15 Ways to Help Your Favorite Podcasts
You love them, so why not show it?
Just like you, I have my favorite podcasts. There’s a good chance I’ve listened to every one of Criminal’s 107 episodes so far. I can’t even comprehend how many hours I’ve spent listening to episodes of The Art of Manliness, But Why, Darknet Diaries, and Beautiful/Anonymous.
We get so many hours of pleasure and value from our favorite shows, but it can be hard to find a way to show some love and appreciation back. Below, I’ve listed 15 ways to help out your favorite shows and more importantly, the people behind them.
Free
Tell Your Friends — Shouting about an episode on social media or sending a friend an email are great ways to share the love. But telling a friend isn’t as easy as you might think because a lot of people still don’t know what a podcast is. You may just have to grab your friend’s phone, download a podcast app, and then subscribe them to your favorite show.
Use the RadioPublic App — When you use the RadioPublic app to listen to a show that participates in the Paid Listens program, the show gets paid a small amount. You don’t have to do anything except use the app. It doesn’t get any easier than that! (Edit: This program ended on 11/30/2019)
Suggest Their Show on Reddit — People are always asking for something to listen to on the /podcasts subreddit. Take a few minutes to suggest good self help podcasts, a show about books, or your favorite episode on string theory.
Promote Their Show on Twitter — One of the things I’ve done in the past is review a show on iTunes, take a screenshot of the review, and tweet that out. That’s something the show can then easily retweet.
Recommend Their Show on Facebook — Podcasts We Listen To is a 20,000-member Facebook group “for listeners, by listeners.” Members are encouraged to talk about the shows they love.
Write a Blog Article — Write an article about the show on your website, or pitch a review or interview to a podcast publication. It doesn’t have to be a review — you could talk about something you’ve learned from an episode.
Vote For Them To Win an Award — Podcast awards are a thing. Discover Pods and the Audio Verse Awards allow listeners and fans to nominate shows and decide the winners. Make your vote count!
Write a Review and Rate Them on Apple Podcasts— How many times have you heard the host say at the end of an episode, “If you like us, please leave a review and rate us on Apple Podcasts?” The Chartbreakers episode from Darknet Diaries explains how the Apple charts have been manipulated and how little ratings and reviews help a show, but your feedback could still make a podcaster’s day.
Thank Them Via Email — Who doesn’t love hearing from fans?
Paid
Purchase Show Merchandise — Many shows sell stickers, t-shirts, mugs, books, and even Girl Scout buttons. I’ve also purchased more substantial options like video tutorials created by the host. And for the record, I wouldn’t be upset if you sent me a Criminal postcard.
Donate to the Show— A very common thing you’ll hear when a show is looking for support is to visit their Patreon page. Patreon and other crowdfunding services give podcasters the ability to accept donations on either a monthly basis or for each episode they produce. In return for your kind donation, you may get a reward like bonus episodes of your favorite show. It’s a win-win! Some podcast apps like Overcast are making it even easier to donate by including a donate button within the app that sends listeners to a podcast’s donation page.
Donate to the Show’s Radio Station — If you’re a fan of a certain public or community radio show, give their station some love. Give a one-time donation or become a member to support your favorite podcast and all the other programs on that station!
Tip Them Via the RadioPublic App — Through the RadioPublic tipping program, participating podcasters can accept one-time tips from their listeners all over the world. Tipping is currently limited to U.S.-based podcasters and it’s only available in the Android app, but iOS integration is coming soon.
Use Advertiser Codes — You may be tempted to fast forward through the ad break, but commercials actually provide a great opportunity to show some support. Most advertisements include a code to get a percentage off your purchase. Using ad codes shows advertisers that the ad is worth their money and encourages them to continue to pay the hosts for that ad spot.
Attend a Live Show — If you’re lucky, your favorite show will do a tour that will bring them to your city. If you’re really dedicated, you could take a trip to the podcast’s hometown to see them perform. I saw a taping of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me when I visited Chicago in 2009 that I’ll never forget.
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