This guide walks you through exactly how to get on podcasts as a guest in 2026. It’s built on hard-won lessons from helping hundreds of founders, PR pros and marketing teams run successful guesting campaigns.

Since 2020 when we founded Rephonic, we’ve believed that getting featured as a guest on podcasts should be a strategic, deliberate decision. Being featured not only provides valuable exposure but also helps build credibility and recognition in your field. If you want results, it’s worth treating podcast guesting like a proper marketing or PR campaign rather than a side hobby.

So let’s walk through the key decisions you should make before you start landing those interviews!

Key Takeaways

1. Podcast guesting isn't for everyone.
2. Choose between five ways of finding podcasts: manual, agencies, podcast databases, Facebook and Reddit groups, and matchmaking sites.
3. Using solid data to determine if a podcast is well-suited or not is key to increasing your booking rate.
4. Podcast guesting is a long game that requires patience, persistence, and a strategic approach for the best results.

Who should book podcast interviews, and why?

Is it really worth getting into podcast guesting?

We think so.

Guesting means appearing on someone else's show, allowing you to collaborate and borrow an engaged audience that already knows and trusts the host. They’re willing to listen to and learn from that guest, simply because the host has invited them onto the show.

Interviews are not about advertising a product (even if generating leads is the ultimate goal.) Instead, they're all about giving value to the host and their audience.

James Potter, Founder of Rephonic

Telling stories, relating experiences, talking about mistakes and lessons learned. Maybe making them laugh, gasp, or even shed a tear. In return, you get to speak to dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who are likely to care about your message and need your products or services.

They learn your name, what you do and what you stand for.

In other words, they get to know, like and trust you by listening to (or watching) your interview in a setting where they already feel comfortable. That's a powerful reason right there, because it means they might think of you when they experience the problems you solve.

Longevity counts, too. Podcast episodes stick around for a long time in podcast apps all around the world. That means people will discover your interviews months or even years after they were released.

Spotify has now confirmed this behaviour via Podnews: 30% of consumption from the top 100 active podcasts comes from episodes more than eight weeks old (could be new or returning listeners). That’s a huge chunk of consumption happening long after an episode first airs.

James Potter, Founder of Rephonic

People who want to book podcast interviews tend to be:

1. Founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders
2. Agencies (including PR agencies, marketing agencies, and podcast agencies)
3. In-house Marketing and PR teams
4. Podcasters
5. Authors

But even if you're not one of these, there are still plenty of reasons to consider being a podcast guest.

Educational institutions, teachers and specialists, book publishers, musicians, preachers, politicians... anyone with interesting stories can make a good podcast guest if they choose shows with the right audiences.

Here's what you could achieve through podcast guesting:

Build thought leadership or a personal brand

Founders, agencies, and PR or marketing teams often book podcast guest interviews to grow a personal brand—whether their own or a client’s—or to build thought leadership.

Investor, author and philanthropist Alex Hormozi is a great example of a founder who intentionally uses his podcast appearances to build his personal brand. In this 2024 case study, we dug into Rephonic's data to uncover five significant ways that Alex's podcast guest appearances are paying off.

Generate clients, customers or sales

Choose shows whose audience will resonate with your message.

Yes, your ultimate goal is selling products, services or books but podcast guesting isn't about getting a quick win (although that sometimes happens, too.) Podcast guesting is a longer game, The goal for you (or your clients) is to create a great impression and become known, respected and trusted in that niche or industry.

Appearing on more podcasts increases your reach and credibility, helping you access larger audiences and higher-quality shows over time.

Sometimes you'll gather leads directly from an interview, through a landing page or unique discount code. Other times listeners act after they've heard several of your podcast interviews. That's definitely something solopreneur Talya Heller noticed after she'd notched up a few guest appearances on relevant podcasts in her B2B marketing niche.

However, a result might not come from the listeners. Sometimes, guests bond with the podcast hosts who either recommend them to other podcasts or even become clients themselves.

Network and form partnerships

Being a guest on a podcast brings opportunities for networking and building relationships. Podcast hosts talk to a range of guests in their niche and may introduce you to those they've formed connections with, especially if you've gone out of your way to be great podcast guest.

They talk to other podcast hosts, too. If a host gets positive feedback from their podcast listeners, they're likely to recommend you to other hosts too.

Enhance SEO

In SEO, the more high-quality backlinks you get to your website the better.

Search engines view quality backlinks as endorsements of your site’s content. So, podcast links signal that your content is trustworthy and valuable, which leads to more visibility for your site. Let hosts know which links you want to promote and they’ll often include them as backlinks in their episode show notes.

Here's a screenshot of a few podcast backlinks that Hormozi's website has received:

Increase podcast listeners

Podcast hosts and publishers can grow their audience by making guest appearances on other podcasts with similar listeners.

Increasing your listener numbers makes it easier to attract sponsors, sell merchandise or promote your online courses.

If you have your own podcast, consider cross-promoting your show with other podcasters. This could be as simple as recommending each other, but works even better if you each appear as a guest on each other's shows.

Decide if podcast guesting is right for you

#1. Start by clarifying your goals. Like we discussed above, being a podcast guest could work well for you if you want to:

• Build thought leadership or a personal brand
• Generate clients, customers or sales
• Create marketing content for repurposing
• Network and form partnerships
• Enhance SEO

The most important part is making sure your goals align with the right podcast opportunities, so you maximize the value and impact of your appearances.

#2. Understand what you have to offer before you start finding the right podcasts.

• Do you (or your colleague or client) have unique insights, experiences, or expertise?
• Are you (or they) comfortable speaking engagingly? Do you/they need media training?

#3. Can you commit the time? Being a podcast guest doesn't take nearly as much work as having your own podcast, but it takes a certain amount of effort.

Initially, you’ll need to decide on your message and practicing your anecdotes.

If you don’t work with an agency, you’ll also spend time looking for shows and writing a unique podcast pitch to appeal to each host.

Allow plenty of time to record the actual interview. You’ll have a better conversation if you show up early and chat to the host first.

Finally, schedule time to promote your episode once it airs.

#4. Are you willing to drop the sales speak?

If you just want to pitch your product or service for the whole interview, podcasts aren't the platform for you.

#5. Be realistic about the likely outcomes from podcast guesting.

Some people might respond immediately, but others take action weeks, even months later. Episodes are back-listed on Apple podcasts and Spotify for years, so people might take action long after you recorded the interview.

#6. Is the target audience broad enough to warrant the effort?

Even if a podcast seems relevant, it won’t deliver results if only a tiny fraction of its listeners match your target audience, which means it may not be worth the time and effort.

You might be booking interviews for yourself, a colleague or client, but to make easier from here on in, we're going to imagine you're booking for yourself. The process is pretty much the same for all three.

Plan your podcast guesting campaign

Some people fall into podcast guesting by accident. Perhaps they know a new host who's looking for guests. Others get interview requests from podcast hosts who notice their strong online presence.

But most people who want to get booked as a guest need to pitch multiple podcasters, so they take a strategic approach to podcast guesting.

1. Select your approach to find podcasts

We know of five ways to find podcast guest opportunities, each requiring a different mix of time, money, and effort.

Manual searches: Look for suitable podcasts on Google, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Searches cost nothing, so potential guests see them as a great starting point. But manual searches are time-consuming so, eventually, many people look for an alternative podcast search tool.

Booking agencies: The most expensive option, but employing them saves you time and effort. Agency fees can be from $500 to several thousand per month. Agents usually have access to an extensive database like Rephonic, and if they operate in a niche, often have existing relationships with hosts.

Databases like Rephonic use the search tool to help you locate podcasts with listeners who match your own audience. Database membership costs start at $99p/m and save a lot of time filtering through the 3m+ podcasts.

Rephonic filters for audience demographics like gender skew, political leaning, profession, age group, annual household income to find shows with an audience that aligns with yours.

If you're not using a podcast database (or you want 100% accurate info), contact the host or publisher.

Facebook and Reddit groups. These groups are free. Members may post that they are looking for guests, however these are usually tiny shows by hobbyists. It's a great option if you want to practice public speaking or hone your podcast guesting skills in a relatively quiet corner.

Matchmaking sites: Platforms like PodMatch and MatchMaker.fm are popular tools that help users find podcast appearances. PodMatch, in particular, is noted for its efficiency in matching guests with hosts. Matchmaking sites tend to be a relatively inexpensive option, costing between $15-70 per month. However, only a small proportion of shows actually list themselves on there.

2. Check out competitor appearances

This may be difficult if you’re not using Rephonic, but it's useful to see where your competitors are appearing on podcasts. You might find they offer excellent opportunities for you too, especially if you can offer something different.

So, how do you find where your competitors are being booked on podcasts?

You could try a manual search. For example, if the podcast guest was your competitor's founder you'd watch their social media accounts for episode links and clips.

Or you could take the strategic approach and use Rephonic episode search for a list of every episode they appear in. Then you can reverse engineer their strategy to see if it works for you, too.

Example: Alex Hormozi's podcast appearances in 2023

Alex Hormozi guested on 15 podcasts, most of which were well-established shows which published daily or weekly episodes. The podcasts range between smaller, focused audiences to those with large audiences, which  suggests Alex has a strategy of targeting both mass reach and specific niche audiences.

