I’m tired of podcasting. Not the act of making shows, but everything around it: the endless platform wars, monetisation debates, chart obsession, video demands, clip culture, SEO advice, and the constant pressure to “work harder on discoverability.”

In this episode of Into the Podverse, I unpack the quiet exhaustion many independent creators feel as podcasting has developed an uncomfortable class system. Celebrities can launch a show on Monday and outpace a four-year indie project by Tuesday. Platforms keep asking for more (video, clips, performance), while the original democratic promise of RSS and a simple microphone gets buried under content strategy.

But this isn’t just a rant. I also highlight a practical experiment worth following: Stephanie Fuccio’s Podcast Discovery Lab (via her Substack PodcastSteph). She’s testing whether richer, human-edited, SEO- and GEO-focused show notes can make existing episodes more discoverable, including by AI systems, without turning your catalogue into robot-speak.

Using the dormant podcast Geopats Abroad, she’s systematically improving older episode notes, documenting the process, and exploring how traditional podcast SEO, AI discovery, and generative engine optimisation intersect. The bigger lesson? Your back catalogue isn’t dead content. It’s often just poorly packaged for how people (and machines) search today.

I also share a simple, free workaround for adding searchable transcripts when your host doesn’t provide them: using Google NotebookLM + Google Docs’ “Publish to web” feature.

If you’ve ever felt the arms race of modern podcasting is exhausting the joy out of the medium, this episode is for you.

Key topics:

- The celebrity migration and the indie–famous divide

- Platform pressure vs ownership and RSS

- Why “anybody can start a podcast” no longer means equal visibility

- Podcast Discovery Lab & the case for treating show notes as a real asset

- A practical transcript workflow you can use today

Follow Stephanie’s ongoing experiments at PodcastSteph / Podcast Discovery Lab, and let me know if better packaging of what you’ve already made changes anything for your show.

Until next time, I’m Tony Doe, and I’ll see you somewhere in the Podverse.

Find the transcript here.

How do people actually find podcasts in 2026? In this episode of Into The Podverse, Tony Doe breaks down the shift from traditional apps and directories to Google, YouTube, social media, and AI search.

You’ll learn why podcast SEO is no longer just about ranking your show; it’s about making the knowledge inside your episodes discoverable. Tony covers searchable episode titles and descriptions, the power of transcripts and guest names, and how to target the real questions your audience is asking.

The episode also digs into YouTube podcast discovery, video podcasting, RSS feeds, hosting choices, and monetisation, including the key steps and risks of moving from one host to another.

Tony answers a practical question: Can you trust emails promising 30,000–50,000 monthly downloads? He explains what to ask about audience sources, organic reach, rankings, ratings, reviews, and download measurement before saying yes to any growth offer.

Plus a shout-out to Dave Jackson and the School of Podcasting for years of no-nonsense education.

Ideal for podcasters, producers, creators, and media professionals who want to grow their audience and stay ahead of the changing discovery landscape.

Useful links

- [RSS.com podcast import guide](https://rss.com/blog/how-to-import-your-podcast/)

- [RSS.com 301 redirect guide](https://rss.com/blog/301-redirects/)

- [RSS.com PAID / PayPal guide](https://rss.com/blog/paid/)

- [RSS.com PAID programme](https://rss.com/paid/)

- [Paga PayPal integration](https://support.paga.com/)

Transcript