Welcome to Podcast Insider!
June 30, 2025

Keeping Podcasting Independent: What It Really Means for Creators – PCI 448

Keeping Podcasting Independent: What It Really Means for Creators – PCI 448

At Blubrry, we love independent podcasting.

The heart of what makes podcasting so unique — independence. As corporate platforms grow louder in the space, it’s more important than ever for creators to understand how to retain control of their voice, content, and audience. From choosing the right tools and hosting partners to marketing yourself as a creator-owned brand, we explore what podcasting independence really means and how it benefits both your creativity and your business. Whether you’re just getting started or rethinking your podcasting path, this episode is packed with insights to help you stay true to your vision.

Today’s hosts: Mike Dell, Todd Cochrane, MacKenzie Bennett

1️⃣ Why Podcasting Independence Matters More Than Ever

Podcasting has always been a space where creators could own their voice and their audience. But as big media continues to move in, it’s important to understand what independence really looks like — and why it’s worth protecting.

Why it matters:

  • You control your content and message.
  • You own your brand and audience — no platform can lock you in or dictate your direction.
  • You decide how you monetize, whether that’s ads, premium content, listener support, or all of the above.
  • Independence builds trust — listeners value authenticity and transparency.

💡 Tip: If a service or platform limits where your podcast appears, who can access it, or how you can monetize, it may be undermining your independence.

2️⃣ Marketing Yourself as an Independent Voice

Being independent isn’t just about technical decisions — it’s also something you can use to stand out in a crowded podcast landscape.

How to do it:

  • Embrace transparency — tell your audience you’re an independent creator.
  • Use language like “creator-owned,” “listener-supported,” or “independent podcast” in your show notes, social media, and marketing materials.
  • Build a direct relationship with your listeners — through email newsletters, community groups, and your own website.
  • Share your story — why did you choose independence, and what does that mean for your content?

💡 Tip: Independent creators often have the strongest listener loyalty — lean into that and invite your audience to be part of your journey.

3️⃣ The Business Case for Independence

Choosing independence isn’t just about creative freedom — it’s also a smart business decision.

Why it makes sense:

  • You control your revenue streams — no forced ads or revenue splits unless you choose them.
  • You maintain flexibility — you can adapt as your podcast grows, without being locked into a platform’s terms.
  • You protect your brand — your podcast name, logo, and audience remain yours, not the property of a host or app.

💡 Tip: Diversify your income — host-read ads, dynamic ads, premium content, and direct support can all fit within an independent strategy.

4️⃣ Technical Choices That Support Independence

The technology behind your podcast plays a huge role in maintaining your independence. Make intentional choices about where and how you host your show.

How to do it:

Own your RSS feed — don’t let a platform control it. Blubrry ensures you can always take your feed with you.

  • Own your website — use a domain you control, ideally with a full site (Blubrry offers WordPress integrations to make this easy).
  • Host your media independently — not on a free platform that inserts ads or locks your content.
  • Own your analytics — use IAB-certified stats (like Blubrry provides) so you have a true picture of your audience, not a platform-filtered view.

💡 Tip: Be cautious of “free” hosting solutions — if you’re not paying with money, you may be paying with your content or audience access.


Thanks for listening to Podcast Insider, you can subscribe to new episodes out every Monday.

The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. General podcasting discussions and more can be shared on the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook group.

Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider


Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call with Todd or a tech checkup with Mike at todd@blubrry.com and mike@blubrry.com

Stay tuned for more episodes and visit our website for the latest updates and resources.

00:00 - Introduction to Independence in Podcasting

01:50 - The Importance of Creator Independence

03:45 - Monetization and Maintaining Control

05:20 - Building a Relationship with Your Audience

08:35 - The Definition of Independence in Podcasting

11:00 - Embracing Audience Loyalty

12:45 - Technical Choices for Independence

15:10 - Owning Your RSS Feed

17:20 - Final Thoughts on Independence

18:45 - Closing and Resources

1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,799
Everyone. I'm Mike Dell, VP of customer relations

2
00:00:02,799 --> 00:00:05,440
here at Blueberry. And I'm Todd Cochran, founder

3
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:06,019
of Blueberry.

4
00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:08,500
And I'm Mackenzie Bennett, marketing specialist.

5
00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:10,339
Welcome to Podcast Insider.

6
00:00:11,199 --> 00:00:13,359
And today, we're diving into a topic that's

7
00:00:13,359 --> 00:00:14,339
core to podcasting

8
00:00:15,255 --> 00:00:17,755
and to Blueberry's mission, keeping podcasting

9
00:00:18,135 --> 00:00:18,635
independent.

10
00:00:19,414 --> 00:00:22,155
And we're gonna explore why independence matters,

11
00:00:22,535 --> 00:00:25,015
what's at stake for creators today, and what

12
00:00:25,015 --> 00:00:26,714
technical and business decisions

13
00:00:27,175 --> 00:00:28,475
help you stay in control.

14
00:00:29,250 --> 00:00:31,089
And we'll also share how to market yourself

15
00:00:31,089 --> 00:00:33,250
as an independent voice in a space that's

16
00:00:33,250 --> 00:00:35,409
seeing more and more influence from big media

17
00:00:35,409 --> 00:00:35,909
companies.

18
00:00:37,490 --> 00:00:40,450
You're listening to Podcast Insider hosted by Mike

19
00:00:40,450 --> 00:00:43,685
Dell, Todd Cochran, and Mackenzie Bennett from the

20
00:00:43,685 --> 00:00:44,825
Blueberry team,

21
00:00:45,524 --> 00:00:48,884
bringing you weekly insights, advice, and insider tips

22
00:00:48,884 --> 00:00:52,005
and tricks to help you start, grow, and

23
00:00:52,005 --> 00:00:53,465
thrive through podcasting.

