. Manage the campaign

Now, we've simplified the workflow here, I know.

But search engines like Spotify, Listen Notes etc. can really only help with #1, i.e., podcast discovery. Even then, they're missing lots of functionalities that PR teams need.

Why PR teams need a specialised podcast search tool

PR teams need a podcast search tool that goes beyond basic keyword matching. They need:

🔎 Better discovery and qualifying data

Clients deserve to be booked on the most relevant show possible, especially those that align with their specific industry or niche. At the same time, they may ask why you've chosen that show, so teams need to provide the data that supports those decisions.

🔎 Efficiency

You're often working at scale, managing multiple clients and campaigns. Copy-pasting from several sources into spreadsheets may work for one client, but quickly becomes very inefficient when you try to scale it up.

🔎 Reliable contact information

Listeners don't need podcasters' contact information, so traditional podcast search engines don't supply it. PR teams need a reliable way to reach out to podcast hosts and producers without having to search the web or go through multiple social media accounts to find it.

🔎 Easy collaboration

PR teams need the easiest way possible to collaborate on their podcast outreach: shared spreadsheets can work but they're not the ideal solution.

Why PR teams use Rephonic

Rephonic focuses on audience analytics and demographic data, presenting information in charts and graphs useful for reporting.

That means PR and marketing teams can use Rephonic as a podcast media database to find and qualify relevant podcasts, pitch the hosts, and manage their outreach campaign from one platform.

Here's how teams use Rephonic to:

1. Find relevant podcasts

Search by topic, title, publisher, or episodes

Rephonic's search engine has four ways to find podcasts. These include entering a topic or keyword, using a specific podcast's title, searching for a publisher or using Episode Search.

Simply toggle the relevant tab above the search bar on your Home screen.

Apply advanced search filters

Use any number of Rephonic's 25 advanced search filters to narrow down the results list, depending on your search goal.

For example, apply the Active and Guests filters when searching for guesting opportunities. That way, your results won't include podcasts that have not uploaded an episode in the past 45 days, or shows that don't accept guests.

Or you might apply the listener numbers filter to specify larger or smaller podcasts. Or, you might decide to zero in on audiences with a specific age range, location or education level. Rephonic's filters allow all that and more.

Monitor podcasts for keywords

Create an alert by entering a keyword, phrase or name and Rephonic will check new episode titles, transcripts and show notes for that word. We'll then send you a daily or weekly email containing any relevant new episodes that match your alert.

Easily find related podcasts

You may have a podcast in minds and want to find similar shows. Rephonic gives you two ways to do that.

1. Scroll down the podcast Overview page to find the Related section which lists podcasts that listeners also subscribe to. You can select specific podcast titles or click to copy the entire list to your campaign.
2. Use Rephonic's 3D graph tool to see similar podcasts and understand how closely their  subscribers overlap.

2. Qualify podcasts

Rephonic  gives PR and marketing teams many ways to narrow down their podcast lists to the most relevant shows that suit their client or campaign needs. Each podcast's data is split amongst six tabs on their podcast page. These are labeled Overview, Audience, People, Sponsors, Feedback and Charts.

Teams can qualify podcasts by their:

• Listener numbers: See these numbers in the Key Facts section in the Overview tab or use the Listeners filter during your search.
• Audience demographics: Select podcasts that closely match your client's target audience by checking the Audience tab of their podcast page. This tab starts with a typical listener profile, then goes into more depth, analysing the audience's likely age range, education level, interests, professions, income levels and more.
• Previous guests: Use the People tab to scroll through previous guests on the show. Tracking guest credits is important for managing outreach and research, as it helps you see who has appeared before and identify potential opportunities. Rephonic also lets you search for specific guest names and jump straight to that guest. First you’ll see an analysis of typical guests booked by that podcast. That’s followed by guest’s names, together with episode titles and link and a note on the interview’s focus and relevance.
• Reviews and ratings: The Feedback tab gives you an overview of the ratings and reviews gained by the podcast and links to the actual reviews on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, and other podcast apps, such as Castbox. The AI summary of the sentiments expressed in the reviews lets teams gauge listeners overall feelings and opinions.
• Chart rankings: You might also want to see where the podcast stands in the Apple, Spotify and YouTube charts. You'll see those standings under the podcast's Charts tab. Search these by overall standings or dig into categories or regions.
• Recent topics: It can be useful to see what topics hosts and guests have recently discussed, so Rephonic analyses podcast transcripts and lists recent topics in a section of the Overview tab.
• Social following: The Social section (Overview tab) shows the social media accounts and other places where a podcast appears around the web. Rephonic shows the Total Social Reach number followed by a breakdown of follower numbers on each platform and links to each account.

Once your team starts finding relevant shows, you can group them into a campaign so they stay organized in one place. Start by tapping the Build a campaign button at the top of a podcast page. This will prompt you to Build a new campaign. Tap the blue Add button beside any other podcast in the search to add it to the list. Alternatively, on your home page select Build a campaign from the Quick Steps section and follow the prompts.

3. Pitch podcast hosts and producers

Busy PR professionals need an easy way to pitch their clients to podcasts.

With Rephonic, team members can send pitches directly from the platform. It centralises the whole conversation so all members of your Rephonic team can see what the podcast host replied and reply without relying on one person’s inbox

This is especially useful if you’re running campaigns for multiple clients, and need to collaborate with other members of your team.

Here's how Rephonic enables effective podcast outreach.

• Contact info: Tap the blue contact button from any tab to find email addresses and social media links.
• Concierge service: Request help from our team to research other contact details or to report wrong information.
• Connect multiple inboxes: This allows you to send emails from your own email address, or your team member's, directly within Rephonic.
• Pitch podcasts within the platform: Use Rephonic's pitch templates or create your own for your whole team to use. Controlling every word in your pitches sent from Rephonic ensures professionalism and effectiveness.
• Create sequences to automatically send follow-ups: Select an existing sequence, create a new one with premade templates or customize it to suit your team's outreach strategy.
• Manage replies within the platform: Conversations move into a shared messaging workspace where your team can search and filter threads, view queued and scheduled messages, and reply directly within campaign feeds.

4. Manage campaigns

Create and manage multiple outreach campaigns within Rephonic. Add podcasts the campaign with just one click, then see each podcast's pitch status in the campaign pipeline.

• Update status: Assign each podcast a status of Prospect, Pitched, Followed-up, Warm, Lost and Booked. Update each podcast as it moves through the sequence so that everyone on the team can see what's happening in each campaign.
• View campaign statistics:  View the campaign as a list or as a board. Use the Boards view to see the pipeline overview and to check the activity history. At the top of each campaign, your booking rate updates automatically as podcasts move into Booked, so you always have a quick read on performance.

Final thoughts

Consumer podcast apps like Spotify and Apple Podcasts are not designed for PR professionals seeking to find shows that take guests.

That's why Rephonic founder James Potter built a dedicated podcast database, comprehensive search tools and a place where all the search and outreach activity can stay in one place.

In 2020, I realised that those serious about podcast guesting needed solid data and contacts to book more podcast interviews and maximise the impact of their appearances. My mission is to help you grow your business through podcast guesting, by providing you with the tools you need.

James Potter

If you and your team want to run successful podcast guesting campaigns at scale, you need Rephonic.

Sign up for a free 7-day trial

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

How to See How Many Listeners a Podcast Has (& More Podcast Stats)

If you're planning to pitch yourself (or someone else) as a guest or sponsor, you probably want to know how many people are listening to it.

How to Maximize a $500 Podcast Guesting Budget

For entrepreneurs & marketing teams wanting to grow brand visibility, a podcast guesting budget of just $500 can set up a high-quality campaign.

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This article describes how to see how many listeners a podcast has. If you're planning to pitch yourself (or someone else) as a guest or sponsor, you probably want to know how many people are listening to it.

Or maybe you host your own show, and you're dying to know how similar shows are performing. You might even want to reach out to a podcast host with a similar audience size and suggest some cross-promo opportunities.

But can you see how many listeners a podcast has in 2026? Surely finding that info will be a piece of cake?

Well, it is if you use the right tool.

If you're a podcast publisher, jump to the part where we explain how to see your own listener metrics. Otherwise, we’ve laid out a few ways to look up valuable podcast stats and figure out how popular a show is that's not yours.

TL;DR: Find out how many listeners a podcast has

1. Only the podcast publisher knows their actual number of listeners, subscribers and downloads.
2. Rephonic's podcast database is a popular way to get podcast listener numbers.
3. You can cross-check public signals if you don't want to pay for a tool, but insights are limited.

Six ways to see how many listeners a podcast has

1. Get podcast listener numbers using Rephonic

Rephonic's podcast database is the easiest way to tell how many listeners a podcast has. Rephonic aggregates data from multiple sources to provide a more complete picture of podcast audiences. It offers comprehensive podcast statistics for 2.5m+ shows, including listener numbers per episode and monthly listens. The numbers are front and center on each podcast's page.

We collect hundreds of publicly available data points for each podcast to come up with our metrics. Of course, it is a "best guess," so if you're determined to know the actual listener numbers, you'll have to contact the podcast host or publisher directly.

