Why Most Podcasts Fail (And How to Fix It)

Hey Friend!

When podcasts fail, others can’t glean from your experiences and be blessed by them. When podcasts fail, gifts and talents are being withheld from the world that needs what you have to offer! 

This is all to emphasize that your podcast is important! I believe God has positioned you to use your voice and what you’ve walked through to bless others.

You might be thinking, “But Stef! I just want to make $100 a month from my podcast.” Friends, He has so much more in store for you and your podcast! 

Let me tell you what I know for sure: most podcasts fail before they even get started.

Here’s a crazy statistic for you: 80% of podcasts fail. The 20% that are still standing are the ones that ultimately make money, grow, and glorify God. Podcasting is a long-form content method that’s sticky and sustainable. You must power through the hard parts so your podcast isn’t one of the 80%.

Follow the Trail Blazers

Have you ever considered that nothing incredible, fun, or life-changing would exist today if the visionary had quit when they first started? 

Take, for example, Thomas Edison and the lightbulb. He famously said, “I haven’t failed, I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.” He persisted, resulting in a revolutionary invention that transformed how we live and work today. 

Look up! Do you have a light bulb on overhead? Thanks, Tom, for not giving up.

What about Walt Disney and Disneyland? Disney faced numerous setbacks, including being told he lacked imagination. His first animation studio went bankrupt, but he persisted. Eventually, he went on to create an entertainment empire and Disneyland, which is one of today’s most highly sought-after destinations. 

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series faced twelve rejections before the first book was accepted. At the time, she was a single mother on government assistance, but she kept writing and revising to create an incredible series of books.  

Today, we’re discussing why most podcasts fail so you don’t have to be part of that 80%. Grab your notebooks and let’s go!

#1 Reason Why Most Podcasts Fail: They Lack a Clear Niche

The first reason why most podcasts fail is because they don’t have a targeted niche or audience. Let’s say you decide to start a podcast, so you show up and record something random. You find yourself talking about anything and everything, with no clear direction.

I’ve heard people describe themselves as multi-passionate, claiming they don’t want to be put in a box. Can you relate to this?

Listen, friends, we need to start with a niche (or better yet, a micro, micro niche) making you the biggest fish in the smallest pond. Once your podcast reaches 100,000 to 200,000 downloads, then you can broaden your topics.

I love telling my students I’m not putting them in a box forever. Just until people know they’re in the box, and then they can climb back out!  

What you need is a focused topic and person in mind as you’re creating this content. If we’re too broad, we fail to engage our audience, which makes the content feel irrelevant to them. 

For example, it’s like going from a Nutrition and Mom Life podcast to Healthy Eating for Kids Under Five. Do you see the difference? You can start honing in on that particular mom with a child of a certain age, within the area of nutrition. You’ll find that you grow so much faster doing it this way.  

#2 Reason Why Most Podcasts Fail: They Don’t Publish Regularly

The second reason podcasts fail is because they aren’t posting regularly, and regularity is key.

You will fail if you’re inconsistent. This isn’t a “feel good” method of business, it’s a long-form method. Long-form is sticky, sustainable, and successful, but there’s no influx of viral views or hundreds of comments there to pat you on the back. 

It’s quite the opposite. Consistent podcasting is you talking to a microphone, by yourself, repeatedly. It can feel pretty thankless at times. But I’m here to tell you that if you’re consistent, you have a greater chance of reaching your target audience, and here’s why:

• You increase audience interest and trust by publishing regularly
• You’re putting more out into the world:
  • More keywords
  • More market research
  • The chance at being discovered by your target audience

#3 Reason Why Most Podcasts Fail: They Have Bad Audio Quality

The third reason why podcasts fail is due to bad audio quality. I was guilty of this when I first started. I had a staticky microphone whose audio would go in and out while interviewing people, but I couldn’t justify spending a lot of money on a high-quality microphone. 

Now I know that high-quality audio is essential for having listeners return. You will deter people from listening to your podcast if your audio is inconsistent. Invest in a microphone from the get-go.

