PodCraft by Alitu: Honing the Craft of Podcasting

4 Simple Ways to Track Podcast Ad Performance

How do you know if your podcast sponsorships are actually driving results? Here are four practical ways to track listener engagement and show sponsors what’s really working. These tips make it easier to prove value, strengthen partnerships, and grow your show’s revenue!MentionedAlitu: The Podcast MakerGoogle Campaign URL Builder

The Creative Reset For Podcasters

If running your podcast has started to feel like a grind, you risk losing your creative spark. This week, I want to try something that'll help rekindle your enthusiasm for podcasting. The episode of Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

Building a Content Curation System, YouTube-First Podcasting, and Apple’s Improved Video

Have you ever noticed that a podcast you follow hasn't put out an episode in months, only to find they're still actively publishing on YouTube?In this episode, Colin’s away, so I’m joined by Jacob to unpack a shift we’re seeing more and more. Creators recording for YouTube and letting the audio feed fall away. Sometimes intentionally. Sometimes just because it feels easier.We talk about why this is not really an audio versus video debate. It’s a distribution debate. When you remove open RSS and rely on a single platform, you change how people can consume your show. You also risk cutting off your most loyal listeners, the ones who want to listen while walking, driving, or working, not sit and watch.From there, we dig into Apple’s latest move to support video more seriously inside Apple Podcasts. Instead of clunky separate feeds, Apple is rolling out HLS video streaming via hosting providers. We explore what that could mean for open podcasting, how it compares to Spotify’s walled garden approach, and whether pricing could become the real barrier for indie creators.We also talk about pull-based content systems for curating your podcast or newsletter.If information is infinite in 2026, curation becomes valuable. I share an idea for building a pull-based workflow that gathers relevant updates automatically, so you can filter and add your own perspective rather than spending hours manually searching. Jacob walks through practical ways to prototype this using AI projects and automation tools, without needing to code.The episode of Podcraft is sponsored by Beamly, and is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

The Advice We Needed When We Had 7 Listeners (Classic)

Our indiepod legends have given us many insights, tips, and words of advice this season. They're speaking from positions of authority and experience, but they didn't get there overnight. On the final episode of Season 20, we'll dig into what they wish they'd known before they started and ask about some mistakes they see new podcasters make.Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

How to Sell Audio-First Podcasts to Potential Sponsors in 2026

When does sponsorship make sense for audio-first indie podcasts? And why do so many creators struggle to sell it effectively? The issue is rarely a lack of potential sponsors. It is that audio is judged using metrics borrowed from feeds, views, and scroll-based platforms, where attention is shallow and easy to misread.Selling sponsorship on downloads alone almost always undersells an audio-first show. Podcasts are not built on impressions or interruption. They are built on intention, habit, and time spent. When you lead with attention, listening hours, and repeat behaviour, the value of audio becomes much clearer.On this episode, I also rethink the traditional podcast media kit. Static PDFs and rate cards flatten years of listening into a single snapshot. Live, updatable documents work better for audio-first shows because they allow you to explain listening behaviour properly and control the sequence of the conversation: fit first, then structure, then cost.Along the way, I explore why smaller, niche podcasts often outperform larger shows on trust and recall, why longevity is an underrated signal for sponsors, and how framing listening time in human terms can completely change how an audio-first show is perceived.Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host