24
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,079
With all the support of your team here

25
00:00:56,079 --> 00:00:57,380
at Blueberry Podcasting,

26
00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:59,460
welcome. Let's dive in.

27
00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:01,600
You know, this is,

28
00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,319
a topic I've been thinking about a lot

29
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:04,819
lately,

30
00:01:05,439 --> 00:01:06,959
especially with the

31
00:01:07,575 --> 00:01:10,055
you know, everyone is just basically saying, oh,

32
00:01:10,055 --> 00:01:13,114
you have to do video. And the realization

33
00:01:13,415 --> 00:01:15,415
is that, no. You you don't have to

34
00:01:15,415 --> 00:01:16,635
do video. And

35
00:01:17,334 --> 00:01:20,314
I hear from our new clients and potential

36
00:01:20,375 --> 00:01:21,435
clients that,

37
00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,120
you know, they're concerned about this and, you

38
00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:25,560
know, think they have to put in a

39
00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:27,500
big production and be one of the

40
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,020
the big boys or girls. And, you know,

41
00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:32,060
and,

42
00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:34,840
you know but I in my response to

43
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:36,939
those podcasters is, you know,

44
00:01:37,634 --> 00:01:40,134
this this has always been a space where

45
00:01:40,994 --> 00:01:43,474
where creators can find their own voice and

46
00:01:43,474 --> 00:01:45,414
an audience and share their

47
00:01:45,795 --> 00:01:46,295
message.

48
00:01:46,914 --> 00:01:49,015
But what a lot of the big media,

49
00:01:50,030 --> 00:01:51,810
you know, narrative is

50
00:01:53,310 --> 00:01:55,150
that, you know, you just it's they're trying

51
00:01:55,150 --> 00:01:57,549
to change a narrative and it's and then

52
00:01:57,549 --> 00:01:59,870
in effect is, in my opinion, kind of

53
00:01:59,870 --> 00:02:00,370
suppressing

54
00:02:01,549 --> 00:02:04,274
some folks considering becoming a creator. So I

55
00:02:04,274 --> 00:02:04,994
think that,

56
00:02:06,194 --> 00:02:08,935
we need to make folks understand what independence

57
00:02:09,074 --> 00:02:10,215
really looks like

58
00:02:11,314 --> 00:02:11,814
and

59
00:02:12,194 --> 00:02:13,414
why it's worth protecting.

60
00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:15,020
And,

61
00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:16,780
you know, we've been on

62
00:02:17,319 --> 00:02:17,979
this bandwagon

63
00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,060
for twenty years now, so

64
00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:22,699
we can probably talk about a 100 things

65
00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,120
in this regard only. When the podcasting first

66
00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,875
started, it was, hey. There's no more gatekeepers.

67
00:02:29,175 --> 00:02:30,935
There's no more you know, you don't have

68
00:02:30,935 --> 00:02:34,055
to be with a radio or TV to

69
00:02:34,055 --> 00:02:37,115
get on you know, to broadcast your show,

70
00:02:37,175 --> 00:02:37,675
your

71
00:02:37,974 --> 00:02:39,355
thoughts, your whatever.

72
00:02:40,830 --> 00:02:43,310
And now they're trying to get it back

73
00:02:43,310 --> 00:02:44,530
to having gatekeepers,

74
00:02:44,909 --> 00:02:48,110
and that just isn't what podcasting is all

75
00:02:48,110 --> 00:02:50,430
about or at least in my opinion, it

76
00:02:50,430 --> 00:02:52,450
shouldn't be. You know, being independent

77
00:02:52,915 --> 00:02:55,235
lets you control what you say. You don't

78
00:02:55,235 --> 00:02:57,635
have to ask permission. You just do it.

79
00:02:57,635 --> 00:02:59,314
And if it takes off, it takes off.

80
00:02:59,314 --> 00:03:01,235
If it doesn't, it doesn't, but it's on

81
00:03:01,235 --> 00:03:03,474
you. It's your thing. It's you're not a

82
00:03:03,474 --> 00:03:07,280
broadcaster on Spotify. You're a podcaster that can

83
00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,840
also distribute to Spotify and all these other

84
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:11,759
places. And I think a lot of those

85
00:03:11,759 --> 00:03:12,259
platforms

86
00:03:12,799 --> 00:03:14,819
are people are very cognizant.

87
00:03:15,439 --> 00:03:17,599
They're very careful in what they say because

88
00:03:17,599 --> 00:03:20,294
of the, you know, the the moderation constraints.

89
00:03:20,294 --> 00:03:22,915
Constraints. And this is one of the beauties

90
00:03:22,935 --> 00:03:25,114
of podcasting is there's really no moderation constraints.

91
00:03:25,254 --> 00:03:27,495
Now, you know, this not very many shows

92
00:03:27,495 --> 00:03:29,194
have ever been deplatformed

93
00:03:29,574 --> 00:03:31,655
in the podcast sphere because they can't be

94
00:03:31,655 --> 00:03:33,750
because they go into some things we're gonna

95
00:03:33,750 --> 00:03:35,449
talk about here in a minute. But,

96
00:03:35,909 --> 00:03:38,469
again, I think it's important that you understand

97
00:03:38,469 --> 00:03:41,510
as a potential listener that, again, as Mike

98
00:03:41,510 --> 00:03:43,750
said, you control your content and message. My

99
00:03:43,750 --> 00:03:45,689
biggest thing is the way that you monetize

100
00:03:46,014 --> 00:03:47,775
Because when you are deciding how you're gonna

101
00:03:47,775 --> 00:03:50,254
monetize, whether that is, you know, with with

102
00:03:50,254 --> 00:03:52,414
traditional ads that we're used to hearing at

103
00:03:52,414 --> 00:03:55,375
this point, doing premium content that a select

104
00:03:55,375 --> 00:03:57,074
user group is paying for,

105
00:03:57,534 --> 00:03:58,834
asking for listener

106
00:03:59,134 --> 00:04:02,389
donated support or all of the above, Signing

107
00:04:02,449 --> 00:04:04,689
with specific companies will limit what you are

108
00:04:04,689 --> 00:04:07,569
allowed to say. That's just that's just how

109
00:04:07,569 --> 00:04:08,870
some advertising goes.