James Potter, Founder of Rephonic

Get started with a 7-day free trial

2. Check ratings and reviews

When sizing up a podcast, many people often turn to platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, two of the leading podcast players, particularly in the US and the UK. They aggregate the most listener feedback, allowing users to check the average rating, number of ratings, and even read reviews on Apple Podcasts.

You could try to guess that a podcast has a large audience by the total number of ratings it has. But this is a somewhat flawed approach because there's not always direct link between the volume of listener feedback and audience size. Additionally, ratings and reviews do not provide further details about listener demographics or trends.

Also, to get a full picture of its audience, you’ll have to check each of the podcast apps where you can listen to the show. It's important to consider other platforms beyond the major ones to get a more accurate sense of audience size.

The best apps to check are:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Castbox
• Podcast Addict
• Podchaser
• Amazon / Audible

How many stars do fans give, and what are the reviews like? Enthusiastic? Excited? Are their superfans raving, or are the comments short and boring or even non-existent?

Rephonic collects all of this listener feedback and makes it available for free. Here's an example for The Daily (scroll down to "Reviews").

3. Inspect chart rankings

Similarly to ratings and reviews, Apple Podcasts and Spotify are the best places to look for the most comprehensive podcast chart rankings. If a show is ranking high in its category — or perhaps across all categories — then that's a pretty good indication that they have a sizeable audience.

The charts are not an ideal measure of popularity, though. It's thought that they are calculated by looking at the number of new followers (previously 'subscribers') each podcast has added over a recent time window.

If a show's listeners skew towards another platform, or another country where Apple or Spotify is less dominant, then they won't perform so well in the charts.

Rephonic collects podcast chart rankings for:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube

Here's an example (scroll down to "Charts" - if it's missing then that show is not ranking at all).

4. Investigate podcast stats revealed by some apps

There’s no official way to see a podcast’s global number of listeners across every app, and precise listener counts are not publicly available for third-party analysis due to the decentralized nature of podcast distribution. However, a few podcast apps have data about their own users.

• Castbox – shows subscribers and total streams (Castbox ≈ 2% of all podcast listeners).
• Spotify followers – now visible inside Rephonic for quick one-click checks.

Although subscriber numbers do not always directly correlate with listener numbers, they give you a clue as to the size of a show's listenership. One way to use them is by comparing the stats between shows on the same platform.

Only the podcast host or publisher has access to how many listeners or streams a show has.

5. Check social media presence

Checking a podcast’s social media accounts can tell you something about their listenership figures and how engaged their listeners are. Analyzing social engagement can also reveal listener trends and provide further details about podcast audiences.

Usually you can go to the podcast's official website (often listed in podcast listening apps) to find links to their social accounts.

Check out their Instagram feed or X account. Are they active on TikTok? How many followers do the hosts have? Can you see a lot of positive listener engagement on these accounts?

See total YouTube podcast views with Rephonic.

If you're looking for the number of podcast views, you can do a quick search on YouTube and scroll through their videos to get an idea of how many views each episode has. You can see the total number of YouTube views for each podcast on Rephonic's database.

A lot of people watch podcasts on YouTube now, so knowing a podcast’s viewership numbers can help you get a better understanding of its total reach. However, while YouTube viewership is important, considering other platforms is necessary to get a complete picture of a podcast's total audience.

6. Ask the publisher directly

To find out the most accurate podcast numbers, you need to go direct to the source. That means reaching out to the host, owner or publisher. Finding the right person is not always easy, so we’ve put together a guide to help you find podcast contact information more efficiently.

Once you've sent your email, there's no guarantee that they'll respond. But the likelihood depends on your intent. If you're looking to spend money on sponsoring their show then you may get a quick reply! On the other hand, if you're looking to research your competitors before you launch your own podcast, you’re probably not going to be so lucky.

Watch out for publishers giving you their all-time number of downloads, i.e. the number of times all combined episodes have been downloaded since the podcast was founded. It may sound impressive, but it doesn't tell you a lot about how many listeners they're currently pulling in per episode.

Can you see how many downloads a podcast has?

Finding podcast download numbers is a common approach you might use to make decisions about which shows to reach out to.

As a listener, you can't see download numbers in any of the podcast apps. However, if a podcast host adds an OP3 prefix to their URL, they'll see all their podcast's performance across all the platforms and this data is automatically made public via the API.

Unfortunately, download numbers are somewhat misunderstood in the world of podcasting. They seem to indicate how many listeners a podcast has, but in fact, they show how many times the podcast was downloaded onto a device.

Listeners can choose to subscribe and automatically download every episode, or download it on the go, which is known as user-initiated episodes. So, download numbers don’t tell you how many listeners a podcast has because you don't know when or even if they actually heard that episode.

That's why Rephonic gives you listener per episode numbers instead of downloads, to provide a more accurate idea of the size of an individual podcast’s audience.

Get started with a free trial.

Can you see how many subscribers a podcast has?

Podcast subscriber numbers are often used as a guide to understanding a podcast's popularity.

However, finding the total podcast subscriber count is notoriously difficult, for the same reason that it’s difficult to find the number of listeners and downloads. Podcast distribution is decentralized - in other words, podcasts publish in many different places so you can listen to episodes and subscribe to shows wherever it suits.

This is how podcasts become available:

And therein lies the problem when it comes to finding out podcast subscriber numbers.

There are piles of platforms out there. Spotify, Apple podcasts, and iHeartRadio are three of the largest, but there are many smaller players too. Buzzsprout lists a large number of podcast apps in its Definitive Podcast Directory List for 2026.

Spotify is now the #1 or #2 podcast app, and although it's impossible to view figures within the app itself, Rephonic is able to pull Spotify subscriber numbers for every podcast and make it available on its platform.

Remember - just because someone follows or subscribes to a podcast doesn't mean they will actually listen.

How to see how many listeners your own podcast has

Analyzing your metrics helps you grow your show’s popularity by improving your content.

Spotify and Apple Podcasts are two of the largest podcast apps, so let's see how they help you analyze your own podcast statistics.

Spotify

Spotify analytics measure many data points:

• Starts: logged whenever someone presses play on your podcast
• Streams/play counts: how many people listen for 60 seconds or more
• Listeners: unique listeners who have started at least one episode
• Followers: shows your subscriber numbers.
• Reach: Aka impressions, reach is counted at podcast and episode level and measures how many times your podcast is shown in Spotify Home, Search and Library over 30 days.
• Duration: The total time your audience listened
• Retention graphs: These show how people engage with your episode by tracking where people start, stop, or drop off
• Geographic distribution: Where your listeners where when they heard your podcast.

You get these analytics and more through for free at Spotify for Creators (formerly Spotify for Podcasters.)

Apple Podcasts

Apple podcasts analytics look at similar stats to Spotify's, but you access them through Apple Podcasts Connect. A podcast host or publisher can see their stats by episode or over all time.

Engaged Listeners is possibly one of Apple's most important metrics for measuring podcast success, because these are unique devices that played at least 40% of an episode with a single session. Understanding how many listeners actually heard that much or more of your podcast can be a game changer, revealing listener behavior as well as the content and guests they enjoyed.

Watch Grow Your Podcast By Doing This for an interesting overview or see Apple's Support Resources for further information.

OP3 prefix

But how can you see how popular your show is without going into every single app that plays it? That's where the OP3 prefix comes in.

OP3 (Open Podcast Prefix Project) works by adding a small piece of tracking information to the beginning of the episode file URL. This means that podcast episode downloads can be tracked across all platforms.

Discover how popular a podcast is with Rephonic

The easiest way to look up podcast stats is with Rephonic, the most complete podcast database for PR teams, marketers, and founders looking to book high-impact guest appearances and ad spots.

For any podcast, see how many listeners it has, its chart rankings, social followers, YouTube viewership, reviews and more so you don’t have to waste valuable time searching the web.

If you're looking for podcasts to pitch as a potential guest or sponsor, Rephonic is a great way to find the right shows in any niche, get their contact info, and pitch them - all in one platform.

Get started with a free trial today.

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist whose data-driven insights on the podcasting industry have been featured in Podnews.

How to Write a Podcast Outreach Email With AI (And What to Avoid)

This in-depth guide explains what you can expect to gain from podcast interviews, how to find the right shows, pitch effectively, prep for the interview, and follow up afterward.

Monthly Podcast Appearances or Intense Bursts: Which Is Better?

Podcast sprints or a spaced approach—which guesting strategy works best? Or should you try a hybrid? We break down the pros and cons of all three.

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With 2700 episodes in the bank, and a vast audience tuning into every episode, the Joe Rogan Experience is possibly the biggest podcast on the planet.

Unsurprisingly, there are many people angling to be guests on the podcast, so what does it take to win a coveted spot?

We examined 50 Joe Rogan Experience episodes and found some fascinating insights into the kinds of guests welcomed onto the popular podcast.

