The Podcaster's Guide to a Visible Voice

Just how legally protected is your show’s theme music, really? As a podcaster, chances are you have your dream theme music. A song that fits the vibe and topic to a T. If it’s a popular Top 40 song, you probably already know you can’t just use it for free. But what about random music you found on YouTube? Surely, you can pull just 12 to 30 seconds of that catchy tune—right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. In this episode, Mary chats with copyright lawyer Mike Anderson, who works with podcasters, musicians, and other creatives to make su...

What sort of podcasting traps do you fall into? When’s the last time you were scrambling as an episode date drew near? Maybe a rambling recording took hours to review, the next one was still sitting in that batch-edit stack, or you hadn’t even settled on a topic 24 hours before the scheduled drop. Podcasting is a lot of work—that’s no secret—but the right mindset can keep you feeling excited for your show, not stressed and resentful, and keep it from fading out.

Drawing from her own podcast missteps and numerous client experiences, Mary walks...

What if a bit of help could take your show from pipe dream to passion project? When you think about your reason for podcasting, maybe your mind jumps straight to listener and download numbers, guest appearances, and episodes in the bank. But even more is the “why” of creating your show in the first place. For Paul Rosenblum, the host of “The (Not Boring) Boring Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting Podcast”, the foundational reason is a desire to keep teaching the younger generation of business owners about accounting and all the other essential financial details that are so hard to find...

How do you weigh conference pros and cons when there are so many options? Industry events are happening constantly in this age of global connection, and podcasting is certainly no exception. But when budget, travel, and work and family responsibilities all factor into our available time, how do we narrow down which conferences are worth it?

Live events are exciting. Meeting in real life the people you’ve heard in your ears for so long is invigorating and comforting—so how do you possibly narrow it down? To help you curb the FOMO, Mary walks you through her...

How do I figure out if my show is still working for me? Summer is a great time to take a break and reflect on your podcast so far. When that reflection leads to questioning whether it's time to stop producing your show or go on hiatus, a lot of tough queries and existential dread can surface. In the final episode of the season, Mary guides you in a thought exercise to help clarify this decision for you.

Especially when you're working on a passion project—something that developed from a hobby or avocation—it can be diff...

Why is it so important for Asian Americans to keep loudly sharing their stories? Jerry Won launched Dear Asian Americans, an interview-style podcast, in 2020. He used this growing permissions-free platform to highlight the often overlooked and "unmarketable" stories of Americans from a vast range of backgrounds. Jerry's deliberate volume-based approach—producing 100 episodes in the first year—aimed to get as close to "sufficient coverage" of Asian American experiences as possible and led to cross-country work as a speaker and presenter.

It's impossible to tell every story, Jerry acknowledges in his conversation with Mary, since new ones are bein...

How do you decide which um's and er's to keep and which to cut? You probably grew up hearing that too many "um"s and "like"s when you speak means you aren't educated or eloquent enough. The truth is, these filler words have an important job to do in our speech and conversation: they contribute to emotional impact and authenticity, and generally don't detract from authority at all.

Despite the research supporting this, the past decade or so has seen a push by some podcasters and platforms to eradicate filler words from published episodes. Today, there...

What keeps you podcasting in the margins of your days? For Dave Campbell, the answer to this question is, "having nine regular shows, including one that puts out daily episodes." As a podcaster, you probably have other responsibilities—a full-time job, kids, the continuous task list of being an adult. But when building connection or, as Dave says, "collecting people" is your calling, your podcast is an uplifting and resonant platform for exploring your interests, learning from brilliant and engaging guests, and fine-tuning skills that will serve you on and off the mic.

Dave has published more th...

How important is it, really, to wear headphones when you record your show? These days, people immediately associate a person with a mic and headphones with podcasting. And yet, some hosts still push back against the idea—after all, their laptop speakers work just fine for video chats, right?

If Mary can convince you of anything this season, it will be to start wearing headphones when podcasting. In this episode, she acknowledges all the reasons you might be hesitant to pop on a pair before you hit record. But when you learn about echoes, feedback, voice monitoring, an...

What happens when your podcast topic gets super specific? The temptation to broaden your podcast subject matter, to capture a wide range of both guests and listeners, is understandable. But often, something magical happens when you narrow down your focus to the super-specific sub-sub-topic you're most passionate about: your fellow mega nerds find you and become your most loyal following.

Susan Thompson proves this point perfectly. For the last several years, she and her cohost, Holly, have produced "The Voices of the Ancestors", a podcast dedicated to an extremely niche topic: polyphonic folk songs of Georgia (the...