110
00:04:09,489 --> 00:04:11,810
You know, you're not gonna gel with every

111
00:04:11,810 --> 00:04:13,650
company out there that is looking to do

112
00:04:13,650 --> 00:04:16,745
an ad deal specifically with podcasting too. There's

113
00:04:16,805 --> 00:04:19,205
dozens of companies I wouldn't go near or

114
00:04:19,205 --> 00:04:19,705
touch,

115
00:04:20,084 --> 00:04:21,524
and there are companies that would do the

116
00:04:21,524 --> 00:04:22,964
same to me if I was putting out

117
00:04:22,964 --> 00:04:24,964
my own podcast with my own content. And

118
00:04:24,964 --> 00:04:26,665
that is one of the things that is

119
00:04:27,045 --> 00:04:29,509
solely your choice. And even if you are

120
00:04:29,509 --> 00:04:30,889
joining something like a network,

121
00:04:31,350 --> 00:04:33,370
that is also something that you are

122
00:04:34,069 --> 00:04:35,129
letting go.

123
00:04:35,750 --> 00:04:37,430
You can still be in control of it

124
00:04:37,430 --> 00:04:39,670
somewhat if that's unprivileged enough to be able

125
00:04:39,670 --> 00:04:41,670
to to negotiate in your own contract for

126
00:04:41,670 --> 00:04:43,430
your show. But if not, that is something

127
00:04:43,430 --> 00:04:45,404
that you were just acknowledging that this is

128
00:04:45,404 --> 00:04:47,425
gonna be different. You know, for me,

129
00:04:48,044 --> 00:04:49,745
having done this for so long,

130
00:04:50,444 --> 00:04:54,204
it's really truly about controlling my brand, controlling

131
00:04:54,204 --> 00:04:56,925
my not controlling, but building my audience on

132
00:04:56,925 --> 00:04:57,824
my own terms

133
00:04:58,379 --> 00:05:00,800
where no one can dictate to you the

134
00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:03,259
direction of the show, the content of the

135
00:05:03,259 --> 00:05:03,759
show.

136
00:05:04,139 --> 00:05:06,139
And I and I think that sometimes is

137
00:05:06,139 --> 00:05:07,040
often lost

138
00:05:08,139 --> 00:05:09,199
is that

139
00:05:10,060 --> 00:05:11,444
you you have have to be able to

140
00:05:11,444 --> 00:05:13,464
do that. If you're gonna put your creative

141
00:05:13,524 --> 00:05:15,544
effort, your blood, sweat, and tears

142
00:05:16,245 --> 00:05:17,064
into something,

143
00:05:17,685 --> 00:05:19,524
you know, you you wanna build your brand

144
00:05:19,524 --> 00:05:21,524
and you wanna build it your way and

145
00:05:21,524 --> 00:05:23,125
do it and do it as you so

146
00:05:23,125 --> 00:05:23,625
please.

147
00:05:24,149 --> 00:05:26,230
And I think that's the power of being

148
00:05:26,230 --> 00:05:29,449
independent, power of being a a true podcaster.

149
00:05:30,709 --> 00:05:33,129
And, you know, it goes a long ways

150
00:05:33,189 --> 00:05:34,649
when it comes to audience.

151
00:05:35,189 --> 00:05:38,264
They crave it. People wanna find independent creators,

152
00:05:38,964 --> 00:05:41,224
across all mediums at this point.

153
00:05:41,524 --> 00:05:42,664
And with podcasting,

154
00:05:43,365 --> 00:05:45,685
you know, that's something that they're absolutely used

155
00:05:45,685 --> 00:05:46,824
to and expecting

156
00:05:47,204 --> 00:05:49,044
that you might be an independent creator and

157
00:05:49,044 --> 00:05:50,485
not, you know, part of a news network.

158
00:05:50,485 --> 00:05:52,189
Because so often nowadays, it's

159
00:05:52,649 --> 00:05:53,870
these things are a monopoly,

160
00:05:54,170 --> 00:05:56,330
and there's the exact same rhetoric going from

161
00:05:56,330 --> 00:05:57,550
one thing to the other.

162
00:05:57,850 --> 00:06:00,990
So they are looking for something that is

163
00:06:01,050 --> 00:06:02,730
going to stand out to them. That is

164
00:06:02,730 --> 00:06:05,050
someone expressing and giving them, you know, what

165
00:06:05,050 --> 00:06:05,709
they want

166
00:06:06,170 --> 00:06:08,944
without just blending in. Yeah. I think listeners

167
00:06:08,944 --> 00:06:10,485
can detect when you're being

168
00:06:10,944 --> 00:06:11,764
non authentic

169
00:06:13,264 --> 00:06:14,805
and and not being transparent.