How to get on Joe Rogan podcast: Understanding what type of guests he accepts

Checking the show notes, we found guests are most often described as podcast hosts or co-hosts, comics or comedians or authors (sometimes, all three.) To put some numbers on that, we found that 62% of Joe Rogan’s guests are podcast hosts with over 93k listeners on average, 46% are comics and 46% are authors.

Standout guests on JRE often build massive credibility in their fields and are frequently recommended by past guests, which increases their chances of being invited.

They also have diverse specialties. At the time of writing, the most recent episodes include scientists, intelligence (CIA, UAPs, counter terrorism), philosophy, entrepreneurs, music and investigative journalism and the occasional megastar actor (Adam Sandler and Russell Crowe.) However, being a celebrity alone is not enough to secure a spot, as Joe Rogan prefers guests with compelling stories or expertise.

You’ll probably have more luck becoming a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience if you can claim similar titles, or you’re a podcast host, and your show draws in a lot of listeners.

How to become a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast

Qualify yourself - are you a good fit?

What's your claim to fame?

Do you have a fascinating view point or an interesting career? Are you a standup comedian? Do you host a podcast with a massive audience? Do you have a large following on Twitter, (sorry, X?)

Can you have a conversation lasting several hours? Not everyone can talk for hours at a time. The Joe Rogan Experience is a long form podcast and episodes are rarely under 2 hours. Many go past the three-hour mark. In fact, episode #2171’s discussion with Eric Weinstein and Terrence Howard lasted 4 hours, 3 minutes and 25 seconds.

Joe Rogan has a diverse range of interests, reflected in his choice of podcast guests. For example:

• Martial Arts is a recurring theme. Joe Rogan is a former taekwondo champion and holds black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, there’s a whole subset of 160+ MMA episodes slotted in between the show’s regular episodes.
• Space exploration and science are well-represented, with in-depth conversations on a variety of these subjects in many episodes.
• Hunting - many guests over the years have been hunters, guides and hunting show hosts.
• Politics and political commentary. For example, recent guests include Tulsi Gabbard (former United States Representative), Tucker Carlson (described as “the leading voice in American Politics) and Konstantin Kisin (political commentator and author of “An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West.)

Rogan’s guests come from a wide range of backgrounds, including scientists, authors, comedians, athletes, and public figures. Rogan's team likely screens potential guests by reviewing their previous media appearances.

Be relevant

For those hoping to land a coveted spot on the Joe Rogan Experience, building a strong online presence is essential. Potential guests should focus on creating engaging content across social media channels like Twitter and YouTube, showcasing their expertise and unique perspective.

Joe Rogan and his team often discover interesting personalities through their digital footprint, so being active and authentic online can significantly increase your chances of being noticed and invited onto the podcast.

Sharing your ideas, participating in thought-provoking discussions, and demonstrating hard work and dedication in your field will help you stand out to both Joe and his massive audience. By consistently producing valuable content and engaging with your followers, you not only grow your own platform but also become a more attractive guest for high-profile shows like the Joe Rogan Experience.

Remember, it’s not just about having followers—it’s about offering something unique and being prepared to contribute to the kind of open dialogue that defines the podcast.

Have a unique perspective

Joe Rogan chooses guests with controversial opinions and unconventional perspectives.

The podcast encourages candid, thought-provoking conversations and Rogan’s willingness to air different perspectives has sparked both praise and criticism.

So, consider how your ideas and personal anecdotes can enhance (and maybe provoke) the discussion.

Pitch the show? Probably not!

Joe Rogan has been one of the biggest podcasters in the world for a long time. Cold emailing and traditional publicist pitches are generally ineffective for securing a guest spot on shows as big as JRE.

His email address is not freely available on the internet and his social media accounts are likely managed by a team, not by Rogan himself. That’s why it’s necessary to get yourself noticed. You might think about sending a message on social media, but unless you’re someone like Elon Musk, it probably won’t even get opened.

You need to look for alternative routes.

Consider alternative options

If you want to expand your reach, there are so many other podcasts you could reach out to. Not only do podcast guest appearances boost your profile, they're great examples of your style and the value you bring to a show.

Here's how you do it:

Find suitable podcasts with Rephonic

Rephonic offers several routes towards finding suitable podcasts.

Search for podcasts on the Topic search bar and filter by audience demographics, audience size and active status.

Perhaps you already know the podcasts you want to target? In that case, use the Title search bar option to bring up all Rephonic’s information about each show, including whether they offer video content to attract viewers.

Another option is to search for podcasts that are somehow related to the Joe Rogan Experience. Use Rephonic's 3D graph tool or Related section to find podcasts with connections and listeners in common with Rogan's podcast.

Check their stats

Rephonic brings all a podcast's info and stats onto one page to help you qualify whether an interview on that podcast would suit your needs. You can also check if the podcast releases new episodes every week, which can help you time your outreach for maximum impact.

That information includes audience numbers, demographics, engagement, links to episodes, social media, ratings and reviews, and lots more.

Contact target shows

Pitch podcasts directly within Rephonic. First, connect your inbox so you can send emails from your own address. Then select the recipient, choose and edit a sequence with your pitch and automated follow-up, review everything, and send.

The best part is that replies come straight into Rephonic, so it is easy to keep track of every conversation.

Final thoughts

It’s difficult to become a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience. For potential guests, the path to a JRE appearance involves building a strong online presence, developing a unique perspective, and sharing your ideas with authenticity and passion.

Build up your guesting experience and you’ll have a better shot at the big shows. A spot with Joe Rogan might be out of reach for now, but keep working on it and you never know your luck.

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

How to Use Podcasts for Link Building [Full Guide]

Quality backlinks should be a vital part of your SEO strategy, and in our opinion, building links via podcast guesting is a highly underrated tactic.

How to Spy on a Competitor’s Podcast Guesting Strategy

In this article, we break down why piecing together their competitor’s podcast guesting strategy matters and how to use Rephonic to get a clear view of what’s happening behind the scenes.

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You’re here because you’ve heard that podcast guesting is a powerful way to get noticed — and it is. But finding the right shows manually using Google and Spotify takes more time than most people can spare.

Perhaps you’re looking for a shortcut, something like PodPitch, to help generate outreach at scale and land interviews without the usual hassle. But there's one burning question: how much will it cost?

PodPitch requires you to schedule a live demo before revealing any pricing details, which means there’s no upfront transparency about their plans or costs. This article reveals the monthly price of PodPitch and offers an interesting alternative.

What is PodPitch?

At Rephonic, we like to think of ourselves as PR and marketing’s leading podcast database, so we’re always curious to see how new podcast pitching tools stack up. PodPitch is a database of approximately 3.85 million podcasts, used to automate podcast guest outreach.

Users start by searching for a keyword or topic, and the platform then generates pitch emails in their preferred style and sends them from their own inbox.

So, let's see what using PodPitch will cost you each month.

PodPitch pricing

PodPitch's pricing structure isn't immediately available on their website. You have to book a 15-minute demo of the system to find out what it costs.

Like many other tools and competing platforms, PodPitch does not display transparent pricing upfront and requires a demo before revealing costs. A reliable source mentioned $299/mo per guest profile but some customers also report they’ve been offered a special discount of $199/mo. It’s unclear how widespread that offer is.

PodPitch reviews

If you’re looking for PodPitch reviews, you may not find much. The company does not currently appear to have a G2 or Product Hunt profile, and there is limited feedback from real users, as the company lacks profiles on major review sites. While there are a few Reddit threads about it, the feedback there is mixed.

Some real users praise its time-saving capabilities, while others express concerns about the accuracy of its contact database and the quality of its automated, AI-generated pitches.

Rephonic is a PodPitch alternative

Rephonic is the most complete podcast database for PR teams, marketers, and founders looking to book high-impact guest appearances and ad spots.

What sets Rephonic apart is its depth of data and emphasis on quality, making it ideal for teams that need precise insights to identify and pitch the right opportunities.

Rephonic is intuitive and easy to use, letting you find shows, send pitches, and manage responses—all in one place. Here's how it works:

Find the right podcasts

Let’s say I’m a nutritionist promoting my coaching program through podcast guesting. I need to find podcasts about nutrition, then pitch talking points related to that topic.

I’m not a big-name nutritionist, so I’ll focus my search on smaller, niche podcasts with audiences that love health and fitness.

Vet podcasts with data

Rephonic arranges its podcast data across six tabs:

• Overview: Find listener numbers, contact details, episode links, topics, socials, etc.
• Audience: Shows demographic filters - location, gender, professions, etc.
• People: Host and guest profiles
• Sponsors: Advertiser info and links
• Feedback: See how listeners rate and review the show
• Charts: All charts or filter by country and category to get a more targeted view.

Pitch podcasts straight from Rephonic

Connect your own email account (or multiple accounts if you work as part of a team) and send pitches directly from Rephonic.

You can automate follow-ups and manage replies without leaving the platform, which means you can handle the full outreach workflow in one place while keeping full control over which podcasts you pitch.

Comparing PodPitch pricing to Rephonic

If you’re flying solo, go for Rephonic's Light option—$99 is unbeatable value. A small team pays just $149 per month for up to five people and access to all features.