There's a clear pattern in categories that align with his expertise, showing that he's focused on building authority with audiences interested in multiple aspects of success.

3. Look up podcast data

Check the podcast stats before booking an interview. Just because you've found a show that covers a topic you're interested in doesn't necessarily mean it's a good match.

Just because you’ve found a show that covers a topic you’re interested in doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good match. It’s crucial to understand the format and audience of each particular show before pitching, as tailoring your outreach to the specifics of the show increases your chances of being booked.

Rephonic really makes a difference when you need to do more research. Each podcast data page includes:

1. Overview: Key stats including listener numbers, whether it accepts guests, engagement scores, subscriber numbers across the various podcast apps and links to episodes, social media accounts and YouTube.
2. Audience: Dig into listener demographics to see how well they match your target audience. Info includes a typical listener profile, location spread, stats on their likely age range, professions, relationship status and more.
3. People: Info about the hosts and the guests who've recently appeared on the show.
4. Sponsors: Includes who has recently sponsored the podcast, reveals their CTA and an audio clip.
5. Feedback: Lists key themes from listeners' reviews, and links to the ratings and reviews in every app.
6. Charts: The podcast's chart rankings across different countries and categories. View all charts or use the filters to narrow it down to particular countries and categories.

Think about your preferred podcast format, too.

Would you rather guest on interview-based podcasts where it's just you and the host or hosts? Do you prefer panel discussions where you're one of a few guests brought together to explore a topic. Or would a mixture of both work best with your goals?

Understanding your preferences will help you with ranking your podcast list in the next step.

4. Rank target podcasts

You've found a bunch of suitable podcasts. Now sort them into a list.

Start with aspirational shows—highly relevant podcasts with large audiences—at the top and work your way down. At the end of your list you'll still have shows that are highly relevant, but might have smaller audiences. Or the podcasters might be less established, with fewer episode numbers. These are the shows you should focus on first.

Think of it like a ladder. Take one step at a time and work your way up.

James Potter, Founder of Rephonic

Aspirational shows are ones you shouldn’t pitch yet. You’d likely get rejected or ghosted if you punch too far above your weight. Even if you did miraculously get booked as a guest, without guesting experience you risk giving a lack luster interview and wasting the opportunity.

Keep them for the future when you have a few episodes under your belt. Right now you need to practice and build up to them.

5. Identify how to add value

Increase your chances to get booked on podcasts by first identifying how you, your client or colleague can add value.

You might:

1. Look for content gaps—what haven’t they discussed yet?
2. Expand on a topic they’ve already covered—what new information, examples or stories might you add?
3. Offer a fresh, contrasting perspective.

When you pitch unique and relevant talking points, you make the host's job easier by helping them quickly see how you fit into their show and what value you bring. You can identify shows where you might add value more easily by using Rephonic’s podcast episode transcript search.

6. Listen to podcast episodes

Of course, you must listen to at least one podcast episode to make sure a show is a good fit before you add them to your target list. As you listen, make an effort to truly hear the host's style and what the audience values, so you can better understand how to engage and connect during your appearance.

Consider these points while you listen:

• What's their interview style?
• Does it feel like you'd fit in with the podcast hosts?
• Is it relevant to you and your niche? Even when it looks good on paper, sometimes the style or content won't suit your brand.
• Look for ideas that you resonate with and note the episode number.

Use these later to personalize your outreach email.

7. Plan your schedule

Should you plan for monthly appearances across the year or intense bursts? Bear in mind that the lead time from pitch to episode release can take months.

Reach out early and try to book your preferred date in advance. Pitch too late and you might miss the boat. That's especially important if you want to do a podcast tour to coincide with a product or book launch.

Consider your goals when you plan your schedule, because the return on investment depends on your goals.

For example, if you aim to get backlinks, you'll get them as soon as the episode goes live. But, if your goal is to become a thought leader, it will take longer to build up trust and relationships with hosts and listeners.

Simon Sinek is an acknowledged thought leader and has appeared on many podcasts over the years, as this chart shows:

Ahrefs, one of the most recognisable names in marketing software, has maintained a relatively consistent podcast guesting schedule, managing a nine-month streak from October 2018 to June 2019:

One thing is true for everyone - the sooner you get started, the sooner you'll see a return.

8. Pitch podcasts

Now you’ve got a list of potential shows. It’s time to write a podcast guest inquiry, aka your pitch.

Always write to a specific podcast and personalize it. Hosts get a lot of generic emails and can spot them a mile away, so a pitch that’s personal, relevant and different is what stands out. For the full step-by-step, with a template and a worked example, see our guide on how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest.

Get the correct contact info

Rephonic lists each podcast's contact details on their page.

Some podcasts have guest enquiry forms or a get-in-touch link on their websites. You might also find their email or social media platforms via a manual Google search, or ask Hunter.io for help. (maybe send an email or maybe they have a guest enquiry form on their website.)

Prepare for a podcast interview

You've made a successful podcast pitch and won yourself a gig. Here's how to be an excellent guest:

1. Complete the vetting chat

Many shows will want to jump on a call with you first, to make sure your personality meshes and that you're a good fit. (If you're an agency, you and your client might jump on together.)

2. Prepare your recording equipment/space

If you’re recording in-person, the host or their publishing team will take care of the equipment. If you’re recording online, they’ll probably advise you on suitable equipment.

Ensure good audio quality

Use headphones or AirPods with a built-in microphone, or try separate headphones and a USB microphone to reduce the chance of creating a feedback loop. A pop filter is also useful to reduce sibilance ('ssss') and plosives (p and b sounds.)

Microphones capture your voice accurately and clearly, making it easier to balance volume during editing. Using your computer's default microphone can make you sound distant or muffled.

Record in a quiet space with soft furnishings because sounds can bounce off hard surfaces and cause unpleasant reverbs in the recording.

Consider visual aspects too

If you're making an online video recording, think about what's behind you. Choose a relevant background that looks good but won't distract the viewer.

Position yourself to fill as much as the camera frame as possible.

Finally, use a reliable internet connection to avoid lag times or the frustration of dropping in and out.

3. Choose a CTA

If you want listeners to take action after hearing your podcast interview, you'll need a CTA strategy, and you'll need to prepare this in advance.

First, know what you want to achieve from your podcast guest appearances. Understanding your goals helps you brainstorm the best CTAs to achieve them.

Once you've brainstormed, put the CTAs in two buckets. One will be a ‘high investment’ bucket, involving significant listener investment in either time or money. Make the other bucket ‘low investment,’ with minimal friction (visit my website, Instagram page or connect with me on LinkedIn."

Then, generate curiosity about your high-investment CTA near the start of your interview. Hint at your low-investment CTAs again during the middle and give one of each when you wrap up the interview.

Finally, ask for links in show notes, to make it easier for listeners to act.

4. Prepare some stories

Stories illustrate your points and make them memorable, so have some stories in the locker ready for different occasions. They could be personal stories or illustrations of how you've helped customers and clients.

Use this classic storytelling structure: Hook, Challenge, Steps to Overcome, Tension, Takeaway to create your stories and double check their resonance with Jason Gunn's traffic light system.

It helps if you understand what kind of questions the host will ask, so you can figure out the types of stories that will fit. Hosts will often send a list of questions beforehand, especially if you ask. Otherwise, get the episode transcripts from Rephonic, feed them to ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to list the host's questions.

Then, decide which of your stories might fit those particular podcast listeners.

5. Practice your intro

First impressions are important, so you want to prepare several versions of your origin story, so you can use one that fits a particular podcast. Prepare and practice, but try not to sound rehearsed.

Many hosts simply say "tell me about yourself" but others are more specific. Listen to some episodes and note which origin question the host tends to ask.

Part of your CTA strategy should be to generate curiosity around what you're offering in the intro so practice incorporating that into your origin story, too.

For example, when a podcast host asked Evy Poumpouras why they should stick around and listen to the episode, she said this:

6. Practice talking in soundbites

Soundbites are short, memorable statements that encapsulate your point.

They're impactful, memorable, and easy to repurpose for social media—for you and the host.

Helpful Hints:

• Know your points inside and out
• Restate the question before you answer it to give context
• Sound natural
• Signal the end with your tone of voice
• Use a well-timed pause to emphasize the point

After the podcast interview

You can do a lot of things after your interview is recorded to maximize the impact of each podcast episode and pave the way for bigger and better opportunities.

Here are the biggest:

1. Leave a good lasting impression

Thank the host and let them know you genuinely appreciated being on their podcast.

You'll probably thank them verbally after recording stops, but it's a good idea to also do it in writing. You might send a thank you email (or even a card) or say thanks while giving a shoutout to the upcoming episode on social media.

2. Promote the episode

Set up an alert for episode release. Share the link straight away to be a good guest and to create a buzz around the episode.

Collect recordings and/or create video snippets to repurpose parts of your interview for social media. You'll find many tools to help you tailor your efforts for each platform. For example, you might choose Headliner or Descript for your video clips and Canva or Adobe to create quote graphic and text posts.

Schedule your posts on your website and social media. You can do this manually, or use an automatic scheduling tool such as Zapier or Buffer.