170
00:06:15,264 --> 00:06:17,524
I I think they can smell that a

171
00:06:17,824 --> 00:06:20,145
a mile away. So being able to be

172
00:06:20,145 --> 00:06:21,824
yourself and saying what you wanna say and

173
00:06:21,824 --> 00:06:23,040
how you wanna say it

174
00:06:23,439 --> 00:06:23,939
literally,

175
00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:26,899
I think that is

176
00:06:27,199 --> 00:06:28,740
the power of this medium.

177
00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,600
And I go back to stories about different

178
00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,500
organizations and stuff that started a podcast largely

179
00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:35,060
because

180
00:06:35,954 --> 00:06:38,435
their words were being manipulated, and they wanted

181
00:06:38,435 --> 00:06:39,894
to make sure they put out media

182
00:06:40,915 --> 00:06:43,475
so that they heard their voice and that

183
00:06:43,475 --> 00:06:45,014
their message couldn't be

184
00:06:45,314 --> 00:06:45,814
misconstrued.

185
00:06:46,274 --> 00:06:48,750
So it's not just individuals, it can be

186
00:06:49,149 --> 00:06:51,810
companies or organizations too that are trying to,

187
00:06:52,990 --> 00:06:54,430
to put it out there. Mike, if there's

188
00:06:54,430 --> 00:06:56,029
a tip you can give someone, what would

189
00:06:56,029 --> 00:06:57,170
be the tip would be?

190
00:06:58,589 --> 00:07:00,050
Just be, you know,

191
00:07:00,750 --> 00:07:03,250
if a place that you're gonna be podcasting

192
00:07:03,470 --> 00:07:04,209
from limits

193
00:07:04,995 --> 00:07:08,035
where your podcast can appear, who can access

194
00:07:08,035 --> 00:07:10,435
it, or how you can monetize it, it

195
00:07:10,435 --> 00:07:13,555
may be undermining your independence. If they have

196
00:07:13,555 --> 00:07:14,055
rules

197
00:07:14,915 --> 00:07:17,620
that go against what you wanna do, or

198
00:07:17,620 --> 00:07:19,060
you may not wanna be there. Now if

199
00:07:19,060 --> 00:07:20,819
they write a big enough check, you might

200
00:07:20,819 --> 00:07:22,439
want to. But I think,

201
00:07:23,220 --> 00:07:25,300
I, you know, I think being independent isn't

202
00:07:25,300 --> 00:07:26,360
just about the

203
00:07:26,819 --> 00:07:29,699
AKA technical decisions, you know, control your feed,

204
00:07:29,699 --> 00:07:31,479
control your brand, all this.

205
00:07:31,875 --> 00:07:33,475
It's also anything that,

206
00:07:34,675 --> 00:07:37,154
that's gonna allow you to stand out in

207
00:07:37,154 --> 00:07:37,735
a crowd.

208
00:07:38,194 --> 00:07:39,875
And there's a lot of podcasts out there,

209
00:07:39,875 --> 00:07:42,115
you know, probably around 400,000

210
00:07:42,115 --> 00:07:43,415
that are currently active.

211
00:07:44,330 --> 00:07:44,830
So,

212
00:07:45,449 --> 00:07:46,110
you know,

213
00:07:46,569 --> 00:07:48,750
you being that independent voice,

214
00:07:50,810 --> 00:07:52,750
again, it goes back to that transparency

215
00:07:53,129 --> 00:07:55,790
telling your audience you're an independent creator that,

216
00:07:55,850 --> 00:07:56,830
you know, you basically,

217
00:07:57,475 --> 00:07:59,394
even if you have a sponsor, you can

218
00:07:59,394 --> 00:08:01,475
even say how I am not my message

219
00:08:01,475 --> 00:08:04,295
is not controlled. And if it is controlled,

220
00:08:04,595 --> 00:08:06,754
make sure you divulge that. If your sponsor

221
00:08:06,754 --> 00:08:08,295
doesn't let you talk about

222
00:08:09,074 --> 00:08:11,154
someone else in your same category, then you

223
00:08:11,154 --> 00:08:13,439
say, hey. I'm kinda obligated not to talk

224
00:08:13,439 --> 00:08:14,879
about this. I'll let you guys make up

225
00:08:14,879 --> 00:08:17,279
your own mind on a specific topic that's

226
00:08:17,279 --> 00:08:18,879
come up for me even in my own

227
00:08:18,879 --> 00:08:21,300
show in the past where my sponsors

228
00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,560
well, someone on my sponsors team did something

229
00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:25,699
really dumb and,

230
00:08:26,035 --> 00:08:28,214
you know, I kinda had to address it.

231
00:08:28,514 --> 00:08:30,355
And I had to be you know, find

232
00:08:30,355 --> 00:08:33,715
that line, but, again, that transparency is super,

233
00:08:33,715 --> 00:08:34,615
super powerful.

234
00:08:35,154 --> 00:08:37,095
Yeah. It did just you know, being independent

235
00:08:37,235 --> 00:08:39,700
also helps you, you know, build a direct

236
00:08:39,759 --> 00:08:43,200
relationship with your listeners, viewers, whatever, if you're

237
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:44,019
doing video.

238
00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:47,920
And the beauty of that is that they

239
00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:48,660
know you.

240
00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:50,799
They don't need to know that you're on,

241
00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:53,920
ABC network, and I don't mean ABC the

242
00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:54,420
broadcaster,

243
00:08:55,095 --> 00:08:57,414
but, you know, just as a generic network

244
00:08:57,414 --> 00:09:00,615
or generic platform. I'm not speaking for say,

245
00:09:00,615 --> 00:09:03,195
you're on Spotify as your your platform.

246
00:09:03,975 --> 00:09:05,975
You know, you you don't speak for Spotify.

