Podcast Listener Pet Peeves: What Bugs Us Most?

What are your podcast listeners?

Pet peeves.

Do you know?

In this episode, we're gonna try and find out.

We've all been there.

You hit play on a podcast, hoping for some interesting content, maybe some inspiration, and then, bam, something ruins it.

Whether it's terrible sound, a podcast host who thinks they're God's gift to podcasting, or a 12 minute monologue before they get to the bloody point, Y podcast pet peeves are real.

Now, the thing is, I've heard a lot of podcasters moaning about what they don't like, but what about the people who actually matter?

You know, the listeners, they're the ones that you need to keep coming back if you ever want to grow this thing beyond your nan and your dog.

So, while a lot of other podcasts talk about what podcasters find annoying about other podcasts, I decided to go to the horse's mouth directly.

Not that I'm calling your podcast listener a horse.

I put out a survey a few months ago asking actual strangers on the Internet what they found annoying about people's podcasts.

And the data I got back from the 300 respondents was fascinating.

So let's find out exactly what it is that makes people rage.

Quit a podcast.

And believe me, once you've understood the data, some of you may need to have a quiet word with yourself.

So here are the biggest podcast offenders.

According to actual podcast listeners.

Your audio is crap, mate.

It won't shock you to hear that.

Bad audio has been the number one complaint that I saw from respondents.

Listeners can forgive a lot, but sounding like you're podcasting from inside a tin can isn't one of the things they'll forgive.

Here are some of their biggest annoyances.

Background noise that makes it sound like you recorded in a Wetherspoons.

Volume levels all over the place.

One minute whispering, next minute shouting.

Echoes that make it seem like you're recording from the bottom of a well.

So if you're serious about podcasting, please do sort your sound out.

A half decent mic and a bit of basic audio editing isn't asking too much, is it?

Next, let's talk about rambling, waffling, and yes.

So listeners ain't here for your stream of consciousness therapy session.

The phrase get to the point came up quite a lot.

People want value.

Yeah, okay, it's a bit of a Gary Vee word, but it is true stories.

Or at least something that doesn't make them feel like they're stuck in a conversation they can't get out of.

A bonus moan for you filler Words like, you know, hate to tell you.

Those of you that like to preach authenticity.

And don't worry about editing, it's natural.

Sorry, they disagree.

You need to cut them out.

No one expects perfection, but if every sentence is 60% verbal clutter, they're going to switch you off.

Too many ads.

They get it.

You need money.

And look, we all love a bit of monetization here and there, but if your episode is mostly ads, people tend to bounce.

A couple of well placed, well integrated sponsorships, no problem at all.

But shoving in 10 minutes of buy this toothbrush please before you've even introduced your topic, that's really going to piss people off.

Oh, my God, another one.

Your intro is longer than the Lord of the Rings final scene.

Look, there's a special place in podcast hell for hosts who take forever to start the actual episode.

If your intro is longer than 60 seconds, it had better be worth it.

A catchy hook, a bit of personality, and boom.

Get straight into the good stuff.

No one wants to hear your full backstory of how you started the podcast every single week.

If you must go on about your backstory, do it as a separate episode so people have the opportunity to avoid it.

And believe me, they probably will.

Technical glitches that make it unlistenable.

You know, sudden volume drops, weird edits that cut off mid sentence, or interviews where you can only hear one person.

All of these things are going to have listeners hitting unfollow faster than you can say, wow, this was a test episode.

Don't judge.

So what is the fix to all this then?

How can you avoid these problems?

I'm glad you asked.

If you're a podcaster and don't want to be the reason someone rage deletes a show, here's what you need to do.

First and foremost, invest in decent audio.

Look, you don't need to get another mortgage on your house, but you do need a proper mic and a quiet space.

Plan your content.

Have a structure.

Even if it's loose.

Make sure you're actually delivering what they want.

Cut the waffle.

If you wouldn't say it in a normal conversation, maybe don't say it into a microphone at all.

Balance your ad load.

Yes, making money is nice and sometimes necessary, but your listener still comes first.

Otherwise you're not gonna have any.

Keep your intro tight.

You can be engaging and concise.

Seriously, it's possible.

And edit like you actually care.

Get rid of the glitches, the weird cuts and the awful transitions.

They're not charming.

And, um.

And so are not great content.

Whatever.

Someone on Podcast Movement's Facebook page keeps trying to tell people there's a reason this person is spending so much time on Facebook groups.

They don't have any real work.

Why?

Because they're crap at editing.

At the end of the day, a good podcast is one that respects the listener's outcomes and experience.

If you can nail that, you're already ahead of 90% of the rest.

So what are your biggest podcast pet peeves as a podcaster?

Do you agree with the listeners, or do you think listeners don't know what they're talking about?

Of course you do.

You're a podcaster.

You have ego.

Either way, let us know.

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And I look forward to talking to you on the next episode of the Podmaster.

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