3. Measure impact

Has all the effort has been worth it?

Monitor results for a week or two after the episode goes live, but think long term, too. Podcast guesting results can keep coming long after your interview goes live.

Here's what you might track:

• Episode reach
• Website stats
• Social media metrics
• Email signups
• Sales and leads
• Audience feedback
• Peer recognition

Final thoughts

Getting in front of the right podcast audience is a powerful way to get your message out into the world. More than 500 million people now listen to podcasts, so being booked as a guest can gain customers for your business and mean more people recognize you as an expert.

Rephonic is the most complete podcast database for PR teams, marketers, and founders looking to book high-impact guest appearances and ad spots. Access listener numbers, contact info, audience demographics and more for over three million podcasts.

Want to take advantage of all that the podcasting world offers?

Sign up to Rephonic.

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.

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Want to get featured as a guest on podcasts but not sure how to pitch yourself effectively? Pitching yourself as a podcast guest requires research, personalization, and clear communication of the unique value you bring.

There are hundreds of thousands of active podcasts out there, and plenty of them are actively looking for guests. Hosts receive a lot of pitches, so you need a guest pitch that resonates with them and their audience.

Mastering how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest can open doors to new audiences, build your credibility, and grow your network organically. This guide will help you do exactly that.

The benefits of podcast guesting

Landing podcast appearances bring benefits that go far beyond a single interview. As a guest, you reach a focused audience already interested in your expertise, which boosts your visibility and builds your credibility.

They also help you form meaningful connections with influential hosts and fellow guests. When handled well, these relationships can expand your professional network.

Every episode you join becomes a credibility asset you can share on social media, your website, and with your email list. That makes podcast appearances especially useful for growing a business organically. Founders, authors, and podcasters all find them to be a powerful growth tool.

Don’t do this!

First up, let’s look at a ‘bad’ pitch—a composite of howlers we’ve seen and heard about. This one’s full of common mistakes that you REALLY don’t want showing up in your emails.

Podcast hosts have a few vital questions top of mind when they’re considering a potential guest:

• What’s this person like?
• Are they a good fit for the show, or could they be the wrong fit?
• Do they add value for our listeners?
• Can they have an engaging conversation?
• Will we get along well?
• How easy will it be to work with them?

Does the above pitch answer any podcast host questions? No, it doesn’t. The pitch fails to show why John Doe would be a good potential guest and risks being seen as the wrong fit. Even if they bothered to open it, that email’s headed for the trash.

Example pitch to use as a guest

We drafted this podcast guest pitch using the ChatGPT tool we created—you can try it here. We only needed to make a few small tweaks, and it was ready to send!

This pitch opens by naming the host and showing the sender has actually listened to several episodes — a must before pitching.

It quickly ties the podcast’s focus to the guest’s expertise, then gives a brief, on-point bio suited to the audience.

It suggests specific, useful topics that address the audience’s needs and makes clear the guest intends to add real value. It also offers to help promote the episode while keeping things low-pressure for the host.

8 tips to pitch yourself as a podcast guest

If you'd rather learn how to write a podcast guest pitch from scratch than follow a template, this guide will walk you through the process.

First off, do yourself and them a favor, and keep your pitch brief—200 words max. (Keep that in mind as we go through these tips.). As you review these tips, remember that your pitch should be personalized, value-driven, and focused on how you can benefit the podcast’s audience.

A good pitch clearly demonstrates the value you bring, not just your own achievements. Podcast hosts prioritize pitches that focus on audience value and actionable takeaways, rather than simply highlighting personal accomplishments.

#1. Introduce yourself as a podcast guest

The host probably won’t recognize your name, so let them know who you are and what you do by offering credibility.

Be friendly, genuine, and establish credibility by including a concise professional bio—you could even link to past media appearances. You might include a sentence or two about your expertise, such as being a SaaS founder or running a bootstrapped SaaS business, or the project you’re working on, but only if it’s relevant.

Mentioning that you’ve been featured in a major publication or on a major publication website can add more credibility. Imagine you’re a business coach focused on entrepreneur well-being. You could introduce yourself like this:

#2. Pitch unique talking points

How will you add value to the podcast? That’s likely the host’s number one consideration.

They probably won’t be interested in a topic they’ve already covered, so don’t go there unless you’re offering fresh ideas or a revolutionary solution. Instead, propose a topic or angle that hasn't been heavily covered on the show.

For example, you might suggest discussing scaling business challenges, sharing SaaS business growth tactics, or exploring organic marketing tactics. What specific problems does their audience have that you can help solve? Make sure your proposed topics are relevant and not overdone, so you avoid being the wrong fit for the show.

#3. Reference previous content

Show you’ve done your homework and genuinely listened to the podcast by taking the time to listen to a few episodes before pitching.

You might:

• Mention a moment that stood out to you in a previous episode
• Offer your perspective on the guest’s remarks
• Refer to a comment a listener left on YouTube or Apple

Be authentic, and really do your homework. Listen to recent episodes and, after you’ve finished listening, mention a specific takeaway to prove your genuine interest.

If you send an email saying I’m a big fan of the show, or I loved a particular episode, you’d better believe they’ll want to know which episode and why you liked it. To personalize your pitch effectively, mention specific episodes of the podcast that you enjoyed and explain why they resonated with you, demonstrating that you are familiar with the host's content.

Referencing a few episodes and sharing specific takeaways shows you’ve truly engaged with the podcast and helps your pitch stand out.

#4. Attach a one-sheet

You've probably got loads of relevant information you'd love to share with the host, but there's no way you can fit it into a 200-word email.

Don't even try.

Attach a one-sheet instead. It’s your one-page pitch, built from the same essentials as a strong podcast guest profile.

Think of your pitch email as an introduction—a taster. Personalize the heck out of it to catch the host's attention. If they're interested, they'll open the one-sheet to learn more.

That's where they'll find more info on your background, achievements and past guest appearances as well as links to your website, social channels and any relevant stats.

#5. Use the host’s name

I know. It seems obvious. But you’d be amazed how many guests don’t pitch their emails to an actual person.

• Dear podcast host
• Hey there
• To whom it may concern
• Hello team

Instead, use a personalized greeting like "Hey John"—addressing the host by name shows you’ve done your homework and makes your pitch feel more genuine. Personalization is key to standing out in a crowded inbox when pitching for a guest spot.

Podcast hosts loathe generic pitches and starting your email with any of the above sets their alarm bells ringing.

Podcasts are all about relationships, authenticity and connection. So make that your guiding light throughout the whole process, from your initial outreach right through to the recording and beyond.

#6. Tailor your  subject line

Your subject line is the first thing a host sees in their inbox. They’ll decide whether to open your pitch or not, based on that short sentence.

To grab attention, craft a subject line that is both personal and relevant to the host. Reference the host's description of their ideal guest to show you’ve done your homework and are a great fit for their audience.

#7. Use the right contact info

Again, it seems obvious! But, there’s no point in spending all this time writing your pitch if it doesn’t get to the right person in the right way.

So, double-check (or even triple-check) your information and make sure you are reaching out to an active podcast host who is currently producing episodes and engaging with guests.

The podcast’s website may have some guidance on how they like guests to pitch them. For example, they may have an online form to fill in, or ask you to DM them on a particular social media platform.

If not, then email is the best way to pitch. You might find the correct email address on their website, or you can get the contact info on Rephonic (you can even send your pitches from your own email address without leaving Rephonic!)

#8. Follow up

Just because a host hasn't answered your email doesn't mean they're not interested. They may have forgotten to reply or maybe missed seeing it altogether.

If you pitched via email and haven't heard back within a week, get in touch again and refer to your previous email. Forward it to them and say you're still keen on being a guest.

If you filled out an online form, they may have said they'll get back to you within a specific timeframe. In that case, only follow up with them after that time has passed.

If you're using Rephonic, you can automate follow-ups so you never forget to send that second email.

Final words

With these tips, you could see your pitch success rates soaring like those of Your Expert Guest, who credit Rephonic with helping them achieve an impressive 70% pitching success rate

Remember:

• Pitch podcasts whose audience aligns with your message
• Research thoroughly— and listen to several episodes before you start writing an email
• Personalize your email for the podcast and its host
• Don't write a novel—200 words + a one-sheet is plenty
• Proofread your email (twice) before you send it
• Follow up in a week (or after their stated timeline.)

Rephonic is a database of over three million shows with listener numbers, audience demographics, contact information and lots more.

Check out our free trial to book more podcast guest spots.

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.

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Your founder wants to be on podcasts. You've got a short list of shows you pulled together from a few Google searches, a budget that won't stretch to a PR agency, and no reliable way to tell which of those shows are worth the hours it takes to pitch them.

That's where most brand and PR teams start.

We built Rephonic to work on exactly this problem, and we track more than 3 million shows. Around 400,000 are active, and roughly 130,000 of those take guests. Most of the work is finding the small set whose listeners are the people you want to reach, then giving each host a reason to say yes.