$299/mo gets you everything: up to 10 team members, make as many searches and campaigns as you want, connect up to 5 inboxes, and we’ll send your help requests straight to the head of the queue.

When considering PodPitch pricing, it’s important to compare Rephonic and other tools for both features and costs before making a decision.

Final thoughts

Whether you’re a solopreneur taking your first leap, or a team of PR professionals working to get your company or clients noticed, Rephonic is the tool you need to book the right podcast guest appearances.

Sign up to try every feature for free with our 7-day free trial.

How to Choose Podcasts with High Sales Potential for Podcast Guesting

Podcast guesting builds brand awareness—but not every show will bring in customers. This article shows you how to find podcasts with real sales potential, so your time behind the mic pays off.

How to Write a Podcast Outreach Email With AI (And What to Avoid)

Can AI help you write an effective podcast outreach email? Yes, but it won't give you a winning email at your first attempt. Be smart and use AI for research first. Here's how you do it.

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Podchaser Pro is a premium subscription service within Podchaser, aimed at industry professionals, marketers and PR teams.

It offers ways to find podcasts, view audience and performance stats, and get contact details. It also provides campaign management and team collaboration tools. However, if you're interested in a subscription, chances are you're struggling to find pricing information on their website.

Podchaser Pro pricing

If you've tried digging around online, these four dollar signs on their G2 profile are probably as much information as you've found.

Instead of providing a pricing page on their website, Podchaser will prompt you to request a demo and discuss prices based on your needs and goals. However, we consulted a reliable source and here are the ballpark figures we discovered.

• Access to the Podchaser Pro database would be around $5000 per year for up to three users.
• Solo users can access the database at a slightly cheaper yearly rate—either $3K (including a dedicated Client Success Manager) or $2.5K ($500 less) if you don't want a CSM.

Of course, pricing escalates if you have a big team, so in that case you'd be looking at good deal more than $5K a year.

Key features of Podchaser Pro

Podchaser Pro offers a range of features aimed at podcast research, and outreach. These include:

• Large database: Access to a large collection of podcasts and podcast episodes.
• Sponsorship intelligence: Data on brands and ad spend to help identify potential opportunities.
• Listener demographics: Data on listener age, gender, location, and interests to assist with targeting.
• Export data: Options to export podcast data in formats such as CSV, XLSX, and PDF for sharing or integration.

Where Podchaser Pro lacks

Podchaser Pro is useful for finding and vetting podcasts, but its functionality stops there. It doesn’t support the broader podcast outreach workflow, leaving teams to manage outreach and follow-up elsewhere.

Rephonic is a Podchaser Pro alternative

Rephonic is the most complete podcast database for PR teams, marketers, and founders looking to book high-impact guest appearances and ad spots.

Rephonic's depth of data is unmatched, however, its key advantage over Podchaser Pro is its built-in pitching tool, which allows users to send outreach from their own email address and collaborate on replies—all within the platform.

Rephonic's industry-leading podcast data includes podcast listener numbers, audience demographics, guest and sponsor insights, and lots more.

Rephonic is ideal for:

• Agencies of all sizes that need to research and pitch podcast guesting or sponsorship opportunities on behalf of clients.
• Marketing and PR teams looking to book guest or ad spots on shows that align with their brand..
• Podcast producers researching the competitive landscape, leveraging podcast networks for cross-promotion and collaboration.

Comparing Podchaser Pro pricing to Rephonic

Podchaser Pro seems to start at $2500/year, rising to $5K for three users and more for larger teams.

Rephonic plans start at $99/month (Light) with a maximum monthly cost of $299/month for teams of up to 10 users. Better still, if you opt for the yearly plan you get two months free!

Final thoughts

Podchaser Pro and Rephonic both offer PR teams, marketers, founders and podcast professionals valuable insights into podcasts.

Rephonic offers every subscription tier access to all its data and insights, but even at its maximum $2990/year for teams, Rephonic's pricing plans seem considerably more affordable than those at Podchaser Pro. Plus, you get the added bonus of being able to send pitches straight from Rephonic.

Need to make smarter podcasting decisions? Explore Rephonic today.

How to Get Booked on Podcasts: Full Podcast Guesting Guide

This in-depth guide explains what you can expect to gain from podcast interviews, how to find the right shows, pitch effectively, prep for the interview, and follow up afterward.

Monthly Podcast Appearances or Intense Bursts: Which Is Better?

Podcast sprints or a spaced approach—which guesting strategy works best? Or should you try a hybrid? We break down the pros and cons of all three.

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There are many vital considerations to consider when you're planning a podcast advertising campaign strategy, one of which is cost. Your budget only goes so far, so you need to investigate podcast advertising rates before running ads.

Unfortunately, there aren't any hard and fast rules about standard podcast advertising rates. You may have heard about CPM, but when you're doing direct buys, this doesn't help you as much as you might think.

Podcasts set their prices depending on several factors, which we'll cover in this article. But that means there's no easy answer when someone asks, "how much does it cost to sponsor a podcast?"

What is the average podcast CPM?

Podcast CPM stands for Cost per Mille or cost for every 1,000 listeners and it's how many publishers calculate podcast ad rates.

The average CPM for podcast advertising is between $18 and $25 depending on the ad length and placement in the podcast. Or, to put it another way, you'll pay between $18 and $25 for every 1,000 listens of the podcast for the duration of your ad.

Estimated podcast advertising costs

So, you have a list of podcasts to contact, but how will you know how much their ads are likely to cost?

You can't know for sure until you speak to the podcast hosts or ad spots team but you can use Rephonic to work out whether it's worth approaching a podcast, or whether the cost simply won't fit your budget.

Libsyn estimates a $25 CPM for host read podcast ads and around $15 for Pre-Produced Programmatic ads so we'll use those figures in our calculations.

First, check Rephonic for the podcast's estimated listener numbers. These are our best-guess download numbers (we base them on hundreds of publicly available datapoints) but don't include YouTube numbers .

So, if a podcast with those CPMs has 1000 listeners, baked in ads should cost $25 and dynamic ads $15.

Libsyn offers a podcast CPM calculator to help with the math. So, in theory, here's how the pricing might look in 2026.

These give you a rough idea of what you can expect to pay if you know how big the show's audience is. BUT actual costs can vary wildly. Most podcast websites don't directly state their ad rates and instead, invite prospective sponsors to contact them.

Here's how Rephonic estimated listener numbers can help

Suppose you're a founder keen to test podcast advertising but can't afford to spend more than $500. You can rule out podcasts if you see on Rephonic that they've got 20,000+ estimated listeners because they're likely too expensive. If you plan to run multiple ads, you might prefer shows with smaller audiences.

To summarize, you'll have to reach out to the publisher to get accurate numbers and costs. But when you're first scoping out potential opportunities for podcast sponsorship, our listener number estimates will help you see which podcasts will likely suit your budget.

Estimated listeners per episode is one of the many vital data points Rephonic supplies for almost every podcast on the planet. Don't just take our word for it, though. You can try Rephonic out for free right now.

While listener numbers significantly affect podcast advertising rates, they're just one factor that affects how much it costs to sponsor a podcast, whether you want an entire season or just one podcast ad.

Here's the full list of considerations that can influence podcast hosts when setting the rates for podcast ads.

Fixed rate - the most common pricing model for direct buys

Flat fee/Fixed rate ― A podcast may have fixed ad rates or packages. They may also be open to negotiating a deal.

But while listener numbers significantly affect podcast advertising rates, they're just one factor that affects how much it costs to sponsor a podcast, whether you want an entire season or just one podcast ad.

Here's the full list of considerations that can influence podcast hosts when setting the rates for podcast ads.

What factors affect podcast advertising costs?

Listener numbers

We've just explained this. 🙂 (You might also like to read our advertising on podcasts beginners' guide.)

Ad placement

Podcast ads have different names depending on where they're placed in an episode.

Pre-roll ads run for 15-30 seconds at the start of a podcast episode. Sometimes they're placed before the intro; sometimes, they come just after. Either way, pre-roll ads come before the host introduces the guest and gets on with the show.

Post-roll ads run last and are the cheapest because they only catch those audience members who listen to the very end. (Many people tune out before then, but marketers sometimes argue that your ideal customer is the one who listens right till the end and is more likely to pay attention to your ad.)

Mid-roll ads are typically longer and run during an episode. Many advertisers prefer to pay more to secure a mid-roll ad because fewer listeners bother to skip ads once they're into the meat of the content. In contrast, listeners often miss pre- and post-roll ads, hence the lower price.

Don't be fooled into going for the cheapest ad placements, though. You should also consider your podcast ad campaign goals to see which placement fits them best.

Ad length

Ad length is closely tied to ad placement. You can buy podcast ads that last anything from 15 seconds (typically a post-roll) to a 60-second ad (usually mid-roll ads) or an even longer branded segment in a podcast episode.

It makes sense that longer ads will cost more than shorter ones. Longer podcast ads include more talking points and can address the listeners' problems and benefits. Faster ads only have time for a brief statement and a call to action, so think carefully about your copywriting when planning your podcast advertising campaign.