247
00:09:05,975 --> 00:09:07,894
You look at Joe Rogan. He was he's

248
00:09:07,894 --> 00:09:10,350
exclusive to to Spotify. I mean, now he's

249
00:09:10,350 --> 00:09:11,089
out there

250
00:09:11,470 --> 00:09:13,089
more open, which is good,

251
00:09:13,470 --> 00:09:15,070
and they don't mess with him as much

252
00:09:15,070 --> 00:09:17,570
as they would the the average person. But

253
00:09:17,709 --> 00:09:18,209
the

254
00:09:18,509 --> 00:09:19,309
the beauty of,

255
00:09:19,950 --> 00:09:22,669
of not being tied to one platform is

256
00:09:22,669 --> 00:09:24,404
you've got if you got something bad to

257
00:09:24,485 --> 00:09:26,965
say about a platform, well, you can say

258
00:09:26,965 --> 00:09:27,465
it.

259
00:09:27,925 --> 00:09:30,825
And, you know, but but keeping that relationship

260
00:09:30,965 --> 00:09:33,205
with your listeners directly helps. I I have

261
00:09:33,205 --> 00:09:35,045
listeners that have been listening to me for

262
00:09:35,045 --> 00:09:37,045
twenty years. I know them by name, you

263
00:09:37,045 --> 00:09:38,565
know, and sometimes I'll call them out on

264
00:09:38,565 --> 00:09:40,139
the show and say, what do you think

265
00:09:40,139 --> 00:09:41,799
of that, Wes? And, you know,

266
00:09:42,179 --> 00:09:44,179
I'll get an email back. And you you

267
00:09:44,179 --> 00:09:45,399
just can't get that

268
00:09:45,779 --> 00:09:48,600
if you're not truly independent. I think this

269
00:09:48,820 --> 00:09:50,980
this definition of independent needs to be a

270
00:09:50,980 --> 00:09:54,375
little more refined. I think independent means you

271
00:09:54,375 --> 00:09:56,535
are just not constrained by someone. You don't

272
00:09:56,535 --> 00:09:57,514
have to answer

273
00:09:58,455 --> 00:09:59,115
to someone.

274
00:09:59,575 --> 00:10:01,754
I would say Rogan has to answer someone.

275
00:10:02,215 --> 00:10:03,835
Yeah. So he's not independent.

276
00:10:04,695 --> 00:10:07,274
So if you don't have to answer someone,

277
00:10:07,495 --> 00:10:09,835
this show, we're really not

278
00:10:10,190 --> 00:10:12,110
independent because what do we answer to? We

279
00:10:12,110 --> 00:10:14,669
answer to the company, but we also are

280
00:10:14,669 --> 00:10:15,169
pretty

281
00:10:15,710 --> 00:10:17,629
free flowing in our thoughts and ideas on

282
00:10:17,629 --> 00:10:20,529
here too. Yeah. So as as an independent

283
00:10:20,750 --> 00:10:21,250
creator,

284
00:10:22,164 --> 00:10:23,764
you you got that real like you said,

285
00:10:23,764 --> 00:10:25,705
you have that ability to build a relationship,

286
00:10:28,245 --> 00:10:30,485
and I think using you know, there's lots

287
00:10:30,485 --> 00:10:32,664
of language you can define yourself by.

288
00:10:33,285 --> 00:10:33,785
Yeah.

289
00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:36,500
Yeah. So much of that relationship that you

290
00:10:36,500 --> 00:10:37,000
are

291
00:10:37,379 --> 00:10:39,000
setting and really

292
00:10:39,540 --> 00:10:42,019
defining is saying that you are independent, you

293
00:10:42,019 --> 00:10:43,160
are listener supported.

294
00:10:43,540 --> 00:10:46,355
That that go goes across the board. That's

295
00:10:46,355 --> 00:10:48,674
on your website. That's on your social media.

296
00:10:48,674 --> 00:10:50,194
That's on your show that's in your show

297
00:10:50,194 --> 00:10:51,794
notes. That's in the content that you were

298
00:10:51,794 --> 00:10:53,954
speaking out into the world. It's it goes

299
00:10:53,954 --> 00:10:56,694
into the newsletters that you're putting out. The,

300
00:10:56,834 --> 00:10:59,629
you know, the Reddit channels that you're in,

301
00:10:59,629 --> 00:11:00,850
all it's everything.

302
00:11:02,029 --> 00:11:03,870
And, you know, I go back to the

303
00:11:03,870 --> 00:11:07,230
early days and, you know, there really wasn't

304
00:11:07,230 --> 00:11:09,970
this everyone was pretty independent in the beginning.

305
00:11:11,004 --> 00:11:13,085
And why did why did they choose independence?

306
00:11:13,085 --> 00:11:15,325
It was pretty simple because we could for

307
00:11:15,325 --> 00:11:16,225
the first time.

308
00:11:16,605 --> 00:11:18,684
We didn't have to get on a radio

309
00:11:18,684 --> 00:11:21,404
station very easily. No. Or or you couldn't

310
00:11:21,404 --> 00:11:24,125
be distributed. That was the thing. That's that's

311
00:11:24,125 --> 00:11:25,745
what I mean. You know, you couldn't

312
00:11:26,659 --> 00:11:28,600
you couldn't get on a a network,

313
00:11:29,139 --> 00:11:31,559
a a radio network or even a radio

314
00:11:31,620 --> 00:11:33,860
station without, you know, going through a whole

315
00:11:33,860 --> 00:11:35,799
bunch of stuff, and there's lots of rules.