As a woman, should you consider adding video to your show? Video podcasting is on the rise. The trend is being driven by huge celebrity players and, most recently, Apple Podcasts, who released HLS video support in late March 2026. And while there are benefits to this evolution, there's also a lot to unpack if you're considering adding video to your show.

In this episode, Mary shares a deeply personal take on this shift, interspersed with her podcasting expertise. There are two sides to every coin: video raises the barrier to entry beyond simple audio recording, and it...

How many different hats do you wear as host and producer of your own podcast? If you actually wrote out everything you do for your podcast besides speaking into the microphone, the list would be extensive. Podcasters often get asked what it means to be a podcast producer. As Emma Krebs explains, that's because "producer" is an umbrella term that encompasses a ton of different roles.

Emma is a seasoned podcast and YouTube producer who currently produces celebrity doctor Mark Hyman's show. While she's lucky enough today to have a robust team and suite of tools at...

How do you draw in your listener, right from the very beginning? Don't lose your listener before you even have them. An overly lengthy, unintentional, or boring introduction at the top of an episode is a great way to do just that. Much like in radio and newspaper, the lede is your opportunity to seize and delight your audience, so it's important not to squander it.

Mary knows the pain of sitting through a dry, repetitive podcast intro. In this episode, she brings you the details you need to avoid that pitfall. There's a difference between show...

How are you creating impactful transcripts for your show? You've probably seen a bad podcast transcript. Maybe the creator was lazy in their transcription, maybe the AI was flummoxed by the proper nouns, punctuation, or audio labels—whatever the reason, such sub-par writing begs the question: is there even a point to having transcripts if they aren't very good?

That's one of the queries Mary poses to podcast producer and consultant Jess Schmidt. It turns out Jess isn't just an expert in the industry, she's also a font of historical transcript knowledge, thanks in part to her pa...

How do you make your podcasting hours really count? You know the feeling—you plan to sit down and record your episode, and before you know it, that day has completely gotten away from you. There's a plan to make, research to conduct, and stretch breaks to squeeze in. It usually takes longer than expected to record, and afterwards, there's editing, marketing, design…if you don't have a robust team behind you, it's one heck of a job!

Inspired by the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse, full of intense energy and rapid transformation, Mary welcomes 2026 with a ca...

When's the last time you replayed your old episodes and really listened? It's the end of another year of podcasting, and that means looking back on how far you've come and planning the next steps. Whether you're taking some time off for the holiday or plugging away between the eggnog and the family time, Mary has one non-negotiable for you: you need to start listening back to your old episodes—and not just at 2X speed.

For a medium that celebrates the voice, podcasters are way too lax about auditing their primary instrument. Yes, it's awkward, and ch...

What assumptions are holding you back from creating a more accessible show? If you knew more about your listener's accessibility needs, how would that change your show? Podcasting borrows so much of its policy and practice from more traditional forms of media, and while that's given us a great place to start, it's also slowed down innovation in this unique medium.

Meg Wilcox is a journalist and professor at Mount Royal University. Her research focuses on where podcasting could improve in terms of accessibility and ethics. In this episode, she shares how her experience producing an audio...

How can a solid structure make your podcast process easier? Your podcast starts with a great idea—a topic that fires you up, that you can passionately go on about at length. That's a great place to begin a show, but without some structure, producing episode after episode can become tedious and stressful. That's why Mary advocates for building a show map. Think of it as Google Maps directions that help guide both you and your listener on a journey that's just predictable enough to make it feel comfortable and familiar.

If the thought of "structure" makes yo...

How do you find the perfect podcast host to share airtime with? If a podcast is your passion project but you don't have a technical background, an audio-savvy partner could help make your dream a reality. That's what Darren Dukes, a Vancouver Island physiotherapist and running enthusiast, discovered when he convinced fellow runner and former radio broadcaster Jamie Weiss to be his co-host. Darren's vision and Jamie's recording prowess have resulted in a podcast that's drawing in avid runners and jogging-curious listeners alike.

Darren and Jamie chat with Mary about podcast partnerships, the importance of strong show...

What's the worst piece of feedback you've received about your podcast? We all have one—that cringe-inducing review or comment that fires up our impostor syndrome. The one that makes us question our hosting skills, our topic selection, and our whole show. And yet, feedback, even the negative kind, doesn't have to get you down.

In this episode, Mary takes on trolls and seasoned listeners alike to suggest a very different relationship between host and reviewer: one of thoughtful collaboration. Find out how to filter and process your feedback in a way that improves its production value an...