Niche

Not all podcast categories or niches are created equal. Some are more popular (and therefore more crowded) than others. And we've conducted plenty of research about the podcasting industry through our database to find fascinating facts about niches.

You need podcast listeners who will identify with your brand or message, so you'll want to choose podcasts in the right niche.

For example, the Get Sleepy Podcast operates in the Health & Fitness niche and targets people who have difficulty sleeping, so this podcast is a perfect partner for brands like BetterHelp and Helix Sleep. You can see how these two businesses fit perfectly with a meditation podcast aimed at helping listeners get restful sleep.

Number of episodes sponsored

It helps to know whether the show you're interested in is new to podcast advertising or if they often work with advertisers. And seeing who is advertising is just as interesting.

For example, if your competitors advertise on a podcast it may indicate that audience is a good fit for your product or service, too. Conversely, if you can't relate to the current advertisers at all, that may indicate an audience that may not be receptive to your products.

You can easily see recent podcast advertisers by checking their podcast page on Rephonic.

Each page includes a Sponsors tab. There you'll find a list of recent sponsors, a link to the ad, the episode and its transcript. A long list of sponsors may indicate that this podcast has been accepting sponsors over many episodes. A short list may mean they're new to podcast advertising, or have stuck to just a handful of trusted advertisers.

Other things to think about

There's a lot to think about when devising a podcast advertising strategy. As well as the ad costs, types of advertisement and niche podcast audiences, you should be very clear about the podcast campaign you're running and what kind of ads will work best.

Delivery mechanism

There are two ways of delivering podcast ads: dynamic ads and baked-in ads. Naturally, there are pros and cons no matter which you choose.

Baked-in ads

These are pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll ads recorded or edited into the podcast file as part of the episode content. They stay with that episode forever and are difficult (but not impossible) to change.

Benefits: With a baked-in ad, your content will probably be there for the life of the episode unless the podcaster manually edits it out. It works well if your ad placements contain evergreen information or content.

Cons: Don't use time-sensitive or short-term promotions for baked-in podcast advertising. For example, I recently heard a podcast episode advertising tickets for a live show that had run months earlier. That would have been much better as a dynamic ad placement and removed once the show had taken place.

Dynamic ad insertion

These podcast ads are inserted when podcast listeners either download or stream an episode. In other words, they are separate from the podcast episode and can be changed anytime. The podcast producer marks where a podcast ad should appear, and DAI tools insert the current sponsor's material.

Benefits:

• Your podcast ad can be put into all episodes at once. So when new listeners discover the show, they will hear your ads from that sponsor no matter which episode they click on. You buy X ad impressions, and when that number is reached, you can either pay for more or the podcast can insert a new sponsor's ads in their place.
• Time-sensitive offers are great for dynamic ads. You know the sort: "Today's episode is brought to you by... for a limited time, my listeners can get $100 off their first month with this promo code.

Cons: Your ad spots are not permanent. Once your time is up, they'll disappear. (They may even be taken by competing brands who've heard your podcast ads and decide that's the right podcast for them, too.)

Host-read ads vs. pre-recorded advertiser-supplied ads

Many podcast hosts read ads in their own styles. That's effective when listeners feel that the voices of their favorite hosts make the ads seem more genuine, especially if they include a personal story about using the product or brand. Brands usually give the podcast host a list of points to cover and leave them to choose the actual words. (Check out this episode of the Bigger Pockets Real Estate Podcast for an example of a host-read, story podcast ad.)

Some brands and businesses prefer to supply the ad ready-made. That can sound more professional than some host-read ads, but it loses that close association with the hosts. Listeners often tune into popular podcasts because they like and trust the host, so supplying ready-made ads (or supplying too many points to cover and leaving no room for personal stories) could defeat the purpose.

These audio samples from The Podcast Exchange include examples from different podcasts with both host-read ads and pre-recorded ads, while Spotify gives a supplied-ad instance in this case study. Finally, here's an interesting article that reveals the thought process of a new podcaster who aimed to gather podcast ad revenue before his first episode even aired.

Final thoughts

Rephonic can't tell you the exact ad rates for each podcast, but you can use our extensive database to find your business's best podcast matches.

We help you search for podcasts using filters like categories, listener numbers, audience demographics and many more. Then we allow you to dive in deep with all the relevant stats, social media numbers, reviews, email addresses, and links to podcast episodes and websites.

When you want to reach out to a podcast, you can send pitches from your own email address directly within Rephonic.

What have you got to lose? Take your podcast knowledge to the next level with a free trial on Rephonic today.

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

Podcast Intelligence Engine for Discovery & Insights

If podcasts are part of your PR or sales and marketing strategies this year, you'll want the best insights and information on exactly which podcasts are right for your advertising campaign.

Joe Rogan Podcast Sponsors List

We examined the list of Joe Rogan sponsors on the podcast's Rephonic page to analyze nine recent sponsors This article gives ad examples and discusses why they're a good fit for the JRE.

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Podchaser's API is a tool that lets developers connect to Podchaser’s podcast database and use that data inside their own software to build integrations, apps and custom workflows.

It uses GraphQL, which allows users to get as little or as much data as they need.

In this article we'll look at the main features of the Podchaser API, how much it costs and introduce Rephonic's API as an interesting alternative.

Podchaser API features

Podchaser's API (Application Programming Interface) gives developers access to a comprehensive podcast database to find podcasts.

It also:

• Provides creator and guest information, including ratings and reviews
• Gives insights on podcast audiences using demographics and psychographics
• Lets you create and integrate lists of podcasts and episodes to create playlists and collections
• Supports integration of episode transcripts
• Provides access to podcast analytics such as reach, listens, popularity (via Podchaser's Power Score™) and effectiveness metrics
• Finds similar and related podcasts
• Supports developers with documentation and dedicated API support teams.

How much does Podchaser's API cost?

Podchaser's API has three tiers: Free, Plus and Enterprise and works on a Query Points system.

On the Free Tier users get "the essentials" and can use up to 25,000 points per month. The Plus and Enterprise tiers have custom pricing and need an upgraded service. Users must create an account and login to learn more.

According to Podchaser API rate limits documentation, the "total cost of a query is the sum of all the fields returned. So, the more complex a query is, the more points it will use."

For example if you made a simple query for metadata about an individual podcast, it's likely to cost around 9 points. However, if you wanted to find popular podcasts about marketing and asked for "a list of 10 podcasts about marketing sorted by follower count" that could cost around 100 points.

Podchaser API reviews

The Podchaser API appears to have just one review. We found it written on G2 in 2023.

As you can see, this user thinks the Podchaser API is a great way to get contact information and learn about similar podcasts, but questions the data accuracy.

Rephonic's podcast API is an alternative

Rephonic API features

Rephonic's podcast API has access to Rephonic's extensive database of over 3-million shows. So teams that use it can tap into:

• Comprehensive podcast metadata (each Rephonic podcast page sorts info under 6 tabs— Audience, People, Charts, Ratings reviews, Sponsors and Overview
• Search capacity across topics, titles, episodes and transcripts
• 25 search filters—including language, category, country, audience demographics and psychographics and more
• Full-text episode transcripts (with speaker identification)
• Contact email addresses, social media links and website URLs
• Topics, guests and sponsors, key moments in episodes and more
• Easy tracking of keyword and brand mentions
• REST API and structured JSON responses
• Quick integration with 25 endpoints and 40+ filters

How much does Rephonic's API cost?

Rephonic's API deals with requests rather than queries and it's pricing is very straightforward.

It costs $299 per month (includes 10,000 requests/month). It doesn't lock you into a contract and has no minimum commitment time.

Final words

Teams can easily build podcasting features into an app, agent or AI workflow with Rephonic's API. Here's how:

1. Create a developer account
2. Pay the first monthly fee
3. Start

Ready to build your next podcast-powered app, AI agent or integrations? Get started with Rephonic's podcast API.

How to Get Podcast Transcripts & Search for Keywords

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How to Search Podcast Episodes With Rephonic

Our new episode search gives you better podcast data, advanced filters and search operators. Because we know podcast listener numbers by episode, Rephonic opens up all kinds of new possibilities.

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PR agencies and teams need a podcast booking tool that helps them find highly relevant podcasts that suit their clients.

But they also want tools that facilitate podcast search and research, let them reach out to podcast hosts, keep track of their outreach pipeline and collaborate with team members all on one platform. Those vital features can save busy teams hours of time and effort.

So, what should PR teams look for when choosing a podcast booking tool, and why do so many turn to Rephonic?

Let's find out.

What is a podcast booking tool?

A podcast booking tool is software that helps someone book guest appearances on podcasts.

The best tools handle the end-to-end workflow, including:

• finding podcasts
• qualifying podcasts
• organize campaigns
• sending pitches
• managing replies and follow-ups

All that on one platform!

What features should you expect to see?

Large database

Some databases only have tens of thousands of podcasts. This is missing out on a lot of opportunities. Of course, on databases with millions of shows, only a fraction of those will be relevant and worth pitching. But having a large database means you’re not missing any opportunities.