TL;DR

• Podcast PR means earning guest spots and collaborations on the shows your buyers already listen to, through interviews and joint episodes rather than paid ads.
• Every episode adds a lasting page online, with show notes, a transcript and a link back to your site, which helps your SEO and gives AI answer engines text to cite.
• Only about 130,000 of the 3 million-plus podcasts out there take guests, and only a slice of those will fit any one brand.
• The work is a repeatable loop: set goals, build a targeted show list, personalize every pitch, and track your replies.
• Measure it over a quarter by pipeline, backlinks, reusable clips and mentions in AI answers.
• With the right tool a small in-house team can run a whole campaign, so you only need an agency for the few big shows that call for a warm intro.

What is podcast PR (and why it matters in 2026)

Podcast PR is the work of getting your brand, and the people who represent it, onto podcasts as a guest or a collaborator. In practice that usually means an interview: your founder or an expert from your team goes on as a guest. Sometimes it's a collaboration instead, like co-hosting a bonus episode or joining a panel. Either way you're invited on, and nobody is paying for the slot.

That's the line between podcast PR and podcast advertising. A guest spot puts you in the actual conversation, and the episode stays up and searchable for years. Podcast advertising is the paid version, where you buy an ad slot that runs only for as long as you keep paying.

What's changed recently is search. When someone asks ChatGPT to recommend software for a job your product does, or reads a Google AI Overview, those systems answer from text they've already crawled.

Podcast episodes now come with transcripts and show notes, so a guest spot can plant your brand in the kind of text those tools tend to pull from, without you writing a single blog post.

The audience side hasn't changed, and it's the reason any of this works. The buyers you're trying to reach find a lot of their new tools through the shows they already follow, and they trust a name that comes up on one.

Key benefits of podcast PR for brands

• People choose a podcast on purpose and stay with it, often half an hour or more with earbuds in and little else competing for their attention.
• When a host invites you on, their audience gives you some of the trust they already extend to the host.
• Most shows publish an episode page, show notes and often a transcript, usually with a link back to your site. You pick up backlinks, and your ideas land in text that AI answer engines can read when they decide who to cite.
• Episodes have a long tail. People keep finding a good one through search and the host's back catalog months after it airs.
• The main outlay is your time and prep, which is small next to an ad campaign or an agency retainer.

How podcast PR works

Good podcast PR follows a repeatable process. Run the same four steps for every campaign and you get steadier results and a show list you can sharpen each time.

Imagine you're running PR for a project-management app built for remote engineering teams. Your angle is that async work beats endless standups, and you've got the data to prove it. We'll follow that campaign through all four steps.

1. Define goals and what you have to offer

Start by writing down who you want to reach and why. Skip this and every later step gets fuzzier.

Answer these before you touch a show list:

• Who is your target audience? Be specific. "Engineering managers at 20 to 200-person startups" beats "people in tech." The tighter you draw this, the easier it gets to judge whether a show fits.
• What do you actually want out of it? Sales conversations, backlinks for SEO, brand awareness, a founder's personal profile, recruiting. These pull in different directions. A backlink campaign favors shows with strong episode pages. A sales campaign favors shows whose listeners can actually buy.
• What's your big idea? Hosts book guests who turn up with a point of view. For the project-management app, "async beats standups, and here's what we saw across 5,000 teams" is a hook. A host has heard "we have a great tool" a hundred times, and it does nothing for them.
• Collect your stories before you pitch. Hosts want specifics: a customer who halved their deploy time, a survey you ran, a milestone, a mistake you made and fixed. Keep a running doc of these. They become the substance of every interview and the reason a host remembers you.

2. Find the right podcasts with the right listeners

A brilliant pitch to a show full of the wrong listeners is wasted effort, so this is where to spend your time.

Build a list of shows whose listeners match the audience you defined in step one, and rank them by how good that match is. To do that, work from a handful of filters:

• Topic and keywords, so the show already covers your space.
• Recency, because a podcast that went quiet eight months ago is a dead end.
• Whether the show takes guests at all. Plenty don't.
• Audience data, to confirm the listeners match your target before you sink an hour into a pitch.

You can do this by hand across Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google, which is slow and leaves you guessing on audience and contact details. Or you can use a podcast database built for outreach, which is the job Rephonic was made for. More on that below. Either way, aim to come out of this step with a working list, say 60 to 150 shows for a real campaign, roughly ranked by fit.

3. Personalize and send your pitches

A pitch that could go to any show goes in the trash. Hosts spot a mass email in the first line, and they get a lot of them.

So tailor every pitch to the show in front of you. The topic you lead with should shift based on what that host covers and what their audience cares about.

For a show about engineering culture, lead with the human cost of standup meetings. For a show about startup ops, lead with the numbers. The brand and the big idea stay the same, you're just leading with the part of the story that fits this show.

Then show the host you've actually listened. Name a recent episode and say something real about it. A host can tell the difference between "love the show" and "your episode with Priya on on-call burnout stuck with me, because we'd just been through the same thing."

Keep the pitch short, around 200 words, with one clear ask: would they like you, or your founder, as a guest on this topic for their audience. If you've got more to say, attach a one-sheet rather than stuffing it into the email.

Then follow up. Most guest bookings come after a polite second email, not the first. If you've heard nothing in a week, reply to your original note and offer a fresh angle or a new data point. Send one follow-up like that, and if it's still quiet, leave it there, because a run of chase emails just puts hosts off.

4. Track your podcast outreach

Once you're pitching 60-plus shows, memory and a messy inbox stop working. You need to see, at a glance, who you've contacted, who replied, who's booked, and who's due a follow-up.

A simple spreadsheet does the job at small scale: columns for show, contact, date pitched, status and follow-up date. Across a team it falls apart fast, the moment two people are pitching and replies land in separate inboxes. That's when teams move to a shared workspace where the whole pipeline lives in one place. We've watched promising campaigns stall right here, when nobody could remember who'd already been pitched and the second email that would have booked the spot never went out.

How to prepare for a podcast appearance

How well you prepare decides whether a booked interview does anything for your brand, and it only takes an hour or two of work up front.

Before you record, run through a short checklist:

• Listen to two or three recent episodes so you know the host's style and how deep the show tends to go.
• Message the host to agree the topic and a rough set of questions. Most are happy to share them ahead of time.
• Pull together three or four stories with specifics, from the doc you started in step one. Numbers, names, a moment of tension and how it turned out.
• Sort your kit: a decent USB mic, headphones, a quiet room and a stable connection. Bad audio is the quickest way to get your best answers cut in the edit.
• Settle on the one place you want to send listeners, so you're not fumbling for it live.

When the recording starts, relax and treat it as a conversation with one curious person, because that's what it is.

Common interview mistakes to avoid

Four ways guests waste a good booking:

• Over-selling. Turn every answer into a pitch and you lose the room. Teach first. Listeners who come to trust you will look you up on their own, and the host will ask you back.
• Vague answers. "It depends" and "great question" fill airtime and say nothing. (We've all heard the guest who says "great question" three times and never quite answers one.) Come with concrete answers and real examples.
• Ignoring the show's past content. Repeat a topic the host covered last month, or get a basic fact about the show wrong, and you tell everyone listening that you didn't do the reading.
• No clear call to action. If you never say where listeners should go next, most will do nothing. Give them one easy step, a free tool or a specific page, instead of a scattered list of links.

Measuring the ROI of podcast PR

Podcast PR is harder to measure than a paid ad, and that scares some teams off. It shouldn't. You just have to measure the right things.

Downloads are the number everyone reaches for, and on their own they don't tell you much. What you want to know is whether the right people heard you and then did something. So track a mix of leading and lagging signals:

• Referral traffic and sign-ups from a tracked link or a promo code you give out on the episode.
• Branded search. Do more people google your name in the weeks after an episode drops?
• Backlinks earned from episode pages and show notes.
• Sales conversations that mention the show. Ask new leads how they heard about you.
• Mentions in AI answers. Appearing on the right shows can, over time, get your brand named when tools like ChatGPT field questions in your space. This one is slow, so give it a few months before you look for it.

Give it a quarter before you judge it. A single episode barely moves the numbers, so you want a few of them live before any trend means much.

What actually counts as a good placement

Not every booking is a win, and the biggest names are often not the ones that pay off.

What you want is a show whose listeners are people you could sell to, hosted by someone those listeners actually trust. The best ones also leave you something you keep afterwards, a backlink, a clip for social, or a quote for your site. A niche show pulling 1,500 downloads an episode, where nearly every listener could become a customer and the host is someone they trust, is exactly the kind of placement worth chasing, even though it will never top a chart. The 100,000-download generalist where you'd be the 46th guest of the year is the one to treat with caution, however good the number looks in a report.

How PR teams use Rephonic for podcast PR campaigns

Everything above is doable with a spreadsheet and a lot of manual work. A database built for outreach removes most of that grind, and that's the job we built Rephonic for. Here's how PR teams run the process on it.

It starts with discovery. Rephonic tracks more than 3 million shows, and you search by topic or keyword, then narrow with filters, 25 of them, to reach the shows that actually fit: active ones only, shows that take guests, listener numbers in your range, ratings and audience demographics.

Since only around 130,000 of those 3 million shows accept guests, searching Apple Podcasts by hand is roughly a 1 in 23 gamble on the basics alone. Filtering skips the dead ends.