What are you afraid of when you're recording your podcast? Training your voice doesn't start with what comes out of your mouth—it starts with what's going on in your head. Mary learned this 25 years ago from her radio school instructors, Kat Stewart and Kevin Ribble. In this episode, her former teachers take the mic to talk about finding your charisma and confidence as a podcaster and the vocal impact of fear and judgment.

Kat and Kevin want to make the world a better place, one confident, impactful podcast host at a time. Their insights stem from de...

How do you make your personality shine through as soon as you hit record? The podcast world is always evolving—that's what happens when a baby industry grows up! For better or worse, audio-first media is changing constantly, and the latest shift involves Amazon's decision to shut down the Wondery podcast studio. This kicks off a move away from those shows heavy on the music, sound effects, and research, toward more personality-driven podcasts. Like yours!

This is great news, because that special kind of pod that people tune in to for the host (which recent research shows is...

How can reflecting on your podcast journey spark delight in your success? The process of podcasting is serious business. You have to be laser-focused on all the pieces of the spiral—from brainstorming topics to marketing the published episode to starting the next one—and sometimes the subject matter gets dark, especially in the daunting uncertainty of our modern world. But at the end of the day, if you don't enjoy what you're creating, the overwhelm that will come up eventually is going to keep you from coming back.

That's why Mary is dedicating her 100th episode (woo...

What differentiates Canadian podcasters from their American counterparts, eh? If you think about the first podcast that comes to mind, there's a pretty good chance it's American. That's because podcasting tends to feel—and in many ways actually is—pretty U.S.-centric. But that certainly doesn't mean there aren't a ton of fantastic, groundbreaking Canadian podcasters in the industry.

From the struggle to identify Canada-specific resources to the future of marketing metrics, join Mary for a must-listen episode for every podcaster seeking to set their show apart. Listen to fellow Canuck Kattie Laur as they dig into...

What kinds of questions do you ask your podcast guests? The most engaging podcast episodes—the ones that make for the best conversations and the best listening—are the ones that contain great stories. As the host, you're always aiming to draw all those details and deep disclosures from your guest. So why does getting the full picture sometimes feel like pulling teeth?

Mary recently taught her nine-year-old daughter how asking more specific questions will get her the answers she wants, and that conversation prompted this episode's exploration. An open-ended question—the kind that requires a more thorou...

How can curiosity and commitment to your listener drive your show's growth? From guest selection to generating advertising revenue, the process of running your own podcast is always challenging and fascinating, and it often calls on you to take big chances.

That's exactly what Chidinma Azubuike discovered when she started "But What Do I Know?" back in 2020. Her willingness to keep trying new tactics has paid off—all while working toward her primary goal of fostering a vibrant and thriving listener community. In this episode, Mary sits down with Chidinma to talk show prep, rebrands, and the di...

What does coming back strong from a podcast hiatus look like? In the day-to-day chaos of our lives—balancing work, family, personal time, household upkeep, etc, etc—it's perfectly understandable if it feels like a bit much to plan, record, publish, and market a podcast on top of that. If you're thinking about pressing pause on your show, or you already have, rest assured, you can take that step without derailing your past progress.

In this episode, Mary talks you through how to put your show on hiatus and set yourself up to return strong. Whether you plan...

How are you using or avoiding artificial intelligence in your podcast? AI is a shiny new offering with loads of possibilities, but a lot of people are also understandably threatened by its wide-reaching and ever-growing abilities. On today's episode, Mary connects with Amanda Cupido, an adjunct professor, TEDx speaker, podcast producer, and author of the book "Let's Talk Podcasting."

Amanda has her finger firmly on the pulse of all things new in the world of podcasts, and she shares her deeply researched insights on the pros and cons of welcoming generative AI into our shows—just how wi...

How can you take your guest episodes beyond a basic Q&A? When you think of a podcast, what comes to mind? If "a mic and two people talking" is your first thought, you're in good company, but in this episode, Mary encourages you to expand that definition. Your show is about so much more than the interview. That one-time guest isn't the person who keeps listeners coming back week after week—that's you! So, how can you use strategic guest selection to leverage the values, interests, and timing of both the host and the listener?

When yo...

What's the right way to go about being a guest on other podcasts? When's the last time you went on another show as a guest? As a podcast host, it's easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day requirements of running a podcast. After all, you're expected to find guests, record episodes, edit episodes, post everything online, and find fresh ways to get the word out.

Here's the good news: being a guest on other podcasts is an excellent way to market your own show. Need more convincing? In this episode, we spell out the benefits with...

