Podtastic Audio: Crafting Compelling Content with Crystal Clear Audio for Indie Podcasters cover art

Podtastic Audio: Crafting Compelling Content with Crystal Clear Audio for Indie Podcasters

Podtastic Audio: Crafting Compelling Content with Crystal Clear Audio for Indie Podcasters

By: Chris Smith
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About this listen

 Welcome to Podtastic Audio, your go-to guide for crafting a professional podcast without breaking the bank. Join us as we demystify the world of podcasting, offering practical tips and budget-friendly tools to elevate your show's sound quality. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just starting out, we've got you covered with expert advice on recording, editing, and enhancing your podcast on a budget. Tune in for insightful discussions, interviews, and actionable insights to make your podcasting journey not only enjoyable but also cost-effective. Happy Podcasting!Chris Smith Art
Episodes
  • 210 | The Ugly Side of Podcasting (That No One Talks About)

    210 | The Ugly Side of Podcasting (That No One Talks About)
    Jul 14 2025
    If you're an indie podcaster who's ever felt completely drained, discouraged, or on the verge of giving up... you're not alone. In this brutally honest episode, I open up about the real-life challenges I've been facing—personally and creatively—and how podcasting has both helped and hurt along the way. From going through divorce, to ending The Kris and Kristine Show, to watching the numbers on this very podcast unexpectedly grow—this episode is raw, vulnerable, and 100% real. I'm not here to sugarcoat the podcasting journey. I'm here to talk about the parts no one tells you when you’re first setting up your mic and dreaming big: What happens when your co-host leaves... and it’s also your spouse.What it’s like to podcast while selling your house and dealing with life-altering burnout.How to keep creating even when it feels pointless.And why authenticity, not algorithms, is still your biggest advantage. 🎧 In This Episode, I Cover: The messy, emotional side of independent podcastingWhy downloads aren’t the only thing that matter (but still hurt when they’re low)The difference between being “seen” on TikTok vs. being heard on a podcastHow I built Podtastic Audio during the peak of The Kris and Kristine ShowReal, actionable tips to keep going when your motivation is at zero Whether you’re a solo podcaster, part of a co-hosted show, or just feeling like no one’s listening—this episode is for you. The Podtastic Playbook: How to Build, Grow, and Monetize Your Podcast Amazon Kindle Apple Books Barnes and NobleOther Bookstores Over 25,000 podcasters use Podpage! Create your own podcast website that looks great, runs smoothly, and is optimized for search engines. Get started today! Podpage Link Podgagement® (formerly “My Podcast Reviews”) is all about simplifying your podcasting and helping you engage your audience and grow your podcast! Podgagement Link Thanks so much for listening, I really appreciate it so much. Sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a moment. Podtastic Audio Newsletter Podtastic AudioTwitter XInstagramLInkedInThreadsBlue Sky 00:00 When Life Gets Messy… and You Still Hit Record 01:05 Why Audio Podcasting Still Matters 03:22 What People Think Podcasting Is 04:24 Starting The Kris and Kristine Show 06:17 Lockdown Interviews & Cleanfeed Lessons 08:03 The End of the Show—and the Relationship 09:44 Selling the House, Selling the Dream 11:00 Podtastic Audio’s Growth (and What It Means) 13:02 Indie Podcasting Realities: Burnout & Walls 14:15 Why Personality Beats AI and Trends 16:08 The Numbers Game: Podcasting vs. TikTok 18:13 Why Podcast Discovery Is So Much Harder 20:11 Authenticity and Consistency in a Noisy World 22:10 Tip 1: Short, Honest Episodes 23:07 Tip 2: Rerun Past Episodes with a Fresh Intro 24:13 Tip 3: Batch Record When You’re Feeling Good 25:02 Tip 4: Cut the Overproduction, Keep It Simple 26:34 Tip 5: Talk to One Person—Not an Audience 28:01 It's Okay to Pause (Even If You’re Not Done Yet) 30:04 Podcasting Isn’t Just for the Big Guys 30:26 🎵 Outro: “Podtastic Audio Anthem” #IndiePodcaster #PodcastingLife #PodcastBurnout #PodcastStruggles #PodcastTips #SoloPodcasting #PodcastAdvice #PodcastGrowth #AuthenticPodcasting #PodcastJourney #WhyPodcastingMatters #PodcastingThroughIt #PodcastMotivation #PodcastingWhileBurntOut #RealTalkPodcast #PodcastBreakup #PodcastingTruth #PodcastConsistency #PodcastingOverVideo #PodcastingReality #ContentCreationStruggles #PodcastingWithHeart #PodcastSupport #PodcastHelp #KeepPodcasting
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    34 mins
  • 209 | Can AI Be Your Podcast Co-Host? A Real Conversation with ChatGPT