Search tool & filters

The best tools let you search by topic, title, episode and publisher. Searching by name can quickly find a specific podcast or host. Entering a publisher should locate all the shows associated with that person or entity.

Topic and episode searches are broader and the results can include podcasts that don't suit your clients at all. The most effective guest booking tool lets you filter your search to list the most likely podcasts.

Rich data

PR professionals don’t want to waste time sending out generic pitch emails to multiple podcasts. First, because those podcasts may not have the audience they want to attract. Second, because podcast hosts can spot generic emails a mile away and delete them immediately.

That means professionals should conduct highly targeted outreach. They need rich data about audience demographics, listener numbers and engagement, social media and much more. Tools with strong research capabilities are much more likely to give teams the data they need to make informed decisions.

Up-to-date contacts

Every moment spent in searching for contact details is time professionals could be spending on other things, so they want to get contact details quickly and without fuss. So, check that the guest booking tool verifies their contacts. Getting the right contacts first time is the most effective way to save time.

Team collaboration features

Can teams collaborate easily within the booking platform Does it include features where team members can:

• Pin notes
• See search history and target lists
• Read emails
• Set up alerts
• View and share campaigns

Again, busy teams can save time and effort if everyone understands what's happening with each campaign.

Pitching within the platform

When multiple team members pitch from their own email accounts, replies get scattered.

Look for a podcast booking service that centralizes the process with team members sending emails straight from the platform, especially if you need to pitch podcasts for multiple clients.

Check if the platform has a pitch editor with customizable email templates to guide you in creating authentic, effective pitches to podcast hosts.

Campaign management

PR teams often use traditional search engines when they first look for podcasts. They often spend hours searching multiple platforms and transferring their findings into spreadsheets. Each team member then sends outreach emails from their work email addresses. That means manually adjusting the spreadsheet every time something changes—a step that's easily missed.

Podcast outreach involves multiple steps, so when tools include team collaboration features and pipeline managers it means everyone in the team can see what's happening—including which podcasts are on the list, their pipeline status and the email chain, with the initial pitch, follow ups and replies.

Use Rephonic to improve your podcast booking workflow

Rephonic is a comprehensive podcast database with tools and features designed to make the entire booking workflow more efficient. PR teams use it to find, qualify and book podcast guest appearances for clients.

Working on Rephonic speeds up PR podcast outreach. It provides all the data you need to keep the emphasis on finding and booking quality podcasts that are highly relevant for your clients.

Here's how it works.

1. Find relevant podcasts

Rephonic has data on three million podcasts, meaning teams won't miss out on opportunities that smaller databases can't provide.

Obviously, only a fraction of these podcasts will suit each client, so you can apply up to 25 filters on your search to find highly relevant podcasts. Unlike many podcast search tools, Rephonic scans the titles, show notes and episode transcripts for your keyword, so the results are better.

Rephonic's most useful filters include:

• Active—use this to find podcasts that have recently posted episodes
• Guests—screen out podcasts that don't accept guests
• Listener numbers—filter for large, established podcasts or set it to find smaller shows with less than, say, 50 episodes.

Use Rephonic's audience demographic filters to search for podcasts who's audiences are highly likely to respond to your client's message. Filter for age range, location, language, interests, professions and more.

2. Qualify podcasts using data

As guest booking service Your Expert Guest found, using Rephonic to find and qualify podcasts can dramatically increase your clients' acceptance rates.

Tap on a podcast to see all the information Rephonic has gleaned from many datapoints across the web. Use the data to narrow down your initial list of possibilities until your campaign includes the most relevant podcasts.

Check across six tabs to find data such as:

• Listener numbers
• Spotify followers
• Social reach & links (including YouTube)
• Audience demographics
• Previous guests and their relevance to the show
• Past sponsors
• Reviews & ratings
• Chart rankings
• Listen to episodes
• Searchable transcripts

3. Build a campaign

Create a campaign on Rephonic and start adding podcasts. View your campaign as a list or a board.

You can create multiple campaigns, for instance, one campaign per client or one per topic. Keep them on Rephonic or export as a CSV if you prefer.

Add notes to podcasts for the whole team to see. Everyone in your Rephonic team can view and edit campaigns, including bulk actions (select, copy, delete podcasts).

You'll also see campaign statistics including reply rate, positive reply rate, booking rate, and estimated total listeners— in fact, everything you need to keep tabs on every aspect of your podcast guesting campaigns.

4. Pitch and follow up

Rephonic provides contact info for every podcast—and includes a Concierge service if you need to find different contacts.

Use the Inboxes feature to connect and manage email accounts. Connect team members' emails and these are then shared across your team. That makes it much easier to collaborate without having to share passwords.

With connected email accounts you can send pitch emails directly through Rephonic. Outgoing emails and replies can then be seen in Rephonic, so everyone in the team can see what's been sent, what's scheduled and so on.

Here's how it works:

1. Select contacts
2. Choose a sequence (pitch + follow-up)
3. Pick the inbox you want to send from
4. Review drafts
5. Configure your sending window
6. Review drafts and send

Whenever a show is pitched within Rephonic, it automatically moves to Pitched status within the campaign. If a prospective podcast agrees to an interview, it will move from Pitched to Warm to save you time.

5. Manage replies

Rephonic provides a full email messaging interface so messages and replies no longer need to live in one person’s inbox, they're accessible to all team members.

Conversations move into a shared messaging workspace where your team can: search and filter threads, view queued and scheduled messages, and reply directly within campaign feeds.

• Use the "send manually" flow (i.e., open in email client, mark as sent) if preferred
• Filter threads for read/unread, email accounts and and campaigns, so it's easy to find specific conversations.
• View and manage or cancel queued and scheduled messages
• Reply directly within campaign feeds

Top three reasons to use Rephonic:

• Most comprehensive podcast database: Find the best matches for your clients, use targeted outreach and save time in the process.
• Covers the entire podcast outreach workflow: Find and qualify relevant shows, pitch and manage replies, track campaigns all within Rephonic.
• Team collaboration features: Connect multiple inboxes, work fully within the platform with notes and campaigns visible to all team members.

Final thoughts

PR teams need a guest booking platform to help them find the most relevant podcasts for their clients and manage outreach all in one place. And podcast hosts want considered, thoughtful pitches from genuine guests whose knowledge or opinions will benefit their listeners.

Rephonic helps PR and marketing teams save time and effort in finding those relevant podcasts, sending genuine pitches to hosts and keeping track of multiple campaigns.

That's why more and more teams are choosing Rephonic as their podcast guest booking service.

Discover the benefits for yourself. Sign up today with a 7-day free trial.

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

How to See How Many Listeners a Podcast Has (& More Podcast Stats)

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Finding the perfect podcast match can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. PR teams need results fast, but they also need accuracy to avoid pitching the wrong shows.

That’s where Rephonic comes in.

It's one of today’s best podcast databases for PR teams and agencies, whether you’re managing public relations for your company’s executives or running an agency with hundreds of clients.

PR pros love the platform for its balance of data depth and research speed, calling it “an easy to use podcast database” and “the best platform for anyone who books podcasts.”

Here are Rephonic's top five features for PR teams booking podcast guest spots:

1. Podcast search tool & 25 advanced filters
2. Listener data
3. Podcast contact info
4. Built-in pitching tool
5. Shared messaging workspace

Let's explore them in more detail!

1. Search tool & 25 advanced filters

Rephonic's search tool takes the agony out of podcast research for PR agencies. Instead of manually trawling through millions of shows on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can narrow the field by entering a keyword or topic.

Let's start with your first search.

Start your search then apply up to 25 advanced filters. They include:

• Active filter: Only podcasts that have published an episode in the last 60 days.
• Guests filter: Shows podcasts that take guests.
• Listener numbers: Filter for listener numbers anywhere between 0-500k. Sometimes it makes sense to target smaller, niche podcasts, especially if your client is new to podcast guesting.
• Ratings: Search podcasts based on the number of ratings they've received across multiple platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• Demographics filters: Filter for podcasts that speak to your target audience (See below):

How does Rephonic's search tool help PR teams?

Rephonic lifts the veil of secrecy by providing demographic data I only dreamed of having. From a productivity standpoint alone, it cut my research time by at least 90 percent.

Nora Murray Founder, SoundBite Communications

Finding podcasts that ultimately don't suit your boss (or client) wastes your time and theirs.

Here's the stats as we see them:

Of the 3-million+ podcasts published, approximately 400,000 are currently active, while the rest are either on a break, or no longer record episodes at all. Of those active shows, only around 130k accept guests.

Manually searching the podcast app lists is a gamble with only a 1 in 23 shot of finding a show that meets the very basic criteria. PR agencies and teams that use Rephonic flip the odds by filtering straight to the active podcasts that actually welcome interviews.

Go further, by using other filters to select the best-fit shows for your guest's needs. If your boss is new to podcast guesting, start by finding newer shows with small audiences to help them gain experience in front of relatively few people. On the other hand, if your client is a recognized thought leader, you'll want to surface well-established shows with substantial, engaged audiences.