316
00:11:36,019 --> 00:11:38,339
And when podcasting first came out, like I

317
00:11:38,339 --> 00:11:39,159
said before,

318
00:11:39,705 --> 00:11:41,465
the big thing was you don't have to

319
00:11:41,465 --> 00:11:43,865
worry about the gatekeepers. You don't have to

320
00:11:43,865 --> 00:11:46,585
worry about the FCC rules. And there was

321
00:11:46,585 --> 00:11:48,665
a a saying that that we won't say

322
00:11:48,665 --> 00:11:50,205
here about the FCC.

323
00:11:50,904 --> 00:11:52,504
But I think That was a big thing

324
00:11:52,504 --> 00:11:54,639
in podcasting back then. But I also think

325
00:11:54,639 --> 00:11:56,419
that most of us had no desire

326
00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:57,779
to be on the radio.

327
00:11:58,399 --> 00:12:00,320
And but at the same time, if you

328
00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,639
wanted to be on the Xbox or you

329
00:12:02,639 --> 00:12:04,799
wanted to be on the sites of the

330
00:12:04,799 --> 00:12:05,299
day,

331
00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:08,419
there was a gatekeeper there. And, you

332
00:12:08,904 --> 00:12:10,745
know, I think independent creators often have the

333
00:12:10,745 --> 00:12:12,684
strongest listener loyalty too.

334
00:12:13,384 --> 00:12:15,784
So lean into that and invite your audience

335
00:12:15,784 --> 00:12:17,884
to be part of that that journey.

336
00:12:19,464 --> 00:12:20,764
There's also more reason

337
00:12:21,464 --> 00:12:22,445
to be independent

338
00:12:23,399 --> 00:12:25,959
as a business than just your own personal

339
00:12:25,959 --> 00:12:28,120
preference, maybe. You know, it it might be

340
00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:28,919
best for your

341
00:12:30,039 --> 00:12:31,879
for you as a whole, for your podcast

342
00:12:31,879 --> 00:12:34,519
as a whole, if you're doing this, because

343
00:12:34,519 --> 00:12:36,940
you're in control of your revenue streams

344
00:12:37,245 --> 00:12:39,904
and how you're functioning and structuring and

345
00:12:40,285 --> 00:12:41,585
and overall the brand.

346
00:12:42,044 --> 00:12:44,865
Yeah. No forced ads, no revenue splits,

347
00:12:45,644 --> 00:12:47,264
all that kinda goes into

348
00:12:48,445 --> 00:12:49,745
into that play.

349
00:12:50,169 --> 00:12:51,690
And You are the you are the one

350
00:12:51,690 --> 00:12:54,350
designating whatever is in that contract. Whatever,

351
00:12:54,809 --> 00:12:57,049
you know, legal stuff is happening, you are

352
00:12:57,049 --> 00:12:59,710
the force behind it. Yeah. And a 100

353
00:13:00,009 --> 00:13:02,090
Go ahead. And as, you know, as you

354
00:13:02,090 --> 00:13:03,850
as you grow or something, you know, you

355
00:13:03,850 --> 00:13:04,590
could always,

356
00:13:04,944 --> 00:13:07,125
you know, flip it around, do do something

357
00:13:07,184 --> 00:13:09,204
different. You maintain that flexibility

358
00:13:10,144 --> 00:13:11,284
if you're not under

359
00:13:11,664 --> 00:13:12,644
some contract,

360
00:13:14,225 --> 00:13:16,544
you know, and remaining independent. You've got that

361
00:13:16,704 --> 00:13:19,024
you know, I look at, Dave Ramsey. Okay?

362
00:13:19,549 --> 00:13:21,470
It's a big company. He's a big company,

363
00:13:21,470 --> 00:13:23,169
but he is an independent

364
00:13:23,549 --> 00:13:24,850
podcaster creator.

365
00:13:26,269 --> 00:13:30,189
He's not beholden to these big companies. Now

366
00:13:30,189 --> 00:13:32,269
he does have an ad sales team and

367
00:13:32,269 --> 00:13:34,189
all that stuff, but a lot of that's

368
00:13:34,189 --> 00:13:34,929
in house.

369
00:13:35,414 --> 00:13:37,334
And so you can get really big and

370
00:13:37,334 --> 00:13:38,475
still be independent.

371
00:13:39,014 --> 00:13:41,414
You know, he protects his brand. He protects

372
00:13:41,414 --> 00:13:42,634
his company's name,

373
00:13:43,095 --> 00:13:44,315
protects his IP,

374
00:13:45,014 --> 00:13:45,995
and his audience

375
00:13:46,375 --> 00:13:46,875
remains

376
00:13:47,575 --> 00:13:48,714
under his umbrella.

377
00:13:49,820 --> 00:13:51,980
And, you know, and Dave has actually added

378
00:13:51,980 --> 00:13:54,540
shows to his network, so those shows that

379
00:13:54,540 --> 00:13:55,040
grow

380
00:13:55,420 --> 00:13:57,500
may have to follow the rules of Dave

381
00:13:57,500 --> 00:13:58,000
Ramsey.

382
00:13:58,300 --> 00:13:59,759
Yeah. But They own.

383
00:14:00,700 --> 00:14:02,160
But at the same time,

384
00:14:02,745 --> 00:14:05,225
that's a choice they made. And I think

385
00:14:05,225 --> 00:14:05,965
for most

386
00:14:06,504 --> 00:14:07,884
businesses out there,

387
00:14:08,345 --> 00:14:09,565
you know, by default,

388
00:14:09,945 --> 00:14:12,664
you're largely gonna be independent unless you're doing

389
00:14:12,664 --> 00:14:13,164
a

390
00:14:13,544 --> 00:14:16,745
legal, finance, some sort of showing you join

391
00:14:16,745 --> 00:14:19,620
some network that has that type of content,

392
00:14:19,679 --> 00:14:21,539
then you may not be as

393
00:14:22,159 --> 00:14:24,000
as independent because you have to follow the

394
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,179
rules of whatever that network has set forth.