    209 | Can AI Be Your Podcast Co-Host? A Real Conversation with ChatGPT
    Jul 7 2025
    Elevate your podcasting game with Riverside.fm's studio-quality recordings, lightning-fast editing, and enhanced streaming capabilities—try it today! Get 15% off with discount code Podtastic Riverside.Fm This week on Podtastic Audio, I took on a wild experiment: what if you didn’t have a human co-host… but an AI one instead? Yep, in this episode, I actually had a full-on conversation with ChatGPT to find out if AI could pull it off as a podcast partner. We cover a lot — from what a podcast even is (seriously, I told ChatGPT to pretend it didn’t know), to how indie podcasters like us can use AI tools to plan, edit, organize, and even improve our show’s workflow. You’ll hear what worked, what didn’t, and why I think AI still has a long way to go before it can totally replace that real human connection — but man, it’s getting close. 🤖 In This Episode: Can AI really host a podcast?My recorded conversation with ChatGPT (including a funny moment about AM radio) How to explain podcasting to someone who’s never heard oneSmart ways to use AI for show planning and content discoveryEditing tips for busy indie creatorsWhat to do when guests have bad audioInterview advice (especially for nervous or quiet guests)Audio vs. video podcasting: where should you focus? This was one of the most unique episodes I’ve ever made — and honestly, it made me think about the future of podcasting in a whole new way. If you’re a solo podcaster or just AI-curious, give this one a spin. 🎧 Want to try your own AI co-host experiment? Let me know how it goes — I’d love to hear about it! The Podtastic Playbook: How to Build, Grow, and Monetize Your Podcast Amazon Kindle Apple Books Barnes and NobleOther Bookstores Over 25,000 podcasters use Podpage! Create your own podcast website that looks great, runs smoothly, and is optimized for search engines. Get started today! Podpage Link Podgagement® (formerly “My Podcast Reviews”) is all about simplifying your podcasting and helping you engage your audience and grow your podcast! Podgagement Link Thanks so much for listening, I really appreciate it so much. Sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a moment. Podtastic Audio Newsletter Podtastic AudioTwitter XInstagramLInkedInThreadsBlue Sky 00:00 - Can AI Replace Your Co-Host? 00:25 - Welcome to Podtastic Audio 00:40 - Meet Chris, Your Host 00:58 - Why Riverside is a Game-Changer 01:46 - AI Tools Built into Riverside 02:56 - The Rise of AI Content 04:00 - Viral AI Videos and Talking Babies 05:05 - The Cost of AI Tools for Creators 06:00 - The Scroll-Stopping Power of Real Humans 07:03 - Talking to ChatGPT: The Experiment Begins 08:05 - What’s a Podcast? Explained to “Dad” 10:15 - You Could Start a Podcast Too 12:17 - Podcasting’s Global Flexibility 14:05 - Mac vs. PC for Podcasters 15:33 - Editing Challenges with AI Voices 16:44 - Phase 2: ChatGPT as Full-On Co-Host 17:55 - Using AI to Plan Podcast Episodes 19:11 - AI for Show Notes and Content Discovery 21:10 - Advice for First-Time Podcasters 22:33 - Editing Yourself vs. Hiring Help 24:30 - Batch Recording: Pros and Pitfalls 26:10 - Are You Rusty After a Break? 27:24 - Interview Tips for Indie Podcasters 28:44 - Dealing with Dry or Nervous Guests 31:10 - What If a Guest Has Bad Audio? 33:10 - Best AI Tools to Fix Audio 34:50 - How to Market Your Podcast 35:54 - What Does “Value” to Your Audience Really Mean? 36:26 - Video vs. Audio Podcasting 37:09 - Final Thoughts on AI Co-Hosts 38:19 - Recording Setup Using RODECaster Pro II 40:03 - Is ChatGPT 5 the Future of AI Podcasting? 41:18 - Connect with Chris + Final Sign-Off #PodcastingTips #IndiePodcaster #AIinPodcasting #ChatGPT #PodcastCoHost #AIContentCreation #PodcastTools #ContentWithAI #VoiceAI #PodcastEditing #SoloPodcasting #PodcastWorkflow #PodcastProduction #CreativePodcasting #PodcastAI #PodcastExperiment #AudioQualityMatters #PodcastStrategy #PodcastAdvice #PodcastGrowth #PodcastersOfInstagram #PodcastLife #FutureOfPodcasting #ChatGPTPodcast #PodtasticAudio
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    42 mins
  • 208 | Libsyn Says You Can Make Money Now – But Should You?