Ultimately, filtering your search means you'll spend less time chasing dead ends and more time booking wins. That’s what makes it such a valuable podcast research tool for PR.

2. Listener data

Rephonic shows listener numbers per episode and per month, as well as demographic info on each podcast's Audience page. This helps you judge if the listeners are a good match for your client’s message.

The audience page starts with a Listener profile giving an overview of the typical make up of the podcast's audience. That snapshot expands into categories including:

• Location: Our best estimate of the countries where these podcast listeners are based.
• Relationship status: Notes the percentage of the audience likely to be single, married or in a relationship.
• Education: Offers an insight into the audience's likely education levels.
• Gender skew: Does the audience skew male or female? Or is it an equal split?

Analysis continues by examining the audience's likely:

• Age range
• Professions
• Household income
• Parental status

All these features combine to make Rephonic a powerful podcast research tool for PR teams. Whether you’re running media outreach, thought leadership campaigns, or product PR, it helps you find podcasts for media outreach that deliver.

What makes Rephonic’s Audience page valuable for PR teams?

Finding podcasts with audiences that align with your client’s goals is crucial for a successful guesting campaign. Without thorough audience research, you risk wasting your time pitching shows that won’t drive results. That’s why we added podcast audience data to Rephonic.

James Potter, Founder, Rephonic

When planning a podcast guesting campaign the Audience page helps you understand who actually listens. That makes it much easier to decide whether a show is best for brand awareness, thought leadership or product sales.

It helps you match clients with podcasts that align with their goals and back up your recommendations with hard data.

You'll write stronger outreach emails, get better response rates and have happier clients, because you’re putting them in front of listeners who genuinely care about their message.

3. Podcast contact info

Rephonic displays podcast contact information including email address, contact pages and social media accounts throughout the podcast pages, including the Contacts button.

Manually searching for podcast contact info can be a frustrating experience. Some independent podcasts have their own website and social media accounts. Others rely on their hosting platform or network links, while branded podcasts will likely link to a page on their company's site. But even if you find a website, there's no guarantee it will list the right contact information to make a guest pitch.

As an example, I spent 40 minutes searching for guest contact info on six podcasts in the nonprofit sector. Only one made it easy for potential guests, by including a guest contact form up front, while another listed an email address on LinkedIn. Two included social media links, so I could have sent them DMs.

Contrast that with Rephonic, where in less than five minutes I had website links, email addresses and social media accounts for all six shows.

How to find podcast contacts with Rephonic:

1. On any podcast page, tap the blue Contacts button to see the contacts that we found for this podcast.
2. If you prefer messaging via social media, scroll down to the list of social media links.

Sourcing the best contacts across our huge database of podcasts is complex and sometimes our system can't find a good email address. If the right links aren't showing up, select Find Contacts for Me and the Rephonic team will get back to you with an email address ASAP.

What makes Rephonic's contact info valuable for PR teams?

The reasons why PR pros call Rephonic the go-to podcast outreach platform:

• Cuts your outreach time: No more hunting around websites and LinkedIn for the right person to pitch.
• Helps you build relationships: Easy access to social media channels means you can spend time getting to know the host, liking, commenting and sending helpful DMs before sending a pitch.

4. Built-in pitching tool

Keep your outreach emails all in one place and visible to your whole team by pitching directly from your own email address without leaving Rephonic. Our Pitch Wizard guides you through the process from start to send.

How to pitch through Rephonic

1. Connect your email inbox to Rephonic. Your team can connect up to 5 inboxes on the Business subscription.
2. Open the campaign, select a podcast, and click the Send pitch link.
3. Select a contact. Rephonic provides contact emails for podcasts so you can be sure you're contacting the right person.
4. Select an email sequence (pitch + automated follow-up). You can adjust a template to your needs or choose to write an email sequence from scratch.
5. Select the email address you wish to send from.
6. Review and send.

Rephonic will track every email so your whole team can see what has been sent, what's scheduled to go soon and when.

How does the Pitch Wizard help PR teams?

You've already used Rephonic's podcast and audience info to find genuine, relevant match-ups for your client. Now, the Pitch Wizard streamlines the process. Pre-set templates provide a great starting point for you to write thoughtful, personalized outreach emails to podcasters.

Podcast outreach becomes smoother with automated follow-ups that stop once you get a reply.

Your emails stand out from the crowd and are more likely to lead to guest bookings. It’s one of the reasons agencies see Rephonic as the podcast booking tool for agencies that delivers results.

We won't take on a client unless we're confident that we can get a 30% acceptance rate but since we've been using Rephonic...we've had clients where we've gotten them on 70% of the shows we pitch them to.

Julie Fry Founder, Your Expert Guest

How does understanding previous guests help PR teams?

Analyzing previous guests gives you confidence in your pitch. For example, if your CEO wants to build their reputation as a thought leader and you see the podcast regularly hosts founders and thought leaders, your CEO will likely be a natural fit.

Conversely, seeing guests that don't fit that CEO or thought leader profile prevents you wasting time on shows unlikely to say yes.

Understanding interview focus helps you highlight fresh angles compared with past guests. That makes your emails stand out and more likely to lead to guest bookings. It’s one of the reasons agencies see Rephonic as the podcast booking tool for agencies that delivers results.”

We won't take on a client unless we're confident that we can get a 30% acceptance rate but since we've been using Rephonic...we've had clients where we've gotten them on 70% of the shows we pitch them to.

Julie Fry Founder, Your Expert Guest

5. Shared messaging workspace

Previously, one person in a team could send a pitch email and receive replies in their own email account. The emails and replies could then be forwarded on to other team members. Alternatively, you could cc the email to each team member's email.

It was messy, time consuming and all too easy to miss people off the list, especially if you had a big team. Rephonic's shared messages workspace consigns all that to the past.

Here's what happens when team members connect their emails to Rephonic:

• Pitch emails stay in Rephonic where everyone can see them.
• Replies move into a shared messaging workspace.
• Team members can see sent, queued, and scheduled messages.
• Find specific conversations by filtering for unread status, email account or campaign.
• Team members can reply directly within Rephonic.
• Add notes to any message sequence

Why does the shared messages space work for PR teams?

Shared messaged save everyone time and keep all team members in the loop, especially as the campaign pipeline will automatically update as you each send and receive emails on the platform.

You'll find it easier to plan, and organize your outreach and to report results to your clients, especially if you're juggling dozens of pitches at a time.

Opportunities don't slip through the cracks because everything's kept in one place on Rephonic's platform.

Final thoughts

Rephonic pulls everything PR teams need into one place for podcast outreach. You'll find a search tool & filters, listener data, contacts, built-in pitching, and a shared messaging workspace so you can easily collaborate with your team.

With the right tools at your fingertips you'll make stronger pitches, get higher acceptance rates and deliver for happier clients.

Start exploring Rephonic today and see the difference it makes for your campaigns.

Article credits

Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with four years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.

Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.

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As of early 2026, Rephonic brings your entire podcast outreach workflow into one platform, with new features to help your team move faster and collaborate more easily. Manage campaigns, send pitches, automate follow-ups, and collaborate on replies, all within Rephonic.

Let’s explore exactly what’s new:

Introducing Campaigns (formerly Lists)

Lists have been rebuilt as Campaigns: a more advanced system for organising, tracking, and managing podcast outreach.

You can create, edit, archive, share, and export Campaigns, so your team has full control over outreach. You can also keep an eye on performance with stats like reply rate, positive reply rate, and booking rate.

There's a new drag-and-drop Board view, so teams can quickly manage opportunities as they move through the pipeline.

These podcast statuses update automatically as you send and receive emails through Rephonic. If a prospective podcast agrees to an interview, it will move from Pitched to Warm to save you time.

Pitch podcasts directly from Rephonic

You can now send pitch emails directly from your email address without leaving Rephonic.

After connecting an inbox, move through a simple step-by-step flow: choose an inbox, select a sequence, pick contacts, review drafts, configure your sending window, and send. This keeps outreach in one place and helps standardise the process across your team.

Every email is tracked in Rephonic, so your team has visibility into what has been sent and what is scheduled to send soon and when.

Connect your email accounts

With the new Inboxes feature, you can connect and manage email accounts that you want to send emails from. Connect Gmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook or IMAP through a simple setup flow.

Sequences that follow up for you

Never forget to follow up on opportunities thanks to automated multi-step email sequences.

You can now build sequences with multiple emails, set delays between emails, and manage subject lines across the sequence. Follow-ups stop automatically when someone replies, helping you avoid unnecessary emails and keep outreach relevant.

To help you get started faster, we include a few preset templates for different outreach goals. This gives you a useful starting point whether you are looking for guest opportunities, discussing sponsorships or cross-promoting your own show.

Manage replies in one shared workspace

Replies no longer need to live in one person’s inbox. Conversations move into a shared messaging workspace where your team can search and filter threads, view queued and scheduled messages, and reply directly within campaign feeds. Filters for unread status, email account, and campaign make it easy to find specific conversations.