395
00:14:26,799 --> 00:14:29,039
And I think too there's the ability to

396
00:14:29,039 --> 00:14:29,539
diversify.

397
00:14:30,399 --> 00:14:32,355
You don't have to run ads. You can

398
00:14:32,355 --> 00:14:35,075
run ads. You can do premium content. You

399
00:14:35,075 --> 00:14:38,434
you really can do whatever you want. Value

400
00:14:38,434 --> 00:14:39,735
for value, you know.

401
00:14:40,514 --> 00:14:42,914
I'm treasure and talent, you know, that whole

402
00:14:42,914 --> 00:14:43,414
thing.

403
00:14:43,875 --> 00:14:45,495
One of the things that you can do

404
00:14:45,554 --> 00:14:48,009
by yourself as opposed to working for a

405
00:14:48,009 --> 00:14:50,509
network or a business or whatever the case,

406
00:14:50,889 --> 00:14:53,769
this allows you to be incredibly creative and

407
00:14:53,769 --> 00:14:55,929
try whatever it is that you want to

408
00:14:55,929 --> 00:14:56,429
monetize.

409
00:14:57,049 --> 00:14:59,209
It can be a little scary if you

410
00:14:59,209 --> 00:15:00,350
don't have that backup

411
00:15:00,985 --> 00:15:03,384
of, you know, whoever is finding this for

412
00:15:03,384 --> 00:15:05,865
you, finding ways to monetize, but it does

413
00:15:05,865 --> 00:15:08,024
mean that you are able to try whatever

414
00:15:08,024 --> 00:15:09,785
it is that you want. Some of the

415
00:15:09,785 --> 00:15:10,764
technical choices

416
00:15:11,225 --> 00:15:12,925
that, can support independence,

417
00:15:13,545 --> 00:15:15,884
and, you know, the technology behind your podcast

418
00:15:16,009 --> 00:15:18,350
plays a huge role in maintaining that independence.

419
00:15:19,049 --> 00:15:20,350
So you wanna make intentional

420
00:15:20,730 --> 00:15:23,929
choices about where and how you, host your

421
00:15:23,929 --> 00:15:24,429
show.

422
00:15:24,809 --> 00:15:26,330
And one of the big things here at

423
00:15:26,330 --> 00:15:29,745
Blueberry is owning your own RSS feed. You

424
00:15:29,745 --> 00:15:32,225
know, don't let a platform control it. Of

425
00:15:32,225 --> 00:15:34,225
course, here at Blueberry, we ensure that you

426
00:15:34,225 --> 00:15:34,884
can always

427
00:15:35,264 --> 00:15:37,105
take your feed with you. So that you

428
00:15:37,105 --> 00:15:39,365
know, that's one of the the biggest things.

429
00:15:39,504 --> 00:15:41,365
I just had one today where

430
00:15:42,370 --> 00:15:45,169
somebody was working with a consultant and, didn't

431
00:15:45,169 --> 00:15:46,769
own all her stuff. And,

432
00:15:47,329 --> 00:15:49,009
so there's a little bit of a fight

433
00:15:49,009 --> 00:15:50,069
going on there, and

434
00:15:50,370 --> 00:15:52,449
and you don't wanna get into that. Make

435
00:15:52,449 --> 00:15:54,449
sure you own the stuff. You you can

436
00:15:54,449 --> 00:15:55,909
hire people to help you, but

437
00:15:56,565 --> 00:15:59,605
you keep control of your RSS feed, your

438
00:15:59,605 --> 00:16:02,504
logins to the different accounts, and so on.

439
00:16:02,804 --> 00:16:04,325
At the same time, I think, you know,

440
00:16:04,325 --> 00:16:06,245
this you know, we've we've pushed this for

441
00:16:06,245 --> 00:16:08,024
years as, you know, having your own domain.

442
00:16:08,820 --> 00:16:09,300
And,

443
00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:12,100
that's ideally with a full site a full

444
00:16:12,100 --> 00:16:13,860
site that we offer, you know, either with

445
00:16:13,860 --> 00:16:15,960
the WordPress or or one of your own.

446
00:16:16,420 --> 00:16:18,420
So, you know, owning your website is super,

447
00:16:18,420 --> 00:16:21,080
super critical to having that origin of content.

448
00:16:21,779 --> 00:16:22,920
But, of course,

449
00:16:24,115 --> 00:16:25,735
you host your media independently,

450
00:16:26,434 --> 00:16:27,714
so you don't have to be on a

451
00:16:27,714 --> 00:16:30,195
platform that inserts ads or or locks your

452
00:16:30,195 --> 00:16:30,695
content.

453
00:16:31,154 --> 00:16:33,554
Hosts like Blueberry, it's your choice on what

454
00:16:33,554 --> 00:16:36,615
you what you participate in and do.

455
00:16:37,110 --> 00:16:39,269
So, you know, we're we're just kinda here

456
00:16:39,269 --> 00:16:41,269
to get that media up, get it hosted,

457
00:16:41,269 --> 00:16:42,409
get it delivered,

458
00:16:42,870 --> 00:16:44,870
but it's your decision then. Okay. Do I

459
00:16:44,870 --> 00:16:47,509
wanna run ads? Do I wanna run Go

460
00:16:47,509 --> 00:16:50,409
Premium? Do I wanna have, programmatic advertising?

