AIRCHECK
Latest Episode
No. 147 — On the Craft of Listening
With guest Jad Abumrad
"The podcast about podcasting that doesn't waste your time."
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Episode 1 · Solo
Why We Started Recording in a Closet
The best mic is the one you already own.
Episode 4
What RSS Actually Does (And Why It Matters)
RSS is the plumbing nobody talks about until it breaks.
Episode 9 · Nadia Okonkwo
The Three-Act Structure You're Already Using
Every good episode has a turn. Find yours before you hit record.
Episode 14 · Marcus Reyes
Editing for Honesty, Not Perfection
Cut the "ums." Keep the silence. Silence is where trust lives.
Episode 19 · Priya Venkataraman
How to Book Guests Who Actually Show Up
A confirmation email is not a commitment. A calendar invite is.
First 1,000 Subscribers
Episode 12. We didn't notice until a listener emailed to say they'd told their entire podcast Slack about us. We recorded a bonus episode in the car on the way home from a coffee shop.
Episode 23
Show Notes Nobody Reads (And How to Fix That)
Write your show notes for search engines first, humans second.
Episode 31 · Tom Whitfield
Mic Technique for Non-Engineers
Six inches from the mic. Pop filter on. Breathe through your nose.
Episode 38
When Your Show Isn't Growing
Forty listeners who love you are worth more than four thousand who don't care.
Episode 44 · Isabelle Fontaine
The Cold Open That Hooks
You have thirty seconds before they swipe. Use them like you mean it.
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Every week: timestamped highlights, guest links, and one behind-the-scenes production note you won't find in the episode. No noise. Just craft.
Episode 51 · Devon Castellano
Sponsorship Math: What Your Show Is Actually Worth
CPM is a starting point. Engagement rate is the real number.
Episode 57 · Sarah Obi
Network vs. Independent: The Real Trade-offs
A network deal is not a rescue. It's a partnership with obligations on both sides.
Episode 63
Dynamic Ad Insertion: Pros, Cons, and the Fine Print
DAI pays more per impression. It also makes your backcatalog feel like a stranger.
When We Quit Our Day Jobs
Episode 72. We'd been doing this nights and weekends for three years. The sponsorship revenue crossed $4,000 a month and we looked at each other across the table and said: "Is this the moment?" It was.
Episode 71 · Kwame Asante
The Episode That Changed Our Format
We scrapped the opening segment after listener #47 told us she always skipped it.
Episode 78 · Lena Bergström
Interviewing Difficult Guests
Silence is the most underused interview technique in podcasting.
Episode 85
Building a Listener Community Without Burning Out
A Discord server is a full-time job you didn't budget for.
Episode 101 · Alex Rivera
The Gimlet Playbook: What Independents Can Steal
Story structure isn't a genre thing. It's a respect-for-the-listener thing.
Episode 108
Transcript SEO: The Backcatalog Gold Mine
Every episode you've ever recorded is a landing page waiting to be indexed.
Episode 115 · Yuki Tanaka
Narrative Non-Fiction for Audio: A Masterclass
Radio taught us that the best scene is the one you can hear but not see.
Episode 122 · Fatima Al-Rashid
Multiplatform Publishing: Audio + Video + Newsletter
Your RSS feed is the anchor. Everything else is distribution.
Episode 129 · Caleb Oduya
Sound Design for Non-Sound Designers
The right bed track doesn't tell the listener what to feel. It gives them permission.
Episode 100: Live in Front of 200 People
We recorded episode 100 on a stage at a podcasting conference in Chicago. People had flown from three countries. We cried a little. We cut the crying from the final edit. We shouldn't have.
Episode 135
Listener Retention: The 20% Rule
If 20% of your listeners make it to the end, you're doing better than NPR.
Episode 141 · Morgan Steele
The Wondery Model: Story as IP
A podcast that becomes a TV show started as a format document, not a microphone.
Episode 147 · Jad Abumrad
On the Craft of Listening
Listening is an act of generosity. The host's job is to make that generosity easy.
147 Episodes.
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Timestamped highlights, guest links, and one behind-the-scenes production note per episode. Join 4,200+ independent creators who already get the Rundown.
147
Episodes
4.2k
Subscribers
6 yrs
Running