The messaging experience also includes unread indicators to highlight conversations that need attention.

Smarter contact management

We've made it easier to manage your team's email contacts and personalise your outreach.

You can verify email addresses, edit contacts with custom variables, and use those variables in your pitches.

Powered by the podcast data that Rephonic is known for

These updates build on the trusted podcast data Rephonic is known for with new tools for managing campaigns, sending pitches, automating follow-ups, and managing replies.

It now supports the full podcast outreach workflow, so your team can move faster, collaborate more easily, and spend less time switching between tools.

If you’re already a Rephonic customer, you’ll see these updates live on the platform. If you’re new to Rephonic and looking to book high-impact guesting or sponsorship opportunities, give it a go for free.

Start your free trial today

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It's easy to find Cision's homepage and surf its services. But there's one burning question: how much does Cision cost?

This article provides information on Cision pricing and introduces some of its PR platform and media database alternatives.

How much does Cision cost?

One customer reports paying Cision $3,500 per year for two seats on the media database, while another reports paying $25,000 for a more feature-rich package with five seats, based on posts on Reddit.

There are more reports on pricing that we touch on below, but the thing to remember is that Cision doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all price, or even pricing tiers. So, you won't find up-front costs on the Cision website - you'll have to speak to a representative.

In the meantime, here are some more online clues that shine a light on the likely costs you might face.

What do people say about Cision pricing on G2?

G2 is a software marketplace where you'll find unbiased user reviews of B2B software, hardware, and services. In their pricing review section for Cision, you may get a pricing estimate by entering your work email "to see what companies like yours are paying."

What do people say about Cision on Reddit?

From people’s comments, it seems like Cision clients have seen a big variety in pricing.

We’ve created a table, ordered from low to high, to reflect their use. People do call features by different names in their reviews, and we can’t confirm any of these reports; however we’ve tried our best to align them in this table.

Sources: Reddit thread one and Reddit thread two

Cision reviews

CisionOne has an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 on G2 from 1.2k+ reviews, and 3.8 out of 5 on Capterra (correct as of April 2026).

Cision features

Cision is a media database and services provider for communications and PR professionals working in the private or public sector. It’s designed to help users connect with relevant journalists working in print media, radio, podcasts or online.

Its flagship platform is the AI-powered CisionOne, which brings all its functions into one end-to-end workflow. At the time of writing, the company still offers older software like Cision Communications Cloud, and some of our pricing clues (below) may reflect that.

Cision alternatives for PR

You can find similar services (media databases, journalist contacts, CRM tools, pitching etc.) on a number of other platforms. JournoFinder, Muck Rack, Prowly, Prezly and Meltwater are some of the most-mentioned Cision alternatives, so we took a look at what they offer.

Together, these databases cover a variety of media (print, online etc.), however if you're podcast focused, Rephonic is probably your best bet.

JournoFinder

JournoFinder is an AI-powered media database built around one core principle: relevance. Rather than maintaining a static, bloated database that goes stale, JournoFinder uses AI-powered semantic search to surface the journalists who are most relevant to your story right now, not contacts who covered your topic three years ago.

What makes it stand out from legacy databases like Cision is its approach to data. JournoFinder's database of 1M+ journalists is continuously updated, with contact details verified in real time before you export. That means fewer bounced emails and more pitches that actually land. If a journalist isn't already in the database (say, a niche contributor at a hyper-relevant trade publication that Cision and Muck Rack don't cover) JournoFinder will automatically create a profile for them when they're discovered through a search.

Key features include a Google News-powered search that lets you find journalists covering breaking stories within minutes, a built-in CRM and pitching tool, #JournoRequest alerts that aggregate journalist callouts from across the web using semantic matching, a bulk URL upload tool (great for integrating with SEO workflows like Ahrefs), and a precision map search for local and regional media lists.

JournoFinder also stands apart on support: real humans respond quickly from day one, regardless of your plan. There are no bots, no ticket queues, and support isn't locked behind an enterprise tier.

Plans start at $119/month (paid annually) with a 7-day free trial, making it a fraction of the cost of Cision, Meltwater, or Muck Rack.

Best for:

PR professionals who need hyper-relevant journalists with verified contacts, AI-powered discovery, and responsive human support, at a fraction of the cost of legacy databases.

Muck Rack

Muck Rack is a PR and media management platform designed to encompass users' PR workflows, including pitching, monitoring and reporting. It includes tools for PR & Comms teams (e.g., PR software, media database, press releases, social media listening, AI, etc.) and offers journalists the use of free portfolios and a Job Board.

Its main strength is breadth. For teams that want media discovery, pitching, monitoring, and reporting in one place, Muck Rack offers a more unified experience than using separate tools. That makes it a strong fit for agencies and in-house PR teams that need collaboration features and want to measure the impact of their outreach as well as manage contacts.

Like Cision, Muck Rack doesn’t reveal pricing information on its website. Instead, it offers a demo call with an agent to determine the cost based on user numbers and needs. However, the going rate for one user seems to be $5,000 per year.

Best for:

In Reddit discussions (like this one), Muck Rack users say the company began as a media database, and in their opinion, that's where its strengths lie.

Prowly

Prowly is an AI-powered PR and media relations platform built for teams that need more than just a media database. Alongside its contact database of journalists, bloggers, podcasters, and influencers, it offers tools for building media lists, sending pitches, creating press releases, monitoring coverage, tracking results, and managing branded online newsrooms. That makes it a broader PR workflow tool rather than just a contact discovery product.

Its appeal is that it combines media outreach with content and reporting features in one platform. Teams can use it to maintain contact lists, run outreach campaigns, publish press releases, and keep a newsroom live without stitching together several separate tools. Compared with enterprise-heavy alternatives, Prowly is often positioned as a more accessible option for smaller PR teams, agencies, and growing brands that still want a fairly full feature set.

Prowly doesn't have a free option, but each tier offers a free 7-day trial. Their Basic Plans start at $369/month while the Pro Plans are $589/month (both paid annually).

Best for:

PR agencies and individuals looking to organize and track PR and media contacts.

Rephonic

Rephonic is the most comprehensive podcast database for PR teams, marketers, and founders looking to book high-impact guest appearances or ad spots.

The platform covers more than 3 million podcasts, giving users a much broader view of the podcast landscape than traditional media databases, and combines search, outreach, and monitoring tools in one place. Rephonic also helps users qualify shows before pitching, with data on listener numbers, audience demographics, contact details, related podcasts, and other signals that make it easier to decide which opportunities are worth pursuing.

While broader PR platforms treat podcasts as one small part of a larger media database, Rephonic is purpose-built for podcast research outreach. That makes it especially useful for PR teams running dedicated podcast guesting campaigns or tracking where their client's brand is being mentioned across episodes and transcripts.

Rephonic offers a seven-day free trial, and three paid tiers: Light ($99/month), Standard ($149/month) and Business ($299/month).

Best for:

Data-driven PR teams that want deep insights, high-quality contacts for 3m+ podcasts, and one platform to manage the full podcast booking workflow.

One user stated, "Rephonic's the best platform for anyone who books podcasts."

Prezly

Prezly is an all-in-one PR software platform built mainly for in-house comms teams, with a separate offering for PR agencies. It covers the core PR workflow: online newsrooms, press release publishing, email campaigns, media monitoring, a built-in CRM, and press kit tools. That makes it a good fit for teams that want to manage outreach, content, and media assets in one place rather than across several different tools.

Prezly has three annual pricing tiers: Essential ($100/mo), Standard ($150/mo) and Enterprise (custom.)

Best for:

In-house comms teams seeking an affordable alternative for press release distribution and maintaining media contacts.

Meltwater

Meltwater was one of the first online media monitoring companies and today offers a suite of products. As well as social media listening, media database and contacts, it also offers insights into your audience, influencer marketing and sales, as well as data and API integration.

The company says each product package is customized to individual needs, and prospective users should contact the sales team or request a demo.

Best for:

Identifying journalists and the specific topics they write about. Users say they find it useful for conducting searches, keeping track of clips and for sentiment analysis in social media listening.

FAQs

Does Cision have podcasts on its database?

Yes - Cision has 60,000 podcasts on its database. Users can monitor these podcasts for brand or keyword mentions.

Is there a dedicated podcast database I can use alongside Cision?

Yes - Rephonic is the most comprehensive podcast media database used by PR professionals to find, qualify and pitch podcasts.

Final thoughts

If you're looking for a Cision alternative that prioritizes journalist relevance, verified contacts, and value for money, JournoFinder is the strongest option on this list. Its AI-powered search finds journalists that legacy databases simply miss, the data is always live, and you can try it free for 7 days without speaking to a sales team.

For those who need a broader all-in-one suite with media monitoring and social listening, Meltwater or Muck Rack may be worth the significantly higher price tag. If press release distribution is your main need, Prowly or Prezly are solid choices. And if you want to get your client's message out to podcast listeners, check out Rephonic's podcast data, contacts and pitching tools.

Looking for the best podcast info? Get it here with a 7-day free trial.

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