Then you qualify. Each show has an Audience page with a listener profile: likely location, age range, professions, household income and gender skew.

You check that a show's listeners match your client before you write a word of the pitch. Get that wrong and you burn everyone's time pitching shows that were never going to convert.

Contact details come next. Rephonic surfaces email addresses, contact pages and social accounts on each show's page, so you skip the scavenger hunt across websites and LinkedIn. In one of our own tests, tracking down guest contact info for six shows by hand took 40 minutes. On Rephonic it took under five.

Then you pitch and follow up from your own email address, without leaving the platform. Templates give you a starting point, automated follow-ups stop the moment a host replies, and every message is logged. On a team, those pitches and replies sit in a shared workspace instead of scattered inboxes, so two people never pitch the same host and nothing slips through.

Example campaign workflow with Rephonic

Here's how a campaign might actually run, using the project-management app from earlier.

You start by setting a target: say a dozen or so booked interviews on shows that remote-engineering and startup-ops listeners actually follow. Then you build a longlist, filtering Rephonic down to active, guest-friendly shows in that niche, checking the audience data on each, and saving maybe 120 candidates. From there you cut hard, dropping anything off-audience or low-fit and ranking the rest until you have the 50 or 60 worth a proper pitch.

Cold pitches from a brand nobody knows yet convert in the low-to-mid teens at best, so to land a dozen interviews you have to start from well over a hundred shows and expect most to say no.

From there you work through the shortlist, sending tailored pitches in small batches with a single follow-up each, all tracked in one place. As interviews land you record them, then clip and cross-post each one the week it airs. After a couple of months you look back at what actually converted, keep pitching the kinds of shows that worked, and drop the ones that didn't.

Podcast PR tips, tactics and advanced strategies

Once the basics are running, a few habits get you more bookings and more reach from the same work.

Time your outreach to what's going on in the business. A launch, a funding round, an award, or a story in the news gives a host a reason to book you now rather than someday, so lead with that hook while it's fresh.

It also pays to treat hosts as long-term contacts rather than one-off targets. They're influential in their niche and they talk to each other, so following up after an episode, sharing it and dropping a useful comment on their next post tends to turn one booking into a couple more through a referral.

Then get more out of every episode once it airs. A 30 to 60-second vertical clip of your best moment does well on Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts and reaches people who would never sit through the full thing, so plan the clips and the cross-posting before you record. The other habit worth building is listening back to the audience. What listeners ask, and what hosts push back on, tells you how your positioning lands with real buyers, and it makes good raw material for your next pitch and your wider messaging.

One Rephonic-specific tip. Save a search for your niche so new shows come to you as they launch and old targets drop off your radar when they go quiet, which keeps your list current without a manual re-check every few weeks.

When (and when not) to hire a podcast PR agency

You can run all of this in-house, or you can pay a specialist agency to do it for you, and which one fits comes down to your situation.

Keeping it in-house works well when you have someone with a few hours a week to own outreach and a tool that handles the heavy lifting on discovery and tracking. It helps if your founder or your experts are comfortable on mic and will commit to prep. The payoff is that the host relationships, and everything you pick up along the way, stay inside the company. And when budget is tight, a tool costs a fraction of a retainer.

An agency is the better call when you need a lot of bookings fast and nobody in-house has the time to do it properly, or when it already has relationships with the shows you want and can open doors a cold pitch can't. If you'd rather have the whole thing off your plate and you have the budget for a monthly retainer, that's a fair trade too.

For most brands, though, the honest starting point is in-house. The work is learnable, and with a tool handling the repetitive parts you keep the host relationships and the know-how in the company. Bring in an agency once you hit a real ceiling on time, or when you're going after a few big shows where someone's existing relationship is what gets you through the door.

Final thoughts

Podcast PR is a slow build, and the brands that do well with it put the research first. They spend their hours finding the right shows and getting to know who listens, then let the pitching and the prep follow from there.

Stick with it for a few quarters and it starts to compound. A brand that keeps turning up on the shows its buyers actually listen to becomes a familiar name in the niche, the one that gets recommended when a buyer asks a peer, or asks an AI assistant, who they should be talking to. You don't get that from a burst of ads.

It only works if the show list is right. Pitch too wide, to shows whose listeners were never going to buy, and even strong interviews lead nowhere. Rephonic is the most complete podcast database for finding the right shows, checking who really listens, and running your whole outreach in one place. Ready to book more of the right podcasts?

Start your 7-day Rephonic trial and put your brand in front of the audiences that actually buy from you.

About the Author

James Potter started Rephonic in 2020 to answer a simple question: how many people actually listen to this podcast? The platform now estimates audiences for more than 3 million shows, and PR teams lean on those numbers to decide where a pitch is worth sending.

Do your podcast ads draw your target audience in or leave them out in the cold?

There's more to getting a perfect match with podcast advertising (aka podcast sponsorship) than you might think. As well as partnering with an appropriate show, the ad copy should resonate with the listeners. Otherwise, that podcast ad spend is a waste of money and time.

One of the best ways to learn is to study the masters. We've selected five top podcast advertisers who've mastered the art of designing ads to match a podcast and its audience.

Let's dive into their ad campaigns to see how they match their podcast advertising with each audience. We can't know how effective the ads were on each podcast, but our analysis show what we think worked based on how these factors interact:

• Niche
• Target audience
• Messaging

We'll learn from some of the most popular podcast sponsors and see how helps you discover great partners for your next podcast advertising campaign.

SimpliSafe

SimpliSafe is a leading home security company specializing in innovative monitoring and alarm systems designed to keep homes safe and secure. In April 2026, it ranked 14th on Magellan's list of top podcast advertisers by spend, highlighting its commitment to reaching engaged podcast audiences.

While its top genre for advertising was comedy, SimpliSafe's sponsorship strategy is notably diverse. Research by Rephonic in 2025 revealed that 27% of the episodes sponsored by SimpliSafe were within the True Crime category, making it their most heavily sponsored genre and positioning them as the brand most likely to invest in True Crime podcasts.

This alignment makes strategic sense, as True Crime listeners often value security and safety, creating a natural fit for SimpliSafe’s products.

Manscaped

Arguably one of the best podcast sponsors in its industry, Manscaped sells grooming products designed for men's "most delicate parts." Products include the "Weed Whacker"(shaver), the Crop Preserver (deodorant) and anti-chafing boxers, to name a few.

Their brand messaging is bold, humorous and high-end, featuring gold and black colors, and names like "The Perfect Package".

Host-read ad opportunities work particularly well when the podcast host injects their personality into the mix. In the Valentine's Day ad below, Nick Viall uses his tone of voice and well-timed pauses to sound humorous and natural.

Rephonic's podcast data indicates that The Viall Files' audience is highly engaged and skews female. The script speaks to that audience with lines like: "Valentine's Day's coming up and ladies if you're looking for the perfect gift for your man..."

The entire advertisement exudes authenticity and genuineness. One notable humorous yet relatable point is Nick's line, "instead of him having to use your razor or clippers - which they do!" Ali and Amanda chime in to support this statement, further enhancing the ad's humor and relatability. Nick's endorsement as a male offers validation, while his co-hosts provide a feminine perspective by emphasizing the convenience of purchasing the platinum bundle, which eliminates the hassle of decision-making.

Overall, the ad seamlessly connects with The Viall Files' engaged and predominantly female audience, making it both entertaining and relatable.

BetterHelp

Also one of the top podcast advertisers, BetterHelp is an online therapy platform dedicated to making professional therapy affordable and accessible. Consistently ranking among the highest advertisers by spend, BetterHelp connects individuals seeking support with a team of trained professionals ready to help navigate life’s challenges and foster personal growth.

According to Magellan AI, BetterHelp's most frequent advertising category in April 2026 was sports. Sports podcasts are particularly appealing to sponsors; in fact, Rephonic's 2025 research found that nine of the ten most-sponsored podcast categories are sports-related.

Notably, listeners of sports podcasts tend to be more receptive to podcast ads compared to print and radio, as reported by Podnews. This focus likely reflects BetterHelp’s strategic targeting of predominantly male audiences, with Rephonic’s data showing that nine sports categories skew heavily male, six skew moderately male, and one maintains an even gender split.

HelloFresh

HelloFresh is another one of the most well-known brands that advertise on podcasts. A meal kit delivery offering food boxes, recipes and meal plans, HelloFresh delivers straight to your door. The company calls its customers to "take the stress out of mealtime," reminding them that HelloFresh represents convenience, fun, togetherness, and developing good health through quality food.

Consider This episodes feature one daily news or culture story with the podcast's audience skewing male, according to Rephonic's data.

In keeping with the factual nature of news, this pre-recorded ad mentions surveys and stats: "According to a recent HelloFresh survey, 43% of people said they've ended relationships if their partner was a bad cook."

The fact reflects the formal nature of news but it has a sense of humor to it and the voiceover draws inspiration from text-to-audio AI features on social media that HelloFresh's target audience of millennials will be familiar with.

Listening to episodes should always be part of the drill when assessing the suitability of a podcast and producing an effective ad, so click the blue Listen button when viewing a podcast page on Rephonic to play recent episodes.