Video has taken podcasting by storm, but how do you know if it's right for your show? As a podcaster, how are you interacting with and utilizing video? More and more, we're hearing about creators tacking on this visual element, and platforms like YouTube and Spotify are eagerly showcasing all the success stories of podcasters giving their audience a fresh way to consume content.

Sure, it's relatively easy and inexpensive to get your hands on video recording equipment these days, and it's straightforward to drop the final video into platforms like YouTube. But what about editing, and...

How do you know if social media is really worth it? Social media inundates almost every aspect of our lives these days, from communicating with friends to deciding what to listen to, watch, or buy—all the way down the line to actually listening to, watching, and buying it. So, of course, many podcast creators worry that leaving social media behind is an enormous marketing faux pas.

But what if it isn't? Amanda Laird is the marketing pro behind Slow and Steady Studio. She wields more than two decades of PR and management experience to help small bu...

What shifts in podcasting have you noticed in the last few months? In the first episode of 2025, Mary dives right into the changes we've seen in podcasting just since last fall. More and more hosts are leaning into partisan politics and using their shows to share their thoughts and concerns with a huge audience. This has further legitimized the industry, similar to when celebrities started to don the mantle of podcast host several years back.

This mainstream growth has a real impact on your show, even if you aren't interviewing Canada's Prime Minister or the Democratic presidential...

How are your values guiding your voice, schedule, and future plans for your show? The holiday season is upon us, and that makes this the final 2024 episode of The Podcaster's Guide to the Visible Voice! Throughout the year, Mary fields tons of questions about all things recording, speaking, and producing. So, here's a round-up of some of the impossible-to-Google questions most podcast creators ask at some point.

From embracing the volume of your voice to easy-to-implement recording hacks for guest episodes, wrap up your year and feel empowered to launch or continue your show in 2025 with these...

How can you make your podcast more accessible to people who are deaf and hard of hearing? It goes without saying that we don't know what we don't know. When it comes to how people with auditory differences—such as those who are deaf and hard of hearing—interact with our podcasts, the only way to learn how to do better and make those episodes more accessible is to ask. And that's exactly what this episode does.

Kellina Powell is an author and speaker who helps deaf and hard-of-hearing women express themselves with confidence in a hearing worl...

What could doing less look like for your podcast? Life is chaos these days. The hours often seem to fill up instantly with all the things on your plate, so don't feel bad if publishing podcast episodes start to slide to the bottom of your to-do list. Stumbling on the podcasting flow is totally normal—and totally fixable. The good news is that you can cut back on your workload and still release an impactful, exciting show.

Curbing the number of hours you spend prepping, recording, editing, publishing, and promoting doesn't have to result in lower-quality episodes. By...

What can you do to keep your voice in tip-top shape? As podcasters, we use our voices a lot. Chances are, that essential instrument of yours has temporarily abandoned you in the past. Whether the symptom stems from getting sick or from overuse, waking up to croaks, rasps, or silence is an awful feeling, especially if deadlines or interviews are looming. In this timely episode, Mary returns to the mic on the heels of her own voice loss to talk swollen vocal folds and slug tongue with Nic Redman, a vocal coach and voiceover artist who has spent almost 20...

How much do you prioritize your vocal health? Most of us, even if we work in the voice acting, podcasting, or broadcast industries, don't think too much about our voices. But remember: if you don't have a voice, you don't have a podcast!

In this episode, Mary breaks down what we can all do to take better care of our most important business asset. The solution can't be to never speak or raise your voice except while you work, but preemptive planning, some mind-body connection, and a little (or a lot of) self-love go a long way...

How do conversation skills make your podcast process more enjoyable? Even if we're lucky enough to "do what we love," work tends to have tedious aspects we don't like. Craig Constantine is a passion podcaster who, through the creation of thousands of episodes and rigorous reflection, has built a workflow that simplifies every step of his method, from prep to publication.

A consummate conversationalist, Craig's overarching goal is to use understanding and compassion to have exciting exchanges that inspire listeners to dive directly into meaningful dialogues. In this episode, he gets into the nitty-gritty of the personal...

How do you create clear and open communication with your podcast guest? Every podcast—and every episode, for that matter—has a lot of moving parts. As podcast hosts, we know that in order to stay organized, we need systems in place. But those systems should extend to more than your recording and editing tools, and how you publish your episode. You need systems in place for your guest interactions, too.

An unfortunate experience shared by a fellow podcast host prompts Mary to explore podcast etiquette and guest/host interactions. She outlines how to approach this important rela...