I started with a Blue Yeti and it provided great audio quality and lasted many years. I now use the Rode PodMic USB, which I love.

Think about how you can accomplish that crisp audio quality and refine it as you go. This will be essential in keeping people engaged in your podcast.  

#4 Reason Why Most Podcasts Fail: They’re Hard to Find

The fourth reason why most podcasts fail is because they aren’t found easily. 

You keep creating content but feel like no one likes what you have to say. Don’t worry, no one actually hates you! In fact, it’s probably not your fault! If you’re doing everything else I’ve mentioned above, the issue is probably your lack of branding and SEO. 

Most Podcasts Fail Due to Poor Branding

You need to have exceptional podcast art. Unless you are a graphic designer, please don’t try to go this alone!  Listen, if you wanted to have a best-selling book, wouldn’t you invest $50 to $100 on high-quality cover art? The same goes for podcasting, friends! 

This is not negotiable. Your podcast is your gift to the world and your ripple effect! I have 800+ podcast episodes in the world being found daily. There’s no way I’m going to allow my podcast art to be unprofessional. Sorry, not sorry! 

We live in a digital age and professionalism really matters if you want to be edified in your segment of the market. 

Most Podcasts Fail Due to Lack of SEO Strategy

Podcasting utilizes search engine optimization (SEO) in the form of keywords.

If you create a podcast called Nutrition for Moms of Littles, you’ll need to think about how your title is structured to be found. Nutrition is a great keyword. Your podcast titles may sound something like, “3 Tips to Get Kids to Eat More Greens.” or “30-Minute Meal Prep for Healthy Lunches.” 

Think about the most basic ways you can title episodes so you can be discovered online. The more you get found, the more your podcast will grow. The more your podcast grows, the less likely you will be to quit. 

#5 Reason Why Most Podcasts Fail: They Lose Motivation

The final reason why 80% of podcasts fail is something called Podfade. This means you stop producing episodes because you’ve lost motivation. The time and effort you put in don’t produce the results you were expecting.

There are a few important things to consider here.

You can podcast in less than 2 hours per week. So many people waste time in the editing phase. If you have a 15-minute episode, take 15 minutes to edit. Don’t let this bog you down. Saying “um” once in a while is fine, I promise! 

If you’re losing motivation, this might be a good time to reconnect with your “why.”

• Why did you decide to podcast in the first place?
• Do you need to invest in a course or program?
• Do you need to uplevel your branding? 
• Are you showing up consistently? 

If God has podcasting on your heart, it’s not an accident. Don’t give up, friends!

Those who stick with podcasting will experience a massive boom as we see this pendulum swing from visual to audio consumption. As a culture, we’re tired of distraction and overstimulation. I truly believe podcasting is here to stay. 

If you haven’t started a podcast yet (or if you have and you’re ready to uplevel), I have something special for you. 

A 5-day boot camp called The Profitable Podcast Bootcamp. This workshop will take you through 5 days of in-depth training on the following:

• How to optimize your show
• Setting up an offer that sells
• Scaling methodology
• And more!

Why Most Podcasts Fail: Final Thoughts

As you continue your podcasting journey, remember everything mentioned here today as a way to fail-proof your podcast.

Here’s a quick recap on why most podcasts fail:

• #1 They Lack a Clear Niche
• #2 They Don’t Publish Regularly
• #3 They Have Bad Audio Quality
• #4 They’re Hard to Find
• #5 They Lose Motivation

I pray this blesses you and motivates you to keep on keepin’ on!

See you in the Profitable Podcast Bootcamp!

APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE

LISTEN TO RELATED EPISODES:

Huge Podcasting Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Getting Started

LIVE COACHING: Clarify Your Podcast Name and Tagline (TSO) to Get More Traffic

This Is Why Your Business Isn’t Scaling

WATCH RELATED EPISODES:

The UGLY Truth About Starting a Podcast in 2025

QUIT Focusing On The Wrong Things! ONLY 4 Things You Need to Grow in 2025

2 Things That Will Explode Your Podcast Growth