Shopify

Shopify is another leading podcast advertiser, with an impressive ad spend exceeding $5.2 million in April 2026. Using Rephonic, we can easily identify the diverse range of podcasts they sponsor, spanning from large audiences like The Diary Of A CEO to smaller, niche shows such as Entrepreneurs on Fire with just a few thousand listeners.

By navigating to the Sponsors tab and utilizing the search tool to enter the advertiser's name, you can discover which episodes feature Shopify’s sponsorships, listen to the ad reads, and view the calls-to-action.

Notably, many of these ads are host-read, which can often be more engaging and authentic. Leveraging Rephonic to find such host-read ad opportunities can significantly enhance your podcast advertising strategy.

Final thoughts

So... what have we discovered in our deep dive of some of the most popular podcast advertisers?

Niche, target audience and messaging are closely intertwined.

We've seen that it's important to think about the niche or topic. It doesn't always have to be the obvious ones—think BetterHelp and its sports podcast ads.

And it's vital to consider your customer demographics. Understanding demographics will help guide both the choice of podcasts and your ad messaging.

Will you choose programmatic ads for scalable ad delivery? Or baked-in ad slots? Will you choose host-read ads? Or will you supply them yourself?

Looking to advertise on podcasts?

Rephonic is used by podcast sponsors to find shows in your niche and filter by listener numbers, gender skew, social reach and lots more. You can listen to previous podcast episodes on the platform, get the show's contact info, and send pitches from your own email address without leaving Rephonic.

Get started with Rephonic for free.

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.

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It doesn't matter whether you're part of a professional podcast production team or an indie podcaster recording from a spare room, podcast awards can help shine a spotlight on your work.

Most awards are self-nominated, and almost all require an entry fee. They come in many shapes and sizes; some are giant industry affairs while others are run solely by volunteers. But every event aims to recognize brilliance, creativity and the passion that goes into making a great podcast.

Read on to discover our gigantic list of podcast awards.

Did you know: Many podcast production teams use Rephonic to research other podcasts, analyze what’s working in their niche and gather insights they can use to improve their own show. You can learn more here.

Podcast Industry Awards

The Ambies

Run by the Podcast Academy, The Ambies are all about celebrating excellence in podcasting and raising the status of podcasting in the audio industry.  They include two types of category: Show Recognition and Talent Recognition.

Submissions for entry: The 2026 submission period ran from 4th August to 17th October 2025, so watch out for the submissions window for next year's awards in August-October 2026.

Who can apply? Any ongoing podcast can enter, and any miniseries podcast can enter so long as they published at least 3 episodes in 2025. (English language shows only). “Published” means the date the episode was first made available for streaming or download to the public

Learn more

iHeartRadio Podcast Awards

In March each year, iHeartRadio recognises the best podcasts in the USA at a glitzy annual awards ceremony. The awards contain multiple categories including Podcast of the Year, Best Comedy, Best Crime Podcast, Best Fiction, Best Science Podcast and so on.

Can anyone apply? Shows are nominated by a judging panel (taking their iHeartRadio performance into account) and fans vote for their favorites.

Learn more

The Independent Podcasts Awards

These are back-to-our-roots awards, created to celebrate podcasters that are "truly free of corporate ties" i.e., no corporate support or celebrity hosts (although you can have high profile guests.)

Submissions for entry:

Closing date: Monday June 8, 2026

Awards Ceremony: November 4, 2026

Who can apply? Only podcasters based in the UK or Ireland can enter at the moment.

Learn more

Political Podcast Awards (UK)

Launched in 2025, the Political Podcast Awards bill themselves as the UK's first awards dedicated to political podcasts, saying:

“More people than ever are getting their news from political podcasts, and they play a vital role in shaping the news agenda and bringing untold stories to the fore.”

Submissions for entry: The 2026 awards were held in London on 28 January. Submissions for the 2027 awards are likely to open mid-2026, with the awards ceremony taking place towards the end of January 2027.

Who can apply? Podcasts covering politics and based in the UK and Northern Ireland. The International Podcast of the Year is open globally.

Learn more

Publisher Podcast Awards

These awards are “a celebration of the podcasting success of publishers and media organisations, whether they've been in the podcasting space a while, or have just launched.”

First awarded in 2024, the second awards took place in June this year and included the Publisher Podcast Hero of the Year, designed to celebrate “an individual who has gone above and beyond to demonstrate the value of podcasting to their organisation.”

Submissions for Entry: Entries for the 2026 awards will open in the (Northern Hemisphere) spring and the organizers suggest signing up for their newsletter to receive the latest information.

Learn more

Signal Awards

Signal says no matter how big or small your studio, the best podcasters are authentic, creative, open minds and change culture. They include four entry types: Shows, Limited Series, Individual Episodes and Branded Shows & Advertising and have many awards within each category.

Submissions for entry:

• Final Entry Deadline: June 26, 2026
• Extended Entry Deadline: July 31, 2026

To be eligible for the current season, the work must have been originally published after September 1, 2025, and be live and accessible upon entry.

Who can apply? Global entries encouraged. (NB they use Google Translate to translate non-English language submissions reviewed by an English-speaking judge.)

Learn more

Culture & Diversity

Black Podcasting Awards

These are the longest-running podcasting awards for the Black community. Podcasts must have a public RSS feed and be hosted or majority co-hosted by Black people. The awards offer 40+ categories.

In their own words: "Black means a person who identifies as such racially."

Submissions for entry:

BLACK POD AWARDS 2026 SEASON TIMELINE

• Applications open:  May 10, 2026
• Applications close: July 31, 2026
• Announcement of new nominees & Legends: August 15
• Awards ceremony: September 26

Who can apply? Black podcasts from anywhere can apply to enter so long as the shows are in English.

Learn more

Latin Podcast Awards

This competition recognizes and celebrates podcasts by, for or about the Latino community and are judged on content and quality by a panel of independent judges. This year marks the Awards' 10th Anniversary and in October they're hosting their first live awards ceremony in Florida.

Submissions for entry: Close mid June 2026

Who can apply? a global competition for members of the Latino community producing content in English, Spanish or bilingual formats.

Learn more

NAACP Image Awards

The NAACP exists to advocate for civil rights due to Black America. Their multicultural awards have a “tradition of excellence, uplifting values that inspire equality, justice, and progressive change, and highlighting artists committed to these values.”

They include Outstanding Podcast categories in News & Information, Society & Culture, Short Form Series, Lifestyle and Arts, Sports & Entertainment

The 2026 awards ceremony was held in Pasadena, California on February 28.

Submissions for the 2027 awards have not yet been announced, but based on previous years awards, are likely to open in August 2026 and close in November.

Learn more

Podcasts as a Category

American Writing Awards - Podcast of the Year

The AWA 2026  Podcast of the Year awards were created as a means to recognize excellence in independent podcasting.

This competition is held online and Submissions for the 2027 awards are now open with a new list of categories including Parenting, Technology, LGBTQ, Interviews, Fantasy & SciFi and more.

The 2026 awards were announced on February 27.

Submissions for entry:

• Registration Deadline: February 14, 2027
• Category Prizes and PODCAST OF THE YEAR AWARD announced: March 7, 2027

Who can apply? The award is international and open to all shows regardless of country of origin or language. (Transcribe or translate non-English speaking podcasts please.)

Learn more

Audio Production Awards

The APAs began as radio awards in 2010 and widened in 2016 to reflect its members' expanding audio production activities. They're now an annual fixture in the UK industry, with a high-profile awards ceremony held in London.

Submissions for entry: Dates have not yet been announced, but last year's submission dates ran from mid-June to mid-September, with the glitzy awards ceremony held at the end of November.

Who can apply? Anyone in the UK audio industry

Learn more

AVA Digital Awards

AVA Digitals reward excellence by creative professionals responsible for the planning, concept, direction, design, and production of digital communication. There are 227 categories, including two for podcasting in the Content Marketing category.

The 2026 awards were announced in February.

Submissions for entry: Typically entries open in November with a final submission deadline in mid-January.

Who can apply? Open to individuals, companies, and organizations involved in producing digital media for external or internal audiences.

Learn more

Audio Verse Awards

These celebrate the greatest in immersive audio fiction around the world, including podcasts. They're by and for the audio fiction community and decided by a public vote. The organizers suggest joining their mailing list to keep up to date.

Submissions for entry: Each year they open for entries in September and voting in October.

Who can apply? Any immersive fiction podcast that's exclusively audio and is discoverable.

Learn more

Content Marketing Awards

These are the largest and longest-running international content marketing awards and aim to recognize the best in strategy, content creation, visual  and audio storytelling. They include a category for Best Podcast/Audio Series

Submissions for entry: These closed at the end of May, 2026.

Who can apply? Anyone, but the show must have recorded episodes in 2025 to qualify for the 2026 award.

Learn more

Golden Globes: Best Podcast Category

In 2025, the Golden Globes announced that their 2026 awards would include a Best Podcast category to recognize “the extraordinary and diverse talents in podcasting.” The 84th Annual Golden Globes will be held in 2027.

