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April 18, 2026

Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to The Right

So Where Are We Going?

This newsletter contains affiliate links. Not all of them, but some of them. I earn a small commission, and it doesn’t cost you anything. I call that a win-win.

So the question of the month is “Are you more optimist or pessimist when you think about podcasting. What do you think is in store for the future of podcasting?

Answer at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question by the last Friday of the month.

Spotify the Walled Garden

We have Spotify allowing tons of free shows on a platform that has expressed frustration with RSS while also stating they love open RSS. The features they create ignore open specs and only work in their app. This results in them being known as “The Walled Garden.” My favorite is when they had a GIANT booth at an event that you needed an invite to go into (thus, and actual walled garden).

YouTube

We have YouTube launching a massive campaign on changing the definition of what a podcast is and borrowing the prestine reputation of podcasting like a Hollywood vampire. The biggest issue is this messes up our reports. Some of the reports are just stupid, “YouTube podcasts are blowing up on YouTube!” No kidding. Where else can you watch a YouTube video?

Insloption Point

You’ve got insloption point AI, oh wait, inception point AI now - on some days -creating more SHOWS (not episodes) than humans. This makes discovery harder as people have to step over the trash as soon as they step into the door of podcasting.

Douchebag of the Year

Then you’ve got assholes like Ibnul Jaif Farabi, who is making AI shows that are almost like another show so instead of “Dave Jackson Power Hour” it’s “Dave Jackson Power Hour Podcast.” When asked for comment by Podnews, he replied,

“F(-) you lot because you don’t like competitions. If your entire business model is being threatened by one person using AI agents, then you need to adapt. Otherwise, perish.” (Mom should be so proud).

To that I say if anyone wants to take this douchebag to court, I’ll be one of the first to chip into your go fundme. If you haven’t watched the documentary Inside the Manosphere, it is sad and shocking, and it’s time to talk to your young males and see who is influencing them. It is all about $$$ - morals be damned.

So It’s Up To us

We NEED our audiences to tell their friends about your shows. So make sure that you make it E Z to find and follow your show (Podpage makes a /follow page all you do is put in the links). It also helps if your show is amazing.

What is louder than two giant companies with an endless marketing budget who like to “bend the truth?” What can be louder than morally deficient companies flooding out space with valueless, time wasting shit? Word of mouth can be, but only if we circle the troops and assemble your army to fight back.

Trever Noah has a new comedy special on Netflix. It made me smile, but it also made me think. He mentioned how black people would go to “white only” places to eat, get verbally abused, physically abused and thrown out and return the next day to do it again. We all say, “Well, yeah, they had to so we have integration…”

We know that NOW because we know how it ended (hindsight is great). THEY DIDN’T. They didn’t, and yet they returned every day. We are living through history. When we look back five, maybe ten years from now, we will be proud of how we handled the new obstacles that podcasting faces?

The School of Podcasting now has a free tier. Click Here to check it out.

My Latest Content

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Feeding My Faith
I Don’t Care - I Do What I Want!


Every month I ask my audience a question for the School of Podcasting. Here is this month’s question:

I'm looking to hear how you feel about the future of podcasting. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of podcasting? Let us know why, and also be sure to tell us a little bit about your podcast and your website address. I need your answer by April 24th

Ready to Answer? Click Here

WordPress Back Doors

Dozens of WordPress plugins were secretly compromised this month. If your podcast website runs on WordPress, here's what to check to make sure you're safe.

More information

Also, FYI Podpage now has a WordPress migration.

Building a New Version of Podcasting Resources

I’ve had a directory of resources at podcastingresources.com but it’s on Wordpress, and to make a long story short, the updates, the cost, etc I wanted a different version.

So I found Easydirectory.com (aff) and I put THIS together. It’s not done (as of 4/17) but it was so much easier, and there some features I won’t use. It’s run by ONE guy, and he’s super transparent. There is a lifetime deal that I’m going to probably pull the trigger on. This could be a way to grow affiliate income, as well as potentially sell ads on the site.

A Nice Kick in the Pants - Spoiler Alert You’re Aging

So saw SuperPower on Facebook. The idea is for around $200 you get a ton of tests done to your blood. When you login to your account, you have a 3D version of you and you can click and learn what is in good shape, and what is not.

I found out that my perceived age is 20 years OLDER than I am. Look, I’m a diabetic, and I’m overweight, so I didn’t expect a glowing report, but it did help me to see how important it is that I do whatever I can to get my blood sugar down.

If you’re looking to see how your really doing, this is a way to do it. Now, of course they have supplements to help you get more healthy. That was just one of what seemed like quite a few upsells.

What’s Coming In The Future

In cleaning up my office it turns out I have quite the collection of wireless microphones so I’ll be doing a shootout as well as chiming in with the new information from Captivate about HLS video with Apple. Got a topic you want to hear on the School of Podcasting? I’m taking requests.


Need Help With Your Podcast?

Whether you’re just starting or a seasoned podcaster, the School of Podcasting can help. Helping podcasters is what I do, and I’ve been doing it since 2005

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If you start now, you’ll be in the right place to take over the world in January!

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