    208 | Libsyn Says You Can Make Money Now – But Should You?
    Jun 30 2025
    So, Libsyn just flipped the script on podcast monetization. No more minimum download requirements. That’s right — whether your show gets 5 downloads or 5,000, you can now run programmatic ads and make some money just for publishing your podcast. But here's the real question: just because you can… should you? In this episode of Podtastic Audio, we dig into what this change really means for indie podcasters. Is this the golden ticket to finally “getting paid,” or does it risk turning your passion project into a string of ads your listeners skip in 30 seconds flat? We’re talking: 🎯 What Libsyn’s new ad rules actually are (and what types of content still don’t qualify) 💵 How much money you realistically can expect to make as a small show 🤖 The pros and cons of running automatic ads vs. host-read spots 🎙️ Better ways to monetize — like affiliate links, listener tips, and actually selling something ❤️ Why podcasting for the love of it still matters more than CPMs or download stats If you’ve ever been asked “How much money do you make from your podcast?” — or wondered if you should be monetizing at all — this episode was made for you. And hey, if you’re already running Libsyn ads, I’d love to hear how it’s working out. Spoiler alert: it might only cover your hosting… but maybe that’s enough. The Podtastic Playbook: How to Build, Grow, and Monetize Your Podcast Amazon Kindle Apple Books Barnes and NobleOther Bookstores Over 25,000 podcasters use Podpage! Create your own podcast website that looks great, runs smoothly, and is optimized for search engines. Get started today! Podpage Link Podgagement® (formerly “My Podcast Reviews”) is all about simplifying your podcasting and helping you engage your audience and grow your podcast! Podgagement Link Thanks so much for listening, I really appreciate it so much. Sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a moment. Podtastic Audio Newsletter Podtastic AudioTwitter XInstagramLInkedInThreadsBlue Sky 00:00 - Libsyn Opens Ads to All Podcasters 00:24 - Welcome to Podtastic Audio 01:04 - Why Audio Podcasting Still Wins 01:40 - Apple Podcasts and Simplicity 03:07 - What is “Podcasting Classic”? 03:35 - Choosing a Podcast Media Host 04:43 - How Podcast Hosting Works 06:23 - Libsyn’s New Ad Policy: No More Minimums 07:29 - Can Any Show Really Make Money Now? 08:43 - My First Experience with Paid Ads 10:10 - Host-Read Ads vs. Programmatic Ads 11:11 - Why the 2,000 Download Rule is Gone 12:09 - Content That Still Doesn’t Qualify 13:38 - Realistic Earnings from Libsyn Ads 14:30 - Breaking Down CPM and Payout Math 15:46 - Monetizing Your Back Catalog 17:07 - Why Did Libsyn Change Their Policy? 18:29 - Advertisers and Micro Shows 19:13 - Libsyn’s Business Strategy 20:10 - Do Indie Podcasters *Need* to Monetize? 20:48 - The “How Much Do You Make?” Question 21:45 - Success Without Money or Downloads 22:14 - Why Fun Comes First in Podcasting 24:04 - Pros of Running Ads on Libsyn 26:17 - The Downsides of Programmatic Ads 28:17 - Losing Control of Your Content 28:37 - When Ads Ruin the Listener Experience 29:42 - Skipping Ads is Easy (and Common) 31:07 - Better Monetization: Host-Read Ads & Affiliates 32:20 - Patreon, Tips & Listener Support 33:28 - Selling Services or Coaching 34:41 - Don’t Turn Your Show into a Commercial 35:07 - Podcasting for Love, Not Just Money 36:02 - Audio Podcasting = Personal Connection 37:14 - Thinking About Running Libsyn Ads? 37:25 - Final Thanks & Outro 3 38:25 - “Podtastic Audio” Theme Song #Podcasting #IndiePodcast #PodcastCreator #PodcastTips #PodcastLife #PodcastMonetization #PodcastAds #PodcastRevenue #CPM #MakeMoneyPodcasting #Libsyn #PodcastHosting #PodcastTools #ProgrammaticAds #PodcastPlatforms #GrowYourPodcast #PodcastStrategy #PodcastMarketing #HostReadAds #PodcastSuccess
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    42 mins

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