Submissions for entry:

• Submissions website opens: June 1, 2026
• Submissions deadline: October 30, 2026
• Nominations Announced: December 7, 2026
• Presentations: January 10, 2027

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The Golden Mike Awards

Part of the Radio & Television News Assn of Southern California, the awards are now also open to independent podcast producers, content creators and streaming platforms in the US.

The 2026 contest covered work produced between 1 September 2024 and 3 October 2025, with finalists announced January 2026 and the awards ceremony held in March 2026.

Categories include Best Interview Podcast, Best Limited Series Podcast, and Best Open Topic Podcast.

Submissions for entry: Likely to open in fall, 2026.

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The Gracie Awards

The Gracie Awards, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM), celebrate programming by, for and about women.

The 2026 awards include several new podcast-related categories including Audio Podcast Host – Lifestyle, Audio Podcast Host – Educational, Audio Podcast Host – Sports, and a new Video Podcast (Digital Media) category, with the awards ceremony held in June, 2026.

Submissions for entry have not yet been announced but are likely to open from mid October 2026-mid January 2027.

Who can apply?

Judges are looking for outstanding programming or individual achievement by, for, or about women.

Podcasts from anywhere may apply. All entries must be submitted in English or include English subtitles or transcripts.

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New York Festivals Radio Awards

The New York Festivals Radio Awards honors the exceptional professional content across many channels, including podcasts and is judged by a panel of industry experts.

Single episodes or series must have aired in the previous 12 months.

The awards introduced a Video Podcast category for the 2026 competition.

Submissions for entry: Entries are self-nominated.

The 2026 competition is closed, and entries for the 2027 competition opened in September.

Who can apply? Podcasters from any country may enter, but you're asked to provide an English translation if your podcast's in another language.

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The Peabody Awards

The Peabodys were established to honor excellence in radio back in 1940. Now they cover outstanding digital and interactive storytelling in TV, streaming, internet, radio and podcasts. Podcasters can enter documentaries, entertainment, news, youth programming, public service or arts.

Submissions for entry: Submissions for the 86th annual Peabody Awards will open in October for all categories.

Who can apply? US and international English language podcasters

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Quill Podcast Awards

Running since 2021, this yearly digital awards ceremony celebrates the achievements of podcasters and podcast companies who've become leaders in their field, have a positive impact in the podcast industry and created outstanding content.

Submissions for entry: 2026 were announced on May 28. While the 2027 dates are yet to be announced, the 2026 submissions opened and closed in April, with voting open from April 30 - May 8.

Who can apply? These awards are free to enter and open to everyone. Podcasts must be active for at least 6 months to qualify. Best New Podcasts must have at least 6 episodes.

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The Shorty Awards

This international competition began in 2008 and honors the best work on digital and social platforms. It includes brands, agencies, non-profits, content creators and influencers and has a Podcast section with 11 categories including Branded Podcast, Comedy and Mini Series. The2026 winners were announced on May 19 in New York city.

Submissions for entry: The next Shorty Awards dates have not yet been announced, but this year's entries opened at the end of October (2025) and closed in January 2026, with a late deadline in February.

Who can apply? This is an international competition.

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The Stevies

The American Business Awards present the Stevies annually and added podcast categories in 2024 to recognize excellence in US podcasts. Major categories include Shows, Individual Episodes, Limited Series & Specials and Features.

Submissions for entry: Entries for The 2027 (25th Annual) American Business Awards® will be accepted starting October, 2026 through an entry kit

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Webby Awards

Established way back in 1996 the 'Webbys' have grown until now The New York Times calls them "the Internet's highest honor." They now honor excellence across eight media types including podcasts. There are two honors in every category—The Webby Award (judged) and The Webby People's Voice Award (awarded by the voting public.)

Submissions for entry:

This year's entries closed on February 6, 2026, with the Awards announced on May 26. Sign up for their newsletter to learn the dates submissions open in 2027.

Who can apply? Anyone. The 28th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from the US and 70 countries worldwide.

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Where in the world?

Asia Podcast Awards

Launched in 2023 by RadioInfo, these awards honor individuals, teams and organizations in media and marketing who create outstanding podcast content in Asia.

In 2025 they received hundreds of entries across 23 categories including Best Children's, Best Comedy, Best Factual podcast and Best International Podcast.

Submissions for entry:

Open: April 27, 2026

Winners announced: in Jakarta on September 3, 2026

Who can apply? Individual category awards are open to Asian and Pacific citizens or organisations. Entries from countries outside of Asia/Pacific (as defined above) are permitted to enter the Best International Podcast category, but should not enter any other category unless they have an individual or organisational address in Asia and publish from that country.

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Australian Audio Awards

These are new awards in 2026 and replace the Australia/NZ podcast awards.

They include 27 categories across Australian radio and podcasting landscape. Podcast categories included Best Branded Podcast, Best Children's Entertainment Podcast, Best Comedy, Best Crime, Best Journalism Podcast and more, aired between 1 July 2024 and 6 March 2026.

Submissions for entry: 2026 entries have closed, with the awards ceremony taking place in Sydney on May 28.

Who can apply? Podcast teams based in Australia or New Zealand with work actively conceived in those countries.

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Australian Podcast Awards

These celebrate Australian podcasts, with more than 20 categories up for grabs, including the Listener's Choice Award. Entries are self-nominated and judging is done by a panel of podcasting experts. They promise to " uncover and champion the best talent of the Australian podcasting industry. We welcome podcasts big and small to enter and look forward to another year of break-through podcasting content."

Submissions for entry: There isn't any information on when entry opens for the 2024 awards, but last year's Sydney ceremony was held in November. You can register your interest here to get more information when it becomes available.

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Belgian Podcast Awards

Belgian podcasting is growing fast and these awards aim to recognize new and existing talent, promote great podcasts and encourage listeners to try new shows. Founded in 2021 by Maarten Bovée (chairman of the independent judging channel) the 2024 awards promise to be the biggest and best yet.

Submissions for entry: The 2025 entry window has closed, with the awards ceremony held on 10th June.

Who can apply? They welcome a diverse range of podcast entries including brands, independent creators, comedians and more. People can register online to vote for The Listener's choice award.

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British Podcast Awards

Recognizing excellence, talent and originality in the booming podcast industry, the British podcast awards have been running for eight years and seek to reward both commercial podcasts and passion projects. Their broad categories include Genres, People & Teams, Editors' Choice and Listeners' Choice. The judging panel particularly looks for quality, impact and new perspectives.

Submissions for entry: This year's competition opened in early 2026. Entries received after May 1 incur a late fee.

Longlist announcement: July 2

Shortlist announcement: July 23

Awards ceremony: October 1, 2026

Who can apply? Podcasts and podcasters in Great Britain

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All Ireland Podcast Awards

The inaugural awards will be held on 13th November as part of the brand new Sound Waves summit in Adare, Ireland.

Submissions for entry: Are now closed

Learn more

Final Thoughts

You probably weren't thinking about winning awards when you started your show. Or, maybe you were - in which case, good on you because it means you were thinking about excellence right from the start.

But now you're up and running, why not enter a few competitions and see where that leads? You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain if your podcasting commitment and courage is recognized by your peers and/or the public.

Enjoy the process - if nothing else, it's a fantastic chance to analyze and review your show and really pay attention to your high quality work.

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.

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 Agencies & Networks Find Podcast Cross-Promo Partners

Looking to cross-promote a podcast you manage and grow its audience? Rephonic helps podcast agencies and networks find the right shows to partner with.

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.

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We've found 10 fascinating examples of entrepreneur podcasts for you to contact as a potential guest. Plus, for each show, we provide you with an insight from Rephonic that can help you decide whether it's worth pitching.

Listening to entrepreneur interview podcasts is an excellent way for new and experienced founders, creators and business owners to pick up valuable knowledge and hear inspiring stories from others on their own entrepreneurial journey.

At the same time, appearing on entrepreneur podcasts is a quick way for business leaders to share their expertise with aspiring entrepreneurs. Finally, appearing on podcasts for entrepreneurs is an excellent way to showcase your story and gain exposure for your own business or podcast.

1. Young and Profiting with Hala Taha

Hala Tala is the founder and CEO of YAP Media and "an expert on networking, marketing, social media, personal branding, side hustles, entrepreneurship and podcasting."

In the YAP podcast, Hala interviews entrepreneurial thought leaders and turns their inspiring stories into practical advice. Guests like Joey Zwillinger (AllBirds), Jaspreet Singh (a serial entrepreneur) and Gretchen Rubin (podcast host & author) discuss their successes, failures, insights and lessons learned.

Rephonic insight: start with an overview

Each podcast page opens with an overview, including essential info such as whether or not the podcast is active and key facts like the number of listeners per episode and if the podcast accepts guests and sponsors.

Episode data gives you an idea of the podcast's longevity, i.e., is it well established (as YAP is) or a new podcast with only a few episodes under its belt?

Likewise, you need to know if a podcast accepts guests. Again, it's possibly not worth pitching a host who only records solo episodes (unless you craft a persuasive pitch explaining why they should change their format and feature you as a special guest.)

2. The Side Hustle Show - Nick Loper

Nick Loper says he's learned a lot about side hustles, what works and what doesn't, by building multiple businesses and income streams. Interviewing hundreds of successful entrepreneurs on this 570+ episode podcast has probably helped, too.

