PodCraft by Alitu: Honing the Craft of Podcasting

Why Showing Up Long Enough Changes Everything [Classic]

Almost all the benefits of podcasting stem from one thing – and that’s consistency. If you publish quality content over a prolonged period of time, you eventually hit a critical mass of episodes you can now call your “back catalogue” – and it’s a powerful tool.On this episode of Podcraft, we’re going to look at the benefits of this published body of work, which includes the ability for new listeners to binge your content, as well as providing you with a tonne of repurposing options, too.Following up on our previous episode, From Doubt to Determination, we’ll also continue to explore the barriers and challenges our Indiepod Legends have faced, as well as how they’ve overcome them. It’s another value-packed programme filled with lessons, takeaways, and motivating anecdotes!The PodcastsBring Your Product Idea to LifeThe Joy of CruisingWild for ScotlandTravel N Sh!tBoard Game Design LabShe Well ReadFighting ThroughLush LifeThe One Percent Better RunnerThe Savvy Social PodcastThe Euro TripI Should Be WritingPodcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

How Much Do You *Really* Know About Podcasting? The End-of-Year Quiz

We test your podcasting knowledge in a series of quizzes and challenges. Along the way, we tackle industry stats, listener behaviour, gear trends, and a mix of real and not-so-real podcasts, while reflecting on the numbers and themes that shaped podcasting over the past year.Podcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

Protecting Your Creative Brain in the Age of AI

Are you using AI to sharpen your thinking, or quietly letting it replace it?Can podcasters and creators still work with AI without losing the slow, human thinking that makes ideas worth sharing? We talk about using AI as a sounding board rather than a generator, why “thinking walks” still matter, and how convenience can flatten creativity if you are not careful.There are practical lessons, too. We cover how to handle co-hosted interviews without talking over each other, what changed after a recent home studio move, including audio and lighting choices, and details of a new podcast launch challenge aimed at getting shows live in January.MentionedThe 2026 Podcast Launch Challenge7 Ways to Make Your Content Irresistibly Human in an AI AgeTour of Colin's Video Podcast SetupColin's Video Lighting (Affiliate Links)Neweer LED Panel LightsSoftbox AttachmentGrid AttachmentPhilips Hue Strip LightsPhilips Hue Go LightPodcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

Flat Downloads Don’t Always Mean Flat Growth. But They Might Hide a Bigger Problem

Imagine a podcaster who has been publishing for a couple of years. Every time they check their stats, the number is the same.They assume they have hit a plateau.So they spend more on marketing. They push harder on promotion. Nothing changes. The number stays flat.What that number does not show is what is happening underneath. New listeners are finding the show. At the same time, existing listeners are drifting away. Growth and churn are cancelling each other out.The show is moving. The metric makes it look stuck.In this episode, we're joined by Dan Misener from Bumper to unpack why download numbers can be misleading, and what better signals actually tell you how your podcast is performing. We also tackle churn head-on. If new listeners are finding your show but not sticking around, we look at what might be driving that drop off and what you can do to change it.The Bumper DashboardColin's tour of the Bumper Dashboard & Podcraft's analyticsHow to Calculate Your Podcast Listen TimeThe 2026 Podcast Launch ChallengePodcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host

Growth Tips for Stalling Audiences and Narrative Lessons for Non Fiction Podcasts

Fiction podcasts often hold listeners for longer than non-fiction shows. But what can non-fiction creators learn from this? We break down the simple storytelling tools that keep audiences hooked, including open loops, stronger intros, clearer arcs, and themed seasons. We also highlight some easy wins that improve retention, such as smoother transitions, cleaner audio, and titles that set clearer expectations.We then dive into a detailed review of a history and policy podcast and explore the lessons it offers for growth. Naming clarity, smarter show notes, and better use of a back catalogue all come up as high-impact opportunities. We also look at ways to reach more listeners through collaborations, community spaces, news-reactive episodes, and in-app promotion. The thread throughout is simple. Strengthen retention first, then build reach with structure, consistency, and relevance.MentionedPutting the Past to Work: The History-Policy Podcast at UCLAHow to Record the Perfect Podcast IntroApply to be Featured on Apple PodcastsThe SCALE Podcast Growth FrameworkThe Bumper Dashboard: The Future of Podcast AnalyticsPodcraft is brought to you by Alitu and The Podcast Host