461
00:16:51,195 --> 00:16:53,674
You know, we, we don't touch that audio

462
00:16:53,674 --> 00:16:55,134
file. You make that decision,

463
00:16:55,915 --> 00:16:56,415
independently.

464
00:16:57,274 --> 00:16:59,595
We stay a 100% out of your content

465
00:16:59,595 --> 00:17:01,134
unless you ask us to.

466
00:17:01,514 --> 00:17:02,154
And then,

467
00:17:02,795 --> 00:17:04,555
we don't touch your content, but we will

468
00:17:04,555 --> 00:17:06,095
analyze crap out of it.

469
00:17:06,509 --> 00:17:09,250
We will we have a lot of analytics

470
00:17:09,309 --> 00:17:12,109
going on, for your Blueberry stats that are

471
00:17:12,109 --> 00:17:14,609
gonna give you a actual real true picture

472
00:17:14,830 --> 00:17:15,730
of your audience.

473
00:17:16,430 --> 00:17:18,509
And I think one thing that's really important

474
00:17:18,509 --> 00:17:20,450
too of free hosting solutions,

475
00:17:21,045 --> 00:17:22,184
If you're not paying,

476
00:17:23,365 --> 00:17:25,305
you're basically probably the product,

477
00:17:25,684 --> 00:17:27,924
and you may be paying with your content

478
00:17:27,924 --> 00:17:30,884
or audience success. And as we see here

479
00:17:30,884 --> 00:17:31,625
every day,

480
00:17:32,085 --> 00:17:35,365
we graduate podcast into Blueberry that have been

481
00:17:35,365 --> 00:17:38,980
on platforms that either limited their success, limited

482
00:17:39,039 --> 00:17:40,259
the amount of analytics,

483
00:17:41,519 --> 00:17:44,500
limited their freedom to be more diversified.

484
00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:47,700
It just runs the full gamut of decisions.

485
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,940
So as we kinda wrap this independent

486
00:17:51,125 --> 00:17:53,524
discussion up of being an independent podcaster, which

487
00:17:53,524 --> 00:17:56,264
I feel in my personal shows I am,

488
00:17:57,044 --> 00:17:58,105
any last thoughts?

489
00:17:58,565 --> 00:18:02,264
Again, just be careful of who you partner

490
00:18:02,325 --> 00:18:02,825
with

491
00:18:03,365 --> 00:18:04,264
for your podcast.

492
00:18:05,125 --> 00:18:05,625
Just,

493
00:18:06,039 --> 00:18:08,380
you know, the the the more you control

494
00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,440
yourself. And, yes, it's a little more work.

495
00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,539
We do our best here to help

496
00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:14,759
you, you know, get through the technical stuff,

497
00:18:14,759 --> 00:18:16,519
and then you create the content. You get

498
00:18:16,519 --> 00:18:18,839
to choose what you wanna say, when you

499
00:18:18,839 --> 00:18:20,920
wanna say it, how often you wanna podcast,

500
00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,294
how long the episodes are. Everything about it

501
00:18:23,294 --> 00:18:24,035
is yours,

502
00:18:24,494 --> 00:18:26,174
and we stay out of your way. My

503
00:18:26,174 --> 00:18:28,755
last thing is there's really no podcast failure.

504
00:18:28,815 --> 00:18:30,255
You know, if you wanna start this up

505
00:18:30,255 --> 00:18:31,714
and remain a 100%

506
00:18:32,414 --> 00:18:34,575
independent and not move on to a big

507
00:18:34,575 --> 00:18:35,714
platform or network,

508
00:18:36,029 --> 00:18:38,590
then that is your choice, and there's there's

509
00:18:38,590 --> 00:18:40,590
really nothing that can go wrong. So that's

510
00:18:40,590 --> 00:18:42,910
a wrap on today's episode. I hope this

511
00:18:42,910 --> 00:18:45,070
gives you some practical ideas to keep your

512
00:18:45,070 --> 00:18:46,369
podcast truly

513
00:18:46,830 --> 00:18:47,330
independent.

514
00:18:48,045 --> 00:18:49,805
And we do want you to remember that

515
00:18:49,805 --> 00:18:52,684
independence isn't just about the technology itself, but

516
00:18:52,684 --> 00:18:54,525
it's about how you build your brand, your

517
00:18:54,525 --> 00:18:57,244
business, and the relationship that you have with

518
00:18:57,244 --> 00:18:57,904
your audiences.

519
00:18:58,285 --> 00:18:59,565
Yeah. Of course. We always have to put

520
00:18:59,565 --> 00:19:01,404
this in here. Don't forget to follow or

521
00:19:01,404 --> 00:19:01,680
subscribe

522
00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,519
Podcast Insider. Never miss anything that we put

523
00:19:05,519 --> 00:19:08,000
out here from the Blueberry team. We'll see

524
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:09,680
you next time. Go check us out at

525
00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,779
podcastinsider.com.

526
00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,605
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.

527
00:19:15,605 --> 00:19:19,125
And in the meantime, head to podcastinsider.com

528
00:19:19,125 --> 00:19:20,105
for more information,

529
00:19:20,484 --> 00:19:21,224
to subscribe,

530
00:19:22,085 --> 00:19:24,024
share, and read our show notes.

531
00:19:24,404 --> 00:19:26,424
To check out our latest suite of services

532
00:19:26,644 --> 00:19:29,277
and learn how Blueberry can help you leverage

533
00:19:29,277 --> 00:19:29,430
your

534
00:19:30,309 --> 00:19:32,890
podcast, visit blueberry.com.

535
00:19:32,950 --> 00:19:34,890
That's Blueberry without the e's.

536
00:19:35,190 --> 00:19:36,730
We couldn't afford the e's.