"For me," says Nick, "hustle" is about taking back control of your own effort and your own financial health and well-being." So, the Side Hustle Show delivers "new business ideas, side hustle opportunities, and high-value content to help you make extra money and make the most of your time."

Rephonic insight: dive deep into audience demographics

One essential question for podcast guests should always be, "How does this podcast's audience match with mine?"

The more closely related they are, the more likely it is that listeners will be interested in and connect with your message. You can still work with podcasts with a less-aligned or broader audience than your dream customers, but your conversations and message would have a different focus to those where you're speaking to your ideal audience.

Research a podcast audience on Rephonic through the Audience tab. Here, you'll see an overall listener profile, followed by information we've gathered from episodes and public podcast data to show likely audience locations, professions, age range, income and education levels and more.

3. Earn Your Happy - Lori Harder

Lori Harder is an entrepreneur, author and founder of CPG wellness & beauty company Glōci.

In her podcast, Earn Your Happy, Lori alternates between short solo episodes and long form interviews with leading entrepreneurs, founders, authors and more. They cover wide-ranging topics from entrepreneurship, networking and personal branding to mindset, relationships, personal growth, building a fulfilling life and much more.

Rephonic insight: do the podcast's values, tone and style fit your brand?

Always research the topics the audience covers and listen to a few episodes to gauge the tone and style before reaching out to a podcast host.

We've removed the hassle of searching on a podcast app or finding it online with a list of recent topics and episode links in the Overview tab.

4. The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast

Dwayne Kerrigan has been in and around the business world for over 35 years and has owned nearly 30 businesses in 12 different industries so he’s got plenty of knowledge around the grittier aspects of business growth behind all the glitz and glamor of entrepreneurship.

In this podcast, Dwayne collaborates with overlooked but accomplished entrepreneurs. Together, they share insights into each entrepreneur’s personal journey, lessons learned, and strategies that keep them moving forward. The conversations often touch on resilience in the face of setbacks, leadership in building teams and companies, and innovation in business.

Rephonic insight: research previous guests

Another way to see if the podcast will suit your marketing strategies and goals as a podcast guest is to research former guests. What industries do they cover? Have your competitors guested on the show? Have you heard some of these people on the industry or niche podcasts you subscribe to? Are they thought leaders or successful people in your niche or an adjacent one?

To find out, open the podcast's People tab and scroll down to see the podcast host's profile and a list of recent guests. Each one includes an episode link, it's focus and relevance.

5. Real Talk with Zuby

Nzube Olisaebuka Udezue, aka Zuby, is a British rapper and creative entrepreneur.

'Real Talk with Zuby' features a diverse range of guests discussing society, culture, politics, health, and entrepreneurship. This diversity fosters rich conversations and allows for exploring multiple viewpoints, making it an appealing platform for guests aligned with themes of personal development, social critique, and ethical discussions.

Rephonic insight: who's advertising on this podcast?

Are you considering podcast advertising as part of your marketing strategies? Check out these experienced podcast advertisers to see how they structured their ads and why.

Researching other companies that have advertised on the podcast can help you see if it's a good fit for your business. For example, if your products, audience or industries fit with those of previous sponsors it could be a sign the podcast might fit your business too.

At the same time, enormous differences could show that this audience may not act on your message.

If you've never tried podcast advertising before, head to our beginner's guide to podcast advertising to learn more.

6. The Foundr Podcast - Nathan Chan

Nathan Chan knew nothing about startups, marketing or business strategy when he worked in a hated 9-5 job. So, when he launched Foundr Magazine, he went to the most successful entrepreneurs to ask ‘all the questions every founder needs to know.'

In this weekly podcast, Nathan asks well-known entrepreneurs (and some you’ve probably never heard of) about how they started, lessons learned and their best business strategies to help other aspiring entrepreneurs along their way, with an emphasis on execution through the right team, systems, and marketing, not just the idea. The show also reinforces that founders often need to just start and ship rather than wait for a perfect plan.

Rephonic insight: what do the charts say?

To save you searching around in each separate podcast chart, Rephonic lists a podcast's category rankings as they appear in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Chart rankings can help you decide whether a podcast is worth pitching. If a show ranks strongly in a category closely related to your business, it may be a good place to build credibility with a relevant audience. If it charts in countries where your ideal customers live, that’s another positive signal.

Chart rankings are especially useful when combined with Rephonic’s listener numbers, audience demographics and episode topics. A high chart position alone doesn’t guarantee the right fit, but it can help you spot podcasts with momentum and prioritize the ones most likely to support your guesting or advertising goals.

7. Wake Up to Wealth

Podcast host Brandon Brittingham is a seasoned real estate expert, entrepreneur and wealth-building guru.

In this show, he shares insights, strategies and stories and interviews a diverse range of guests to help listeners build knowledge and motivation to take action, stay resilient through setbacks, adapt to changing circumstances, and pursue long-term success in their financial goals.

Rephonic insight: what does the audience think?

Reviews and ratings can tell you what listeners genuinely value about a podcast. Are they tuning in for expert advice, entertaining conversations, personal stories, industry insights or the host’s interview style?

This matters when you’re deciding whether to pitch the host as a guest or advertise on the show. If reviews suggest listeners are highly engaged and trust the host’s recommendations, the podcast may be a stronger opportunity than its size alone suggests.

Reviews can also help you shape your pitch. Look for repeated themes in the feedback. If listeners love practical takeaways, pitch a topic with clear, actionable advice. If they respond to personal stories, lead with an experience that would make for a memorable interview.

For advertisers, listener reviews can help you judge whether the podcast has a loyal audience that may pay attention to sponsor messages. A show with enthusiastic reviews, strong audience fit and relevant topics is usually worth a closer look.

8. Acquiring Minds

Will Smith is an entrepreneur who has specialized in building online media brands. He's sold businesses before but has never tried buying one—until now!

"Recently I became curious about buying a business... I couldn’t find much information to guide me through the process of acquiring a business. Unlike start-a-business entrepreneurship, there are not countless channels and podcasts devoted to buy-a-business entrepreneurship. There are still fewer public stories about entrepreneurs who have taken the plunge to buy a business and done well — though I knew such successes are plentiful."

Smith started the Acquiring Minds podcast and YouTube channel to document his journey and share stories, insights, & valuable advice about acquisition entrepreneurship from entrepreneurs who have already been there and done it.

Rephonic insight: create a podcast guesting campaign and pitch podcast hosts

Rephonic helps you take control of your podcast guesting or advertising plans by bringing your entire podcast outreach workflow into one place.

Create and name a new campaign, then add podcasts from your search results. You can manage campaigns, send pitches, automate follow-ups, and collaborate on replies, all within Rephonic.

Check out all the features we designed to help your team move faster and collaborate more easily than ever before.

9. The Financial Independence Show

Author, entrepreneur and blogger Cody Berman first heard of passive income at 19 and was hooked on the idea. By the time he was 25, he'd achieved financial independence. Justin Taylor started his financial independence journey in 2015 and recently celebrated his second year of early retirement.

Together, they host the Financial Independence Show, which focuses on real stories of individuals as they journey towards financial independence. It covers topics like building wealth, entrepreneurship, investing, money mindset and much more.

Rephonic insight: use transcripts to research episodes

Podcast interviews get you in front of people who are likely already tuned into your message, with each new interview building your visibility and credibility.

Podcast transcripts are another tool to help you research the best podcasts for your particular product, idea or message. You can research keywords, check out other guests, see what others are saying on the same topic, spot content gaps and more.

Rephonic gets you to podcast episode transcripts from the Overview page in just two clicks (Tap More Episodes - scroll to the episode you want then open Transcript. That's it!)

10. The CEO Glow Show

'Where beauty entrepreneurship meets personal growth and spirituality.'

Podcast host Sheila Bella is a 7-figure beauty business coach and microblading mogul and aims this show at the beauty entrepreneur audience. Her guest speakers include industry experts and thought leaders and covers topics such as business and marketing, self-awareness, community building and integrating faith in entrepreneurship.

Rephonic insight: use our 3D graph to find similar podcasts

When you find a highly relevant podcast, you might want to see others in the same vein. Rephonic includes a Related section, which lists similar shows with a shared audience (according to Apple Podcast's "Listeners Also Subscribe To" connections) This can be a fast way to build a campaign of shows for further research.

You can see related podcasts as a list or view them on an interactive 3D graph. Tapping an icon reveals an information pop-up and links to the show's Rephonic page.

Final Thoughts

You could reach out to an entrepreneur podcast for many reasons. But if you're searching as a potential guest or sponsor or as a podcaster seeking cross-promotion opportunities, Rephonic can help.

These examples and images from our paid version show how Rephonic puts data, episode links, contact info and more right at your fingertips.

Find your dream podcasts with Rephonic.

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 as a Guest

You want podcast interviews that actually turn listeners into leads, or simply get your message in front of your target audience. But the trick isn’t blasting out as many pitches as you can...

Podcast Guesting Case Study: Ahrefs Vs Semrush

Using Rephonic, we discovered that Ahrefs has made 99 podcast guest appearances, compared to 117 for Semrush. We compare their approaches in this article.

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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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.

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